NUCODE NU40

Overview

The NUCODE NU40 is a development kit based on the Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 ARM Cortex-M4F SoC. It features an onboard UF2 bootloader (Adafruit nRF52 fork) enabling drag-and-drop firmware flashing via USB, as well as support for BLE 5.4, IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee), and USB 2.0 Full Speed.

More information about the board can be found at the NUCODE NU40 website [1].

Hardware

The nucode_nu40/nrf52840 board target has two external oscillators. The frequency of the slow clock is 32.768 kHz. The frequency of the main clock is 32 MHz.

Supported Features

The nucode_nu40 board supports the hardware features listed below.

on-chip / on-board
Feature integrated in the SoC / present on the board.
2 / 2
Number of instances that are enabled / disabled.
Click on the label to see the first instance of this feature in the board/SoC DTS files.
vnd,foo
Compatible string for the Devicetree binding matching the feature.
Click on the link to view the binding documentation.

nucode_nu40/nrf52840 target

Type

Location

Description

Compatible

CPU

on-chip

ARM Cortex-M4F CPU1

arm,cortex-m4f

ADC

on-chip

Nordic Semiconductor nRF family SAADC node1

nordic,nrf-saadc

ARM architecture

on-chip

Nordic UICR (User Information Configuration Registers)1

nordic,nrf-uicr

on-chip

Nordic EGU (Event Generator Unit)6

nordic,nrf-egu

on-chip

Nordic nRF family ACL (Access Control List)1

nordic,nrf-acl

on-chip

Nordic nRF family MWU (Memory Watch Unit)1

nordic,nrf-mwu

Audio

on-chip

Nordic PDM (Pulse Density Modulation interface)1

nordic,nrf-pdm

Clock control

on-chip

Nordic nRF clock control node1

nordic,nrf-clock

on-chip

Nordic nRF high-frequency crystal oscillator (nRF52 series)1

nordic,nrf52-hfxo

Comparator

on-chip

Nordic nRF COMP (analog COMParator)1

nordic,nrf-comp

Counter

on-chip

Nordic nRF timer node5

nordic,nrf-timer

Cryptographic accelerator

on-chip

Nordic ECB (AES electronic codebook mode encryption)1

nordic,nrf-ecb

on-chip

Nordic nRF family CCM (AES CCM mode encryption)1

nordic,nrf-ccm

on-chip

ARM TrustZone CryptoCell 3101

arm,cryptocell-310

Debug

on-chip

ARMv7 instrumentation trace macrocell1

arm,armv7m-itm

Flash controller

on-chip

Nordic NVMC (Non-Volatile Memory Controller)1

nordic,nrf52-flash-controller

on-chip

Properties defining the interface for the Nordic QSPI peripheral1

nordic,nrf-qspi

GPIO & Headers

on-chip

NRF5 GPIOTE1

nordic,nrf-gpiote

on-chip

NRF5 GPIO2

nordic,nrf-gpio

I2C

on-chip

Nordic nRF family TWI (TWI master)2

nordic,nrf-twi

I2S

on-chip

Nordic I2S (Inter-IC sound interface)1

nordic,nrf-i2s

IEEE 802.15.4

on-chip

Nordic nRF IEEE 802.15.4 node1

nordic,nrf-ieee802154

Input

on-board

Group of GPIO-bound input keys1

gpio-keys

Interrupt controller

on-chip

ARMv7-M NVIC (Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller)1

arm,v7m-nvic

LED

on-board

Group of GPIO-controlled LEDs1

gpio-leds

on-board

Group of PWM-controlled LEDs1

pwm-leds

Miscellaneous

on-chip

Nordic FICR (Factory Information Configuration Registers)1

nordic,nrf-ficr

on-chip

Nordic nRF family PPI (Programmable Peripheral Interconnect)1

nordic,nrf-ppi

MTD

on-chip

Flash node1

soc-nv-flash

Networking

on-chip

Nordic nRF family RADIO peripheral1

nordic,nrf-radio

on-chip

Nordic nRF family NFCT (Near Field Communication Tag)1

nordic,nrf-nfct

Pin control

on-chip

Nordic nRF family Pin Controller1

nordic,nrf-pinctrl

Power management

