How to Prepare and Run Example Code in the nRF5 SDK Under the nRF Connect Desktop Power Profiler App

RE: How to Prepare and Run Example Code in the nRF5 SDK Under the nRF Connect Desktop Power Profiler App

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 08:09:15 GMT

Hi,

[quote user="DataMate"]So I guess I cannot use that app to load the firmware I want to to test unless I know what hex files I need and where to load them in the address space for the device.[/quote]

Yes, if you have a hex file that depends on other hex files that must also be programmed. The Segger Embedded Studio project files in the SDK includes dependencies like MBR or SoftDevice as additional load files, so they are also programmed when you program from SES. Also, most pre-built hex files that ship with the SDK are merged with hex files they depend on, but if you for instance build the app yourself or for some other reason has hex files that are not merged with dependencies, you need to explicitly flash those as well.

[quote user="DataMate"]By the way, when I tried to remove the PPK 1 board and just connect the DK board via USB to flash it, the log shows the following error in the Programmer app, even before I attempt to select a device: "Error while probing devices, more details in the debug log: JLINKARM_DLL_ERROR (Origin: "Error when running nrfdl_enumerate")". I also couldn't connect via SEGGER Embedded Studio.[/quote]

I see. In this case you are using the DK "as normal", without a PPK, and that should work out of the box. It could be that the onboard debugger is in a bad state and that there is a need to power-cycle the board.

RE: How to Prepare and Run Example Code in the nRF5 SDK Under the nRF Connect Desktop Power Profiler App

DataMate — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 04:15:32 GMT

Thank you, Einar, that is indeed the case. I am now able to program the DK board. However, I found that dragging and dropping the hex file of the ble app beacon example to File Memory layout in the Programmer app and then clicking on Erase & write was not successful in getting the program to run properly, even with the COM switch set to EXT on the PPK 1 board. I had to connect to JLINK on the DK board via SEGGER Embedded Studio, selecting Build and Run under the Build menu and then Start Execution to flash a firmware image on to the DK board which would run successfully. When I compared the hex file drag-and-drop method with the SEGGER Embedded Studio transfer method from within the Programmer app by reading the nRF52 DK device for each, it appears there is additional code from 0x00000000 - 0x00000AFF (MBR or application) and 0x00001000 - 0x0002596B (SoftDevice). So I guess I cannot use that app to load the firmware I want to to test unless I know what hex files I need and where to load them in the address space for the device.

By the way, when I tried to remove the PPK 1 board and just connect the DK board via USB to flash it, the log shows the following error in the Programmer app, even before I attempt to select a device: "Error while probing devices, more details in the debug log: JLINKARM_DLL_ERROR (Origin: "Error when running nrfdl_enumerate")". I also couldn't connect via SEGGER Embedded Studio.

RE: How to Prepare and Run Example Code in the nRF5 SDK Under the nRF Connect Desktop Power Profiler App

Einar Thorsrud — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 13:46:25 GMT

Hi,

It seems like you are making a mistake which is unfortunately very easy to make with PPK1, where you program the nRF on the PPK and not the nRF on the DK, which is what you wanted to do. The reason is that when you insert the PPK, the onboard debugger on the DK is connected to the nRF on the PPK, and this is also what gets programmed.

What you need to do is to either remove the PPK when you want to program the nRF on the DK, or flip the COM switch to EXT before you program the DK, and then switch it back to DK when you want to use the power profiler. This will effectively select if the debugger is connected to the nRF on the DK (when you want to program it) or the power profiler kit (when you are going to use the power profiler).

Einar