Example of using external flash that is on nRF5340dk ?

[IvanR]

Im having trouble setting up and using flash on nRF5340dk. 

Is there any example on how to use LittleFS on external flash that is on the dev kit?

[IvanR]

my code for testing the flash storage is:

/* Matches LFS_NAME_MAX */

#define MAX_PATH_LEN 255

#define PARTITION_NODE DT_NODELABEL(lfs1)

#if DT_NODE_EXISTS(PARTITION_NODE)

FS_FSTAB_DECLARE_ENTRY(PARTITION_NODE);

#else  /* PARTITION_NODE */

FS_LITTLEFS_DECLARE_DEFAULT_CONFIG(storage);

static struct fs_mount_t lfs_storage_mnt = {

    .type = FS_LITTLEFS,

    .fs_data = &storage,

    .storage_dev = (void *)FLASH_AREA_ID(storage),

    .mnt_point = "/lfs",

};

#endif /* PARTITION_NODE */

void testLittleFS(void)

{

  struct fs_mount_t *mp =

#if DT_NODE_EXISTS(PARTITION_NODE)

      &FS_FSTAB_ENTRY(PARTITION_NODE)

#else

      &lfs_storage_mnt

#endif

      ;

  unsigned int id = (uintptr_t)mp->storage_dev;

  char fname[MAX_PATH_LEN];

  const struct flash_area *pfa;

  int rc;

  snprintf(fname, sizeof(fname), "%s/boot_count", mp->mnt_point);

  rc = open_flash_area(id, &pfa);

  if (rc < 0)

  {

    return;

  }

  if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_APP_WIPE_STORAGE))

  {

    rc = erase_flash_area(pfa);

  }

  flash_area_close(pfa);

#if !DT_NODE_EXISTS(PARTITION_NODE) || (FSTAB_ENTRY_DT_MOUNT_FLAGS(PARTITION_NODE) & !FS_MOUNT_FLAG_AUTOMOUNT)

  rc = mount_fs(mp);

  if (rc < 0)

  {

    return;

  }

#endif

  reformat_and_mount_lfs(mp);

  struct fs_statvfs sbuf;

  rc = get_fs_stats(mp->mnt_point, &sbuf);

  rc = read_update_write_boot_count(mp, fname);

  rc = list_directory_contents(mp);

  rc = unmount_fs(mp);

}

int open_flash_area(unsigned int id, const struct flash_area **pfa)

{

  int rc = flash_area_open(id, pfa);

  if (rc < 0)

  {

    printk("FAIL: unable to find flash area %u: %d\n", id, rc);

  }

  else

  {

    printk("Area %u at 0x%x on %u for %u bytes\n", id, (unsigned int)(*pfa)->fa_off, (*pfa)->fa_id, (unsigned int)(*pfa)->fa_size);

  }

  return rc;

}

int erase_flash_area(const struct flash_area *pfa)

{

  printk("Erasing flash area ... ");

  int rc = flash_area_erase(pfa, 0, pfa->fa_size);

  printk("%d\n", rc);

  return rc;

}

int mount_fs(struct fs_mount_t *mp)

{

  int rc = fs_mount(mp);

  if (rc < 0)

  {

    printk("FAIL: mount id %" PRIuPTR " at %s: %d\n", (uintptr_t)mp->storage_dev, mp->mnt_point, rc);

  }

  else

  {

    printk("%s mount: %d\n", mp->mnt_point, rc);

  }

  return rc;

}

int get_fs_stats(const char *mnt_point, struct fs_statvfs *sbuf)

{

  int rc = fs_statvfs(mnt_point, sbuf);

  if (rc < 0)

  {

    printk("FAIL: statvfs: %d\n", rc);

  }

  else

  {

    printk("LittleFS statistics:\n");

    printk(" - Total space: %lu bytes\n", (unsigned long)sbuf->f_blocks * sbuf->f_frsize);

    printk(" - Free space: %lu bytes\n", (unsigned long)sbuf->f_bfree * sbuf->f_frsize);

    printk(" - Block size: %lu bytes\n", (unsigned long)sbuf->f_frsize);

