J-Link Clone with J-Flash Lite - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Mario87
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 01:16:47 pm
content: Hi all,I need to flash a .bin file to an STM32F427 and the board has a Segger Cortex-M 19-pin header on it. I was hoping to pick up a J-Lite EDU, but they are sold out and seemingly have been for about a year!!As such I am looking at clones of the J-Link due to not having much other choice.Does anyone know if the free J-Flash Lite tool in the latest Segger Software Release (7.66b) works with these clones? Don't need to do any debugging or anything like that, just simply flash a .bin file to the MCU, and as the header on the board is the small 1.27mm pitch style used on the J-Link Coretex-M adapter I am kind of tied to a J-Link of some sort.

author: rob77
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 02:17:22 pm
content: don't know about the windows versions, but on linux anything above jlink 6.0.5 refuses to use the clone J-link hardware.

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 03:11:28 pm
content: Couldn't you use an ST-Link and make a cable to adapt to the smaller pitch header?

author: Mario87
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 03:17:50 pm
content: Quote from: rob77 on June 13, 2022, 02:17:22 pmTo be honest, that would work for me as long as it allows flashing of an STM32F427 .bin file, the segger website has all the old version available to download too. Is there a way to check if the older SW works with that device?Also, if I download a new SW, try it and it doesn't work, will downgrading the SW fix it or will it brick the clone in the process (assuming I do not try to do any FW updates to the clone)?Quote from: mikerj on June 13, 2022, 03:11:28 pmTo be honest, even the ST-Link/v2 and v3 are out of stock everywhere, only cheap chinese clones kicking about, so kind of the same issues with them but with the added hassle of making an adapter. Seems that unless you want to spend ££££ then you can't buy anything!

author: Mario87
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 04:03:21 pm
content: Another option is do the J-Link clones work with either ST-Link Utility (basic GUI flashing tool for STM32 devices) or STM32 Cube Programmer?If the J-Link clone will work with either of those to simply flash a .bin file to the MCU, that would be just as good, and I am thinking, as it's STM software it won't be looking for any Segger licensing conflicts / issues, just for a "suitable" programmer on a virtual COM port.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 06:40:20 pm
content: There are some Nucleo evaluation boards that come with ST-Link V3E, they are still in stock and they are not expensive.

author: GromBeestje
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2022, 07:06:53 pm
content: The recent J-Link software works fine with clones, if you flash your clone right. Due the legal issues I doubt I can discuss the details in a place like this, but what it boils down to is you need to make sure the serial number and the licenses are applicable to the hardware version.As for the ST-Link, there is this tool to convert them to JLink. By default this only works on Nucleo boards, but somewhere on the internet are instructions to make them work on aluminium ST-Link Dongles as well.

author: Mario87
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2022, 07:57:46 am
content: Quote from: GromBeestje on June 13, 2022, 07:06:53 pmThanks, I will need to look into this for now the seller I was talking to confirmed their unit definitely works with 6.32h, which I am hoping is recent enough (2018 release) to be able to flash the MCU I want (released late 2011 I believe).Right now, that's all I am looking for, maybe in future I will need more functionality from newer software.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2022, 10:45:40 pm
content: Its going to depend on the version of the clone, so if you link it we might recognize something. I know my v9.x works with at least v6.50b, update succeeded, possibly later.Ozone gives a warning but still runs OK.Many threads on here discussinghttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/segger-jlink/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/segger-j-link-edu-or-j-link-clone-which-one-would-you-get/https://uglyduck.vajn.icu/ep/archive/2019/05/Unbricking_a_SEGGER_J_Link_v9_debug_probe.htmlBlack magic probe is another option.