Custom board not being recognized

[mars_design]

Hi,

I have created a custom board with an NRF52832 chip on. Either programming via ULINK2 or the DK PCA10040 is no succes, board won't be recognized although it is powered.

Checked all support tickets around this subject, and wiring is set up okay including SWCLK, SWDIO, VTG GND. What else can be checked in hardware or wiring what could be the issue?

I have used the reference circuit diagram for the NRF52832 dcdc schematic.

Thanks.

[mars_design]

Hello.

Have had more success this weekend with programming. Appeared to be a issue on my custom board, but now able to load blinky or other code on. Also via NRFgo studio I can load and verify the softdevice 132. 

I'm not able to load the code (try to load the ble_app_uart with some modifications from myself), but it says: hex file has data in soft device region. 

Also via Keil i get the following error; Error: Flash Download failed  -  "Cortex-M4" 

What could this be?

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi,

 

You can try to erase the device via command line "nrfjprog -e" (or click the "Erase all" button in nRFgoStudio), then re-program the softdevice, and then the application?

Does your custom board have a external 32kHz crystal? If not, you need to configure your project to use the internal 32kHz RC oscillator instead.

Here's a answer from a colleague of mine how to change this in recent SDK versions:

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/48170/i-have-a-development-board-and-load-the-client-central-ble-blinky-to-it-then-the-peripheral-ble-blinky-to-my-custom-board-and-power-up-and-the-central-development-board-stays-led-1-on-and-never-switches-to-led-2/192441#192441

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[Håkon Alseth]

All projects that are marked with "S132" should then work. for instance:

\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_hrs\pca10040\s132

 

Did you try the precompiled .hex file? ble_app_hrs_pca10040_s132.hex in \nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_hrs\hex.

This also holds the S132 merged into one .hex file.

[mars_design]

Yes! I have programmed the /ble_app_uart/hex/ble_app_uart_pca10040_s132.hex and now I see Nordic_UART available on my phone as interface to connect with. This is already a good step forward.

Anyhow, programming the S132 and the application separetly, gives the error of "this hex file is in the soft device region". 

[Håkon Alseth]

nRFgo Studio is not actively being developed anymore, and it seems that you are seeing some issues with it.

You can try to use the nrfjprog program directly, or "nRF Connect for desktop", where you can install the nRF Programmer app, and program the nRF from there.

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[mars_design]

Unfortunately, tried it with nrfjprog, first programming hex of soft device, then programming hex of application. Get this error: 

Parsing hex file.
Reading flash area to program to guarantee it is erased.
ERROR: The area to write is not erased.

Somehow the soft device hex is in the area where the program wants to be. Also with the examples in the SDK (so not my own written firmware)

[Håkon Alseth]

Which example specifically are you using?

 

Here's an example on how to use nrfjprog:

# Erase the chip
nrfjprog -e
# program softdevice
nrfjprog --program path/to/softdevice.hex --verify
# program the application
nrfjprog --program path/to/app.hex --verify --reset

 

If you do not do a erase all (nrfjprog -e), you have to add the switch "--sectorerase" when programming.

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[mars_design]

I have tried multple hex files, ble_app_beacon, ble_app_blinky, and ble_app_uart and after loading the softdevice correctly, all give the same error.

Parsing hex file.
Reading flash area to program to guarantee it is erased.
ERROR: The area to write is not erased.

This does not happen when taking the merged soft device with hex file. Is there some memory allocation wrong?

[Håkon Alseth]

Do you have the latest nrfjprog version installed? It can be downloaded from here:

https://www.nordicsemi.com/?sc_itemid=%7B56868165-9553-444D-AA57-15BDE1BF6B49%7D

 

It's important that you compile a project for the S132, when this is the softdevice that you have loaded onto the nRF device.

Could you attach one of the .hex files that you have compiled so I can have a look at the offset etc?

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[mars_design]

5850.nrf52832_xxaa.hex

[Håkon Alseth]

Thanks. Offsets and all look good. I had no issues programming this .hex file:

C:\SDK\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\components\softdevice\s132\hex>nrfjprog -e
Erasing user available code and UICR flash areas.
Applying system reset.

C:\SDK\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\components\softdevice\s132\hex>nrfjprog --program s132_nrf52_6.1.1_softdevice.hex
Parsing hex file.
Reading flash area to program to guarantee it is erased.
Checking that the area to write is not protected.
Programming device.

C:\SDK\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\components\softdevice\s132\hex>nrfjprog --program 5850.nrf52832_xxaa.hex
Parsing hex file.
Reading flash area to program to guarantee it is erased.
Checking that the area to write is not protected.
Programming device.

 

But, If I try again; I'll get this error, and would need to add the "--sectorerase" flag to nrfjprog:

C:\SDK\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\components\softdevice\s132\hex>nrfjprog --program 5850.nrf52832_xxaa.hex --verify
Parsing hex file.
Reading flash area to program to guarantee it is erased.
ERROR: The area to write is not erased.

C:\SDK\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\components\softdevice\s132\hex>nrfjprog --program 5850.nrf52832_xxaa.hex --verify --sectorerase
Parsing hex file.
Erasing page at address 0x26000.
Erasing page at address 0x27000.
Erasing page at address 0x28000.
Erasing page at address 0x29000.
Erasing page at address 0x2A000.
Erasing page at address 0x2B000.
Applying system reset.
Checking that the area to write is not protected.
Programming device.
Verifying programming.
Verified OK.

 

Kind regards,

Håkon

[mars_design]

Thanks for the help Håkon. Yesterday I did the 'remove everything from your pc and start over again'-fix. Somehow, something was wrong I guess. Since I have re-installed, nrfjprog, keil, downloaded new SDK files, now I can load hex files to my custom board.