Getting started with nRF5

SDK and SES (nRF51 & nRF52

Series)
Getting Started Guide
v1.4

1159720_163 v1.4 / 2020-04-02

Contents
Revision history. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 Minimum requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3 Related documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4 Development kits, PCA numbers, and chips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

5 SoftDevices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

6 Running a first test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

7 Setting up your toolchain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

7.1 Nordic tools and downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
7.2 Setting up the nRF5 SDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.3 Installing SEGGER tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.4 Installing the nRF Command Line Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

8 Programming an application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
8.1 Erasing the kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
8.2 Importing Keil projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.3 Compiling the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.4 Configuring placement of the SoftDevice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
8.5 Programming the firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8.6 Adding files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8.6.1 Adding source files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8.6.2 Including header files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

9 Communicating with the kit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

9.1 Connecting via RTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
9.1.1 Connecting via RTT on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
9.1.2 Connecting via RTT on Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
9.2 Connecting via CDC-UART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

10 Testing the application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

10.1 Testing with a mobile device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
10.2 Testing with a computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

11 Debugging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Acronyms and abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Legal notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

1159720_163 v1.4 ii
Revision history
Date Version Description
April 2020 1.4 • Changed the document title to clarify that this Getting Started
Guide targets the nRF5 SDK
• Editorial changes

September 2019 1.3 Fixed broken links

January 2019 1.2 Updated Importing Keil projects on page 17
October 2018 1.1 Added Adding files on page 26
July 2018 1.0 First release

1159720_163 v1.4 iii

1 Introduction
This guide will help you get started with your nRF51 or nRF52 Series Development Kit (DK) and developing
your application with the nRF5 SDK with SEGGER Embedded Studio (SES).
If you have worked with any of Nordic Semiconductor's products before, you are probably familiar with
the Software Development Kit (SDK) and the required tools. In this case, this guide will mostly provide
reference information.
Use this guide to set up your development toolchain so you can develop, program, test, and debug your
application.
This guide describes how to work with SES. SES is a cross-platform Integrated Development Environment
(IDE), so you can run it on different operating systems. For use with Nordic Semiconductor devices, you
can get a free license that has no limitations.
The following Getting Started Guides show how to work with different software development platforms
and devices:
• Getting started with nRF Connect SDK (nRF53 Series)
• Getting started with nRF Connect SDK (nRF52 Series)
• Getting started with nRF5 SDK and SES (nRF51 & nRF52 Series) (this document)
• Getting started with nRF5 SDK and Keil (nRF51 & nRF52 Series)
Check out the Nordic DevZone for additional setup information and help.

1159720_163 v1.4 4
2 Minimum requirements
Ensure that you have all the required hardware and that your computer fulfills the software requirements.

Hardware requirements
• One of the following development kits:
• nRF52840 DK
• nRF52833 DK
• nRF52 DK
• nRF51 DK
• Micro-USB 2.0 cable
• Personal computer (PC)
• Optional for testing:
• Smartphone or tablet that supports Bluetooth® Low Energy
• nRF52840 Dongle, nRF51 Dongle, or a second Nordic DK

Software requirements
One of the following operating systems:
• Windows 8 or Windows 10
• macOS
• Linux

1159720_163 v1.4 5
3 Related documentation
In addition to the information in this document, you may need to refer to other documents.

Development Kit User Guides

nRF52840 DK
nRF52833 DK
nRF52 DK
nRF51 DK

Dongle User Guides

nRF52840 Dongle
nRF51 Dongle

Compatibility Matrices
nRF52840 Compatibility Matrix
nRF52833 Compatibility Matrix
nRF52832 Compatibility Matrix
nRF52811 Compatibility Matrix
nRF52810 Compatibility Matrix
nRF51 Series Compatibility Matrix

SDK documentation
nRF5 SDK v16.0.0

Tools User Guides

nRF Connect Bluetooth Low Energy
nRF Command Line Tools

1159720_163 v1.4 6
 Development kits, PCA numbers, and
4 chips
Nordic Semiconductor's software tools either target the chip that is soldered onto the kit's development
kit, or target the development kit itself.
The following table lists the PCA number and the chip bundled in each kit.

