Moving from PCA10056 to PCA10059

[Daniel Reisfeld]

Hi,

I've developed software using PCA10056 (using nRF5_SDK_15.0.0_a53641a) and I would like to test it on PCA10059.

Can you direct me to the new board files that need to be replaced?

Thanks,

Daniel

[Edvin]

Hello,

There is a folder in SDK15 called boards, located in:

SDK15.0.0\components\boards

In that folder you should find a file called pca10059.h, which is the dongle board header file.

 

Note that there are also a couple of projects that are already made for the PCA10059. Not many, but using one of these may save you some time with setup. Although, since it is the same chip as the PCA10056, it might be easier just to change the board header file.

 

Note that there is a define in the preprocessor defines, called BOARD_PCA10056 in all of the nRF52840 DK projects. If you change this define to BOARD_PCA10056, it should automatically change to use the correct file, pca10059.h.

 

You will probably notice that if you want to program a project using the softdevice and an application to the nRF52840 dongle, you might run into some issues. Since the dongle doesn't have a programming chip, like the DK has, it is only programmable with the USB bootloader, or with an external programmer. nRF Connect, which uses the USB bootloader currently doesn't support writing to multiple regions. So there is no way of using this tool to program both the softdevice and the application. If your application doesn't use the softdevice, however, then you should be fine. 

 

I have heard that it is possible to use the nrfutil tool to program the nRF52840 dongle. However be very careful not to overwrite the bootloader on the dongle, because if you do, it will not be possible to program it with nRF Programmer from the nRF Connect tool in the future.

 

You can also program the dongle using an external programmer (such as the DK), but you would have to solder on some programming pins on P1 (on the bottom side of the dongle). Note that by programming it with these pins, if you do a nrfjprog --eraseall or nrfjprog -e, you will also remove the pre-programmed bootloader.

 

Best regards,

Edvin

[Daniel Reisfeld]

Thanks Edvin,

I do use the softdevice. Just to make sure I understand:  I can, therefore, upload programs only using P1 (and not through the usb). Right?

If so, can you kindly direct me to directions to how to do so (preferably using the DK)?

Thanks again,

Daniel

[Edvin]

That is correct. If you look at the DK there is a connector on the short end close to the usb contact, called Debug Out. You need a cable that fits there, called a 10 pin segger cable.

If you connect this cable from the DK to the P1 pin headers (that you need to get and solder on), and power the dongle, it will detect that there is another nRF Connected, and it will program that nRF instead. 

 

If you have several DKs, you can test this quite easily by connecting Debug Out on one DK to Debug In on another DK, power the other DK, and flash a project to the first DK. You will see that it is the DK connected through Debug In that is programmed.

 

There are quite a few cases regarding this on DevZone, but I am on my way out of the office now, and will not be back until Thursday. You can see if you find some more info in some other cases. Search for something like "program custom board via DK", and I will come back to you on Thursday.

 

Best regards,

Edvin

[Daniel Reisfeld]

Thanks again Edvin

[Abhishek]

Hi Edvin,

I want to use the \nRF5_SDK_15.2.0_9412b96\examples\ble_central\ble_app_blinky_c\pca10056 for the nRF dongle (PCA10059). 

I tried your suggestion as to change the BOARD_PCA10056 in boards.h file, I could not find the location of  

"# define BOARD_PCA10056 "

so I defined 

#undef BOARD_PCA10056
#define BOARD_PCA10059

in boards.h

I tried to program the generated hex files through the nRF Connect app on desktop but it did not highlight the "write" option.

How should I move forward ?

Thanks

Abhishek