Programming nRF52 with OpenOCD

[Gordon]

Hi, I have a BMD-300 (nRF52) module that I'm attempting to program with OpenOCD and an ST-link from Linux (it worked great for nRF51 so I was trying to keep the same tools).

$OPENOCD/src/openocd -s $OPENOCD/tcl -f interface/stlink-v2.cfg -f target/nrf52.cfg -c init -c "reset init" -c halt -c "nrf52 mass_erase" -c "program $FIRMWARE verify" -c reset -c exit

I'm using OpenOCD from here: github.com/.../openocd

And it says:

Open On-Chip Debugger 0.10.0-dev-00282-gbd6642f (2016-05-09-13:36)
Licensed under GNU GPL v2
For bug reports, read
	openocd.org/.../bugs.html
Info : auto-selecting first available session transport "hla_swd". To override use 'transport select <transport>'.
Info : The selected transport took over low-level target control. The results might differ compared to plain JTAG/SWD
adapter speed: 10000 kHz
Info : Unable to match requested speed 10000 kHz, using 4000 kHz
Info : Unable to match requested speed 10000 kHz, using 4000 kHz
Info : clock speed 4000 kHz
Info : STLINK v2 JTAG v14 API v2 SWIM v0 VID 0x0483 PID 0x3748
Info : using stlink api v2
Info : Target voltage: 3.787037
Info : nrf52.cpu: hardware has 0 breakpoints, 2 watchpoints
Error: timed out while waiting for target halted
TARGET: nrf52.cpu - Not halted
in procedure 'reset' 
in procedure 'ocd_bouncer'

It definitely knows the chip is connected and can read the chip ID off it, as it comes up with different errors with the chip connected and trying to flash with the nrf51 code returns:

Warn : UNEXPECTED idcode: 0x2ba01477
Error: expected 1 of 1: 0x0bb11477

Do you have any ideas what the problem might be? Error: timed out while waiting for target halted seems like the issue, but I'm not sure how to fix it... As I say, this worked (connecting SWCLK, SWDIO, GND and using target power) on nRF51 just fine. Could it be to do with the BMD-300's existing bootloader?

[Gordon]

This seems to be because Rigado set the memory protection bit.

Thanks to Rigado's support, it seems you can do nrfjtool --recover to remove this (or you can manually poke the relevant registers).

As it happens you can program an nRF52 from the nRF52DK by connecting it up to P20. The devkit switches over automatically (no jumpers needed). nrfjtool is also available for Linux now, so there's very little reason (IMO) to have to use OpenOCD now.

Of course it still doesn't work for me after all that, but I've created a new issue for that as it appears that OpenOCD would have worked, if it weren't for the memory protection bit being set.

New issue: devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../

[ubicore]

Hi,

I work from a few day with openOCD to program and debug on nRF52. For this I'm using a patched version of openocd.

1 - Clone openocd from git from sourceforge.net/.../

git clone git://git.code.sf.net/p/openocd/code openocd-code
cd openocd-code

2 - Apply patch for nrf52 : openocd.zylin.com/

git pull openocd.zylin.com/openocd refs/changes/15/3215/2

If need merge conflict manually

gedit src/flash/nor/drivers.c
gedit src/flash/nor/Makefile.am

3 - Build OpenOCD (change prefix)  :

./bootstrap # (when building from the git repository)
./configure \
    --prefix=/Your-path/openocd-git_install \
    --enable-aice \
    --enable-amtjtagaccel \
    --enable-armjtagew \
    --enable-cmsis-dap \
    --enable-dummy \
    --enable-ftdi \
    --enable-gw16012 \
    --enable-jlink \
    --enable-jtag_vpi \
    --enable-opendous \
    --enable-openjtag_ftdi \
    --enable-osbdm \
    --enable-legacy-ft2232_libftdi \
    --enable-parport \
    --disable-parport-ppdev \
    --enable-parport-giveio \
    --enable-presto_libftdi \
    --enable-remote-bitbang \
    --enable-rlink \
    --enable-stlink \
    --enable-ti-icdi \
    --enable-ulink \
    --enable-usb-blaster-2 \
    --enable-usb_blaster_libftdi \
    --enable-usbprog \
    --enable-vsllink

make
make install

4 - Create a new board_nrf52.cfg config file with :

source [find interface/jlink.cfg]
transport select swd
source [find target/nrf52.cfg]

5 - Debug !

openocd -s /Your-path/openocd-git_install/share/openocd/scripts/ -f board_nrf52.cfg -c init -c "reset init" -c halt -c "nrf52 mass_erase" -c "program _build/nrf52832_xxaa.out verify" -c reset -c exit

[Shriram]

Hello, I have followed the steps you have posted, But when I flash my nrf52832 board I find following errors:

Preparing: _build/nrf51422_xxac.hex
Flashing: _build/nrf51422_xxac.hex
/home/ac2/test_nrf52/openocd-code/src/openocd -s /home/ac2/test_nrf52/openocd-code/tcl -f /home/ac2/test_nrf52/openocd-code/board_nrf52.cfg  -c init -c "reset init" -c halt -c "nrf52 mass_erase" -c "program _build/nrf51422_xxac.hex verify" -c reset -c exit
Open On-Chip Debugger 0.10.0-dev-00419-gbcaf775-dirty (2016-11-29-13:32)
Licensed under GNU GPL v2
For bug reports, read
	openocd.org/.../bugs.html
Error: flash driver 'nrf52' not found

Makefile:182: recipe for target 'flash' failed
make: *** [flash] Error 1

Can you help me figure out which steps I am missing?

[ubicore]

Possible that the patch (which that add nrf52 target) has not been correctly applied...

[Abhishek]

Hi,

Even I am facing similar issue. As suggested by ubicore I checked that patch related to nrf52 target is correctly applied. Following is the error,

MS-7817:~/workarea/Projects/ble_door_lock/open/openocd-code$ openocd -s /home/ac1/workarea/Projects/ble_door_lock/open/openocd-code/ -f board_nrf52.cfg -c init -c "reset init" -c halt -c "nrf52 mass_erase" -c "program blinky_pca10031.hex verify" -c reset -c exit
Open On-Chip Debugger 0.10.0-dev-00419-gbcaf775-dirty (2016-11-30-17:06)
Licensed under GNU GPL v2
For bug reports, read
	openocd.org/.../bugs.html
Error: The specified debug interface was not found (hla)
The following debug interfaces are available:

PS: But it does not show any interfaces under 'following interfaces are available'. Although we have installed, STlink 'github.com/.../compiling.md', since we are using ST LinkV2 progammer for programming nrf52 module