Development kit PCA number Chip

nRF52840 DK PCA10056 nRF52840
nRF52840 Dongle PCA10059 nRF52840
nRF52833 DK PCA10100 nRF52833
nRF52 DK PCA10040 nRF52832/nRF52810
nRF51 DK PCA10028 nRF51422
nRF51 Dongle PCA10032 nRF51422

Table 1: Relation between development kits, PCA numbers, and chips

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5 SoftDevices
A SoftDevice is a wireless protocol stack that complements an nRF5 Series System on Chip (SoC).
Nordic Semiconductor provides them as qualified, precompiled binary files. While it is possible to build
applications without using a SoftDevice, all nRF5 SDK example applications that use Bluetooth Low Energy
or ANT™ require a SoftDevice.
See the compatibility matrices for detailed information about which SoftDevice versions are supported for
each chip. The following table summarizes the usage scenarios for each SoftDevice.

Protocol Role Chip SoftDevice

Bluetooth Low Energy Peripheral • nRF51422 S110
• nRF51822

• nRF52810 S112
• nRF52832

• nRF52833 S113

Central or Peripheral • nRF51422 S120

• nRF51822

Central and Peripheral • nRF51422 S130

• nRF51822

• nRF52832 S132

• nRF52833 S140
• nRF52840

ANT • nRF51422 S210

• nRF52832 S212

Bluetooth Low Energy and ANT Peripheral • nRF51422 S310

Peripheral and Broadcaster • nRF52810 S312

All roles • nRF52832 S332

• nRF52840 S340

Table 2: SoftDevice overview

1159720_163 v1.4 8
6 Running a first test
Before you start developing, program and run a precompiled application on your development kit
to ensure that the kit functions as expected and the communication between your computer and
development kit works.
1. Download the latest compatible version of the nRF5 SDK.
The nRF5 SDK contains precompiled HEX files of the most common examples. Extract the zip file into a
folder of your choice.
For information about which SDK supports which IC revisions, check the compatibility matrices.
2. Power up the development kit:
a) Connect one end of a micro-USB 2.0 cable to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector on the kit
and the other end to one of your PC's USB host ports.
b) Slide the power switch to ON.

Observe that LED1 starts blinking.

3. Open a file explorer and confirm that the development kit has appeared as a removable drive named
JLINK.
On Windows, you should see a pop-up window similar to this:

1159720_163 v1.4 9
 Running a first test

4. In the folder where you extracted the nRF5 SDK, navigate to examples\ble_peripheral
\ble_app_hrs\hex.
5. Select the HEX file that corresponds to your development kit and copy it to the JLINK drive.
The development kit will now restart and run the application. Note that while restarting, the JLINK
drive will be disconnected.
6. Download and install the Nordic nRF Toolbox app from Google Play or App Store.
7. Open nRF Toolbox.

Note: Enable Bluetooth if prompted.

8. Tap HRM.
9. Tap Connect.
10.Select Nordic_HRS.
A simulated heart rate and battery charge percentage is displayed.
For more advanced testing scenarios, see Testing the application on page 32.
Next, continue to set up your development toolchain and build and program an application from the
source code.

1159720_163 v1.4 10
7 Setting up your toolchain
Before you can start developing, you must install the required software. This software includes tools to
connect to your development kit, an IDE for developing your application, and the nRF5 SDK that provides
libraries and example applications.
See Nordic tools and downloads on page 11 for an overview of available tools and the links to
download the latest versions for your operating system.
The following tools are required for this Getting Started Guide:
• nRF5 SDK
• SEGGER J-Link Software and Documentation Pack
• SEGGER Embedded Studio (SES)
The following tool is optional:
• nRF Command Line Tools (including nrfjprog)
See the following sections for installation instructions.

7.1 Nordic tools and downloads

This overview lists all available Nordic Semiconductor tools and supported IDEs. Not all of these tools are
required. To help you pick the IDE and tools you want to use, see the following sections for common setup
scenarios.

