SES bricking NRF52840DK

[Isaia F]

Greetings,

during test of a device, we have tried uploading a shell sample in a nrf52840dk board. However for some reason this caused the board, or at least the installed JLINK, to stop working.

Trying to connect via SES gives us a Error Reported popup saying "Failed to connect to target. No idcode detected. Please check connection and Target Interface Type"

The target output gives us the following:

Connecting 'J-Link' using 'USB'
Connecting to target using SWD
Loaded /home/fante/zigbee/arm_segger_embedded_studio_v568_linux_x64_nordic/bin/libjlinkarm.so
Firmware Version: J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Feb 2 2021 16:47:20
DLL Version: 7.58b
Hardware Version: V1.00
Target Voltage: 3.300
Device "NRF52840_XXAA" selected.
InitTarget() start
InitTarget() end
InitTarget() start
InitTarget() end
connect failed
Failed to connect to target.
No idcode detected.
Please check connection and Target Interface Type

Trying with nrfjprog --recover -f NRF52 the output is
ERROR: Unable to connect to a debugger.
ERROR: JLinkARM DLL reported an error. Try again. If error condition
ERROR: persists, run the same command again with argument --log, contact Nordic
ERROR: Semiconductor and provide the generated log.log file to them.
NOTE: For additional output, try running again with logging enabled (--log).
NOTE: Any generated log error messages will be displayed.

The --log option doesn't really help

ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
Recovering device. This operation might take 30s.
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: [SeggerBackend] - JLinkARM.dll reported "-1", "An unknown error.".
ERROR: Recover failed. Please make sure that the correct device family is given
ERROR: and try again.

JLink proved similarly unsuccessful

SEGGER J-Link Commander V7.58b (Compiled Nov 16 2021 15:04:43)
DLL version V7.58b, compiled Nov 16 2021 15:04:27

Connecting to J-Link via USB...O.K.
Firmware: J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Feb  2 2021 16:47:20
Hardware version: V1.00
S/N: 683691886
License(s): RDI, FlashBP, FlashDL, JFlash, GDB
VTref=3.300V


Type "connect" to establish a target connection, '?' for help
J-Link>connect
Please specify device / core. <Default>: NRF52
Type '?' for selection dialog
Device>NRF52
Please specify target interface:
  J) JTAG (Default)
  S) SWD
  T) cJTAG
TIF>S
Specify target interface speed [kHz]. <Default>: 4000 kHz
Speed>4000
Device "NRF52" selected.


Connecting to target via SWD
InitTarget() start
InitTarget() end
InitTarget() start
InitTarget() end
InitTarget() start
InitTarget() end
InitTarget() start
InitTarget() end
Cannot connect to target.
J-Link>q

Starting the DK in bootloader mode shows us only the following:
.fseventsd/no_log
System Volume Information/IndexerVolumeGuid
.metadata_never_index
.Thrashes
bootload.htm

Apparently no DLL to be found, though downloading and copying the j-link-ob-sam3u128-v2-nordicsemi-170724.bin file in the BOOTLOADER folder hasn't helped

Is it even possible to restore the board to a working state at this point? And what can we do to avoid SES killing further boards in the future?

OS: Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS
Using NRF Connnect SDK (1.9.1)

Thanks in advance

[Isaia F]

Hi,

I did that already and it did not work as you may see from the original post.

In any case i tried again and this is what followed:
I first started the device in BOOTLOADER mode and copied the firmware, once copied the BOOTLOADER device automatically closed/was expelled.
Then i tried to connect using SES (target->connect j-link), when asked if i wanted to upgrade the firmware i selected "no", SES could not connect because of no idcode detected.

I then repeated the above, in BOOTLOADER the jlink mcu firmware was nowhere to be found so i uploaded it again, the device again automatically disconnected. Then i connected using SES and selected "yes" to the request of firmware upgrade, again the same error occurred.

[Priyanka]

Hi Isaia,

I have contacted the experts regarding this and will get back to you as soon as I get a reply.

-Priyanka

[Priyanka]

Hi,

Is it possible to send a picture of your DK? Just to verify the switch positions etc.

-Priyanka

[Isaia F]

[Priyanka]

Hi Isaia,

Have you checked the current measurement headers and also the "nRF Only" switch? Could you check the current consumption with the nRF Only switch?

-Priyanka