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Hardware validation status

What has been verified on real hardware, and how to reproduce it. Reference board: AliExpress ProMicro nRF52840 clone (bootloader family 0x239A:0x00B3, app start 0x1000), build bootloader=promicroserialnosd,usbcdc=enabled.

On this clone the runtime service CDC and the bootloader share the same VID:PID, so VID/PID alone cannot tell host tooling which mode the board is in; the upload pipeline (upload.ps1) copes with same-PID-aware detection.

✅ Verified

Capability Status Notes
Hands-free reupload (single cable) PASS A second arduino-cli upload on the same COM needs no manual reset — the 1200-bps touch triggers SYSRESETREQ into the bootloader, adafruit-nrfutil streams the image, the board returns to user mode.
Single-cable USB-CDC debug (Arduino IDE 2) PASS Breakpoints (FPB), step in/over/out, registers, memory, data watchpoints (DWT), pause (DebugMonitor), peripheral/SVD reads — no external probe.
Dual-CDC concurrency PASS User Serial streams on the user CDC while a debug session runs on the service CDC over the same cable; pause/resume and host→user RX don't wedge the debug link.
Upload during a debug session PASS The debug bridge yields the service COM on an upload request (both before a client connects and mid-session); the halted-stub 1200-touch then reboots to the bootloader and the flash completes.
Repeated Upload clicks PASS A per-port lock makes a duplicate upload fail fast before any touch; firmware is never corrupted.
Wrong-port (user CDC) upload PASS Selecting the user CDC (MI_02) is rejected with a clear message; the firmware is untouched. The firmware also ignores a 1200-touch on the user CDC by design.

⚠️ Known limitations

  • usbcdc=disabled: the board still enumerates the service CDC and is uploadable from the bootloader, but its in-app 1200-touch does not reliably reboot to the bootloader. Keep usbcdc=enabled for the hands-free workflow. Recovery from a stuck usbcdc=disabled image is via SWD (write GPREGRET=0x57, clean USB disconnect, SYSRESETREQ → bootloader, then upload).
  • Raw adafruit-nrfutil dfu serial is unreliable on this clone; the robust path is arduino-cli upload (which upload.ps1 drives with retries and timing).

⏱️ Upload timing (measured)

Typical wall-clock for arduino-cli upload of a precompiled sketch, ProMicro clone on Windows:

Phase Time Nature
Pre-touch port/identity checks ~2.0 s optimized (PnP snapshot cache; was ~5.1 s)
Touch → bootloader enumerated ~3.7 s firmware reboot + bootloader USB enum (floor)
DFU transfer (~82 KB) ~6.4 s DFU-protocol/flash bound (floor)
arduino-cli port enumeration wrapper ~9 s arduino-cli's own scan; the IDE does less with a pre-selected port

The package-controllable pipeline (upload.ps1) runs in ~14–15 s; the rest is firmware/bootloader and arduino-cli floors. See platform/USB_1200_TOUCH_V1_FIX.md for the firmware fixes that make the touch work.

How to reproduce

First flash (manual bootloader entry, once)

If the board is in an unknown state, enter the bootloader manually once: short RST to GND twice. A UF2 drive appears and the service COM (e.g. COM3) becomes visible. Then upload normally.

Hands-free reupload smoke test

arduino-cli compile --fqbn arduinonrf:nrf52:promicro_nrf52840:bootloader=promicroserialnosd,usbcdc=enabled <sketch>
arduino-cli upload  -p COM3 --fqbn arduinonrf:nrf52:promicro_nrf52840:bootloader=promicroserialnosd,usbcdc=enabled <sketch>

Expected: upload completes with Soft reset : done - board rebooted into new firmware and the board returns to user mode on the same COM, with no manual reset. Running the same command again must also succeed hands-free.

Single-cable debug smoke test

Build the examples/UsbGdbStubBreakpoint sketch with the usbgdbstub build profile and press Debug in Arduino IDE 2 (or attach cortex-debug to the bridge's TCP port). The board halts at the bkpt #0 in setup(); stepping, registers, and breakpoints work over the single USB cable. See platform/ARDUINO_IDE2_USB_GDBSTUB.md.