Development IDE
Pick one of the IDEs with a compiler supported by Nordic:

IDE Windows Linux OSX

SEGGER Embedded Yes Yes Yes
Studio (SES)
MDK-ARM Keil µVision Yes No No
GNU/GCC Yes Yes Yes
IAR Yes No No

SES is the recommended platform. It is free for use with nRF devices.

Essential tools
You need to download these Nordic tools to develop with our devices.

1159720_163 v1.4 11
 Setting up your toolchain

Tool Description Download Documentation Protocol

SDK Application Windows/Linux nRF5 SDK v16.0.0 BLE/ANT
(Software examples, source
Development files, SoftDevices nRF5 SDK for Mesh Bluetooth
Kit) v4.1.0 Mesh
nRF5 SDK for Thread Thread and
and Zigbee v4.0.0 Zigbee

nRF Collection of nRF Command Line Tools nRF Command Line BLE/ANT
Command command line Tools
Line Tools tools, like nrfjprog,
mergehex

Optional tools
These tools are not essential, but we recommend that you use them.

1159720_163 v1.4 12
 Setting up your toolchain

Tool Description Download Documentation Protocol

SoftDevice Wireless protocol Compatible downloads nRF51 SoftDevice BLE/ANT
stack for nRF52840 Specifications
Compatible downloads nRF52 SoftDevice
for nRF52833 Specifications
Compatible downloads
for nRF52832
Compatible downloads
for nRF52811
Compatible downloads
for nRF52810
Compatible downloads
for nRF51822
Compatible downloads
for nRF51422

nRF Connect for Expandable desktop nRF Connect for nRF Connect BLE
Desktop tool with several apps, Desktop Bluetooth Low Energy
including:
• Peer device
emulator
• Power Profiler
• Programmer
• Cloud Gateway

nRF Connect for Peer device emulator Android v4.3 or later BLE
Mobile app for smartphones
IOS v8 or later

Nordic nRF Toolbox App that contains all Android v4.3 or later BLE
app the Nordic apps
IOS v8 or later
Windows Phone v8.1
or later

nRF pynrfjprog Simple Python nRF pynrfjprog nRF5x pynrfjprog BLE/ANT

interface for the
nrfjprog DLL
ANTware II Peer device emulator ANTware II ANT
for the ANT protocol
running on computers
nRF Sniffer App for monitoring on- nRF Sniffer download nRF Sniffer for BLE
air traffic Bluetooth LE
nRF Thread Topology Tool for visualizing nRF Thread Topology nRF Thread Topology Thread
Monitor Thread mesh network Monitor Monitor
topology in real time
Thread Border Gateway for Thread Border Router Thread Border Router Thread
Router connecting Thread

1159720_163 v1.4 13
 Setting up your toolchain

Tool Description Download Documentation Protocol

network to the
Internet

See also Nordic mobile apps for a list of available Bluetooth Low Energy and Mesh mobile apps for iOS,
Android, and Windows Phones.

7.2 Setting up the nRF5 SDK

The nRF5 SDK does not require installation. You only need to download and extract the files.
If you followed the instructions in Running a first test on page 9, you already downloaded and extracted
the nRF5 SDK files and are all set up.
Complete the following steps to set up your SDK environment:
1. Download the nRF5 SDK zip file.
If you have an nRF52 device, select the latest version. For nRF51 devices, select the latest version with
support for nRF51 (currently, v12.3.0). For information about which SDK supports which IC revisions,
check the compatibility matrices.
2. Extract the zip file to the directory that you want to use to work with the SDK.
This folder will be referred to as SDK_dir in the following documentation.

Note: Compilers tend to run into problems with long path names. Therefore, place the folder as
close to the root level of your file system as possible (for example, at C:/Nordic/SDK). Also,
avoid using spaces in the file path and folder name.

7.3 Installing SEGGER tools

Download and install the most recent releases of SES and the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack.
1. Download the software packages for your operating system from SEGGER downloads.
You need the following packages:
• Embedded Studio for ARM (version 3.30 or later)
• J-Link Software and Documentation Pack (version 6.10g or later)
2. Install both packages.
3. Obtain and activate your free license for SES:
a) Open SES.
SES will automatically load a test project.
b) Click Build > Build and Debug.
A window asking for a license will pop up. SES is free of charge for use with Nordic Semiconductor
devices, but you still need to request and activate a license.
c) Select Activate Your Free License and fill in your information to request a license.

