nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

tedhavelka — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 07:01:20 GMT

Hi Sigurd,

The long listing of /opt/SEGGER in my Ubuntu VM is:

guest@ubuntu-vm-0p2:/opt/SEGGER$ ls -l /opt/SEGGER
total 4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   23 Nov 18  2020 JLink -> /opt/SEGGER/JLink_V688a
drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 4096 Sep  2 19:47 JLink_V688a


Regarding nRF Connect for Desktop I will need to install this utility.  I have one such utility set which I've used for firmware programming and OTA tests of an nRF52832 based board.  I'll review that software to see whether it is able to program 9160 based boards as well.  I mostly recently installed an nRF Connect for Desktop in May of this year.

Eventually though, I want my build tools to be something that is able to be reasonably automated, hence my goal to stick with the command line whenever possible.

- Ted

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

Sigurd Hellesvik — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 06:48:54 GMT

First, regarding the CP2102 driver, see Silicon Labs site for the CP2102, I found a driver installation file there. If the CP2102 driver does not work for you, you could have a look at either Silicon Labs Commuinty or the SparkFun Forum.

Are you able to program the board directly from Windows 10 (not using the Ubuntu WM), for example using the Programmer tool from nRF Connect for Desktop?

From the Ubuntu WM, could you post the results of the follwing, with the "-l" argument?

ls -l /opt/SEGGER

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

tedhavelka — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 14:02:51 GMT

Hello Sigurd,

I'm afraid so far this answer does not solve my problem. The `lsusb` listing above is from my Windows 10 host running Ubuntu 20.04 VM, with a physical Segger J-Link probe attached. By connecting and disconnecting Segger J-Link probe from the Windows plus VM set up, I observe USB device with ID "1366:0101" appear and disappear. That detection on the USB bus appears to be functioning correctly.

During these J-Link config attempts I do not have any development board connected. You are correct though that I am developing on a Sparkfun Thing Plus.

Thus far I have been using MCUBootloader, enabling that serial boot feature in my project's ( and some sample nRF-SDK apps ) prj.conf file. I've then been programming using `newtmgr` with appropriate arguments. So I am familiar with that path to running firmware on certain nRF9160 boards. This has allowed me to flash and run several examples and a small project of my own underway, without Segger J-Link probe.

But I'm only able to do this on a different Ubuntu host, one without a VM or Windows. Linux detects the Sparkfun development board's CP2102 USB-to-serial port. I cannot find a working driver which Windows will allow me to install for the CP2102 on the Sparkfun board. That's my only link to program with MCUBootloader enabled.

My two issues are: one, my development path requires me to move away from MCUBootloader. Two, I need to configure Segger J-Link probe and establish a debugging link between my running firmware and `gdb` on the guest OS, the VM. I've done something similar on non-nRF9160 projects, using openocd and an STLINK-V3 programmer.

The Sparkfun Thing Plus nRF9160 has a ten-pin header that's pin for pin aligned with the Segger J-Link probe. My understanding is that I should be able to flash with this Segger probe, via the J-Link header. But encounter that "JLinkARM.dll not found" type of error when trying this.

Does this clarify the steps I have attempted, and the development tasks I am working to configure properly?

- Ted

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

Sigurd Hellesvik — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 06:47:44 GMT

Hi Ted

[quote user="tedhavelka"]By "DK is connected" to what device do you refer? I had not mentioned that my target board is sparkfun_thing_plus_nrf9160.[/quote]

Im sorry, I mistyped here.

"lsusb" list SEGGER J-Link PLUS, which is a segger device connected to the virtual machine. This is likely the Sparkfun Thing Plus.

In the sparkfun tutorial on the Sparkfun Thing Plus, "newtmgr" is used to communicate with the bootloader.
Have you tried to program the device following that tutorial?

The nRF9160DK have a debugger chip attached. When you use "nrfjprog" to program the nRF9160, this debugger will handle the programming. For devices without a physical debugger, such as the Sparkfun Thing Plus, a firmware bootloader can be used to program the nRF9160. To program the device using a bootloader, another tool than "nrfjprog" has to be used. In this case: "newtmgr"

[quote user="tedhavelka"]Will I be able to use `nrfjprog` independent of Segger's Integrated Development Environment? That is not my first choice for a development environment. I am working to stay at Linux' command line for simplicity and toolchain reproducibility motivations.[/quote]

Yes, you can use nrfjprog and west from the command line. To use west, see this tutorial or this documentation. To use nrfjprog, see here. Be aware, if you use the commands "nrjprog -e " or "nrfjprog --program NAME --chipearse", you will remove the mcuboot bootloader. It is possible to reinstall the bootloader, but you have to use an external debugger for this.
I recommend to use the "newmgr" command line tool, as specified in the previously linked Sparkfun Thing Plus tutorial.

