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AWR1843AOPEVM: EVMs becoming unresponsive during/after flashing with uniflash

Shawno.exe
Prodigy 10 points
Part Number: AWR1843AOPEVM
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: UNIFLASH

Our team is currently developing software using the AWR1843AOPEVMs. 3 or 4 different EVMs have all become unresponsive in the same way. While using UniFlash to load software on the board, the board will suddenly become unresponsive, all LEDs will turn off and a power surge warning will show up on the USB port of the PC. After this happens the board is dead  and the PC will warn of a power surge on the USB port if it is plugged in which would indicate that something has gone wrong electrically on the board, it also will not power on through the power connector or other USB power.

This does not seems to be specific to any PC or USB adapter being used that may have caused a surge. It also does not seem to be related to what firmware was flashed to the board as it has occurred with custom firmware and when loading the default demo bin files.

I would like to know if this is a common occurrence with the EVMs and if it is specific to to EVM board or to the chip itself.

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 30815 points

    Hello,

    This is not expected behavior. Are the boards being used in an ESD safe environment? Is this happening on the first use of the board?

    Regards,

    Adrian

  • 0 in reply to aozer
    Prodigy 10 points

    Hi Adrian,

    All the EVMs were working out of the box, this happened after maybe 2 weeks for one board and maybe a few months for another one of the boards. In all the cases where I saw this happening it was during programming, so the boards would have been picked up and handled in order to flip the SOP switches and put them in programming mode and then to hit reset reset button which could indicate some sort of ESD. I wouldn't say the environment is completely ESD safe.

    Thanks,

    Shawn

  • +1 in reply to Shawno.exe
    TI__Mastermind 30815 points

    Hello,

    Unfortunately, since the boards were used in a non-ESD safe environment it likely impossible to know exactly how the damage occurred.

    Can you measure the resistance of the input supply to GND to see if it has shorted? Or check the radar supply pins and see if these have shorted to GND?

    I recommend to always use the board in an ESD safe environment with an ESD strap when handling the board. However, you must be extremely unlucky or working in a very unsafe environment to have damaged that many boards during handling. The only time I have seen something like that happen is when working in an anechoic chamber with a styrofoam floor where ESD charges can easily build up when walking around. 

    Regards,

    Adrian