Note: In SES versions before 3.34, this option was called Get a Free License.

The license is sent to you in an email.

d) After you receive your license key, enter it to activate the license.

1159720_163 v1.4 14
 Setting up your toolchain

7.4 Installing the nRF Command Line Tools

The nRF Command Line Tools are used for developing, programming, and debugging Nordic
Semiconductor's SoCs.
Complete the following steps to install the nRF Command Line Tools and verify the installation:
1. Follow the instructions in Installing the nRF Command Line Tools to download and install the nRF
Command Line Tools.
2. Enter the following command in a command line to make sure that nrfjprog is installed correctly:
nrfjprog --version
If you get an error message that the command cannot be found, nrfjprog must be manually added to
the PATH.
On Windows:
a) Go to the Windows Advanced system settings and click Environment Variables.
b) Select the Path variable and click Edit.
c) Add the following text at the end of the variable value: ;C:\Program Files (x86)\Nordic
Semiconductor\nrf5x\bin
Make sure that you add a semicolon (;) between entries in the PATH values: path1;path2
d) Click OK twice.
On Linux, assuming that you have extracted the .tar archive into /opt/nrfjprog:
a) Add the following command to the configuration file for your command line, for example, to
~/.bashrc:

export PATH=$PATH:/opt/nrfjprog

Open a new command prompt and repeat the command. It should now succeed.

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8 Programming an application
After setting up the required toolchain, you are ready to compile your application and program (or "flash")
it to your development kit.
Starting with v14.1.0, the nRF5 SDK supplies SEGGER Embedded Studio projects. If you are using an older
version of the nRF5 SDK (for example, nRF5 SDK v12.3.0, which supports nRF51 Series devices), you must
import and convert the Keil µVision projects.
There is a series of video tutorials that show how to get started with SEGGER Embedded Studio in
combination with the nRF5 SDK. Check them out here: Getting started with SEGGER Embedded Studio and
the nRF5 SDK

8.1 Erasing the kit

Before you program an example to the development kit, you should erase the contents of the kit.
There are different ways to erase the kit. You can, for example, use SES or the command line tool nrfjprog
(part of the nRF Command Line Tools).
• To erase the contents of the kit with SES, complete the following steps:
a) Select Target > Connect J-Link.

b) After the connection is established, select Target > Erase All.

• To erase the contents of the kit with nrfjprog, enter the following command:

1159720_163 v1.4 16
 Programming an application

• For nRF51 devices: nrfjprog --family nRF51 --eraseall

• For nRF52 devices: nrfjprog --family nRF52 --eraseall

8.2 Importing Keil projects

If you are using a version of the SDK that supports SES, thus nRF5 SDK v14.1.0 or later, you should open
one of the supplied SES projects and skip this step. If you are using an older version of the SDK, for
example, nRF5 SDK v12.3.0 for nRF51 Series devices, you must create your own SES projects based on the
supplied Keil projects.
Before you begin, install the CMSIS-CORE Support Package. To do so, open SES, go to Tools > Package
Manager, and select and install CMSIS-CORE Support Package.

Figure 1: SES Package Manager

Complete the following steps to import a Keil project into SES:

1. Select File > Import Project > Import Keil MDK Project.
In SES versions before 3.40, this option was located under File > Import IAR EWARM / Keil MDK
Project.
2. Navigate to the folder that contains the nRF5 SDK and select the example that you want to import.
Use the *.uvprojx file that is located in the arm5_no_packs folder.
3. In the Import Build Configuration window that appears, select Internal Toolchain.