on-chip

Nordic nRF power control node1

nordic,nrf-power

PWM

on-chip

nRF PWM13

nordic,nrf-pwm

on-chip

nRFx S/W PWM1

nordic,nrf-sw-pwm

Regulator

on-chip

Nordic nRF5X regulator (fixed stage of the core supply)1

nordic,nrf5x-regulator

on-chip

Nordic nRF52X regulator (high voltage stage of the main supply)1

nordic,nrf52x-regulator-hv

Retained memory

on-chip

Nordic GPREGRET (General Purpose Register Retention) device2

nordic,nrf-gpregret

RNG

on-chip

Nordic nRF family RNG (Random Number Generator)1

nordic,nrf-rng

RTC

on-chip

Nordic nRF RTC (Real-Time Counter)3

nordic,nrf-rtc

Sensors

on-chip

Nordic nRF family TEMP node1

nordic,nrf-temp

on-chip

Nordic nRF quadrature decoder (QDEC) node1

nordic,nrf-qdec

Serial controller

on-chip

Nordic nRF family UARTE (UART with EasyDMA)2

nordic,nrf-uarte

SPI

on-chip

Nordic nRF family SPIM (SPI master with EasyDMA)12

nordic,nrf-spim

on-chip

Nordic nRF family SPI (SPI master)1

nordic,nrf-spi

SRAM

on-chip

Generic on-chip SRAM1

mmio-sram

Timer

on-chip

ARMv7-M System Tick1

arm,armv7m-systick

USB

on-chip

Nordic nRF52 USB device controller1

nordic,nrf-usbd

Watchdog

on-chip

Nordic nRF family WDT (Watchdog Timer)1

nordic,nrf-wdt

nucode_nu40/nrf52840/bare target

Type

Location

Description

Compatible

CPU

on-chip

ARM Cortex-M4F CPU1

arm,cortex-m4f

ADC

on-chip

Nordic Semiconductor nRF family SAADC node1

nordic,nrf-saadc

ARM architecture

on-chip

Nordic UICR (User Information Configuration Registers)1

nordic,nrf-uicr

on-chip

Nordic EGU (Event Generator Unit)6

nordic,nrf-egu

on-chip

Nordic nRF family ACL (Access Control List)1

nordic,nrf-acl

on-chip

Nordic nRF family MWU (Memory Watch Unit)1

nordic,nrf-mwu

Audio

on-chip

Nordic PDM (Pulse Density Modulation interface)1

nordic,nrf-pdm

Clock control

on-chip

Nordic nRF clock control node1

nordic,nrf-clock

on-chip

Nordic nRF high-frequency crystal oscillator (nRF52 series)1

nordic,nrf52-hfxo

Comparator

on-chip

Nordic nRF COMP (analog COMParator)1

nordic,nrf-comp

Counter

on-chip

Nordic nRF timer node5

nordic,nrf-timer

Cryptographic accelerator

on-chip

Nordic ECB (AES electronic codebook mode encryption)1

nordic,nrf-ecb

on-chip

Nordic nRF family CCM (AES CCM mode encryption)1

nordic,nrf-ccm

on-chip

ARM TrustZone CryptoCell 3101

arm,cryptocell-310

Debug

on-chip

ARMv7 instrumentation trace macrocell1

arm,armv7m-itm

Flash controller

on-chip

Nordic NVMC (Non-Volatile Memory Controller)1

nordic,nrf52-flash-controller

on-chip

Properties defining the interface for the Nordic QSPI peripheral1

nordic,nrf-qspi

GPIO & Headers

on-chip

NRF5 GPIOTE1

nordic,nrf-gpiote

on-chip

NRF5 GPIO2

nordic,nrf-gpio

I2C

on-chip

Nordic nRF family TWI (TWI master)2

nordic,nrf-twi

I2S

on-chip

Nordic I2S (Inter-IC sound interface)1

nordic,nrf-i2s

IEEE 802.15.4

on-chip

Nordic nRF IEEE 802.15.4 node1

nordic,nrf-ieee802154

Input

on-board

Group of GPIO-bound input keys1

gpio-keys

Interrupt controller

on-chip

ARMv7-M NVIC (Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller)1

arm,v7m-nvic

LED

on-board

Group of GPIO-controlled LEDs1

gpio-leds

on-board

Group of PWM-controlled LEDs1

pwm-leds

Miscellaneous

on-chip

Nordic FICR (Factory Information Configuration Registers)1

nordic,nrf-ficr

on-chip

Nordic nRF family PPI (Programmable Peripheral Interconnect)1

nordic,nrf-ppi

MTD

on-chip

Flash node1

soc-nv-flash

Networking

on-chip

Nordic nRF family RADIO peripheral1

nordic,nrf-radio

