Stopped by vector catch : nrf52840 (s340 6.1.1)

[Brett]

Hi,

I have looked at a number of posts with respect to this error, but I still could not work out my issue.

Board: nrf52840dk (PCA10056 2.0.1, 2020.37)
SES: 5.50a and 5.34a
SDK: 17.02

Project: Receive Bike Power via ANT+ (with the s340 softdevice), then  transmit some of it back over UART.  This is part of a larger project on the 9160dk and then Thingy91.

All was running great, I had all the ANT+ code working and then got the UART code working, as individual projects.  Then I tried to merge the code - which is when I started to get the Stopped by vector catch issue and could not proceed.  Since then I have rolled back all the changes (or I think I did), but I still get this same issue - and no sure how to proceed.

I have tried the following with no success;
* Installed the new version of SES - 5.50a
* Installed the SDK in a new directory to start fresh - nRF5_SDK_17.0.2_d674dde
* Re-Installed the ANT header files (tired 7.1.1 and 6.1.1)
* cleaned and rebuilt projects from scratch
* Erase All - from nrf connect (to makes sure all is clean)

The examples/peripheral/uart example still works, but it appears anything to do with the softdevice doesnt, as I have tried /examples//ant/ant_message_types/master/pca10056/s340 and examples/ble_peripheral/ble_app_hrs/pca10056/s340.

After loading the new projects, I confirmed they were loaded on the devices, as the memory locations (after reading with nrf connect) were different, when I switched between projects.

I am at a loss as to what to try next - could there be anything cached in SES which is causing some corruption?

regards
-brett

[Susheel Nuguru]

Is it the same failing DK for all the projects that you tested without success? We are not able to reproduce this, so if it is consistently the same problem on other DK's as well then I would have to dig a bit deeper and harder attempt to replicate your setup.

[Brett]

Hi Susheel,

There has to be something wrong that I am doing !!

* I just purchased a new 25840DK and the same exact thing is happening.

Process:
* Build/load the examples/ant/ant_message_types/master/pca10056/s340 project into SES and do a build/debug

  -> Nothing seems to have changed on the board, as the old code was still running

* Erase-All with nRF Connect

* Build/Load example again and I get the Stopped by vector Catch error 

-> nRF Connect says 20436 bytes loaded in application space

* Load a UART example and it runs fine

-> nRF Connect still says, 20436 bytes in applications space and 5528 in MBR or Application

* Erase-All with nRF Connect

-> Load UART example and it runs fine (as before)

-> nRF Connects now says there is only 5528 in MBR or Application space and there is no longer the 20436 in application space.

Its as if its not erasing before loading or its not loading correctly ?

Is there any debug, screen captures or recordings that will help - as I need to get this project back on track asap.

I am happy to tar/zip up my project if you are able to test and see what I have broken?

-brett

[Susheel Nuguru]

Are you absolutely sure you are flashing the correct version of S340 into your device. 

1) Please check the S340 release notes and check the size of the softdevice.

2) Check the starting address of the application you are using. This should match with the size of the SD from the release notes.

Nothing else makes sense. Please zip you S340 and application hex file so that i can do a smoke test of your binaries.

[Brett]

I confirmed the s340 sizes for the 6.1.1 release and also noted that the starting address of 0x00031000 was the same as in the release_notes for this version.

I re-copied all the header files, just in case there was an error.

Clean build and clean deployment - same error as before.

I have attached a tar.gz file here which I think is what you are after, let me know if you need more.

I am pretty new to nordic and the whole process, so I am sure its my fault, but just cant find it.

ant_message_types.tar.gz

[Susheel Nuguru]

I erased the chip and flashed ANT_s340_nrf52_7.0.1.hex.

I compiled and flashed your project

Everything works as expected. I can see the device initialized and the LED is blinking. I can start the debugger and attach to the program as normal.

[Brett]

Thanks.

Really strange, I will do some more hunting around and see what I can find.

Did you erase/flash from SES or from nRF Connect ?

[Susheel Nuguru]

I erased using nrfjprog from the command line and then flashed the ANT softdevice from the nrfjprog as well.

[Brett]

Thanks.

After erasing and flashing with nrfjprog, all is back working !

Below is for others who might be looking for the same problem:

nrfjprog --eraseall

nrfjprog --family NRF52 --program ANT_s340_nrf52840_6.1.1.hex

Confirmed the softdevice was now correctly loaded with nrfConnect (make sure you actually see the softdevice section (it will have a Region name of softdevice) - dont see this its not loaded.

Then I ran the usual build and debug from SES.