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 Programming an application

4. If the project that you imported contains a Target for flashing the SoftDevice, delete this Target in SES:
a) Select Project > Build Configurations.
b) Under Public Configurations, select the Target (for example, flash_s130_nrf51_2.0.1_softdevice).
c) Click the - symbol to remove the Target.
The build configuration should now look similar to this:

5. Add the nRF5 MDK files that are required for startup and system setup.
In Keil µVision, these files are provided by the nRF_DeviceFamilyPack. Since this pack is not available
for SES, you must add them manually to the SES project.
a) Download ses_nrf51_startup.s and ses_nrf52_startup.s and save them in a new folder SDK_dir/
components/toolchain/embedded_studio.
b) In the Project Explorer, navigate to Internal Files and remove the Cortex_M_Startup.s file.
c) Right-click Internal Files and select Add Existing File.
d) Browse to the SDK_dir/components/toolchain/ folder and select the .c file that
corresponds to your device (for example, system_nrf52.c).
e) Right-click Internal Files and select Add Existing File again. This time, select the startup file that
you downloaded, for example, SDK_dir/components/toolchain/embedded_studio/
ses_nrf51_startup.s.

1159720_163 v1.4 18
 Programming an application

The Project Explorer should now look similar to this:

6. Include the device header files in the project:

a) Right-click your project and select Edit Options.
b) Select Preprocessor.
c) Add the following path to the User Include Directories field: ../../../../../../
components/device
The user include directories should now look similar to this:

1159720_163 v1.4 19
 Programming an application

7. If your project uses modules that require section variables (for example, the Peer Manager, Flash Data
Storage, or Flash Storage), define where in the flash information from these modules should be stored.
a) Download the flash_placement.xml and place it in your project directory.
Files are provided for the following versions of the nRF5 SDK:
• For nRF5 SDK v12.x.x: flash_placement.xml
• For nRF5 SDK v13.x.x and nRF5 SDK v14.0.0: flash_placement.xml
b) If you are using SES v3.50 or later, right-click your project, select Edit Options, select Linker, and
change the Linker option to GNU.

1159720_163 v1.4 20
 Programming an application

Note: This option does not exist in SES versions before 3.50.
c) Right-click on your project in the Project Explorer and select Import Section Placement.

1159720_163 v1.4 21
 Programming an application

d) Confirm that you want to use the section placement for the current build configuration.

8.3 Compiling the application

You can compile the application from a SES project provided by the nRF5 SDK v14.2.0 or later, or from the
project that you created based on an older SDK example.
1. Open your project in SES.
In nRF5 SDK v14.2.0 or later, SES projects are located in the ses subfolder of the example folder, for
example, SDK_dir/examples/ble_peripheral/ble_app_uart/pca10040/s132/ses.
2. Select Build > Build project_target.
Alternatively, press F7. Make sure that there are no build errors.
The output should look similar to this:

1159720_163 v1.4 22
 Programming an application

8.4 Configuring placement of the SoftDevice

If your application uses Bluetooth or ANT, you must program a SoftDevice in addition to the application.

Note:
If your application does not use a SoftDevice, you can skip this step.
If you are using a SES project from nRF5 SDK v14.2.0 or later, the placement of the SoftDevice is
already configured correctly and you can skip this step.

If your application requires a SoftDevice, the flash and SRAM position where the compiled binary will be
placed must be configured as follows:
1. In SES, right-click your project and select Edit Options.
2. Select Linker.
3. In the Section Placement Macros field, add values for FLASH_START and SRAM_START.
To find the correct values, check the Keil project that you imported (in Keil µVision, select Options for
Target > Target), or program the firmware with approximate values, run it, and check the log output in
the debug terminal for the recommended values.
For example, when running the ble_app_uart example application from nRF5 SDK v12.3.0 on PCA10028
with SoftDevice S130 v2.0.1, specify the section placement macros as shown:

1159720_163 v1.4 23
 Programming an application

4. Select Build > Rebuild project_target to rebuild the project.

Alternatively, press ALT + F7.
The output should now look similar to this, with space reserved for the SoftDevice:

5. Right-click your project and select Edit Options.

6. Select Preprocessor.
7. Add the definition NO_VTOR_CONFIG to the Preprocessor Definitions.
This definition tells SES to expect a SoftDevice to be present that will forward exceptions and interrupts
to the application.

1159720_163 v1.4 24
 Programming an application

8. In the Debug section of the project options, select Loader.

9. Add the absolute path to the SoftDevice to the Additional Load File[0] field, for
example, ../../../../../../components/softdevice/s130/hex/
s130_nrf51_2.0.1_softdevice.hex.

