Programming the nRF52840 Dongle from nRF Connect

[Jonathan Beri]

I just received a new nRF52840 Dongle from Mouser with the intent to use it as a Sniffer with Wireshark. I also wanted to try the nRF Connect for Desktop GUI from Nordic to more easily program the device. I downloaded the pre-built NCP firmware from openthread.io and tried loading it in nRF Connect 2.5.0, Programmer 1.0.0-experimental.3. I can't seem to program the device and the warnings is a bit cryptic (see attached.)

Has anyone else been able to program the nRF52840 Dongle via the nRF Connect for Desktop?

[kamil...@nordicsemi.no]

Support for nRF52840 dongle (PCA10059) is added via #2994.

You have to build firmware with BOOTLOADER=1 like so (assuming you are in root dir of OpenThread):

./bootstrap
make -f examples/Makefile-nrf52840 BOOTLOADER=1 USB=1
arm-none-eabi-objcopy output/nrf52840/bin/ot-cli-ftd -O ihex ot-cli-ftd.hex

After those three steps you can use generated hex file with nRF Connect for Desktop.

[Jonathan Beri]

Thanks Kamil. Interestingly, once I flash the device, the Desktop tool seems to be doing some filtering on device target or USB product ID. Might be useful to remove or use the correct Product ID?

[kamil...@nordicsemi.no]

This is expected. After flashing application starts and in this case it enumerates with application specific VID/PID which doesn't match bootloader VID/PID. So you have to reset the dongle to start bootloader again (or use DFU Trigger Library to trigger it from application). Check the documentation for more info here.

[Jonathan Beri]

Got it. I've got one step closer. However, when I try to launch sniffer.py with "python ./sniffer.py -c 11 -n 1 -u /dev/cu.usbmode | wireshark -k -i -", I get "ERROR: failed to initialize sniffer" in the terminal and "unrecognized pcap format or not libpcap data." on wireshark (presumably because the sniffer failed to initialize.)

I noticed that the docs mentioned, "For building an OpenThread ncp to support sniffer --enable-raw-link-api as a build option." I ran "./configure --enable-raw-link-api" before building the example. Anything else I might need to do? Does configure need more flags?

[Jonathan Hui]

The `make -f examples/Makefile-nrf52840` also preforms the configure step. You can add the `--enable-raw-link-api` option by either:

1. Adding it to the list of configure_OPTIONS in examples/Makefile-nrf52840
2. Appending `LINK_RAW=1` to the `make -f ...` command (e.g. make -f examples/Makefile-nrf52840 BOOTLOADER=1 USB=1 LINK_RAW=1`)

Also be sure that you are loading the NCP firmware and not the CLI firmware.

--
Jonathan Hui

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[Yalcin]

Hello.

I followed the discussion and built NCP firmware with recommended options.

> make -f examples/Makefile-nrf52840  BOOTLOADER=1 USB=1 LINK_RAW=1

then added both files to nRF Connect (Programmer app)

1. NCP firmware:  ot-ncp-ftd.hex
2. Softdevice:       s140_nrf52_6.1.0_softdevice.hex

But I’m getting the error: 

“Some of the .hex files have overlapping data”

I’m using MAC OSX. 

--- Yalcin

[kamil...@nordicsemi.no]

Just flash ot-ncp-ftd.hex

Softdevice is not needed for openthread as long as you are not using our multiprotocol solution.

[Yalcin]

Thank you for your help. But if I try just to flash ot-ncp-ftd.hex getting the error:

Neither Bootloader, Softdevice, nor Application detected. Write Button is also deactivated.

Any idea what is wrong?

[Yalcin]

I solved the issue, downloaded the newest version of openthread-master from Github. Run the commands in openthread directory, as mentioned from the Kamil, Jonathan Hui and Jonathan Beri.
./bootstrap

make -f examples/Makefile-nrf52840 BOOTLOADER=1 USB=1 LINK_RAW=1

arm-none-eabi-objcopy output/nrf52840/bin/ot-ncp-ftd -O ihex ncp_app.hex
And flashed with nRF Connect into the Dongle 52840 (pca10059), on MAC OSX environment.

nRF Connect v2.5.0 - Programmer (experimental) outputs error messages, that irritates, although flash write operation was successful.
e.g.
Reopen device failed: Timeout while waiting for device F4EFE18E8CA8 to be attached and enumerated
Nordic DFU Trigger Interface was not found.Please physically reset device.
Device not found due to failure during DFU

[Jeff Bumgardner]

Hey Yalcin - 

I get the same errors as you in nRF Connect, even though I was flashed the device successfully (following those same basic instructions).  So WAI, I suppose.

Jeff

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