The issues with NrfConnect SDK Vs code extension and NCS Fundamental Course

[Waqas Qammar]

Hi there,

I have just started the NCS Fundamental Course and I am stuck on Exercise 2. There are two problems that I am facing.

1) I have an nrf9160dk board. so if I compile for the nrf9160dk_nrf52840 board, I get a compilation error. I wanted to build for nrf52840 and not nrf9160 but the simple blinky program gives the following error. 

2) If I change the board, to Particle Xenon and connect using the debug-out port. I am not able to Flash or Flash & Erase the program. I got the following error. 

Now I am able to run the program using Debug but the simple Flash/Flash and Erase don't work.

I realized that there are some features mismatched in the given videos and the actual extension of the VsCode. It looks different than it is shown in the video.

Thanks for helping out.

Waqas

[Elfving]

Hello again, sorry about the wait.

1) I have an nrf9160dk board. so if I compile for the nrf9160dk_nrf52840 board, I get a compilation error.

The nRF9160DK has an nRF52840 on it as well, however this is not necessarily connected to everything the same way the nRF9160 is. The nRF52840 is there mainly for Bluetooth and the I/O Expander. I see there is a software switch that can be used in order to get the 52840 to get access to the LEDs, though for the purpose of the following along on the NCS Fundamentals Course I would rather recommend that you stick to using the nRF9160 for this which is more than capable enough to turn on and off the LEDs. 

2) If I change the board, to Particle Xenon and connect using the debug-out port. I am not able to Flash or Flash & Erase the program. I got the following error. 

I see. The thing is that the external programmer/debugger needs to operate on the same voltage as the SoC it is programming. Do you see the small switch next to the power switch on the nRF9160DK called SW9? (behind an orange plastic film) Could you try to turn it to 3V and try programming the Particle Xenon again? 

Regards,

Elfving

[Waqas Qammar]

hello Elfving,

Thanks for replying.

1) I know on the nrf9160dk board LEDs are not connected to nrf52840 and it required a Softswitch. but the generic example doesn't have support for that? 

2) you didn't understand the issue. If you read the error message in the screenshot it says 

Argument --snr is deprecated, use -i/--dev-id instead.

so I can't program even the nrf9160 board. the arguments are tied to  Erase and flash buttons so technically using the extension on vscode I can't directly program any board. but if I press the debug button, I am able to program. so the only way to program a board is using debug mode.

[Elfving]

Hello Waqas!

Waqas Qammar said:

1) I know on the nrf9160dk board LEDs are not connected to nrf52840 and it required a Softswitch. but the generic example doesn't have support for that? 

If it could, it wouldn't happen by default. However, it seems the 52 isn't even connected to the I/O Expander so it seems that you don't have many options. Sorry if I got your hopes up. For a simplified overview of how things are connected on the DK, see here. 

I would recommend you to use the 91 chip for this.

Waqas Qammar said:

Argument --snr is deprecated, use -i/--dev-id instead.

This isn't saying that there is anything wrong, it is just a warning informing you that the command being used for specifying the serial number is outdated (but you don't need to specify that anyway). I understand how this can be confusing, as you wouldn't expect to see any warnings. Our extention is continously being worked on, and you might see this warning removed in a later version. I acctually get the same warning myself, yet everything runs from my end.

Waqas Qammar said:

so I can't program even the nrf9160 board. the arguments are tied to  Erase and flash buttons so technically using the extension on vscode I can't directly program any board.

So flashing a simple example to the nRF9160 doesn't work for you? Have you tried?

Regards,

Elfving