BLYST Nano Installation and example file

Question

Hello, I am completely new to embedded software development (so far I have been using development boards such as Teensy, Feather and Arduino) and I recently acquired the BLYST Nano Exploration kit that comes with a IDAP-Link CMSIS-DAP Debug JTAG as well as the breakout board. I installed the nRF5 Arduino Core from Sandeep Mistry ( https://github.com/sandeepmistry/arduino-nRF5 ). 
 When I tried to flash the SoftDevice I initially got an error because s132_nrf52_2.0.1_softdevice.hex was missing. Because GIMF I managed to find it here : https://github.com/Wiznet/nRF52DK_to_W5500Shield/blob/master/s132_nrf52_2.0.1_softdevice.hex then flashing the SoftDevice went ok although there was no licence agreement (step 9 & 10) and I got this message: 
 Open On-Chip Debugger 0.10.0-dev-gdc53227 (2016-04-09-13:45) Licensed under GNU GPL v2 For bug reports, read openocd.org/.../bugs.html debug_level: 0 adapter speed: 10000 kHz cortex_m reset_config sysresetreq Error: nrf52.cpu -- clearing lockup after double fault Polling target nrf52.cpu failed, trying to reexamine nrf52.cpu: target state: halted target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0xfffffffe msp: 0xfffffffc ** Programming Started ** auto erase enabled wrote 315392 bytes from file /Users/uoc/Library/Arduino15/packages/sandeepmistry/hardware/nRF5/0.6.0/cores/nRF5/SDK/components/softdevice/s132/hex/s132_nrf52_2.0.1_softdevice.hex in 21.533291s (14.303 KiB/s) ** Programming Finished ** ** Verify Started ** verified 311582 bytes in 0.888097s (342.619 KiB/s) ** Verified OK ** ** Resetting Target ** shutdown command invoked 
 Then I downloaded the BLEPeripheral library (also from Sandeep Mistry : https://github.com/sandeepmistry/arduino-BLEPeripheral ). It includes an example file named "Serial" which creates a UART service compatible with the Bluefruit LE app that I have used with my Feather BLE boards. Unfortunately I cannot see anything. No BLE device shows up and there is nothing either in the IDE serial monitor (at 115200 baud) plus no LED is ON on the breakout board. Programming the board looked ok: 
 Sketch uses 26416 bytes (6%) of program storage space. Maximum is 409600 bytes. Open On-Chip Debugger 0.10.0-dev-gdc53227 (2016-04-09-13:45) Licensed under GNU GPL v2 For bug reports, read openocd.org/.../bugs.html debug_level: 0 adapter speed: 10000 kHz cortex_m reset_config sysresetreq Error: nrf52.cpu -- clearing lockup after double fault Polling target nrf52.cpu failed, trying to reexamine nrf52.cpu: target state: halted target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread xPSR: 00000000 pc: 0x615c3166 msp: 0x74725c78 ** Programming Started ** auto erase enabled wrote 28672 bytes from file /var/folders/_p/__54lf114_9cpwbvbrvm_q3m0000gr/T/arduino_build_754463/serial.ino.hex in 2.206038s (12.692 KiB/s) ** Programming Finished ** ** Verify Started ** verified 26616 bytes in 0.278153s (93.446 KiB/s) ** Verified OK ** ** Resetting Target ** shutdown command invoked 
 
 Questions: 
 1) Since the BLYST Nano board is not in the list in Arduino IDE Tools>Boards, I selected "generic nRF52". Is that ok or is there a better driver to use ? 
 2) Is the SoftDevice file that I, sort of blindly, downloaded ok ? 
 3) If the answer to both previous questions is yes then where is the problem ? Why is the BLE device not working ? 
 
 Many thanks !

Mojo · Accepted Answer

Are you downloading it from outside of Arduino IDE or by the Arduino IDE ? By doing a 2 phase flashing, the second write may have erase the first. Are you using the IDAP-Link with it ? if so, use the provided software IDAPnRFProg to flash both softdevice & firmware at once via command line : 
 IDAPnRFProg /Users/uoc/Library/Arduino15/packages/sandeepmistry/hardware/nRF5/0.6.0/cores/nRF5/SDK/components/softdevice/s132/hex/s132_nrf52_2.0.1_softdevice.hex /var/folders/_p/__54lf114_9cpwbvbrvm_q3m0000gr/T/arduino_build_754463/serial.ino.hex

Arduino is uses a very old SDK. I recommend follow this blog to work with it. It currently works with SDK16. 
 https://embeddedsoftdev.blogspot.com/2017/ 
 https://embeddedsoftdev.blogspot.com/p/ehal-nrf51.html

Nguyen Hoan Hoang · Answer

1) The generic drive should be OK. You might want to change the pin assignment for the UART to match the BLYST Nano breakout board. 
 2) Your log showed that it is downloaded ok. But since it was downloaded in two phase. The second download might have erased the first one. If you are using the IDAP-Link for flashing, you can use the IDAPnRFProg as Mojo mentioned. Also the target config nrf52.cfg from OpenOCD is buggy, might not properly flashed. Use this one instead https://github.com/IOsonata/IOsonata/blob/master/ARM/DbgConfig/OpenOCD_nRF52.cfg 
 Arduino was based on a very old SDK, I think it was 6 or something like that and does not supports Bluetooth 5. The latest SDK 16. Follow the blogs link Mojo provided to work with SDK16 in a much simpler ways than directly using the SDK. 
 You can find in the SDK precompile hex of many examples. Try the HRS example for instance. 
 The precompiled hex of BleAdvertiser example from the Blog Post is available here https://sourceforge.net/projects/blyst-nano/files/fimrware/DemoFirmware/ 
 It works with softdevice 7 from the SDK. To flash it, execute this command from the comandline shell 
 IDAPnRFProg s132_nrf52_7.0.1_softdevice.hex BleAdvertiser.hex 
 IDAPnRFPorg can be downloaded here sourceforge.net/.../

Nguyen Hoan Hoang · Answer

1) Yes, there is only one Reset pin that is shared with P0.21 
 All the IO pin on the nRF52832 can use map to any periph with few exceptions such as reset, analog in and NCF are fixed. All others SPI, I2C,... can be mapped to any pins. 
 Pin map number usually refer 27 as P0.27. Direct mapping to nRF naming. 
 The BLYST Nano breakout board assign the UART RX to P0.08 and TX to P0.07. Which directly connected to the IDAP-Link USB-UART bridge. 
 2) Arduino is not at all recommended for BLE firmware. EHAL or the new IOsonata has BLE wrapper functions over the SDK to make it easy for you to write BLE firmware without the headache. Eclipse is open and free, that allows you to use any JTag you like. You can also use the Nordic way but you will be locked in with Segger only, no freedom of choices. SES has a extremely limited functionality, almost no support for C++.

BLYST Nano Installation and example file

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