Unable to get Blade RF to initialize. possible fpga issue... unknown

Discussions related to schematic capture, PCB layout, signal integrity, and RF development
Post Reply
Sharkz59
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2023 8:59 pm

Unable to get Blade RF to initialize. possible fpga issue... unknown

Post by Sharkz59 »

Hello all,

I just want to cut straight to the chase. I am helping a customer of mine to get a variety of spectrum analysis software and hardware running on his computer. We've not had any issues until we started trying to mess with the bladeRF 2.0 Micro A9. This thing--and I'm putting this lightly--is extremely frustrating to get up and running. I am a newbie to spectrum analysis (as I say this is mainly for a customer) but we have not had any other spectrum analyser fail this hard on so many levels. I've tried putting the device into DFU mode and reflashing it, with 4, yes, FOUR different firmwares starting with the most current one and ending with the first one that was released with this particular model of device, v0.8.0. I've tried 3-4 different FPGAs as well. Nothing--and I mean nothing, can get it to work. My customer is well versed in spectrum analysers as well and even he could not figure it out. Can someone riddle me this? terminal readout for bladeRF-cli coming right at you (and this is all the same regardless of what firmware or fpga combination I've used):

Code: Select all

~$: bladeRF-cli -i
[ERROR @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:122] _bladerf2_initialize: dev->backend->get_fpga_version(dev, &board_data->fpga_version) failed: Operation timed out
[ERROR @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:468] bladerf2_open: _bladerf2_initialize(dev) failed: Operation timed out
Failed to open device (first available): Operation timed out
skyroz666saile@skyroz666saile-MS-7693:~$ bladeRF-cli -i -v verbose
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/libusb.c:642] Using libusb version: 1.0.25.11696
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/libusb.c:519] Found a bladeRF (idx=9)
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/libusb.c:189] Bus 009 Device 002: Nuand bladeRF 2.0, serial 669009ffa96f4fa5a37034dc0cecbd32
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/libusb.c:581] USB port reset succeeded for bladeRF 669009ffa96f4fa5a37034dc0cecbd32
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/usb.c:106] Changing to USB alt setting 0
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:293] Read Firmware version: 2.2.0-git-3d38fac2
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:299] Capability mask before FPGA load: 0x0000000f00000000
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:367] FX3 firmware v2.2.0 does not support SPI flash ID. A firmware update is recommended in order to probe the SPI flash ID information.
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:420] Unknown flash manufacturer ID.
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:427] Could not decode flash manufacturer/device ID and have an unknown FPGA size. Assume default flash architecture.
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:447] SPI flash total size = 32 Mbit
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:448] SPI flash page size = 256 bytes
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:449] SPI flash erase block size = 65536 bytes
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:450] SPI flash number of pages = 16384
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:451] SPI flash number of erase blocks = 64 pages
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/usb.c:106] Changing to USB alt setting 2
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/usb.c:106] Changing to USB alt setting 1
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:420] Unknown flash manufacturer ID.
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:438] Could not decode flash manufacturer/device ID, but found a 301 kLE FPGA. Setting the most probable flash architecture.
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:447] SPI flash total size = 128 Mbit
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:448] SPI flash page size = 256 bytes
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:449] SPI flash erase block size = 65536 bytes
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:450] SPI flash number of pages = 65536
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf1/flash.c:451] SPI flash number of erase blocks = 256 pages
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:400] Assumptions were made about the SPI flash architecture! Flash commands may not function as expected.
[VERBOSE @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/usb.c:106] Changing to USB alt setting 1
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/nios_legacy_access.c:125] Failed to receive NIOS II response: Operation timed out
[DEBUG @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/backend/usb/nios_legacy_access.c:214] Failed to read FPGA version[0]: Operation timed out
[ERROR @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:122] _bladerf2_initialize: dev->backend->get_fpga_version(dev, &board_data->fpga_version) failed: Operation timed out
[ERROR @ host/libraries/libbladeRF/src/board/bladerf2/bladerf2.c:468] bladerf2_open: _bladerf2_initialize(dev) failed: Operation timed out
Failed to open device (first available): Operation timed out

if it helps any my client's computer is running the newest version of DragonOS GNU/Linux, I am running Ubuntu 22.04 GNU/Linux, and my client told me when I spoke to him about this device that he could not get it running in windows 10 either. So that's three devices that this has been tested and issue replicated on. I am going to post my issue to as many forums as possible because I've already seen threads about this issue but not seen any satisfactory answers. It's all way too obtuse for me and my client--he's furious with nuand over these issues he's been having with this device, and like I say he is not new to this stuff at all.
Post Reply