Custom Board Programming

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 12:25:49 GMT

I am no HW engineer, so I suggest that you create a new ticket where you ask for a PCB layout review, where someone can look at the PCB, and possibly the antenna to see if there is any issues with your design.

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 09:37:55 GMT

PCB antenna used.

problem i facing that custom board not get range as dongle both has same application

how i increase my board range?

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 13:31:34 GMT

RSSI will vary a lot from board to board, and also depending on orientation.

What sort of antenna do you use on the PCB? Do you have an external antenna, a PCB antenna (like on the Dongle), or do you use the in-chip antenna?

BR,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 13:13:24 GMT

Problem is HF Xtal not properly mounted

After its properly placed BLE start works

I have one dongle(nrf 52840) and i tested both(dongle and Custom board) in advertising mode

Scan with BLE app in Phone

observations:- App get both advertisement in some distance after that custom board advertisement not captured by app but app get dongle advertisement

another one i observed that RSSI of both in same distance are huge difference(fixed distance:- Dongle (-28 db) , Board (-48 db))

RF section has 3.3nh inductor and 1pf capacitor are used

NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_SRC is 1 not changed

need some help to achieve maximum range

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 07:30:57 GMT

How did you fix it? Do you now use the NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_SRC 0 (RC Oscillator)?

If the application is working, and your HF_XTAL PCB layout is similar to the figure from my previous reply's Figure 1, and the tolerance of the HF is 40ppm, then the HF XTAL shouldn't be the issue.

Can you describe the range problem? What sort of environment is it? (Inside? Outside?) What sort of range do you have difficulties with? What happens? Does it disconnect?

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 10:26:48 GMT

Thanks for your great support now boards works fine its due to crystal now its ok

now its has some range issue i have one question the crystal i used is 40 ppm(HF) is it that makes any problem to range?

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 09:02:54 GMT

If it doesn't go past the while (NRF_CLOCK->EVENTS_HFCLKSTARTED == 0); that would suggest that there are some issues with the XTAL.

I tested it on a DK, and it passes this check.

What you can try to check that everything else is working is to use the following NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF defines:

#define NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_SRC 0
#define NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_RC_CTIV 1
#define NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_RC_TEMP_CTIV 0
#define NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_ACCURACY 1

This will enable the RC Oscillator as the clock source. Try to use this, and see if the device starts advertising in one of the ble_peripheral examples.

If not:

Are you sure this is where the application is hanging (the while check)?

If it is:

What is your C17 and C18 from the figure in my previous reply?

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:27:32 GMT

Thanks for your replay

S140 is flashed and i debug the program everything fine but not transmission occurs

HF :-32MHz ±25ppm Crystal

LF:- 32.768 kHz and 20 PPM

NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_SRC is 1 in sdk_config.h

NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_ACCURACY is 7

capacitance provide at HF is 12 pF

Capacitance at LF is 12.5 pF

Is it any test to find crystal oscillate properly?

I found from nordic devzone search

You could also add this code at the start of main(), and check that you are not getting stuck in the while loop. If you get stuck in the while-loop, then you have some problem with the HF crystal.

  // Start HFCLK from crystal oscillator. The radio needs crystal to function correctly.
  NRF_CLOCK->TASKS_HFCLKSTART = 1;
  while (NRF_CLOCK->EVENTS_HFCLKSTARTED == 0);

I tested as per this document https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/29839/ble-not-starting-in-custom-board-of-nrf52832

int main(void)
{
bool erase_bonds;

// Initialize.
NRF_CLOCK->TASKS_HFCLKSTART = 1;
while (NRF_CLOCK->EVENTS_HFCLKSTARTED == 0);
log_init();
timer_init();
NRF_LOG_INFO("Calixto example started.");
buttons_leds_init(&erase_bonds);
power_management_init();
ble_stack_init();
gap_params_init();
gatt_init();
conn_params_init();
db_discovery_init();
peer_manager_init();
hrs_c_init();
rscs_c_init();
services_init();
advertising_init();

// Start execution.
NRF_LOG_INFO("Relay example started.");

if (erase_bonds == true)
{
// Scanning and advertising is done upon PM_EVT_PEERS_DELETE_SUCCEEDED event.
delete_bonds();
}
else
{
adv_scan_start();
}
// Enter main loop.
for (;;)
{
idle_state_handle();
// NRF_LOG_INFO("loop");
}
}

It's stucked in while loop is it any problem?

and also one more question is it any additional configuration needed for enabling external crystal ?

