nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:15:52 GMT

Thanks for the answer.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:09:07 GMT

Hi,

It's not supported at the moment but they are working on getting it supported. I don't have a timeline on exactly when it will be supported, So for now you have to use a Nordic USB device.

regards

Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:26:58 GMT

I still think, that my question, "Programmer support for nRF9160 via USB CP2102" should be answered. The info above just shows, it doesn't work. If that's the intention, that some MUST use a Nordic USB chip, then that's the intention. Then I would document that at a prominent place. If it is the intention, that a NRF9160 is supported even with an different USB chip, then I guess Nordic should schedule the fix. After 9 months of nothing.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:23:05 GMT

# nRFConnect System Report - 2023-11-21T14-21-45.771Z

- System:     System manufacturer System Product Name
- BIOS:       American Megatrends Inc. 4011
- CPU:        1 x AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Eight-Core Processor 3.2 GHz 16 cores (8 physical)
- Memory:     20.2 GB free of 31.3 GB total
- Filesystem: Dateisystem (Typ) 1 MB NaN% used

- OS:         Ubuntu (20.04.6 LTS) linux x64

- Versions
    - kernel: 5.4.0-166-generic
    - git: 2.25.1
    - node: 16.17.1
    - python: 2.7.18
    - python3: 3.8.10
    - nrfutil-device: 1.4.5
    - nrfjprog DLL: 10.22.3
    - JLink: JLink_V7.80c

- Connected devices:
    - d2e623fb9247ec11bbd4dbde461fcfc8 : /dev/ttyUSB0

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:55:18 GMT

Hi,

From dev team:

"If a device has any one of these traits it should show up nordicUsb: true, serialPorts: true, jlink: true, mcuBoot: true, nordicDfu: true,"

Thus my question 🙂

regards
Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:35:31 GMT

Maybe Nordic starts with the answer from the development team and the product management, if supporting a nRF9160 with other USB chip for the "Programmer" App is intended, planed, or implemented?

It just doesn't help, to ask the user again and again, to provide information, if Nordic is unwilling to answer.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:45:09 GMT

What does the device drop-down list show when you connect the device?

Can you generate and share a system report?

regards

Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:38:34 GMT

Seems to be without any progress ...

Programmer V4.01 still don't support a nRF9160 with other USB chips ...

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 02 May 2023 11:10:21 GMT

> I've forwarded this to our developers,

Thanks!

I guess, that are two different topics.

The first was to detect a nRF9160, if it's connected via an other USB chip (CP2102).

The second was to detect a "valid Jlink", if used with that debug header. The usage with that header may be considered as "special", because it's not plugged to the device. For me the handling is to start "Programmer" , select the "firmware" and then stick the header on the feather. But with this check, it requires to stick the header on the feather, start the Programmer, (now you may remove the debug header from the feather), load the firmware into the "Programmer App" and then stick the header on the feather again.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 02 May 2023 11:00:26 GMT

Hi,

I've forwarded this to our developers,

Thank you for the feedback!

regards

Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 02 May 2023 10:52:34 GMT

> Are you still trying to program the nRF9160 feather?

I try to use the "nRF Connect Programmer" to update the nRF9160 feather's modem firmware.

Everything else, flashing with nrfjprog or west flash works without any issues.

And for flashing the application on a nRF9160 feather I use your newtmgr, which is much more comfortable.

The main culprit is the "nordic device check" when starting the "nRF Connect Programmer" and that requires to already connect a nRF9160 feather when switching on the nRF5340-DK with a TC2030-CTX.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 02 May 2023 10:44:29 GMT

Hi,

[quote user="AchimKraus"]If I use a nRF5340-DK with the TC2030-CTX debug header, it requires a Nordic device to be connected when starting the nRF5340-DK.[/quote]

I'm not sure I understood you correctly, it requires you to debug a Nordic device when you use a TC2030-CTX debug header?

Are you still trying to program the nRF9160 feather?

regards

Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 13:06:00 GMT

Why ever, now the Programmer (both v3.0.4 and v3.0.8) refuses a nRF5340-DK, when a TC2030-CTX debug header is used!

"Unsupported device. The detected device could not be recognized as neither JLink device nor Nordic USB device."

Flashing works with other tools (e.g. "Visual Studio").

For me this smells, that this checks are not a that good idea. It makes it very complicated to use.

Edit:

Really strange!

If I use a nRF5340-DK with the TC2030-CTX debug header, it requires a Nordic device to be connected when starting the nRF5340-DK. Using a nRF9160-DK, this seems to be not required, it works with that debug header.

All in all:

I guess, it's better to NOT use the Programmer as long as Nordic insist in that check. It takes me about 4 hours yesterday and to be frank, I' pretty closed to change the modem manufacturer because of those repeating wastes of time.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:43:28 GMT

Hi Achim,

For now, I think we need to wait for this feature to be added in a future release for nRF Connect for Desktop Programmer app.

The developers are aware of this feature request.

regards

Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:47:45 GMT

Let me add:

For me this looks now, that supporting only "Nordic" devices is by intention. Though the nRF9160 has no own USB interface, it's supported indirect. Here Nordic filters for their own USB (secondary) devices.

Usually I would not ask to change that, it's simply Nordic's decision.