on-chip

Nordic nRF family NFCT (Near Field Communication Tag)1

nordic,nrf-nfct

Pin control

on-chip

Nordic nRF family Pin Controller1

nordic,nrf-pinctrl

Power management

on-chip

Nordic nRF power control node1

nordic,nrf-power

PWM

on-chip

nRF PWM13

nordic,nrf-pwm

on-chip

nRFx S/W PWM1

nordic,nrf-sw-pwm

Regulator

on-chip

Nordic nRF5X regulator (fixed stage of the core supply)1

nordic,nrf5x-regulator

on-chip

Nordic nRF52X regulator (high voltage stage of the main supply)1

nordic,nrf52x-regulator-hv

Retained memory

on-chip

Nordic GPREGRET (General Purpose Register Retention) device2

nordic,nrf-gpregret

RNG

on-chip

Nordic nRF family RNG (Random Number Generator)1

nordic,nrf-rng

RTC

on-chip

Nordic nRF RTC (Real-Time Counter)3

nordic,nrf-rtc

Sensors

on-chip

Nordic nRF family TEMP node1

nordic,nrf-temp

on-chip

Nordic nRF quadrature decoder (QDEC) node1

nordic,nrf-qdec

Serial controller

on-chip

Nordic nRF family UARTE (UART with EasyDMA)2

nordic,nrf-uarte

SPI

on-chip

Nordic nRF family SPIM (SPI master with EasyDMA)12

nordic,nrf-spim

on-chip

Nordic nRF family SPI (SPI master)1

nordic,nrf-spi

SRAM

on-chip

Generic on-chip SRAM1

mmio-sram

Timer

on-chip

ARMv7-M System Tick1

arm,armv7m-systick

USB

on-chip

Nordic nRF52 USB device controller1

nordic,nrf-usbd

Watchdog

on-chip

Nordic nRF family WDT (Watchdog Timer)1

nordic,nrf-wdt

Connections and IOs

LEDs

  • LED0 = P0.13 (active high)

  • LED1 = P0.14 (active high)

  • LED2 = P0.15 (active high)

  • LED3 = P0.16 (active high)

Push Buttons

  • BUTTON0 = SW0 = P0.11 (active low, pull-up)

  • BUTTON1 = SW1 = P0.12 (active low, pull-up)

  • BUTTON2 = SW2 = P0.24 (active low, pull-up)

  • BUTTON3 = SW3 = P0.25 (active low, pull-up)

UART

  • UART0: TX = P0.6, RX = P0.8, RTS = P0.5, CTS = P0.7

  • UART1: TX = P1.2, RX = P1.1

I2C

  • I2C0 (Arduino): SDA = P0.26, SCL = P0.27

  • I2C1: SDA = P0.30, SCL = P0.31

SPI

  • SPI1: SCK = P0.31, MOSI = P0.30, MISO = P1.8

  • SPI3 (Arduino): SCK = P1.15, MOSI = P1.13, MISO = P1.14

Programming and Debugging

The nucode_nu40 board supports the runners and associated west commands listed below.

flash debug debugserver rtt reset attach
jlink ✅ (default)
nrfjprog
pyocd
uf2 ✅ (default)

Applications for the nucode_nu40/nrf52840 board configuration can be built in the usual way (see Building an Application for more details).

Flashing

The board supports the following programming options:

  1. Using the built-in UF2 bootloader

  2. Using an external debug probe

Option 1: Using the Built-In UF2 Bootloader

The board is factory-programmed with a UF2 bootloader (Adafruit nRF52 fork, maintained by chcbaram). With this option, the board enumerates as a USB mass-storage device when in bootloader mode.

  1. Enter bootloader mode by double-tapping the RESET button (or holding BUTTON0 while connecting USB). The board mounts as BARAM-NU40.

  2. Build the sample application:

    # From the root of the zephyr repository
    west build -b nucode_nu40/nrf52840 samples/hello_world
    
  3. Copy the generated zephyr.uf2 file to the BARAM-NU40 drive:

    cp build/zephyr/zephyr.uf2 /run/media/$USER/BARAM-NU40/
    

    The board resets automatically and runs the new firmware.

Option 2: Using an External Debug Probe

The board can also be flashed and debugged using a J-Link or other compatible debug probe connected to the SWD pads.

west flash

Debugging

Refer to the Run an Application page for more details on debugging.

References