Power Profiler: Failed to start the PPK

[Ingoo]

Hello!
Im running Power Profiler to measure current. I have uppdated nRF Connect from v2.7.0.0 to v3.0.0 and now the Power Profiler does not work as it did before. I am using Windows 10.  I get this logfile:

2019-07-16T04:51:17.579Z INFO Application data folder: C:\Users\H863260\AppData\Roaming\nrfconnect\pc-nrfconnect-ppk
2019-07-16T04:51:17.583Z INFO App initialized
2019-07-16T04:51:17.747Z DEBUG App pc-nrfconnect-ppk v2.2.0 official
2019-07-16T04:51:17.748Z DEBUG App path: C:\Users\H863260\.nrfconnect-apps\node_modules\pc-nrfconnect-ppk
2019-07-16T04:51:17.748Z DEBUG nRFConnect 3.0.0 is supported by the app (^3.0.0)
2019-07-16T04:51:17.748Z DEBUG nRFConnect path: C:\Users\H863260\AppData\Local\Programs\nrfconnect\resources\app.asar
2019-07-16T04:51:17.748Z DEBUG HomeDir: C:\Users\H863260
2019-07-16T04:51:17.748Z DEBUG TmpDir: C:\Users\H863260\AppData\Local\Temp
2019-07-16T04:51:24.636Z INFO Validating firmware for device with s/n 000682414075
2019-07-16T04:51:24.642Z INFO PPK closed
2019-07-16T04:51:30.452Z INFO Opening device with s/n 000682414075
2019-07-16T04:51:30.452Z INFO PPK opened
2019-07-16T04:51:30.459Z INFO Initializing the PPK
2019-07-16T04:51:38.419Z INFO SEGGER serial:  682414075
2019-07-16T04:51:38.419Z INFO SEGGER speed:  2000  kHz
2019-07-16T04:51:38.419Z INFO SEGGER version:  J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Jan  7 2019 14:07:15
2019-07-16T04:51:44.432Z ERROR Failed to start the PPK.
2019-07-16T04:51:44.435Z DEBUG
2019-07-16T04:51:44.435Z INFO Deselecting device
2019-07-16T04:51:44.439Z INFO PPK closed
2019-07-16T04:51:52.738Z INFO Validating firmware for device with s/n 000682414075
2019-07-16T04:51:52.740Z INFO PPK closed
2019-07-16T04:52:09.260Z ERROR Error while setting up device 000682414075: Error occured when close opened device. Errorcode: CouldNotOpenDevice (0x4)
Lowlevel error: NO_EMULATOR_CONNECTED (fffffff3)

2019-07-16T04:52:09.261Z INFO Deselecting device
2019-07-16T04:52:09.265Z INFO PPK closed

At the first time I try to connect I get this:2019-07-16T04:51:44.432Z ERROR Failed to start the PPK.

At the second time I try to connect I get this :2019-07-16T04:52:09.260Z ERROR Error while setting up device 000682414075: Error occured when close opened device. Errorcode: CouldNotOpenDevice (0x4)Lowlevel error: NO_EMULATOR_CONNECTED (fffffff3).

The Programmer app works fine. 

I have uninstalled nRF Connect and reinstalled it again but the result is the same. Any suggestions what to do?

Thanks in advance.

[Stian Røed Hafskjold]

I was able to reproduce it here when upgrading the software. But then I unplugged everything and restarted the software and it seems to be working fine now. Not sure what went wrong. Did you try to just power cycle the board? Maybe even try restarting the computer, if the serial bus is busy for some reason.

[Ingoo]

Yes I have power cycled the board and the computer. I have installed nRF Connect and Power Profiler on my private computer and it works fine. So the hardware is ok. One thing I have done at the same time as upgrading the nRF Connect is that I installed LabView. I have uninstalled LabView again but maybe some driver software is left.  

A strange thing is if I uninstall nRF Connect and install another version of nRFgo Studio and then install nRF Connect again nRF Connect starts automatically and if I Iaunch Power Profiler it works. If I disconnect and connect again it does not work any more. 

[Stian Røed Hafskjold]

Not really sure what's wrong here. Maybe some other software on the computer is keeping the serial port busy. I know that in Linux there are some issues with the mass storage device driver keeping it busy, so it has to be disabled. Maybe there are something similar in your Windows 10 installation.

Things to try:

• Download the newest JLink driver version: https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink/#J-LinkSoftwareAndDocumentationPack
• Change the USB cable. Maybe it's broken
• You can also try to downgrade nRF Connect to the version that worked:

nRF Connect v2.7.0 install: https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-nrfconnect-core/releases/download/v2.7.0/nrfconnect-setup-2.7.0-ia32.exe

PPK software v2.1.0: https://developer.nordicsemi.com/.pc-tools/nrfconnect-apps/pc-nrfconnect-ppk-2.1.0.tgz 

• Download and install the nRF Connect software
• Open nRF Connect and uninstall PPK app. Under "Add/remove apps"
• Close nRF Connect
• Download and place the pc-nrfconnect-ppk-2.1.0.tgz file in C:\Users\<username>\.nrfconnect-apps\local\
• Open nRF Connect and the PPK app

[Ingoo]

Updated to JLink_Windows_V646j. Power Profiler works perfect at the first test. Disconnect and connect again and I get "ERROR Failed to start the PPK". USB cable has been changed with same result.

Now I have downgraded to nRF Connect v2.7.0 and Power Profiler v2.1.0 restarted the computer and I get the same result:
2019-07-18T13:59:56.348Z DEBUG App pc-nrfconnect-ppk v2.1.0 local
2019-07-18T13:59:56.348Z DEBUG App path: C:\Users\H863260\.nrfconnect-apps\local\pc-nrfconnect-ppk
2019-07-18T13:59:56.348Z DEBUG nRFConnect 2.7.0 is supported by the app (^2.4.0)
2019-07-18T13:59:56.348Z DEBUG nRFConnect path: C:\Users\H863260\AppData\Local\Programs\nrfconnect\resources\app.asar
2019-07-18T13:59:56.348Z DEBUG HomeDir: C:\Users\H863260
2019-07-18T13:59:56.348Z DEBUG TmpDir: C:\Users\H863260\AppData\Local\Temp
2019-07-18T14:00:00.483Z INFO Validating firmware for device with s/n 000682414075
2019-07-18T14:00:24.039Z INFO Opening device with s/n 000682414075
2019-07-18T14:00:24.041Z INFO PPK opened
2019-07-18T14:00:24.041Z INFO Initializing the PPK
2019-07-18T14:00:31.672Z INFO SEGGER serial:  682414075
2019-07-18T14:00:31.672Z INFO SEGGER speed:  2000  kHz
2019-07-18T14:00:31.672Z INFO SEGGER version:  J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Jan  7 2019 14:07:15
2019-07-18T14:00:37.680Z ERROR Failed to start the PPK.

[Ingoo]

Problem solved. It was the anti virus program Cylance that was causing the problem. I uninstalled it and now the PowerProfiler works again. Strange thing is that the nRF Connect/Programmer worked correct but not the PowerProfiler. 

Stian, thank you for trying to help me.