J-Link not showing up as a usb, not sure what I'm doing with NRFgo Studio when I played with the NRF5X Bootloader, want to do a factory reset

[lumos]

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner with nordic development and I managed to screw up my development kit. It started when I was trying to figure out the BLE blinky app with my IOS phone, when I noticed that the phone detects Nordic Prox instead of blinky. I'm not sure what happened, also the kit doesn't show up as J-link on windows.

I have another kit and that one seems to show up. 

Where I could have messed up: nRFgo Studio, I kind of fudged the following instructions.

nRFgo Studio

To program the SoftDevice using nRFgo Studio, perform the following steps:

1. Open nRFgo Studio.
2. In the Device Manager, select the nRF5 Development board that you are working with (identified by the SEGGER serial number).
3. Select the Program SoftDevice tab.
4. Click Browse and navigate to the SoftDevice file that you want to use.
5. Click Program.

nRFgo Studio will erase any existing SoftDevice and program the selected SoftDevice.

So instead of following this instruction, when I didn't see the NRF5 development board on my device manager, I clicked on the NRF5x bootloader and programmed the softdevice in the SDK in the DFU package section.  

Anyways, I have no idea what I'm doing, I just want to get NRF connect to work with Ble binky on my phone and now it seems like my board is broken. Is there a nice factory reset option I can try to start over?

[lumos]

Hi, Thanks Amanda

Many small nuances:

1. Segger embedded studios asks to update the firmware on the device, after updating, it doesn't show the J-Link in the explorer anymore.

I recovered from this issue by entering bootloader mode: by turning off and on the kit while holding the Boot/reset button. A bootloader window will pop up on your screen, flash the firmware on the https://www.nordicsemi.com/Software-and-Tools/Development-Kits/nRF52-DK donwload tab and I got JLINK back.
2. Without JLINK, I can also use NRFConnect, as NRFgo Studio seems to be outdated -nRF -Command-Line-Tools also work 

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi Lucas, 

Good to know that you can use Segger/nRF Connect and nRF -Command-Line to flash the images. 

lumos said:

There are still small issues with the SDK 11 working for BLE_Prox on my iPhone 7, while the SDK_15 and SDK_16 have issues. Not sure why. As in, if I flash the hex file from SDK11, the proximity app works properly, if I flash the SDK_15 for SDK_16, it doesn't. 

Do you still have these issues? If so, Could you describe more detail? Do you mean the SDK15 and SDK 16 Proximity Application cannot work? What are your kits? Customer board or DK?

-Amanda H.

[lumos]

Here are my observations:
 
TLDR: For Blinky, the SDK and board changes the results. For Proximity, it appears though it works the same between all boards and all SDKs, I will use nordic Prox as a basis for app development :)

1. ble_app_blinky
1.1 SDK_11.0.0
SDK_11.0.0 : 682527117 (connected but not working on iPhone, works on nrfConnect on Mac)
Flashed using nrfConnect v3.3.1 - Programmer: experimental_ble_app_blinky_s132_pca10040.hex (in the hex folder)
Connected using NRFConnect Version 2.2 Build 205 on my iPhone 7
Scanner Picks up Nordic_Blinky, connection is established immediately upon clicking connect, LED1 and LED2 responds properly upon connection (LED1 is on when no connection, LED2 is on after connecting)
Button State Characteristic 1524: Breaks the connection with iPhone when button 1 is pressed
The value of 1524 shows up as: 0x0A-0E-00-23-D1-B-EA-5F-78-23-15-DE-EF-12-12-25-15-00-00
When in try to enable notifications on my nrfconnect app, the phone pops an error: the value's length is invalid
LED State Characteristic 1525: unresponsive
Connected using nRF Connect v3.3.1 - Bluetooth Low Energy: Using my other dev kit 682270335 as central: 
Button and LED characteristics works perfectly!

