Custom board issue

PlatformIO Core
1

Hi All,

I hoped this would be simple, but for some reason my plaformIO core will not recognize my custom board file. I created a boards folder in my core_dir (assumed it is %HOMEPATH%.platformio) in which I placed a myboard.json file. This is what I placed in it (I used the Adafruit feather nrf52832 as a template):

{
"build": {
  "arduino":{
    "ldscript": "nrf52832_s132_v6.ld"
  },
  "core": "nRF5",
  "cpu": "cortex-m4",
  "extra_flags": "-DNRF52832_XXAA -DNRF52",
  "f_cpu": "64000000L",
  "hwids": [
    [
      "0x239A",
      "0x8029"
    ],
    [
      "0x239A",
      "0x0029"
    ],
    [
      "0x239A",
      "0x002A"
    ],
    [
      "0x239A",
      "0x802A"
    ]
  ],
  "usb_product": "Feather nRF52832 Express",
  "mcu": "nrf52832",
  "variant": "feather_nrf52832",
  "bsp": {
    "name": "adafruit"
  },
  "softdevice": {
    "sd_flags": "-DS132",
    "sd_name": "s132",
    "sd_version": "6.1.1",
    "sd_fwid": "0x00B7"
  },
  "zephyr": {
     "variant": "nrf52_adafruit_feather"
  }
},
"connectivity": [
  "bluetooth"
],
"debug": {
  "jlink_device": "nRF52832_xxAA",
  "svd_path": "nrf52.svd"
},
"frameworks": [
  "arduino",
  "zephyr"
],
"platforms": ["%LIST_WITH_COMPATIBLE_PLATFORMS%"],
"name": "rak4600",
"upload": {
  "maximum_ram_size": 65536,
  "maximum_size": 524288,
  "require_upload_port": true,
  "speed": 115200,
  "protocol": "nrfutil",
  "protocols": [
    "jlink",
    "nrfjprog",
    "nrfutil",
    "stlink",
    "cmsis-dap",
    "blackmagic"
  ]
},
"url": "https://www.adafruit.com/product/3406",
"vendor": "RAK Wireless"

}

Using myboard as board parameter in my .ini results in an error: ID unkown. Neither can I find myboard after running pio boards.

What am I doing wrong?

2

I’ve never tried putting a board definition in core_dir/boards, have you tried the other 2 places where the documentation says it can be?

3

Thank you @maxgerhardt for the tip, unfortunately, that didn’t do the trick. I figured out that it’s something specific in the JSON format of my board file that breaks the system. I tried copying the example board setup JSON instead and that does make it show up after running pio board. I copied the exact contents of the already existing adafruit_feather_nrf52832.json as a test and only changed the name to rak4600. After running pio boards again I’m getting the following error:

  Error: Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\__main__.py", line 109, in main
    cli()  # pylint: disable=no-value-for-parameter
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\click\core.py", line 829, in __call__
    return self.main(*args, **kwargs)
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\click\core.py", line 782, in main
    rv = self.invoke(ctx)
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\commands\__init__.py", line 44, in invoke
    return super(PlatformioCLI, self).invoke(ctx)
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\click\core.py", line 1259, in invoke
    return _process_result(sub_ctx.command.invoke(sub_ctx))
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\click\core.py", line 1066, in invoke
    return ctx.invoke(self.callback, **ctx.params)
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\click\core.py", line 610, in invoke
    return callback(*args, **kwargs)
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\commands\boards.py", line 34, in cli
    for board in _get_boards(installed):
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\commands\boards.py", line 75, in _get_boards
    return pm.get_installed_boards() if installed else pm.get_all_boards()
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\package\manager\platform.py", line 147, in get_all_boards
    boards = self.get_installed_boards()
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\util.py", line 51, in wrapper
    self.cache[key] = (time.time(), func(*args, **kwargs))
  File "c:\users\dtvan\.platformio\penv\lib\site-packages\platformio\package\manager\platform.py", line 135, in get_installed_boards
    for config in p.get_boards().values():
  File "C:\Users\dtvan\.platformio\platforms\ststm32\platform.py", line 121, in get_boards
    result[key] = self._add_default_debug_tools(result[key])
  File "C:\Users\dtvan\.platformio\platforms\ststm32\platform.py", line 166, in _add_default_debug_tools
    "Missed target configuration for %s" % board.id)
AssertionError: Missed target configuration for rak4600

Any clue what’s going wrong here?

4

The Adafruit Feather nRF52832 is from the nRF52 platform. It seeems you’ve copied it into the ststm32 platform’s board folder. This is not correct – a nRF52 board definition will miss certain key elements expected by the STM32 platform.

If you are working with a nRF52 board, you should copy it in the nordicnrf52 platform’s board/ folder.

5

@maxgerhardt, Thank you for the quick reply! I’m trying to add a custom board definition to my local project folder, so in projectname/boards/. I shouldn’t have to place it in the already existing platform’s folder right?

6

Then you must have platform = ststm32 in the platformio.ini of the project?

What’s the full platformio.ini?

7

platformio.ini:

[env:rak4600]
platform = nordicnrf52
board = myboard
framework = arduino

Ity shouldn’t matter right? The error was thrown by running pio boards, not by building the project.

8

For this error to make sense the board must be somehow in the ststm32 platform. Please double check if a copy of it is there, or anywhere else but the project folder.