Did this solve your problem?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

tedhavelka — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 22:40:42 GMT

Hello Sigurd,

By "DK is connected" to what device do you refer? I had not mentioned that my target board is sparkfun_thing_plus_nrf9160. I also happen to have a Nordic nRF9160 DK board, but the Sparkfun Thing Plus is much simpler and much closer to the hardware path I am taking in my current project.

When I attach a Segger JLink programmer + debugger, here is what a USB listing in my virtual machine Ubuntu host reports:

guest@ubuntu-vm-0p2:~/embedded/ncs/v1.6.1/nrf/samples/nrf9160/at_client$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 1366:0101 SEGGER J-Link PLUS
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 80ee:0021 VirtualBox USB Tablet
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

The contents of /opt/SEGGER are:

guest@ubuntu-vm-0p2:/opt/SEGGER$ ls JLink
Devices        JFlashSPICLExe       JLinkGDBServerExe       JLinkRemoteServerCLExe  JLinkSTM32           JTAGLoadExe                libQtCore.so        libQtGui.so.4.8.7
Doc            JFlashSPIExe         JLinkGUIServerExe       JLinkRemoteServerExe    JLinkSTM32Exe        libjlinkarm.so             libQtCore.so.4      Samples
ETC            JLinkConfigExe       JLinkLicenseManager     JLinkRTTClient          JLinkSWOViewer       libjlinkarm.so.6           libQtCore.so.4.8    ThirdParty
GDBServer      JLinkDevices.xml     JLinkLicenseManagerExe  JLinkRTTClientExe       JLinkSWOViewerCLExe  libjlinkarm.so.6.88.1      libQtCore.so.4.8.7  x86
JFlashExe      JLinkExe             JLinkRegistration       JLinkRTTLogger          JLinkSWOViewerExe    libjlinkarm_x86.so         libQtGui.so
JFlashLiteExe  JLinkGDBServer       JLinkRegistrationExe    JLinkRTTLoggerExe       JMemExe              libjlinkarm_x86.so.6       libQtGui.so.4
JFlashSPI_CL   JLinkGDBServerCLExe  JLinkRemoteServer       JLinkRTTViewerExe       JRunExe              libjlinkarm_x86.so.6.88.1  libQtGui.so.4.8

guest@ubuntu-vm-0p2:/opt/SEGGER$

One thing I will point out, my Ubuntu 20.04 virtual machine is running within Windows 10. I cannot find a working driver for Windows 10 for the Sparkfun's CP2102 USB to serial chip. So on this particular host arrangement, I won't be able to program the Sparkfun board. However, the virtual machine is a full Ubuntu install, as complete and functional as a physical Ubuntu host where I have all the same Nordic build tools and SDK installed. I carefully noted each link and set of install instructions to obtain the same toolchain on both hosts. Work IT policies keep me from working more freely with Linux at work, but that aside my goal is to use `west`, `cmake` and Bash command line as my build, flash and debug environment.

These command line tools have so far allowed me to compile, flash and interact with Nordic sample apps on a couple of nRF9160 based development boards. So far however I've pretty much programmed all my samples and simple tests via MCUBootloader. Project needs now compel me to move to a physical programmer and debugger, and away from MCUBootloader.

Will I be able to use `nrfjprog` independent of Segger's Integrated Development Environment? That is not my first choice for a development environment. I am working to stay at Linux' command line for simplicity and toolchain reproducibility motivations.

Thank you!

- Ted

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

Sigurd Hellesvik — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 11:55:14 GMT

Hi Ted

Can you double check that the DK is connected to the linux vm machine by using the command "lsusb"?

Could you also post the contents of the following?

ls -l /opt/SEGGER/JLink

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: nRF Command Line Tools 10.13.0, 10.12.0 missing JLinkARM.dll

tedhavelka — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 21:33:17 GMT

Forgot to mention, from within my Zephyr app I originally invoked `west flash`, which generated the longer command to flash firmware. That generated command string contains the serial number of the Segger JLink programmer I am using. This is happening within a VirtualBox based Ubuntu 20.04 LTS host. Having made the Segger JLink USB device available to the virtual machine, I see that my JLink's serial number is detected the same in both the host OS and the guest OS.