SDK_11.0.0 :682270335 (can't connect on iPhone, works on nrfConnect on Mac)
Flashing using nrfConnect v3.3.1 - Programmer: experimental_ble_app_blinky_s132_pca10040.hex (in the hex folder)
iPhone nrf Connect: can't connect, app says connecting, attributes cannot be discovered
-However, LED2 lights up during connection period, however none of the characteristics show up on the attribute table
Connected using nRF Connect v3.3.1 - Bluetooth Low Energy: Using my other dev kit 682527117 as central: 
Button and LED characteristics works perfectly!

1.2 SDK_14.0.0
SDK_14.0.0 : 682527117 (connected, LED works on iPhone, button same as SDK_11, works on nrfConnect on Mac)
Flashed using nrfConnect v3.3.1 - Programmer: ble_app_blinky_pca10040_s132.hex (in the hex folder)
Connected using NRFConnect Version 2.2 Build 205 on my iPhone 7
Button Characteristic behaviour is similar as SDK_11
LED State Characteristic works perfectly 
Connected using nRF Connect v3.3.1 - Bluetooth Low Energy: Using my other dev kit 682527117 as central: 
Button and LED characteristics works perfectly!
SDK_14.0.0 :682270335 (can't connect on iPhone, works on nrfConnect on Mac, same as SDK_11)

1.3 SDK_15.0.0
SDK_15.0.0 : 682527117 (Works perfectly on iPhone and Mac)
Flashed using HEX file, as well as built using segger embedded studios, was able to change the name of the device and have it working on as well. 

SDK_15.0.0 : 682270335 (can't connect on iPhone, works on nrfConnect on Mac, same as SDK_11)
Flashed using HEX file, as well as built using segger embedded studios, works on Mac, not iPhone

1.4 SDK_16.0.0
SDK_16.0.0 : 682527117 (Works perfectly on iPhone and Mac)
Flashed using HEX file, as well as built using segger embedded studios, was able to change the name of the device and have it working on as well. 

SDK_16.0.0 : 682270335 (can't connect on iPhone, works on nrfConnect on Mac, same as SDK_11)
Flashed using HEX file, as well as built using segger embedded studios, works on Mac, not iPhone

*Note, at this point in the experiment, I have received a new board, 682059618, 2020. 10 version

A note, sometimes when the app on the phone do not connect, use forget this device
https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/15481/cannot-pair-with-previously-bonded-peer-when-key-is-missing


2. ble_app_proximity

2.1 SDK_11.0.0

SDK_11.0.0: 682059618 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682527117, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

SDK_11.0.0: 682527117 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682059618, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

SDK_11.0.0: 682270335 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682059618, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

2.2 SDK_14.0.0
SDK_14.0.0: 682059618 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682270335, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

SDK_14.0.0: 682527117 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682059618, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

SDK_14.0.0: 682270335 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682527117, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

2.3 SDK_15.0.0
SDK_15.0.0: 682059618 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682270335, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)
Trying again with Segger embedded studios, managed to change the name to Nordic_Lumos, and the pairing initiated and worked! MacOS still doesn’t work

SDK_15.0.0: 682527117 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682270335, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

SDK_15.0.0: 682270335 (iOS works, NRFConnect on MAC pairing doesn’t work)
NRF Toolbox, works perfectly
NRF connect, connects (doesn’t have the LED Button Service)
NRF connect desktop, connects using 682527117, however when paring, gives the failed to authenticate (NRF_ERROR_TIMEOUT)

Trying again with Segger embedded studios, managed to change the name to Nordic_Lumos, and the pairing initiated and worked! MacOS still doesn’t work

Noticed something weird, which is for the LED to work, the phone must pair, and sometimes the app connects without paring, which is what causes the problem, seems like this is mostly the problem on the software side. Will need to look into Xcode. The crux of the problem is likely in the pairing that is needed.

Troubleshooting, sometimes when the pairing doesn’t happen, try erasing the board, flashing a hex file from the PCB folder, connect with that hex file, which usually initiates the pairing. Disconnect, go to the bluetooth settings on iphone, forget this device, and then flash the firmware using segger, and then run nordic Toolbox and it should work and the paring option should show up.

2.4 SDK_16.0.0
Same as SDK_15.0.0

It seems like Nordic Prox SDK_15 is what I’m going to use as a basis for development. Thanks for reading through this