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 Programming an application

8.5 Programming the firmware

After compiling the application, you can program it to the development kit. If you configured a SoftDevice
to be used, it is programmed together with the application.
1. Connect the development kit to your computer.
2. Select Debug > Build and Run.
Alternatively, press Ctrl + F5.

8.6 Adding files

After compiling and programming an unmodified example to ensure that your toolchain is set up correctly,
modify your project by adding files and libraries.

8.6.1 Adding source files

All source files that are part of the application you are developing must be added to the project.
You can add existing files or create files in the project directory.
• To add an existing file, right-click your project or any subfolder in the Project Explorer and select Add
Existing File. Browse to the file that you want to import and open it.
The original file is not copied into the project, but it is included from its original location. That means
that any modifications that you do will apply to all projects that use this file.

1159720_163 v1.4 26
 Programming an application

• To create a file, right-click your project or any subfolder in the Project Explorer and select Add New
File.
By default, the file is created in the project directory.

8.6.2 Including header files

Required header files must be linked to your project by adding their path to the user include directories.
Header files contain function declarations and macro definitions. You can request the use of header files
by adding a #include preprocessing directive in your source files.
Header files are not linked to the project through the Project Explorer. To include a header file so that SES
can find it, you must add its path to the list of directories in which SES looks for header files:
1. In the Project Explorer, right-click your project and select Edit Options.
2. In the Project Options window, select the Common configuration (sorted under Private
Configurations).

3. Select Preprocessor.
4. Double-click User Include Directories and add the path to the folder that contains the header file.
You can specify an absolute path or a path that is relative to the project directory. Using a relative path
is preferable if you might want to move or copy your project to, for example, a new SDK version in the
future.

1159720_163 v1.4 27
 Programming an application

5. Click OK.

1159720_163 v1.4 28
9 Communicating with the kit
If your application outputs logging information or needs console input, you should connect the kit to your
computer to interact with a console. You can use Real Time Transfer (RTT) or Universal Asynchronous
Receiver/Transmitter (UART) for communicating with the kit.
SEGGER Real Time Transfer (RTT) is a proprietary technology for bidirectional communication that
supports J-Link devices and ARM-based microcontrollers. The advantage of using RTT is that it is very
efficient and does not require any other peripheral than the J-Link debugging interface. RTT is directly
supported in SES.
Connecting via UART is quick and power-efficient, but it requires dedicated use of the UART peripheral for
logging. The nRF5 DKs and the nRF51 Dongle include a UART to USB CDC ACM bridge, which is needed to
connect to the UART. Alternatively, you can use an external UART to USB bridge. We use the term CDC-
UART to refer to UART communication through the UART to USB CDC ACM bridge, to distinguish it from
communication through the Nordic UART Service (NUS) over Bluetooth Low Energy.

9.1 Connecting via RTT

SES directly supports RTT. You can see RTT output in the Debug Terminal during debugging sessions.
Alternatively, you can use J-Link RTT to view RTT output. See the following sections for instructions for
Windows and Linux.

9.1.1 Connecting via RTT on Windows

To communicate via RTT, connect your development kit via USB and run the J-Link RTT Viewer.

Note: SES natively supports RTT. If enabled, the monitor shows up when you start debugging.
Alternatively, you can use SEGGER's J-Link RTT Viewer as described below.

The J-Link RTT Viewer is installed as part of the nRF Command Line Tools.
To run the J-Link RTT Viewer on Windows, complete the following steps:
1. Select the correct target device.
The target device is represented by the ID of your development kit.
2. Select SWD as the target interface.

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 Communicating with the kit

9.1.2 Connecting via RTT on Linux

To communicate via RTT, connect your development kit via USB and use SEGGER's J-Link RTT to establish a
connection.

Note: SES natively supports RTT. If enabled, the monitor shows up when you start debugging.
Alternatively, you can use SEGGER's J-Link RTT Viewer as described below.