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 11:56:35 GMT

Hello,

Glad to hear it was detected in the end.

There are a few possible sources.

Did you remember to upload the softdevice before programming the BLE examples? For the nRF52840 you should use the S140 softdevice from the SDK that you use, located in <SDK_root_folder>\components\softdevice\s140\hex\s140_nrf52_X.Y.Z_softdevice.hex where XYZ is the version number. If you use SDK15.0.0, it is 6.0.0.

Regarding the clocks:

What are your clock specifications (both HF and LF). Particularly accuracy (PPM) of the LFXTAL, which is the most common reason for BLE examples not working.

You should make sure that these specs are reflected in your LFXTAL defines in sdk_config.h. NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_SRC should be 1 (XTAL). NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_ACCURACY should be at >= the actual accuracy.

Check out these things first, as they are most usually the issue. If that doesn't work, what is the capacitance of your LFXTAL? And what capacitors (pF) do you have attached on it? In figure 1. Circuit configuration no. 1 schematic, that would be C17 and C18, and also the capacitance of the XTAL itself?

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:33:15 GMT

Thanks for your replay now board detected i tested some peripherals(uart) its work but the BLE part is not working no transmission occurs

i just tested examples provide by nordic(sdk 15)

is it any modification needed?

32 mhz HF and 32 khz LF are used

code works fine(debuged) but no ble transmission occurs

is it any problem in HF clock?

how i tested HF works fine?

i need some help

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:25:09 GMT

So you have connected it like described here, right? Note that the GND detect must be connected to GND on the DK.

The programming chip on the nRF52DK supports only 3.0v. Is it possible to power it with this while programming?

BR,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 08:01:07 GMT

we are using high voltage design

one more thing i noticed that VDD_nrf voltage in custom board is 3.1 voltage but in dongle its 1.8 voltage and our custom board DEC5 has no voltage

is it any problem?

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:39:46 GMT

I shorted GND of both DK and custom board till board not connected and both connector pins are same

my connections

SWDIO----->SWDIO(4th pin)

SWDCLK------>SWDCLK(5 th pin)

VDD------->VDD(2nd pin) and VTG(3rd pin)

Reset ---->Reset(7 th pin)

GND ----->GND detect(8 th pin)

DK and Custom board ground also shorted

nrf 52 dk are used

but board still not working

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 13:01:19 GMT

Ok. I see. So you use the 10-pin needle adapter/tag connector to program your custom board as well? Or do you use something else? Have you checked that you have routed the pads for the 10pin connector on the custom board correctly?

You have to make sure that the two boards (DK and custom board) as common ground. Just short the GND from one of them to GND on the other.

See if that helps. If not, I think we need to look at the power supply. I can't find it specified anywhere what voltage the Segger programmer on the nRF52DK requires on the target chip. Does it help if you also short VDD on the DK to the custom board?

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: Custom Board Programming

Alan Ajit — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 12:32:10 GMT

sorry for late reply i used a tag connector for connection in connector near to neck of dongle(hope that connector name J2 not p1)

same setup i used for custom board(my board provide 3.3 v) dongle works fine but custom board do not connect

using DK board and 10 pin tag connector

RE: Custom Board Programming

Edvin — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:13:36 GMT

Hello,

When you connect the dongle, do you use the 10-pin connector that you have soldered on (onto P1), or do you use the SWDIO and SWDCLK? (what do you mean with J2?)

Do you have an external programmer, or do you use a DK to program the devices?

Can you please describe your connection setup with the working dongle, and the not-working custom board?

Especially if you don't use a 10-pin contact, what other pins do you connect in both cases?

Best regards,

Edvin