nRF52833 refusing to run softdevices or application. Hardware failure or developer fault?

[Seoras]

I've had a lot of success with the nRF51 series but recently came to the conclusion that it isn't suitable for our needs and trying to transition to the nRF52.

I picked up an EBYTE E73-2G4M08S1E module and I've been trying to get it working using CMSIS-DAP and openocd.

I'm aware of the well documented issue of APPROT protection but this isn't the issue as the chip is writable and openocd seems to be working as I expect having worked with the nRF51.

I keep seeing this "clearing lockup after double fault" message which I can't find anywhere on this forum or any other in relation to the nRF52.

GBD keeps returning "0x0001c030 in __isr_vector ()" which makes me think things are failing in the SD before the app even gets a chance to run. I've tried the other available SD's for the nRF52833 but I got the same result.

My question is; does this look like I've done damage to the SoC (e.g static) or is this something I've missed in the documentation and there's a hardware pin that needs grounding or raising?

I've ordered another unit, this time a nRF52811 as I suspect the 833 is over kill for our needs.

It'll take a few weeks to get it and I'm stalled without anything to work on.

I'd hate to receive it only to find I had the same problem with the new device and it was something I could have fixed!

Thanks in advance!

> nrf52_recover

Waiting for chip erase...

nRF52833.cpu device has been successfully erased and unlocked.

nRF52833.cpu -- clearing lockup after double fault

Polling target nRF52833.cpu failed, trying to reexamine

nRF52833.cpu: hardware has 6 breakpoints, 4 watchpoints

> nrf5 mass_erase                                                                                    

nRF52833-xxAA(build code: A0) 512kB Flash, 128kB RAM

Mass erase completed.

>

> program /Applications/NordicSemiSoftDevice/s113_nrf52720/s113_nrf52_7.2.0_softdevice.hex verify    

target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread 

xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0xfffffffe msp: 0xfffffffc

** Programming Started **

Padding image section 0 at 0x00000b00 with 1280 bytes

Adding extra erase range, 0x0001b4ac .. 0x0001bfff

** Programming Finished **

** Verify Started **

** Verified OK **

> resume

nRF52833.cpu -- clearing lockup after double fault

target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Handler HardFault

xPSR: 0x00000003 pc: 00000000 msp: 0xffffffd8

Polling target nRF52833.cpu failed, trying to reexamine

nRF52833.cpu: hardware has 6 breakpoints, 4 watchpoints

> halt

program ~/Project/armgcc/_build/nrf52833_xxac.out verify

target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Thread 

xPSR: 0x01000000 pc: 0x00000a80 msp: 0x20000400

** Programming Started **

Adding extra erase range, 0x00028228 .. 0x00028fff

** Programming Finished **

** Verify Started **

** Verified OK **

> resume

nRF52833.cpu -- clearing lockup after double fault

target halted due to debug-request, current mode: Handler HardFault

xPSR: 0x21000003 pc: 0x0001c030 msp: 0x20000f90

Polling target nRF52833.cpu failed, trying to reexamine

nRF52833.cpu: hardware has 6 breakpoints, 4 watchpoints

>  

> nrf5 info

[factory information control block]

code page size: 4096B

code memory size: 512kB

code region 0 size: 0kB

pre-programmed code: not present

number of ram blocks: 4294967295

ram block 0 size: 4294967295B

ram block 1 size: 0B

ram block 2 size: 0B

ram block 3 size: 0B

config id: ffff01a0

device id: 0xc9c7c9adbbdb6ae5

encryption root: 0x7781719852f3073426d57f6e3a778840

identity root: 0xed3a944b3d6223d0f1bf3c967071277b

device address type: 0xffffffff

device address: 0x88e06807b0a1229c

override enable: ffffffff

NRF_1MBIT values: ffffffff ffffffff ffffffff ffffffff ffffffff

BLE_1MBIT values: ffffffff ffffffff ffffffff ffffffff ffffffff

[user information control block]

code region 0 size: 0kB

read back protection configuration: ffff

reset value for XTALFREQ: ff

firmware id: 0xffff

[Kenneth]

Hello,

Since you are moving to the  nRF52 series you should also move to the latest development platform nRF Connect SDK, please statement here;
nRF Connect SDK and nRF5 SDK statement

The short why: There are no new features added to the nRF5 SDK, so all new features are done on the nRF Connect SDK (NCS).

To get started with NCS you should check out:
https://academy.nordicsemi.com/

The development platform is VS code, there is no support for openocd with NCS.

Best regards,
Kenneth

[Seoras]

Thanks for pointing this out to me. It wasn't obvious when I visited your website (see here for example) which directs visitors to the nRF5 SDK.

If I switch up to the nRF SDK I imagine (I haven't tried yet, downloading now) that I may encounter the same issue with loading whatever softdevice is supplied in it.

I was hoping you could answer my question which is, in summary, have you guys with your experience of this chip seen this sort of error and problem before and is it a hard failure or design fault on my part?

Thanks.

[Kenneth]

I am not familiar with openocd, I would likely check that you are using a project that is using PCA10100 + S113 to begin with, so you ensure that the flash area and ram usage by the application is correct. For instance I can find that when using S113v7.2 that the application should start from 0x1C000.

Kenneth