Startup Troubles on Dev Kit

[SteveHx]

I was able one time to power up the nRF9160 dev kit and see it connect to the cellular network and to nRF Cloud. Since then, it will only blink LED3, which indicates that it can't connect. I would like to re-flash the firmware, but I'm totally lost in all the circular links in the documentation. I have used the nRF52832 dev kit extensively so I'm quite familiar with the process, but it appears the nRF9160 dev kti adds several more layers of complexity. I would like to be able to load a simple "hello world" application, and then build on that with my application source code. Please guide me to some concise documentation.

[SteveHx]

I understand what it's asking for. What I need to know is where to get the GNU ARM toolchain - I don't think I have that installed. In any case, I always allow published installers to install to their default directories, because I've found way too many whose developers didn't bother to check what happens if the user uses a different directory - it often breaks the product. Where should I get the GNU ARM toolchain, in a version compatible with this toolchain?

[Didrik Rokhaug]

Sorry, I misunderstood what you were asking for. In the Getting Started Assistant there are two links at the bottom of step 1 "Install the toolchain":

Windows 32-bit Installer (Signed for Windows 7 and later)

Windows 32-bit Installer (Unsigned)

We recommend to install the toolchain into the c:\gnuarmemb folder

[SteveHx]

Another possible clue: I get this error box:

If I navigate to that specific file and dblclick, another instance of SES opens, and immediately gives me the same box again.

[Didrik Rokhaug]

It still looks like the "GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain Directory" is wrong. I recreated your issue on a Windows 10 VM, by setting it to the path of SES, instead of the path of the ARM embedded toolchain. See pictures:

If you change the "GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain Directory" option to the folder where you installed the ARM Embedded toolchain, then the error goes away, and you should be able to load and build the project. If you did not change the install directory in the ARM Embedded toolchain installer, the correct path should be C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU Tools Arm Embedded\7 2018-q2-update. I have attached pictures of the correct setup (on my VM), along with the content of the folder you should point to (when setting the path, only folders will be displayed, so you will not see the uninstaller):

If you still cannot get it to work, please send pictures of the SES options window, and the folder pointed to by the "GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain Directory" option.

Edit: Also, when opening a project, make sure that the "Clean Build Directory" checkbox is checked, to avoid risking using old settings.

[Didrik Rokhaug]

This is a result of the "JavaScript Alert". NCS uses CMake to produce build files. When loading a project in SES, CMake is used to produce the project file for SES. However, in this case, CMake encounters an error (outputted in the "JavaScript Alert") and is therefore unable to produce a valid project file for SES. When SES then tries to open the project file, it is unable to do so and outputs this error.

It will disappear when the other problem is solved.

[SteveHx]

I have gone back to the Getting Started Assistant and set GnuArmEmb_path (over at the right) to C:\arm_segger_embedded_studio_v420a_win_x64_nordic as you suggest. Verify All then fails, so I have set it back to C:\gnuarmemb as suggested earlier, and Verify all succeeds. But I'm no closer to the goal line.

Note: I am using FireFox to access this thread. When I click the "load next" button, it cuts off the bottom of the thread, so I'm not sure if there's more below or not.

[Didrik Rokhaug]

The "load next" button can be a bit weird sometimes. I am also using Firefox, and have not had any problems with missing replies, so I do not think it is an issue. Just to be sure, here is a link to my latest comment: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/52266/startup-troubles-on-dev-kit/212934#212934 

The Getting Started Assistant can only help you check if you have the toolchain. That is not the problem here. The problem is that you have set one of the options in SEGGER Embedded Studio wrong. There is nothing the Getting Started Assistant can do to help you here, other than this box:

I did not suggest you set the GnuArmEmb_path in the Getting Started Assistant. Please read my latest reply again.

Let me try to explain what you need to do again:

The problem you have is because CMake is unable to find the toolchain needed to compile the project.

CMake uses a path provided by SEGGER Embedded Studio (SES) to find the toolchain.

SES requires you to input that path in one of its settings. The procedure is explained in picture 1.

To know which path to enter, you can follow this procedure:

1. Edit the GnuArmEmb_path in the Getting Started Assistant until you can verify the installation of the GNU ARM Embedded toolchain (see picture)

2. Enter that same path into the "GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain Directory" option in SES (see picture)

3. Load the project. Remember to use the non-secure version of the board (with "ns" at the end of the name), and to clean the build directory.

[SteveHx]

The website is still cutting off the end of this thread.

I can now load and build the Asset Tracker app, and it appears to be downloading to the EVkit, after some fits and giggles. The first time it said it needed to download new firmware, strongly recommended, so with some trepidation I allowed it to do so. Then in crashed when it retried, because the firmware takes much too long to reboot. After it was fully back up, I closed everything and tried again. This time it didn't ask but seemed to download the bootstrap loader again without prompting. I have tried both "build and run" and "build and debug" from SES with the same result. A few blinks of the master LED on the board, and nary a peep from the LEDs on the nRF9160, of which 3 and 4 are described as lit or blinking for the various states, once I found the text describing how the app is supposed to run.

Is there any hope for this tool to be ready for prime time any time soon, or should I move on to other solutions?

[Didrik Rokhaug]

Hi.

 

SteveHx said:

I can now load and build the Asset Tracker app

 Great to hear.

If you now can open and build a project in SES, I recommend that you open a new case with your problems with the asset tracker application.

That way, it is easier to keep focus on the issue, and you will be able to load the whole thread.

Best regards,

Didrik