How to recover not acknowledging bq27531evm after flashing it with .srec file using the Programming plugin in bqstudio?

There may be no practical way to recover this board if the gauge doesn't respond on I2C address 0x16 (= ROM mode).

Do you have more than one EV2300? If so, please update the firmware with the attached updater:

EV2300FirmwareUpdater1003_31r.zip

That's unfortunate. It doesn't respond even to 0x16 addr anymore. Totally nothing. How to avoid this in the future? Should I refrain entirely from programming .srec and just use .df.fs or.bq.fs files since I only want to program some config and cal values and not the entire FW?

I only have 1 evm300. So I cant update it, can I?

We have extra bq27531-g1 ICs here, do you think it's time for me to replace  (desolder/solder) the broken one in my bq27531evm board?

Thanks

You can't update the EV2300 firmware if you only have one EV2300.

If the gauge doesn't respond on 0x16 and 0xAA then you'll have to replace the gauge.

Please use the .df.fs file if you only want to program config and cal values.

Hi, 

We tried replacing the Fuel Gauge IC with a new one, but still not acknowledging. Using logic analyzer, I was able to view SCL clock signals and SDA data, but the IC is still NAK to 0x16 and 0xAA addresses.

The LEDs in the board are still lighting up though. D1 lights up when connected to the power, D2 is blinking fast when there's no cell attached, and then the D2 pulse frequency slows down as soon as I attached the cell. Does this mean that the FW in the fuel gauge IC is still working? 

We ordered for a new board and EV2400. Do you think using the EV2400 might somehow recover the IC? Is there a chance that this might happen again when I use the EV2400 to flash .srec file or is this problem just occurs when using EV2300?

Thanks

D2 is not controlled by the gauge (it's controlled by the charger) so this is not necessarily an indicator of gauge functionality.

Only old versions of EV2300 may be related to the problems that you reported. Using the EV2400 with a good .srec will work.

Thank you for this info!

When the EV2400 arrives, I plan to flash the old (brick) board. (to recover) Where can I download the default or a working .srec for this IC?

You can use the attached .senc file to flash the firmware.

bq27531-G1_v102.senc

Thanks. Im still waiting for the new board and EV2400 to arrive.

Do you have any insight why after replacing the fuel gauge IC with a new one, the board is still not acknowledging to bqstudio or the STM i2c commands? Since it doesn't acknowledge, I cannot flash it nor access it. Is it somehow in a reset or hibernate mode? Any thoughts are appreciated.

If you replaced the gauge, it should work immediately. Is the LDO on (check the voltage on VCC/pin D1)?

The voltage at D1 (VCC/TPD1) is at 2.46V. I also checked E1 (REGIN) it's at 4.42V. The I2C bus is also being pulled up to VCC level. I'm using USB adapter for power supply.These values are as expected, aren't they? So this means that the newly replaced Fuel Gauge IC is alive, isn't it? Anything else I could check?

 Also, I observed that whenever I attach the cell, the VCC value lowers to 2.39V. But I'm not sure if this is relevant?

Still it doesn't make sense for it not to ACK 0x16 or 0xAA addresses. At first, I suspected the EV2300 to be faulty, but I tried communicating using MCU but still nothing. I know for a fact that my MCU code is working since I tried it before the board bricked.

I'd really like to root cause this issue since there's still a risk that this might happen to the new board again, so any help/insights are appreciated...

The voltage on D1 is correct (it's typically 2.5V). It means that the LDO is working (so the gauge isn't totally damaged). However, it does not mean that the gauge is working. If it were working, it would respond on 0xAA or 0x16. Can you attach a screenshot of SCL and SDA showing a read sequence from device address 0xAA and command code 0?