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AWR1642BOOST: UART/NERROR_OUT issue

RJimmy
Intellectual 535 points
Part Number: AWR1642BOOST
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: AWR1642, , UNIFLASH, IWR1642

Hi All,

I have questions about UART port and NERROR_OUT (pin N6) of AWR1642.

I designed my AWR1642 RF board based on AWR1642BOOST EVM schematic.

1. Two of my boards got UART issue. I can't flash new firmware to AWR1642 chip throught UART once it stops to work, I still can boot up the board from the QSPI flash after that.

2. I keep the same Nerr_out design (the led indication) as AWR1642BOOST EVM. The Led for Nerr_out glows on one of my boards. From the AWR1642 EVM, this looks like the AWR1642 has some hardware error.

I already tried to reset the chip, power cycle the board. The Nerr_out led still glows after I power up the board. I guess the chip is dead.

How can I solve these issues? Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks,

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 21025 points
    Can you flash a TI EVM successfully and run a demo? If so, it would seem there's an issue with the board design or manufacture. Did you also replicate the SOP jumper functionality?
  • 0 in reply to db_woodall
    TI__Mastermind 23725 points
    Hello RJimmy,


    Do you see the UART com ports on PC when you connect the board? Wonder if the UART to USB is working well.


    As you have mentioned that you can boot from QSPI, how did you confirm this? How were you able to flash the image in this case?
    Were you able to check the UART/USB port to be working after successful boot.

    Without looking at the schematic it would be difficult to debug a custom built board.

    Thank you,
    Vaibhav
  • 0 in reply to db_woodall
    Intellectual 535 points
    Thanks, I found out it is the QSPI flash issue later. I replace a new one, it works.
  • 0 in reply to Vaibhav Mahimkar
    Intellectual 535 points
    It is the hardware issue. I replaced a new QSPI flash. The board is good again. Thanks.
  • 0 in reply to RJimmy
    TI__Mastermind 37500 points

    Hello Jimmy,

    You have listed several concerns, the UART port failing to function, the NERROR Out condition, and the Flash.

    The UART port should be traced from the USB -> XDS110 -> Control UART .  The Control UART is used with the mmWave Visualizer, and Uniflash.

    xWR1642 pins RS232_Rx N4, RS232_TX N5.

    The device QSPI flash can be formatted from the Uniflash program, if you have copied the XDS110 implementation, and connection to the xWR1642.

    If the QSPI flash does not format from XDS110 serial port, you could try to write a formatter using a CCS project, and JTAG.

    Some customers have used a QSPI flash socket, on both the initial EVM and small production, to preflash the QSPI flash.

    Related to Nerror Out, in the IWr1642 datasheet, 

    28 Error Signaling
    Error Output
    When a diagnostic detects a fault, the error must be indicated. The AWR1642 architecture
    provides aggregation of fault indication from internal monitoring/diagnostic mechanisms using
    a peripheral logic known as the Error Signaling Module (ESM). The ESM provides
    mechanisms to classify errors by severity and to provide programmable error response.
    ESM module is configured by customer application code and specific error signals can be
    enabled or masked to generate an interrupt (Low/High priority) for the Master R4F CPU.
    AWR1642 supports Nerror output signal (IO) which can be monitored externally to identify
    any kind of high severity faults in the design which could not be handled by the R4F.

    In the TRM swru522, Under the Error Signalling Module (ESM)

    26.2 Error Signaling Module (ESM)......................................................................................... 2510
    26.2.1 Overview ....................................................................................................... 2510
    26.2.2 Module Operation ............................................................................................. 2513
    26.2.3 Recommended Programming Procedure .................................................................. 2516
    26.2.4 MSS_ESM Registers ......................................................................................... 2517

    This has the registers to determine what NERROR_OUT is based on.   If you get NERROR_OUT, evaluate the results

    and reset the module again, and check the errors again, you can see if its a soft intermittent or hard error.

    In order to Flash the QSPI flash, the clock must be correct, the Boot ROM must have the SOP pins in the proper state, and the Control UART

    should have communication.

    Let us know if more description is needed.

    Regards,

    Joe Quintal