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File Tree Screen Shot:
PasteBoard.co Link
VSC include errors
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jaredwolff
I’m not sure. The terminal box is open at the bottom and I am getting read out of tasks. Is there something soecial I have to do to open/connect the terminal? I was just using the “load via bootloader” zephyr tools option.
No, I don’t have any other terminals open or windows for VSC.
I did notice that I had the compiler path setup to a C compiler that I downloaded off the internet because I thought I had to have one. I removed that but I am still having the same issue.
Here is an additional line that the terminal produces:
The terminal process “C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -Command newtmgr -c vscode-zephyr-tools image upload c:\Users\jerra\Zephyr-2\nfed\samples\gps\build\zephyr\app_update.bin -r 3 -t 0.25” terminated with exit code: 1.
If you run newtmgr conn show in your VSCode terminal what shows up? Here’s an example of mine:
❯ newtmgr conn show
Connection profiles:
vscode-zephyr-tools: type=serial, connstring='dev=/dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART,baud=1000000,mtu=256'- Edited
Your’s has a baud of 1M so I changed mine to that. In my Device Manager my COM port has a baud of 115200 so idk if that will cause an issue.
Yours also lists MTU which mine does not.
That looks like your problem right there! Should always be 1M for the nRF9160 Feather.
You can redo setup inside VSCode by running Zephyr Tools: Setup Newtmgr just make sure you don’t change the defaults!
I was finally able to get it to flash. I’m not really sure what I did that got it to work but hey it’s working :-)
Woohoo! I knew it was something silly. Thanks for sticking it out jhox616
Hey Jared,
Unfortunetly I let the smoke out of my board by connecting a battery and serial cable at the same time.
Can you help me figure out why this happened? I wasn’t getting satellites where I have in the past. I let it try for a whole day and nothing so I assumed maybe this board was like another one I had where it needs more power than the serial cable can provide to get a fix.
I need to get to the bottom of this as I need to get a fix and I need to know if this was my fault or if the board malfunctioned so I can get a fix with the next board and avoid what ever caused it to let out the magic smoke it contained. (I tried but for some reason I can’t figure out how get the magic smoke back in)
Hey jhox616
jhox616 Can you help me figure out why this happened?
I’d be happy to. I also replied to your email. Here’s my reply for your reference:
I was not getting satellites in view of the sky where I have gotten a fix before on other devices.
Were you outside or inside?
I was reading the serial output and it just wouldn’t get a fix. I left it for a long time thinking that it needed to download the almanac.
You may need to download/enable use of the SUPL client. Though you should get a fix even without it though..
On plugging in the battery it smoked the board. I can’t see exactly where but it looks like one of the ICs shorted.
My thought was that this board could be powered and read the serial at the same time.
I am hoping for your advice on why this happened.
I’m not sure if it is a malfunction in the board or what.
You need to be careful not to reverse polarities of the battery. Can you share how you made your connections. Pictures would be helpful.
jaredwolff oh course. It is entirely possible that the polarity was switched. It uses the small JC plug type (i know that that isn’t correct but I hope you know what I’m trying to say) so it is s male/female slotted connection. I will show you the color wires and orientation so you can tell me if the polarity on the battery connector is not oriented the same as the board. Once that is isolated as the issue. I’d be happy to buycanother board and try again. But until I know exactly what went wrong there is no use smoking another $120 board. I really appreciate everything you do: your product, your service, and the extra mile you go in helping the community. Hopefully this can just be a lesson learned and I can continue on in success with your board. It has been very discouraging but I’m hoping in the end it will be worth it.
Yea unfortunately you’re not the only person to fry the charger chip due to reverse polarity. I will likely have to add protection in the next versions. Fortunately, as long as your board didn’t get too toasty it’s likely salvageable.
jhox616 $120 board
Should be $99. I don’t charge more than that. 
If you want to save some $ you can ship it to me and I’ll see if I can revive it for a small fee.
Ok I just want to make sure that was the exact issue so I will get back to you with pictures.
5 days later
I sent you the pics via email.
Let me know so I can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
A new feather with antennas is only $120 so why would the repair be $99?
Once you help me figure out the polarity issue I will probably order a few more but I was hoping I could get it repaired cheaper than that.
Thanks again for your help.
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I replied to your email. Here’s the image you provided of your battery cell:
See my response copied below. Look carefully of which side is the positive and which side is the negative on that JST connector:
Also take a look at this page for example: https://www.adafruit.com/?q=lithium+&sort=BestMatch
Look closely at the orientation of black/red. They’re opposite to the battery you used. That’s no bueno and definitely no supported.
It’s easy to fix on that battery if you want. You just need something sharp like a pin to remove each wire and then push them into the correct orientation.
Also in response to your earlier comment:
jhox616 A new feather with antennas is only $120 so why would the repair be $99?
I think you misunderstood me. I was simply clarifying my boards cost $99. (Not $120) The repair would be much less as long as it’s something I can repair. It’s hard to tell the extent of the damage since the picture you sent earlier was a bit blurred.
jaredwolff
Ok that all sounds great. I will respond to your email and get your address to mail it to you.
I’ll probably have you mail it back if you can fix it with another one I’ll buy. Thanks for everything. I’ll double check all my batteries.
8 days later
Does the GPS need battery power to opporate?
I could not aquire satellites or a fix with it being powered via the serial port alone.
If you check the schematic, the “power path” from battery or USB is the same.
I’m not sure, what you exactly do. Simplified, GPS is used in two modes, “classic” and “assisted”. For “classic”, the GPS receiver starts with receiving “broad-banded”, which isn’t that sensitive. Therefore you need “free sight to the sky”. Once the receiver detect the first signals, it switches to “smaller-banded” mode, which is much more sensitive and may work with less “free sight to the sky”, at least for something about 3h. In the “assisted” mode, the data received in the “broad-banded” phase are exchanged via the cellular protocol and with that, GPS is able to start “smaller-banded”.
That results in:
“classic” requires “initial free sky” and if the device is connected indoor with USB, that doesn’t work
“assisted” doesn’t required that “initial free sky” and may therefore work in less good conditions.