But in my experience of the past two years, I can only say, that the feather-nRF9160 is the device, I was always missing. The Thingy:91 is great, if it can be used for the application "out of the box". The nRF9160-DK is great to develop an application also with additional custom sensors and actors. But, if such a "prototype" is going "in to the wild", my experience with the feather is great. It relaxes also Nordic from trying to add an extension interface to the Thingy:91.

With that, I like to recommend to consider to support the nRF9160 also via other USB controllers, not only Nordic ones.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:37:06 GMT

I tired it now with

// Add this line
usb: true,

only. The result is the same.

Unsupported device. The detected device could not be recognized as neither JLink device nor Nordic USB device.
Please make sure J-Link Software and nrf-udev are installed. See https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-nrfconnect-launcher/#macos-and-linux

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:53:22 GMT

Hi,

Did you try to only add that or did you add it + the other stuff that you changed?

regards

Jared

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:36:21 GMT

I tried it.

The Programmer shows now a "CP2102 USB to UART" pictogram. If I select that, the programmer shows "Unknown Family".

My current diffs:

--- a/src/util/devices.ts
+++ b/src/util/devices.ts
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ export enum CommunicationType {
* Supported USB vender IDs
*/
export enum VendorId {
+    SILICON_LABS = 0x10c4,
     SEGGER = 0x1366,
     NORDIC_SEMICONDUCTOR = 0x1915,
}
@@ -200,14 +201,14 @@ export enum VendorId {
/**
* Supported USB serial DFU product IDs
*/
-export const USBProductIds = [0x521f, 0xc00a, 0xcafe];
+export const USBProductIds = [0x521f, 0xc00a, 0xcafe, 0xea60,];

/**
* Supported USB MCUboot product IDs
*/
export const McubootProductIds = [
     // Thingy91
-    0x520f, 0x9100,
+    0x520f, 0x9100, 0xea60,
     // Thingy53
     0x530c,
];
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ export const McubootProductIds = [
*/
export const ModemProductIds = [
     // Thingy91
-    0x520f, 0x9100,
+    0x520f, 0x9100, 0xea60,
];

/**
@@ -256,9 +257,11 @@ const getDeviceDefinitionByFamily = (
const getProductId = (device: nrfdl.Device) => {
     if (!device.serialPorts) return 0;

+    console.err("Serial Product ID: " + productId);
+
     return parseInt(
         device.serialPorts.reduce(
-            (m, p) => (p.vendorId === '1915' ? p.productId : '') || m,
+            (m, p) => (p.vendorId === '1915' || p.vendorId === '10c4'? p.productId : '') || m,
             ''
         ),
         16
@@ -276,7 +279,7 @@ const identifyUsbByVersion = (device: nrfdl.Device) => {

const identifyUsbBySerialPort = (device: nrfdl.Device) => {
     const productId = getProductId(device);
-
+    console.err("Product ID: " + productId);
     // nRF52
     if (USBProductIds.some(id => id === productId)) {
         return deviceDefinitions.find(d => d.family === DeviceFamily.NRF52);

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Jared — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:08:23 GMT

Hi,

[quote user="AchimKraus"]Using node.js v18 it's possible to follow the documentation and build a Programmer including different USB id. Unfortunately it seems, that the programmer uses something else to select valid devices (my be the missing "nrf-device-lib-js").[/quote]

How did you configure the application?

Can you try adding this here:

const deviceListing: DeviceTraits = {
    nordicUsb: true,
    serialPorts: true,
    jlink: true,
    mcuBoot: true,
    nordicDfu: true,
    // Add this line
    usb: true,
};

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 18:06:46 GMT

> As far as I know you should be able to modify the code and remove the filter the recompile it as your own customized version of nRF Connect Programmer.

Using node.js v18 it's possible to follow the documentation and build a Programmer including different USB id. Unfortunately it seems, that the programmer uses something else to select valid devices (my be the missing "nrf-device-lib-js").

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 14:58:47 GMT

Seems to require node.js v18, not v14, as in the documentation.

The links to "nrf-device-lib-js" are not longer valid.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 13:30:32 GMT

Not sure, if that description is more intended as "rough overview" than a documentation of "step by step instruction".

Using Ubuntu 20.04, installed node.js v14.21.3 and npm 6.14.18 I get for the pc-nrfconnect-programmer:

> npm ci

Cannot read property 'nrf-intel-hex' of undefined

> npm install

pm WARN read-shrinkwrap This version of npm is compatible with lockfileVersion@1, but package-lock.json was generated for lockfileVersion@3. I'll try to do my best with it!

The required version fo npm seems to be not mentioned.

A more complete list of pre-requirements and instructions will be very helpful.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:59:52 GMT

Thanks. I will try that.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Hung Bui — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:38:20 GMT

Hi Achim,
You can follow the documentation here: https://nordicsemiconductor.github.io/pc-nrfconnect-docs/
Compiling is covered in "Everyday development" section.
We provided a simple RSSI example that you can get started with.

RE: nRF Connect for Desktop - Programmer v3.0.4 support for nRF9160 using other USB chips

Achim Kraus — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:44:09 GMT

Thanks!

Do you know, if there are instruction how to recompile that?

(I'm common with java and C, but not that common with javascript/typescript ;-) ).