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  • Case ID: 312278
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nRF5340 multi image build APP + NET core

Tamas Selmeci

Hello!

I need to create the following kind of application to nRF5340:

  • APP core: various peripherals (modem, I2C ICs etc) + business logic;
  • NET core:
    • BLE stack (from BLE beacon to more sophisticated solutions);
    • my custom code;

I've spent some time investigating both Zephyr and NRF multicore/child image samples, but none of them covered my needs.

To start with a small leap, I tried to refactor zephyr/samples/hello_world to compile to APP and NET cores with a single command, to have a merged hex and finally to print some text on both cores. I've followed the nrf/samples/nrf5340/multicore sample, but aci dir never gets executed, so the child image is never compiled.

I've attached the modified hello_world. The command was west build -b nrf5340dk_nrf5340_cpuapp

(I've seen in some samples the child_image directory holding config fragments for the child image. It's again not appropriate to me, because I want to be able to specify the config with full path, like it's possible for APP core with the -DCONF=... CMake option).

Please help me implementing a one-command-buildable multi-image hello world for APP+NET ;)

Thanks, regards,

5584.hello_world_multicore.zip

Here's my second attempt based on this page:

doesn't find CPUNET domain, but nrf5340dk_nrf5340_cpuapp board dir features one...

2845.hello_world2.zip

Parents
  • 0

    Hi,

    For your first project, if you want to add it as a Zephyr module (as you are doing with aci), then ZEPHYR_EXTRA_MODULES must be set in the project CMakeLists.txt. For example:

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20.0)

set(ZEPHYR_EXTRA_MODULES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR})

find_package(Zephyr REQUIRED HINTS $ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE})
project(hello_world)

target_sources(app PRIVATE src/main.c)

    For the second project, the board must be specified with ${CONFIG_DOMAIN_CPUNET_BOARD}. You should also be aware that if you provide a relative path without ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}, then the path will be relative to the build directory. For example, SOURCE_DIR net-src will make the path "hello_world/build/hello-world-net/net-src" in this case.

    add_child_image(
  NAME hello-world-net
  SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/net-src
  DOMAIN cpunet
  BOARD ${CONFIG_DOMAIN_CPUNET_BOARD}
  )

    The child image will also need CMakeLists.txt and prj.conf files.

    Best regards,
    Marte

  • 0 in reply to Marte Myrvold

    Thanks, I could move on with your help.

    I've created a static Partition Manager config for NET core (pm_static.yml):

    hello-world-net:
     address: 0x1000000
     size: 0x3F000
     region: flash_primary

    otp_partition:
     address: 0x103F000
     size: 0x800
     region: flash_primary

    cfg_partition:
     address: 0x103F800
     size: 0x800
     region: flash_primary

    And this seems to be correct, because the the partitions_cpunet.yml is generated and reflects to my static config. However, compilation fails, because pm_config.h isn't found. How can I fix this?

    Additionally, I think another pm_static.yml shall be defined for the APP core too. I want the 'app' partition occupy the entire APP flash (start from 0x0), because momentarily no MCUboot/b0n is to be used. So I want to burn the generated APP image at 0x0 and run without any boot manager. This stands for NET image too (running without boot manager from 0x1000000). Is it possible at all?

    thanks, regards,

    PS: I've attached the current app + build log, hope it helps.hello_world_dualcore.zip

  • 0 in reply to Tamas Selmeci

    Thanks for the update. I very much appreciate Nordic way of being willing to address the questions on individual project bases but stuff like this has been asked several times so the basic first answer for those should be to point standalone example that does exactly this. Basic app core hello world with BT support and netcore with sufficient enablers. There are good standalone examples of hci_rpmsg but it is non-obvious what's the best way to integrate those two worlds together in the latest SDK.

    Let's see if Nordic folks respond and provide some additional information as there might be some example or new guidance since you first asked the question.

  • 0 in reply to SvenDufva

    Hi,

    My experience is that multi image builds can be a bit buggy when it comes to hosting custom images for netcore or bootloaders. Asking our developers about previously have often granted the answer that Sysbuild will fix these issues. 

    So while it is not ideal, I think that the two easiest ways to have custom code running on the network core are:

    1. Wait until sysbuild support into the nRF Connect SDK is complete, and then use sysbuild. There is already some support for it in the Multicore Hello World application.
    2. Make changes to the nRF Connect SDK as described previously, to integrate the new child image into the project as if it were hci_rpmsg (or other images)

    Best regards,
    Marte

  • 0 in reply to Marte Myrvold

    I was thinking of having another try with multicore this weekend and see how it goes. My current sysbuild based solution lost its mcuboot when integrating things together and I wasn't sure how to solve that. I was thinking of getting multicore example and building BT on top of that with MCUboots images and then see if that would give me any clues why my current solution doesn't work. Multicore Hello Worlds example works just fine so I need to figure out where things break if they do. Software is funky stuff in such way that roughly right is not good enough.

  • 0 in reply to SvenDufva

    Hi,

    There has been some fixes and updates to sysbuild in the version of Zephyr that is in v2.5.0 of the nRF Connect SDK, so it might work better than when you tried it previously. I think sysbuild is the more future-proof and "official" way to solve this.

    SvenDufva said:
    My current sysbuild based solution lost its mcuboot when integrating things together and I wasn't sure how to solve that.

    I experienced the same if I just added CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT=y to prj.conf in the multicore hello world sample.
    To get MCUboot included in the project I had to add a config file for sysbuild, sysbuild.conf and add SB_CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT=y.
    Please try adding this file and let me know if it solves the problem.

    Best regards,
    Marte

  • 0 in reply to Marte Myrvold

    I got things to build but not to work. There are several issues pending issues (like getting MCUboot key pointed to the right file) but the biggest one is that BT spits our runtime error.

    SEGGER J-Link (unknown) V1.0, SN=1050793521
    Process: JLink.exe
    *** Booting nRF Connect SDK v2.5.0 ***
    [00:00:00.020,751] <wrn> bt_hci_core: opcode 0x0c33 status 0x11
    Bluetooth init failed (err -5)

    I put the code into public repo at https://github.com/mjaakkol/multicore Hopefully, I can figure out with help how to make this minimal end-to-end sample. Anybody should feel to comment and add pull requests to get this to work.

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  • 0 in reply to Marte Myrvold

    I got things to build but not to work. There are several issues pending issues (like getting MCUboot key pointed to the right file) but the biggest one is that BT spits our runtime error.

    SEGGER J-Link (unknown) V1.0, SN=1050793521
    Process: JLink.exe
    *** Booting nRF Connect SDK v2.5.0 ***
    [00:00:00.020,751] <wrn> bt_hci_core: opcode 0x0c33 status 0x11
    Bluetooth init failed (err -5)

    I put the code into public repo at https://github.com/mjaakkol/multicore Hopefully, I can figure out with help how to make this minimal end-to-end sample. Anybody should feel to comment and add pull requests to get this to work.

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