SEGGER's J-Link RTT is part of the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack, which is available from
SEGGER downloads.
To use J-Link RTT on Linux, complete the following steps:
1. Enter JLinkExe -if SWD to set up the connection:

you@yourcomputer:~$ JLinkExe -if SWD

SEGGER J-Link Commander V5.10u (Compiled Mar 17 2016 19:06:22)
DLL version V5.10u, compiled Mar 17 2016 19:06:19

Connecting to J-Link via USB...O.K.

Firmware: J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Mar 15 2016 18:03:17
Hardware version: V1.00
VTref = 3.300V

Type "connect" to establish a target connection, '?' for help

J-Link>

2. Enter connect at the prompt to establish the connection.

JLinkExe will ask for additional information. You can accept the default values.
3. From another terminal, start JLinkRTTClient.
RTT output is visible in the terminal that runs JLinkRTTClient.

9.2 Connecting via CDC-UART

To connect via CDC-UART, start a terminal emulator and connect to the used COM port.
There is a wide variety of terminal emulators that you can use, for example, minicom or screen (both
terminal-based, available for Linux), Termite (GUI-based, Windows only), or PuTTY (GUI-based, available
for multiple operating systems).
When configuring the connection, use the following UART settings:
• Baud rate: 115200 (default baud rate for most examples in the nRF5 SDK)
• 8 data bits
• 1 stop bit
• No parity
• HW flow control: RTS/CTS
The following instructions show how to configure Termite on Windows. Other GUI-based terminal
emulators can be set up in a similar way.
1. Download and install the latest version of Termite.
2. Connect the development kit to your computer.
3. Open Termite and click Settings.
Depending on what devices you have connected to your computer, you might have several choices, as
shown in the following figure:

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 Communicating with the kit

4. Select the correct COM port to connect to the kit.

To find the correct port, follow these steps:
a) Go to the start menu in Windows and type devmgmt.msc to open the Device Manager.
b) Scroll down and expand Ports (COM & LPT).
c) Find the port named JLink CDC UART Port and note down the number in parentheses.
d) If you have more than one J-Link UART port, unplug the one that you want to use, plug it back in,
and observe which one appeared last.
5. Configure the baud rate and the flow control. Use the default values for the rest of the settings (8 data
bits, 1 stop bit, no parity).
By default, the SDK uses a baud rate of 115200 and RTS/CTS flow control.
6. Make sure that Append LF is selected.
This option appends a newline character to any text that is sent.
7. Configure the terminal to send an RTS (Ready To Send) signal to the development kit:
a) Go to Settings > Plug Ins.
b) Enable Status LEDs and click OK.
c) Click on the dark green rectangle above RTS to set this signal high.
The text Start... is displayed in Termite.

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10 Testing the application
The next step after compiling and programming your application is to test it. With the nRF Connect
platform, Nordic Semiconductor provides its own testing apps, which are available both for mobile and for
desktop.

10.1 Testing with a mobile device

If you have a mobile device that supports Bluetooth Low Energy, download the nRF Connect app from
Google Play or App Store to test your application.
The following procedure assumes that you have programmed the Bluetooth Low Energy Peripheral UART
example from the nRF5 SDK (examples/ble_peripheral/ble_app_uart) on your development
kit. Steps for testing other examples are similar. See the testing instructions for each example in the nRF5
SDK documentation for more information.
1. Download and install nRF Connect from Google Play or App Store.
2. Open nRF Connect.
3. Make sure that the development kit is running the ble_app_uart example.
LED1 should be blinking every 2 seconds, indicating that it is advertising.
4. Tap Scan.
5. Find the device and tap Connect.
The default device name for the Peripheral UART example is "Nordic_UART".
6. When connected, tap the options button below the device name and select Enable services.

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 Testing the application

This example communicates over Bluetooth Low Energy using the Nordic UART Service (NUS).
7. Tap the options button and select Show log.
8. In a terminal connected via CDC-UART, enter hello and send it to the development kit.
The text is sent through the development kit to your mobile device over a Bluetooth Low Energy link.
The mobile device will then display it in the nRF Connect log:

10.2 Testing with a computer

If you have a dongle or a second Nordic DK, you can test your application with the Bluetooth Low Energy
app in nRF Connect for Desktop. nRF Connect for Desktop is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Note: This method requires a dongle or a second Nordic DK with Bluetooth Low Energy support to
be connected to your computer.

