How do I program a nRF52840 Dongle with the thread CoAP example?

[Timo Jansen]

Hello,

I'm trying to program a nRF52840 Dongle with the thread MTD client example by using nRF Connect but I get an error 
saying I need to add a SoftDevice. I thought the thread examples didn't need a SoftDevice and when I try to add one 
it just overlaps the example's hex file.

Is it even possible to use the thread examples with the nRF52840 Dongle?

Thanks in advance,

Timo Jansen

[Aalm]

Hello! Vidar, Berg i would love instructions.

I have the latest version of nRF Connect and Segger with Thread&ZigBee 2.0 library and J-link.. The example for thread works just fine on 10056, but with 100059 i get the same error message and Timo Jansen on nRF Connect.

I can compile the thread example for nRF DK with segger too, but for the dongle Segger gives "No j-link support" error".

Thanks in advance.

[Vidar Berg]

Hello,

The dongles do not have an OB segger so needs to be programmed through USB DFU using nrfutil or the programmer app in nrfconnect.

I did a quick test with the cli example (nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_2.0.0_29775ac\examples\thread\cli\usb\). Below are the changes I made. Same approach should work for the other examples as well. 

Fullscreen flash_placement.diff Download

--- C:/vidar/workspace/nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_2.0.0_29775ac/examples/thread/cli/usb/pca10056/blank/flash_placement.xml	Sun Sep 23 18:48:47 2018
+++ C:/vidar/workspace/nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_2.0.0_29775ac/examples/thread/cli/usb/pca10056/blank/ses/flash_placement.xml	Mon Oct  1 13:40:35 2018
@@ -38,2 +38,2 @@
-  <MemorySegment name="ot_flash_data" start="0x000fc000" size="0x4000">
-    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".ot_flash_data" address_symbol="__start_ot_flash_data" end_symbol="__stop_ot_flash_data" start = "0x000fc000" size="0x4000" />
+  <MemorySegment name="ot_flash_data" start="0x000dc000" size="0x4000">
+    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".ot_flash_data" address_symbol="__start_ot_flash_data" end_symbol="__stop_ot_flash_data" start = "0x000dc000" size="0x4000" />

Fullscreen emproject.diff Download

--- C:/vidar/workspace/nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_2.0.0_29775ac/examples/thread/cli/usb/pca10056/blank/thread_cli_usb_pca10056.emProject	Sun Sep 23 18:48:47 2018
+++ C:/vidar/workspace/nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_2.0.0_29775ac/examples/thread/cli/usb/pca10056/blank/ses/thread_cli_usb_pca10056.emProject	Mon Oct  1 13:39:25 2018
@@ -29,2 +29,2 @@
-      linker_section_placement_macros="FLASH_PH_START=0x0;FLASH_PH_SIZE=0x100000;RAM_PH_START=0x20000000;RAM_PH_SIZE=0x40000;FLASH_START=0x0;FLASH_SIZE=0xfc000;RAM_START=0x20000000;RAM_SIZE=0x40000"
-      linker_section_placements_segments="FLASH RX 0x0 0x100000;RAM RWX 0x20000000 0x40000;ot_flash_data RX 0x000fc000 0x4000"
+      linker_section_placement_macros="FLASH_PH_START=0x0;FLASH_PH_SIZE=0x100000;RAM_PH_START=0x20000000;RAM_PH_SIZE=0x40000;FLASH_START=0x1000;FLASH_SIZE=0xdb000;RAM_START=0x20000008;RAM_SIZE=0x3FFF8"
+      linker_section_placements_segments="FLASH RX 0x0 0x100000;RAM RWX 0x20000000 0x40000;ot_flash_data RX 0x000dc000 0x4000"

 

CLI example with modified linker settings:

thread_cli_usb_pca10056.hex

[mrc74]

I made the changes to the files in the project you mentioned, changed the preprocessor definition from BOARD_PCA10056 to BOARD_PCA10059 rebuilt the project and then flashed it to the dongle. For some reason it does not work. I tried the hex file you included and it works fine. Is there any other change to the project I missed? I checked the flash layout for both files and I saw that for the App section, yours goes from 0x1000 to 0x47598 and the one I got goes from 0x1000 to 0x475B0

[Vidar Berg]

Please try the \nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_2.0.0_29775ac\examples\thread\cli\usb_bootloader example without modifying anything (ie you can change the board define but is not necessary) . The usb_bootloader variant is configured to run with the pre-programmed bootloader. I was not aware of this when I wrote the previous reply. 

mrc74 said:

I checked the flash layout for both files and I saw that for the App section, yours goes from 0x1000 to 0x47598 and the one I got goes from 0x1000 to 0x475B0

 We are probably using  different version compiler versions, or optimization settings. I don't think the minor size difference is related to the issue. 

[Francesca]

Hi, i've the same trouble.

How'd you solve it?

[Vidar Berg]

Francesca, several things may have changed since this question was posted 2 years ago, so I suggest you make a new one. You can of course link to this thread in your question. When you post the question, remember to include details about your setup (SDK version, if you use Segger Embedded studio,etc) and a bit about what you have tried thus far.