Need ' USB CDC ACM' driver without installing 'nRF Connect', for dongle using nRF52840 chipset

[Paul Bradford]

I have searched this site and not found an answer, although this seems to be a similar question: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/41853/usb-driver-install-fail-on-window-7-8-nrf52840-nordic_cdc_acm-inf/165534#165534

I am using an nRF52840-based dongle from Fanstel.  I have my software working reasonably well (loaded correct firmware, using code calling pc-ble-driver on Windows to talk to the dongle). However, the only way I've found to get drivers is by installing nRF Connect, and that's not a reasonable approach for installing on thousands of end-user computers.    I want the same drivers that nRF Connect installs, but standalone, without installing nRF Connect.

I need these standalone drivers for Windows 7 and Windows 10, and Linux.

I thought the files in this location might be the right drivers: https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-nrfconnect-core/tree/master/build/drivers/dfu_trigger_and_cdc_acm

However, when I try to select them as the driver for the dongle, Windows says “Windows could not find driver software for your device.”

[ovrebekk]

Hi Paul

On Windows 8 or later CDC devices should be found automatically, without needing to install a driver, but on earlier versions of Windows this was not the case. 

In the nRF5 SDK we provide sample .inf files in the \examples\usb_drivers sub directory, and you should be able to use these to install the CDC driver if your code is based on the Nordic examples. 

However, when I try to select them as the driver for the dongle, Windows says “Windows could not find driver software for your device.”

Is this for a Windows 7 device?

In either case, can you try to refer to the .inf file I mentioned above and see if it works better?

Best regards
Torbjørn

[Paul Bradford]

Windows 10 works as you described - I plugged in the Fanstel dongle, and Windows 10 set it up as a virtual COM port, and my test program using pc-ble-driver can work with that COM port. That's good progress, thank you.

For Windows 7, I get that error using the SDK examples\usb_drivers files, because those files have different VID/PID values than the Fanstel dongle. The Fanstel dongle has the same VID/PID (1915/C00A) that is setup by nRF Connect. I need .inf/.cat files equivalent to the nRF Connect setup of VID/PID 1915/C00A, 

[ovrebekk]

Hi Paul

The .inf and .cat files used by nRF Connect can be found here:
https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-nrfconnect-core/tree/master/build/drivers/dfu_trigger_and_cdc_acm

Best regards
Torbjørn

[Paul Bradford]

That github location is the one I listed in my post that started this case. When I tell Windows Device Manager to use that folder, it says “Windows could not find driver software for your device.”  If I install nRF Connect, then the working driver is found for my nRF52840 dongle. Something is different between installing nRF Connect and just using those driver files from GitHub. What could it be?

[Paul Bradford]

I made a mistake in my last test. Now when I use the drivers in that Github location, Windows 7 says “Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software”. If I go ahead and install anyway that driver works.  So that's a lot of good progress, thanks very much!

Given that there is a .cat file, I don't know why Windows would give that warning message.   Is there something I can do to have Windows use the driver without warning?

Thanks,

Paul

[ovrebekk]

Hi 

According to one of the developers the driver is signed, but it is not registered with Microsoft, which is why you get that message. 

In other words there isn't much you can do about it, unless you disable the signature checking in Windows. 

Best regards
Torbjørn