  }

  return rc;

}

int read_update_write_boot_count(struct fs_mount_t *mp, const char *fname)

{

  struct fs_dirent dirent;

  int rc = fs_stat(fname, &dirent);

  printk("%s stat: %d\n", fname, rc);

  if (rc >= 0)

  {

    printk("\tfn '%s' size %zu\n", dirent.name, dirent.size);

  }

  struct fs_file_t file;

  fs_file_t_init(&file);

  rc = fs_open(&file, fname, FS_O_CREATE | FS_O_RDWR);

  if (rc < 0)

  {

    printk("FAIL: open %s: %d\n", fname, rc);

    return rc;

  }

  uint32_t boot_count = 0;

  rc = fs_read(&file, &boot_count, sizeof(boot_count));

  printk("%s read count %u: %d\n", fname, boot_count, rc);

  rc = fs_seek(&file, 0, FS_SEEK_SET);

  printk("%s seek start: %d\n", fname, rc);

  boot_count += 1;

  rc = fs_write(&file, &boot_count, sizeof(boot_count));

  printk("%s write new boot count %u: %d\n", fname, boot_count, rc);

  rc = fs_close(&file);

  printk("%s close: %d\n", fname, rc);

  return rc;

}

int list_directory_contents(struct fs_mount_t *mp)

{

  struct fs_dir_t dir;

  fs_dir_t_init(&dir);

  int rc = fs_opendir(&dir, mp->mnt_point);

  printk("%s opendir: %d\n", mp->mnt_point, rc);

  while (rc >= 0)

  {

    struct fs_dirent ent = {0};

    rc = fs_readdir(&dir, &ent);

    if (rc < 0)

    {

      break;

    }

    if (ent.name[0] == 0)

    {

      printk("End of files\n");

      break;

    }

    printk("  %c %zu %s\n",

           (ent.type == FS_DIR_ENTRY_FILE) ? 'F' : 'D',

           ent.size,

           ent.name);

  }

  (void)fs_closedir(&dir);

  return rc;

}

int unmount_fs(struct fs_mount_t *mp)

{

  int rc = fs_unmount(mp);

  printk("%s unmount: %d\n", mp->mnt_point, rc);

  return rc;

}

static int write_test_file(const char *filename)

{

  struct fs_file_t file;

  int res = fs_open(&file, filename, FS_O_CREATE | FS_O_WRITE);

  if (res < 0)

  {

    printk("Failed to open file for writing: %d\n", res);

    return res;

  }

#define FILE_SIZE 512

  uint8_t buffer[512];

  size_t remaining = FILE_SIZE;

  while (remaining > 0)

  {

    size_t to_write = MIN(remaining, sizeof(buffer));

    ssize_t written = fs_write(&file, buffer, to_write);

    if (written < 0)

    {

      printk("Failed to write to file: %d\n", (int)written);

      fs_close(&file);

      return (int)written;

    }

    remaining -= written;

  }

  fs_close(&file);

  return 0;

}

void erase_partition(const struct flash_area *fa)

{

  flash_area_erase(fa, fa->fa_off, fa->fa_size);

}

int reformat_littlefs(struct fs_mount_t *mp)

{

  printk("REFORMATING");

  struct fs_littlefs *fs = mp->fs_data;

  const struct lfs_config *lfs_cfg = &fs->cfg; // Access the 'cfg' member directly

  int rc = lfs_format(&fs->lfs, lfs_cfg);

  return rc;

}

void reformat_and_mount_lfs(struct fs_mount_t *mp)

{

  // Unmount the filesystem

  fs_unmount(mp);

  // Erase the partition

  const struct flash_area *fa;

  flash_area_open(FLASH_AREA_ID(storage), &fa);

  erase_partition(fa);

  flash_area_close(fa);

  // Reformat the filesystem using the updated configuration

  reformat_littlefs(mp);

  // Remount the filesystem

  fs_mount(mp);

}

with overlay:

/delete-node/ &storage_partition;

/ {

    fstab {

        compatible = "zephyr,fstab";

        lfs1: lfs1 {

            compatible = "zephyr,fstab,littlefs";

            mount-point = "/lfs1";

            partition = <&lfs1_part>;

            automount;

            read-size = <256>;

            prog-size = <256>;

            cache-size = <256>;

            lookahead-size = <16>;

            block-cycles = <512>;

        };

    };

};

&mx25r64 {

    partitions {

        compatible = "fixed-partitions";

        #address-cells = <1>;

        #size-cells = <1>;

        lfs1_part: partition@0 {

            label = "storage";

            reg = <0x00000000 0x00800000>;

        };

    };

};

Area 7 at 0xf8000 on 7 for 24576 bytes
[00:00:00.451,812] [0m<inf> littlefs: /lfs1 unmounted[0m
REFORMATING[00:00:00.630,737] [0m<inf> littlefs: LittleFS version 2.5, disk version 2.0[0m
[00:00:00.630,767] [0m<inf> littlefs: FS at flash-controller@39000:0xf8000 is 6 0x1000-byte blocks with 512 cycle[0m
[00:00:00.630,767] [0m<inf> littlefs: sizes: rd 256 ; pr 256 ; ca 256 ; la 16[0m
[00:00:00.631,134] [0m<inf> littlefs: /lfs1 mounted[0m
LittleFS statistics:
- Total space: 24576 bytes
- Free space: 16384 bytes
- Block size: 4096 bytes

but it should be 8mb ??

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Here is the example https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-zephyr/tree/main/samples/subsys/fs/littlefs.  

Please duplicate this https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-zephyr/blob/main/samples/subsys/fs/littlefs/boards/nrf52840dk_nrf52840_qspi.conf  config file and rename it to nrf5340dk_nrf5340_cpuapp.conf.

Duplicate https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-zephyr/blob/main/samples/subsys/fs/littlefs/boards/nrf52840dk_nrf52840_qspi.overlay overlay file, rename it to nrf5340dk_nrf5340_cpuapp.overlay and update with the following content:

/*
 * Copyright (c) 2019 Peter Bigot Consulting, LLC
 *
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 */

/delete-node/ &storage_partition;

/ {
	chosen {
		nordic,pm-ext-flash = &mx25r64;
	};
	
	fstab {
		compatible = "zephyr,fstab";
		lfs1: lfs1 {
			compatible = "zephyr,fstab,littlefs";
			mount-point = "/lfs1";
			partition = <&lfs1_part>;
			automount;
			read-size = <16>;
			prog-size = <16>;
			cache-size = <64>;
			lookahead-size = <32>;
			block-cycles = <512>;
		};
	};
};

&mx25r64 {
	partitions {
		compatible = "fixed-partitions";
		#address-cells = <1>;
		#size-cells = <1>;

		lfs1_part: partition@0 {
			label = "storage";
			reg = <0x00000000 0x00010000>;
		};
	};
};

Then, you could get the output like this

Regards,
Amanda H.

[IvanR]

Thank you, It's working. I can now see all 8mb of flash. But there is an issue. 

When running the littlefs example I get 

Area 0 at 0x0 on mx25r6435f@0 for 8388608 bytes - Which is correct

but when I transfer that code, exact code, to my app I get 

Area 2 at 0xfa000 on flash-controller@39000 for 24576 bytes

Ive been going over whats different but cant find it, Maybe Im missing something?

I also tried moving my code to littlefs example and everything was going fine until I added

CONFIG_SYS_HEAP_RUNTIME_STATS=y to prj.conf. 

It switched to flash  flash-controller@39000, after commenting it out it stayed with flash and I cant get it to go back to mx25??

[IvanR]

Ok, an Update. As soon as I add 

CONFIG_BT=y to nrf5340dk_nrf5340_cpuapp.conf

the example stops working.

Been testing for hours now removing and adding line by line and as soon BT is enabled the example falls apart.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Have a look at this post. 

-Amanda H.