The following procedure assumes that you have programmed the Bluetooth Low Energy Peripheral UART
example from the nRF5 SDK (examples/ble_peripheral/ble_app_uart) on your development
kit. Steps for testing other examples are similar. See the testing instructions for each example in the nRF5
SDK documentation for more information.
1. Download and install nRF Connect for Desktop.
2. Connect the dongle or the second development kit to a USB port of your computer.
3. Connect to the kit that runs the ble_app_uart example via CDC-UART.
4. Open nRF Connect for Desktop and install the Bluetooth Low Energy app.
See nRF Connect for Desktop for information about how to install and open apps.
5. Launch the Bluetooth Low Energy app.
6. Select the serial port for the dongle or the development kit that is connected to your computer (not
the kit that runs the Peripheral UART example).

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 Testing the application

If the device has not been used with the nRF Connect Bluetooth Low Energy app before, you may
be asked to update the J-Link firmware and connectivity firmware for the device. You must have the
correct connectivity firmware on the nRF SoC to continue. When the nRF SoC has been programmed
with the correct firmware, the nRF Connect Bluetooth Low Energy app proceeds to connect to it over
USB. When the connection is established, the device appears in the main view.
7. Click Start scan.
8. Find the device and click Connect.
The default device name for the Peripheral UART example is "Nordic_UART".
9. Select the UART RX characteristic value.
10.Write 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 (the hexadecimal value for the string "0123456789")
and click write.
The data is transmitted over Bluetooth Low Energy from the app to the development kit that runs the
Peripheral UART example. The text "0123456789" is displayed in the terminal that is connected to the
kit that runs the Peripheral UART example via UART.
11.Enter any text, for example, Hello, in the terminal.
In nRF Connect, the UART TX characteristic value changes to the corresponding ASCII value. For
example, the value for Hello is 48 65 6C 6C 6F.

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11 Debugging
To actually see what is happening on the development kit while the application is running, you must set
up a J-Link debugging session. SES has an integrated debugger that you can use to step through your
application.
Complete the following steps to start debugging:
1. Open your project in SES.
2. Build and program your application to the kit as described in Building and programming a sample
application.
3. Select Debug > Go.
Alternatively, press F5.
The debugging interface looks like this:

By default, the application will break in main. You can set additional break points, single-step through
the application, read registers, and so on.
This video tutorial shows you how to use SES for debugging:

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 Debugging

Figure 2: YouTube tutorial

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Glossary
Development Kit (DK)
A development platform used for application development.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

A software application that provides facilities for software development.

Real Time Transfer (RTT)

A proprietary technology for bidirectional communication that supports J-Link devices and ARM-
based microcontrollers, developed by SEGGER Microcontroller.

SEGGER Embedded Studio (SES)

A cross-platform IDE for embedded C/C++ programming with support for Nordic Semiconductor
devices, produced by SEGGER Microcontroller.

SoftDevice
A wireless protocol stack that complements the nRF5 Series SoCs. Nordic Semiconductor provides
these stacks as qualified, precompiled binary files.

Software Development Kit (SDK)

A set of tools used for developing applications for a specific device or operating system.

System on Chip (SoC)

A microchip that integrates all the necessary electronic circuits and components of a computer or
other electronic systems on a single integrated circuit.

Target
The goal of an operation, for example, programming a specific image on a device, compiling a
specific set of files, or removing previously generated files.

Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART)

A hardware device for asynchronous serial communication between devices.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

An industry standard that establishes specifications for cables and connectors and protocols for
connection, communication, and power supply between computers, peripheral devices, and other
computers.

1159720_163 v1.4 37
Acronyms and abbreviations
These acronyms and abbreviations are used in this document.

DK
Development Kit

IDE
Integrated Development Environment

RTT
SEGGER Real Time Transfer

SDK
Software Development Kit

SES
SEGGER Embedded Studio

SoC
System on Chip

UART
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter

USB
Universal Serial Bus

1159720_163 v1.4 38
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