Pin configuration limitation

[Vladimir Aparin]

It's may be strange enough, but i can't see the clear answer on this question.

What is the limitations for pin function maping?
I need to understand which pins i can use for UART. I think that it can be used any General Purpose IO without special functions, but i can't see the confirmation for it.

p.s. SoC is nRF52810.

[awneil]

It is clearly stated in the UARTE section of the Product Specification - page 364 in v1.3:

But you are right that it is not made clear in the UART section.

AFAIK, "UART" and "UARTE" are not two distinct peripheral blocks - there is just one "UART with EasyDMA" - so what applies to one must apply to the other.

This has come up before regarding the "TWI" blocks - it is a really confusing and unhelpful way of organising the documentation!

[awneil]

awneil said:

This has come up before regarding the "TWI" blocks - it is a really confusing and unhelpful way of organising the documentation

Here:

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/47060/at24c512-bmi160-nrf52/186098#186098

[Vladimir Aparin]

The question may stay widely.
UART - it's only one type of pin using. It can be other interface - SPI, I2C etc.

The other vendor providing special tool for graphical pin configuration: PinMux by TI, Start by Atmel, CubeMX by ST. It's strange for me, that Nordic haven't someting similar. and I should to collect the information in some paragraphs of documentation, when i'm only want to configure pinout.

[awneil]

Vladimir Aparin said:

UART - it's only one type of pin using. It can be other interface - SPI, I2C etc

The same applies to them - in general, any function can be routed to any pin.

Mostly, this is clearly stated in the Product Spec - this case is an exception, rather than the rule.

Vladimir Aparin said:

other vendor providing special tool for graphical pin configuration

On most other chips, the options are limited - so such a tool is really useful in navigating the options & restrictions.

But the nRF52 chips give you (almost) complete freedom - so it's not really so useful.

[Vladimir Aparin]

Sure I know, that the nRF52 are very flexible SoC. It's very good, but at the same time here may be the problem. Because if you think that you can configure any function on any GPIO and will make a PCB based on think mention, you can got an issue, when you get an exception (required function will not possible to set up on chosen pin). And you will get only when have an PCB and start to program it. So it should be clearly defined.