Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

RE: Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

gfmoore — Sat, 29 May 2021 11:57:37 GMT

Okay, sorted it, eventually:

# Flash the program

flash: default

@echo Flashing: $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/nrf52840_xxaa.hex

nrfutil pkg generate --hw-version 52 --sd-req 0x00 --application-version 1 --application $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/nrf52840_xxaa.hex $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/dfu.zip

nrfutil pkg display $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/dfu.zip

nrfutil dfu usb-serial -pkg $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/dfu.zip -p com7 -b 115200

You will need to change com7 (use windows device manager) and possibly your baud rate to match your port.

Note that it is probably only necessary to use flash in the tasks as it builds again.

I out in a line to display the contents of the package, but it isn't necessary.

Well I escaped that dungeon, let's see if I can get a buetooth app to work....Here we go again.

Gordon

(This can be closed I think.)

p.s. don't foget Makefile uses tab characters for indents, nt spaces. Be careful if copying and pasting.

Oh and the Brave browser has real issues with these pages??

RE: Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

gfmoore — Thu, 27 May 2021 12:48:06 GMT

Well, if I wasn't unemployed and hadn't already bought what should be a perfectly good dongle, I'd have some sympathy with your advice. However I have what I have.

As I said nRFConnect will happily flash the dongle fine, but I would like to make it easier for myself by flashing from within VS Code. I'm so close. Surely nrfutil can do what is required?

Thanks though.

RE: Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

Kenneth — Thu, 27 May 2021 11:59:44 GMT

Please get yourself an nRF52840-DK, this include a jlink programmer that can be used to program the on-board nRF52840, but also third party boards with nRF52840 if needed. Then you avoid all your current problems. The nRF52840 dongle is very nice for demo and testing, but not really good for development due to the limited way of programming & debugging. It may also be that you have erased/re-written the content of the nRF52840 dongle at this time in way that prevent the bootloader and DFU to work.

Kenneth

RE: Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

gfmoore — Wed, 26 May 2021 19:23:15 GMT

I am in a dark room with no light and wearing a blindfold. I can hear heavy breathing, very very heavy and putrid breathing ...

Okay, so trying to follow the instructions. Commented out nrfjprog in makefile for flash and added:

Step 1a: Either create an upgrade DFU zip package containing only the application:

nrfutil pkg generate --hw-version 52 --sd-req 0xAE --debug-mode --application
$(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/nrf52840_xxaa.hex $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/dfu.zip

Step 2: Program the zip package:

 nrfutil dfu usb-serial -pkg $(OUTPUT_DIRECTORY)/dfu.zip -p COM8 -b 115200
So step 1 created a dfu.zip but step 2 failed. The error log is below.
It would seem that this example is assuming that the softdevice has been installed, but this is the simplest blinky with no softdevice (haven't got there yet.) that nrfconnect will flash happily.
I'm assuming that the bit that says --sd-req 0xAE in step 1a is the culprit. Can anyone help me fix this please.
I have tried nrfutil pkg generate --help  but I didn't really understand it.
Error output:
nrfutil dfu usb-serial -pkg _build/dfu.zip -p COM8 -b 115200

Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "nordicsemi\__main__.py", line 1537, in <module>
 File "site-packages\click\core.py", line 764, in __call__
 File "site-packages\click\core.py", line 717, in main
 File "site-packages\click\core.py", line 1137, in invoke
 File "site-packages\click\core.py", line 1137, in invoke
 File "site-packages\click\core.py", line 956, in invoke
 File "site-packages\click\core.py", line 555, in invoke
 File "nordicsemi\__main__.py", line 1015, in usb_serial
 File "nordicsemi\__main__.py", line 970, in do_serial
 File "nordicsemi\dfu\dfu.py", line 127, in dfu_send_images
 File "nordicsemi\dfu\dfu.py", line 95, in _dfu_send_image
 File "nordicsemi\dfu\dfu_transport_serial.py", line 256, in send_init_packet
 File "nordicsemi\dfu\dfu_transport_serial.py", line 421, in __execute
 File "nordicsemi\dfu\dfu_transport_serial.py", line 502, in __get_response

pc_ble_driver_py.exceptions.NordicSemiException: Extended Error 0x07: The array of supported SoftDevices for the update does not contain the FWID of the current SoftDevice.

[14068] Failed to execute script __main__
make: *** [Makefile:144: flash] Error -1
The terminal process "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe -Command make flash" terminated with exit code: 1.

RE: Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

gfmoore — Wed, 26 May 2021 18:23:56 GMT

Okay, missed that. So why does the supplied makefile use nrfjprog??

Can I include the two steps in the makefile (don't know how to do that just yet)?

Thanks

Gordon

RE: Flashing nRF52840 dongle from Visual Studio Code using nrfjprog as in the Makefile

Kenneth — Wed, 26 May 2021 12:03:06 GMT

Check out this blog post:
https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/nordic/short-range-guides/b/getting-started/posts/nrf52840-dongle-programming-tutorial

There is no j-link programmer on the dongle, so nrfjprog can't be used.