Using nRF Connect for VSCode

Setup

  1. Install nRF Connect for VSCode

  2. Once the extension pack is installed. Install the 3.0.1 Toolchain

    You can use the nRF Connect : Manage Toolchains command to do this. If you've never used the extension before, it will prompt you to install the toolchain.

    Manage toolchains

  3. Then let's run the nRF Connect: West Init command. You can invoke the task launcher by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P and start typing nRF Connect: West Init.

    West init command

  4. Follow the prompts to set a location for the west manifest file.Then when prompted for a project type, use the Custom repository option.

    West init prompts

    When prompted for the URL, enter https://github.com/circuitdojo/nrf9160-feather-examples-and-drivers.git. And use v3.0.x as the version.

    Git url prompt

    When ready, you will see output at the bottom like:

    [09:33:23] ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'c:\ncs\v1.5.1\.west\config' (c:\ncs\v1.5.1)
[09:33:32] nrfutil-sdk-manager toolchain,install,--ncs-version,v3.0.1: Download toolchain v3.0.1
[09:35:17] nrfutil-sdk-manager toolchain,install,--ncs-version,v3.0.1: Toolchain downloaded: success
[09:35:17] nrfutil-sdk-manager toolchain,install,--ncs-version,v3.0.1: Unpack toolchain v3.0.1
[09:36:03] nrfutil-sdk-manager toolchain,install,--ncs-version,v3.0.1: Toolchain unpacked to C:\ncs\tmp\.tmp6AunCY: success
[09:36:03] nrfutil-sdk-manager toolchain,install,--ncs-version,v3.0.1: Install toolchain v3.0.1
[09:36:03] nrfutil-sdk-manager toolchain,install,--ncs-version,v3.0.1: Toolchain installed at C:\ncs\toolchains\0b393f9e1b: success
[west]: === Initializing in c:\nfed
[west]: --- Cloning manifest repository from https://github.com/circuitdojo/nrf9160-feather-examples-and-drivers.git
[west]: Cloning into 'c:\nfed\.west\manifest-tmp'...
[west]: --- setting manifest.path to nfed
[west]: === Initialized. Now run "west update" inside c:\nfed.

    Note: you may have to open the folder you created during the west init before running the west update command. (next step)

  5. Once intialized, we need to run the nRF Connect: West Update command.

    Run west update

    This process will download a full copy of Zephyr and NCS. It's required for any project that uses a west manifest file. It will take a minute or two to download all the dependencies.

Building

  1. Click the Open Existing Application button and choose, for example, the nrf9160-feather-examples-and-drivers/samples/blinky folder.

    Open blinky sample

  2. Then click the Add Build Configuration button.

    Add build configuration

    Make sure you choose circuitdojo/nrf9151-feather/ns as the board.

    Additionally, edit the build directory if you'd like. We recommend build/circuitdojo_feather_nrf9151.

    And finally, make sure that Use sysbuild is checked.

    Set build folder and use sysbuild

    Then click Build Configuration

  3. The app will build. You can view the build output in the tab to the right:

    Build output

    Once you get this output, you're good to go!

    [7/207] Generating include/generated/version.h
-- Zephyr version: 3.6.99 (/home/jaredwolff/Git/nrf9160-feather-examples-and-driverszephyr), build: v3.6.99-ncs2
[207/207] Linking C executable zephyr/zephyr.elf
Memory region         Used Size  Region Size  %age Used
        FLASH:       46844 B        48 KB     95.30%
           RAM:       22720 B        32 KB     69.34%
     IDT_LIST:          0 GB        32 KB      0.00%
Generating files from /home/jaredwolff/Git/nrf9160-feather-examples-and-drivers/nfed/samples/blinky/build/circuitdojo_feather_nrf9151/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.elf for board:circuitdojo_feather_nrf9151
[20/20] Generating ../merged.hex

  4. You can locate the .hex file in the build folder. It's also provided in the nRF Connect for VSCode window:

    Build output

Flashing

Note: we're working on ways to flash from the UI in VSCode. In the meantime, here's how to do it manually.

The nRF9151 Feather has a build-in CMSIS-DAP debugger. You can use it to flash the firmware. The two utilities that you can use are:

  1. probe-rs
  2. pyocd

probe-rs

First you'll need the rust toolchain installed before you install probe-rs. Install rustup first by following the instructions here.

To install use:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/probe-rs/probe-rs/releases/latest/download/probe-rs-tools-installer.sh | sh

You will also need to set up udev rules on Linux. See here for more info.

Then you can program using:

cd samples/blinky
probe-rs download --chip nRF9151_xxAA --binary-format hex build/circuitdojo_feather_nrf9151/merged.hex
probe-rs reset --chip nRF9151_xxAA

Note: change location to the sample/application you're working on. This is where your build folder is located.

pyocd

pyocd does have some dependencies depending on your OS.

Mac Dependencies

For Mac you'll need to install libusb using brew:

brew install libusb

Installing & Running

To install run:

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python3 -m pip install -U pyocd
pyocd pack install nRF9160_xxAA

Note: you will need to source .venv/bin/activate after closing & reopening VSCode.

Then you can flash using:

cd samples/blinky
pyocd load --target nRF9160_xxAA --format hex build/circuitdojo_feather_nrf9151/merged.hex
pyocd reset --target nrf9160_xxaa