Problem configuring and building nRF9160 custom board with TFM

[jeremy.olson]

I am programming some board bring-up firmware based on the MOSH sample for our custom board that uses the nRF9160.

NCS 2.3.0, VS Code, Windows 11

So far I have successfully added an out-of-tree driver for my out-of-tree board and added an extra command in MOSH to control a peripheral using the driver.

Now I want to add the modem library so that I can start integrating the commands for the modem. This is where I get stuck.

I read that the application has to be built for a non-secure board version to use the modem library. So I'm trying to follow the info available here: 

• https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/2.3.0/nrf/app_dev/tfm/index.html
•  Create a custom board with the build-in Create a new board wizard. 

I added the Kconfig parameters for TFM to my board's defconfig:

• CONFIG_BUILD_WITH_TFM=y
• CONFIG_TRUSTED_EXECUTION_NONSECURE=y
• CONFIG_TFM_LOG_LEVEL_SILENCE=y

Then the build system complained that BUILD_WITH_TFM was missing a dependency, so I added CONFIG_ARM_TRUSTZONE_M=y too.

Now the build fails at the point where it is creating the object file for zephyr/CMakeFiles/zephyr.dir/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/validate_base_addresses.c.obj:

[70/268] Building C object zephyr/CMakeFiles/zephyr.dir/lib/os/reboot.c.obj
[71/268] Building C object zephyr/CMakeFiles/zephyr.dir/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/validate_base_addresses.c.obj
FAILED: zephyr/CMakeFiles/zephyr.dir/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/validate_base_addresses.c.obj 
D:\ncs\toolchains\v2.3.0\opt\zephyr-sdk\arm-zephyr-eabi\bin\arm-zephyr-eabi-gcc.exe -DKERNEL -DMBEDTLS_CONFIG_FILE=\"nrf-config.h\" -DMBEDTLS_USER_CONFIG_FILE=\"nrf-config-user.h\" -DNRF9160_XXAA -DNRF_SKIP_FICR_NS_COPY_TO_RAM -DNRF_TRUSTZONE_NONSECURE -DPROJECT_NAME=board-bring-up-oot -DUSE_PARTITION_MANAGER=1 -D_ANSI_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1 -D__LINUX_ERRNO_EXTENSIONS__ -D__PROGRAM_START -D__ZEPHYR__=1 -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/kernel/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/arch/arm/include -Itfm/install/interface/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/include -Izephyr/include/generated -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/nrf91 -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/lib/libc/newlib/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/common/. -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrf/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrf/ext/freebsd-getopt/. -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrf/include/tfm -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrf/tests/include -Itfm/generated/interface/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/lib/cjson -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrf/modules/cjson/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/hal/cmsis/CMSIS/Core/Include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/hal/nordic/nrfx -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/hal/nordic/nrfx/drivers/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/hal/nordic/nrfx/mdk -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/modules/hal_nordic/nrfx/. -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/debug/segger/SEGGER -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/debug/segger/Config -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/modules/segger/. -ID:/_projects/cm1-nordic/board-bring-up/cm1_module/drivers/gpio_ext/. -ID:/_projects/cm1-nordic/board-bring-up/cm1_module/. -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrfxlib/nrf_modem/include -ID:/_projects/cm1-nordic/board-bring-up/src/mosh/print/. -Imodules/nrfxlib/nrfxlib/nrf_security/src/include/generated -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrfxlib/nrf_security/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrfxlib/nrf_security/include/mbedtls -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/crypto/mbedtls/include -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/crypto/mbedtls/include/mbedtls -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/crypto/mbedtls/include/psa -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/modules/crypto/mbedtls/library -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrfxlib/crypto/nrf_oberon/include/mbedtls -ID:/ncs/v2.3.0/nrfxlib/crypto/nrf_oberon/include -fno-strict-aliasing -Os -imacros D:/_projects/cm1-nordic/board-bring-up/build/zephyr/include/generated/autoconf.h -ffreestanding -fno-common -g -gdwarf-4 -fdiagnostics-color=always -mcpu=cortex-m33 -mthumb -mabi=aapcs -mfpu=fpv5-sp-d16 -mfloat-abi=hard -mfp16-format=ieee --sysroot=D:/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/opt/zephyr-sdk/arm-zephyr-eabi/arm-zephyr-eabi -imacros D:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/include/zephyr/toolchain/zephyr_stdint.h -Wall -Wformat -Wformat-security -Wno-format-zero-length -Wno-main -Wno-pointer-sign -Wpointer-arith -Wexpansion-to-defined -Wno-unused-but-set-variable -Werror=implicit-int -fno-pic -fno-pie -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables -fno-reorder-functions --param=min-pagesize=0 -fno-defer-pop -fmacro-prefix-map=D:/_projects/cm1-nordic/board-bring-up=CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR -fmacro-prefix-map=D:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr=ZEPHYR_BASE -fmacro-prefix-map=D:/ncs/v2.3.0=WEST_TOPDIR -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -specs=nano.specs -std=c99 -MD -MT zephyr/CMakeFiles/zephyr.dir/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/validate_base_addresses.c.obj -MF zephyr\CMakeFiles\zephyr.dir\soc\arm\nordic_nrf\validate_base_addresses.c.obj.d -o zephyr/CMakeFiles/zephyr.dir/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/validate_base_addresses.c.obj -c D:/ncs/v2.3.0/zephyr/soc/arm/nordic_nrf/validate_base_addresses.c
In file included from D:\ncs\v2.3.0\zephyr\include\zephyr\toolchain.h:50,
                 from D:\ncs\v2.3.0\zephyr\include\zephyr\kernel_includes.h:19,
                 from D:\ncs\v2.3.0\zephyr\include\zephyr\kernel.h:17,
                 from D:\ncs\v2.3.0\zephyr\soc\arm\nordic_nrf\validate_base_addresses.c:7:
D:\ncs\v2.3.0\zephyr\include\zephyr\toolchain\gcc.h:78:36: error: static assertion failed: ""
   78 | #define BUILD_ASSERT(EXPR, MSG...) _Static_assert(EXPR, "" MSG)
      |                                    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Could someone please tell me what I am doing wrong here?

