Unable to Dump Code Using BLHost on LPC55S36 (USB Connection Issues on Two Boards)

[Ganesh_1]

Hello,

I am working with two LPC55S36 development boards and facing issues while flashing code using BLHost (v2.6.7) over USB.

• Board 1:

  • I was able to successfully erase the memory using BLHost with the correct commands.

  • However, I am unable to dump (flash) the code onto the hardware using a USB cable.

• Board 2:

  • I am not able to erase the memory at all.

  • The blhost -p COMx get-property 1 command shows Initial ping failure.

  • Other attempts like ping also fail with invalid command errors.

    Setup details:

    • Tool: BLHost 2.6.7

    • Host OS: Windows 10

    • Connection: USB cable (COM port detected in Device Manager)

    • Target: LPC55S36 MCU

    • Drivers: Installed and verified

    • Tried multiple USB cables and ports

    Commands used:

    blhost -p COMx get-property 1

    blhost -p COMx flash-erase-all

    Problem:

    • On Board 1, erase works but flashing fails.

    • On Board 2, neither erase nor flashing works.

    Could you please suggest:

    1. Why the flashing (dumping) is failing on the first board even though erase works?

    2. What could prevent the second board from even erasing memory?

    3. Any additional steps or setup I might be missing for USB-based flashing with BLHost?

    Thanks in advance!

[Ganesh_1]

Hello Alice,

Thank you for your response. Please find my clarifications below:

1. Board type: We are using the EVK board from NXP (LPC55S36).

2. Application previously downloaded: We had applications involving LCD interfacing, keyboard interfacing, and serial communication.

3. Life Cycle / CRP configuration: We have not configured Life Cycle or Code Read Protection (CRP) on the device.

Additional details:

• On one EVK board, I am able to erase the memory but flashing still fails.

• On the second EVK board, even the erase does not work. When I run the command:

blhost -p COM4 get-property 1

I get the following error:

Error: Initial ping failure: No response received for ping command

Could you please guide us further on possible next steps or checks to resolve this?

Best regards,
Ganesh

[Alice_Yang]

Hello @Ganesh_1 

1) "

I get the following error:

Error: Initial ping failure: No response received for ping command

"

->> This means the device did not enter ISP mode.
Please check the hardware board to ensure the ISP jumper is correctly connected.
If it still doesn't work, try using USB-ISP for the connection.

2) Regarding your first board, it can be erased.
After erasing, please use the read command to verify whether the chip has been successfully erased.
Then, use the IDE or blhost to write a simple led.bin image to the chip.

BR

Alice

[Alice_Yang]

Hello @Ganesh_1 

Thank you for contacting us. Could you please clarify the following:

1. Is your board an EVK board from NXP or a custom board?
2. What application was previously downloaded to the chip?
3. Have you configured the  Life Cycle or CRP ?

From LPC55s36 UM :

"LPC553x devices support a life cycle state model to protect code from reading from the device internal flash. This feature is called code read protection feature. Code Read Protection is a mechanism that allows the user to enable different levels of protections in the system, so that access to the on-chip flash and use of the ISP can be restricted. The current life cycle state of the device determines the debug access and ISP command availability. The life cycle state is controlled by the LC_STATE fuse value, and state values are selected so that additional fuse bits are burned to advance the state. Because fuses control the life cycle state, moving to a more advanced state is an irreversible and permanent process. The life cycle can only be advanced and can't return to a previous state. The Boot ROM is responsible for checking the life cycle state. Based on the life cycle state the Boot ROM will determine what boot flow is used, including if control will be passed to application code or not. The ROM also handles the opening of ISP and debug ports based on the life cycle state. If the part is in the Bricked state or any invalid life cycle state, then the ROM will lock the part.

"

BR

Alice