Flash programming error

[Bryan]

We have an odd one here. We have a single nRF51822 (QFAC) board that is acting odd. None of the other boards exhibits this behavior. They program perfectly. 3.3v supply is fine. This looks like a bad nRF51822, but we have never seen this issue on the many devices we have used in the past.

We can read and erase using nRFgo Studio

We then program the device with our hex image that contains the bootloader, softdevice and application:

If we then check it nRFgo Studio. It shows the softdevice isn't programmed:

Then if we try to reprogram it - it fails.

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

Hi Bryan

Have you tried to upload the same .hex file to another device. I find this strange how nRFgo Studio displays the flashed content, it is like the there is flashed bootloader only or application + bootloader and no softdevice. Have you used mergehex.exe to merge the files?

• If the same merged hex file works on other identical boards, we can conclude there is something faulty on this specific board.

• If you replace the nRF51 chip on the board and get this hex file to work on the new nRF51 chip, then we can only conclude that this specific nRF51 chip is faulty.

• If replacing the chip does not give better results, then there is something else faulty on this specific board.