I've zipped up my code and added it here: board-bring-up.zip

Board definition: CM11C0BC010007001

[dejans]

Hi,

Could you provide full error log (Insert -> Image/Video/File, choose File and press Upload)?

Do you migrate your project from some previous NCS version to NCS v2.3.0? If so, please have a look at migration guide and pin control.

Since you made your own board, you could start by inspecting the configuration which is specified in the board file nrf9160dk_nrf9160_ns_defconfig.as well as dts and dtsi files, and verifying your devicetree configuration.

Best regards,
Dejan

[jeremy.olson]

I seem to have found the problem.

If anyone else encounters similar problems with defining a custom, non-secure board for NCS 2.3.0, here is what I learned:

---

<board-name>_defconfig:

# Copyright (c) 2022 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

CONFIG_SOC_SERIES_NRF91X=y
CONFIG_SOC_NRF9160_SICA=y
# Replace <board-name> with actual board name
CONFIG_BOARD_<board-name>=y

# Enable MPU
CONFIG_ARM_MPU=y

# Enable hardware stack protection
CONFIG_HW_STACK_PROTECTION=y

# Enable TrustZone-M
CONFIG_ARM_TRUSTZONE_M=y

# This Board implies building Non-Secure firmware, necessary for using modem library
CONFIG_TRUSTED_EXECUTION_NONSECURE=y
CONFIG_BUILD_WITH_TFM=y
# Setting TFM log level to silence should allow you to use UART1 in your application
CONFIG_TFM_LOG_LEVEL_SILENCE=y

For the defconfig file, make sure to define the following parameters with =y:

• CONFIG_ARM_TRUSTZONE_M
• CONFIG_TRUSTED_EXECUTION_NONSECURE
• CONFIG_BUILD_WITH_TFM
• CONFIG_TFM_LOG_LEVEL_SILENCE

The last one - CONFIG_TFM_LOG_LEVEL_SILENCE - is optional; add this if your application needs uart1 (or potentially any other x1 peripheral, like i2c1).

I got this tip from the answer to another, slightly older DevZone post -  Create a custom board with the build-in Create a new board wizard. 

<board-name>.dts:

// Copyright (c) 2022 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

/dts-v1/;
#include <nordic/nrf9160ns_sica.dtsi>
#include "<board-name>-pinctrl.dtsi"


/ {
	...

	chosen {
		zephyr,flash = &flash0;
		zephyr,sram = &sram0_ns;
		zephyr,code-partition = &slot0_ns_partition;
	};
	
	...
}

...



/ {

	reserved-memory {
		#address-cells = <1>;
		#size-cells = <1>;
		ranges;

		sram0_s: image_s@20000000 {
			/* Secure image memory */
			reg = <0x20000000 DT_SIZE_K(88)>;
		};

		sram0_modem: image_modem@20016000 {
			/* Modem (shared) memory */
			reg = <0x20016000 DT_SIZE_K(40)>;
		};

		sram0_ns: image_ns@20020000 {
			/* Non-Secure image memory */
			reg = <0x20020000 DT_SIZE_K(128)>;
		};
	};
};

The source of my problem was in the main DTS file. On line 5, when including the DTSI for the nRF9160, make sure you have the ns in #include <nordic/nrf9160ns_sica.dtsi>.

I did not realize there was a difference when I created my board definition, and instead included the secure DTSI.

 

If you do silence the TFM logging, then you do not have to disable uart1 (or other x1 peripherals).

I added the extra defintions for the reserved-memory node based on the DK board definitions. 

---

After finding the problem with the include in the DTS file, I can now successfully build my application with the modem library and AT shell included and successfully flash and run it on my custom hardware.

I only figured out the problem after I copied over the directory for the DK board and started stripping out things I didn't need piecemeal.