Problem with getting started with software development on nRF52805

[Lorenzo]

Hello,

I started working with microcontrollers recently, I'm having issues with getting started with software development on an MS46SF11 module from Minew based on the nRF52805 SoC.

My current setup consists of
SES IDE (downloaded through nRF Connect) on Windows 10
Minew MS46SF11 modules
nRF52 DK for programming and debugging (through the P20 connector, connected accordingly to the following schematics)

I need two nRF52 modules to communicate with each other using simple text strings that are fetched and returned from/to another microcontroller through serial communication, we have been advised to reprogram the module to use the ESB protocol.

Being new to this I decided to try implementing serial communication as a first attempt.
So I opened the UART example project (pca10040) from the nRF5 SDK with SES, changed the RX and TX pins in the UART configuration function following Minew's pinout for the module, changed the target to nRF52805 in the project's options, and tried to flash it on the Minew module, but it looks like I can only make it work on the DK.

Also debugging seems possible only if I'm using the DK alone.
If I'm using the Minew module attached to the P20 connector and I try placing a breakpoint inside the main() function the code never stops. It works instead (as expected) on the DK.

It looks like though, that the Minew module has been flashed with something since I can't see it anymore with my phone.

I was wondering if example projects that can work on modules like Minew's instead of DKs are available or if I missed documentation on how to convert the example projects that are inside the SDK in order to make them work on external modules.

[Kenneth]

Hi,

Can you try to run 'nrfjprog --eraseall' from command line tool? I am suspecting there is some data that is not erased.

Also, make sure that you add a pull-up on the RXD line to avoid floating input, framing error and assert. However I do not see how this should affect your code from not running.

Kenneth

[Lorenzo]

Hello,

I tried running the command, but I'm afraid the thing is bigger than that.

I was able to find this guide Developing for the nRF52805 with nRF5 SDK and tried following it, but it looks like there are issues with the 17.0.2 version of the SDK.

As user timuser said it would be great if it was possible to have just a simple working blinky/Hello World example natively made for nRF52805 that we can use as a starting point to build on.

Lorenzo

[Kenneth]

Have you downloaded the latest nRF Command line tools?

Can you try to run an 'nrfjprog --eraseall' on the nRF5-DK itself, in case it's programmed with something that prevent external debugging to work as intended? 

I can't understand why you are not able to debug externally, have you checked the voltage on the module?

Kenneth

[Lorenzo]

I have downloaded the latest nRF Command line tools as well as the latest version of the nRF Connect suite.

There are no voltage issues on the module.

I suppose that what's preventing me from debugging externally is that the project I'm using was initially intended to be executed on the nRF52832 and I wasn't able to properly edit it in order to make it work on the nRF52805.

I was able to find the blog post I mentioned in my previous reply only yesterday morning so I discovered I had missed quite a few steps such as patching SDK files and editing preprocessor directives.
Unfortunately the steps described in the post don't work with the latest version of the SDK (17.0.2), the compiler throws a bunch of errors I'm currently not able to solve.

So before I try debugging again, I need help on how to create a SES project that can work on the nRF52805.

Lorenzo

[Kenneth]

Have you tried any of the preconfigured projects for the nRF52805 in the blog post?

Kenneth

[Lorenzo]

Yes, I tried the UART over BLE example (ble_app_uart), but I get the following errors while building

Output/Release/Obj/ble_app_uart_pca10040e_nrf52805_s112/ses_startup_nrf_common.o: in function `InitializeUserMemorySections':

undefined reference to `__RAM1_segment_end__'

So I changed "RAM" to "RAM1" under Code > Build > Memory Segments
But now I get this:

cannot find run section .cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs_run referenced in cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs

Lorenzo

[AGarcia]

Hi there, I had the same problem that you had, I change it in the code: "__RAM1_segment_end__" to "__RAM_segment_end__" in the 

"ses_startup_nrf_common.s" file and it compiled correctly, however when I tried to download it to the target I get an error "Additional Load File [0]"