Flash application to Nordic Thingy:53 using USB

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

Hello!

I am trying to flash an application to my unit of the Nordic Thingy:53, and wanted to know if it is possible to do so with just the USB-C connection. I have tried looking around multiple guides, and have ironed out the build issues, and the application builds. I understand that I could flash a DFU application using the nRF connect programmer, and that is what I have been trying after generating the DFU application file. However, the transport fails at around 0-1% itself and says the connection closed, while my board is still clearly in the MCUBoot mode, as it is detected by the programmer application.

Steps I've followed so far:

- Install nRF connect extension on VS code

- Make build configuration as per documentation and enable required Kconfig parameters: How to build an application - nRF Connect for VS Code

- Build the application

- Flash using nRF programmer as shown in this page: Flash instructions for the Thingy:53 – Nordic Developer Academy (nordicsemi.com)

I followed this guide for adding DFU support: Add DFU support to your application - Software - nRF Connect SDK guides - Nordic DevZone (nordicsemi.com) but a few configs such as CONFIG_MCUMGR_CMD_IMG_MGMT, CONFIG_MCUMGR_CMD_OS_MGMT, CONFIG_MCUMGR_SMP_UART are not recognised. If I disable them I get the DFU application.zip file.

Am I overlooking something? Do i require a debug probe to be able to flash? Or can I just flash with USB-C as I have been trying, but need to enable a few more configs? Requesting help. I am attaching my proj.conf file below for reference.

# nothing here

CONFIG_SENSOR=y
CONFIG_ZCBOR=y
CONFIG_NET_BUF=y
CONFIG_MCUMGR=y
# Enable most core commands.
#CONFIG_MCUMGR_CMD_IMG_MGMT=y
#CONFIG_MCUMGR_CMD_OS_MGMT=y

# Enable the serial mcumgr transport.
#CONFIG_MCUMGR_SMP_UART=y

# Disable UART Console and enable the RTT console
CONFIG_UART_CONSOLE=y

# Some command handlers require a large stack.
CONFIG_SYSTEM_WORKQUEUE_STACK_SIZE=4096

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

What sample are you using to add DFU for thingy53? I would suggest you take a look at MCUboot bootloader, FOTA over Bluetooth Low Energy, and start from Bluetooth: Peripheral LBS. 

Do i require a debug probe to be able to flash?

Since Thingy53 doesn't have an on-board debugger, you would need an external debug probe and 10-pin JTAG cable, as described in Building and programming from the source code, using either Visual Studio Code or command line. See the Updating firmware image doc.

can I just flash with USB-C as I have been trying, but need to enable a few more configs?

Without an external debug probe, you could Firmware update using MCUboot bootloader.

Also, check out the Getting started with Thingy:53 and Developing with Thingy:53 documentations.

Regards,
Amanda H. 

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

Hi,

Thank you for responding! I am using the hello world sample, but have changed the configs and added an overlay to allow me to access the bme680 module. I have been trying to use the MCUBoot bootloader with the programmer application, it says this

15:28:23.586	MCUboot DFU failed with error: async task failure for id: 295980358996 msg: [mcuBoot] Error when programming through MCUBoot: Unable to program multi image file from file 'C:\Users\karth\OneDrive\Desktop\NThingy53\bme68x\build\zephyr\dfu_application.zip'. Error code: 603 (Timeout). (Origin: "Error when running device operation program")
15:28:23.586	Please make sure that the device is in MCUboot mode and try again.

And I am not sure how to fix this. Any idea why this is happening?

Regards,

Karthik Lakshmanan

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

See the Updating through USB section in the Getting started with Thingy:53 guide for the detailed procedures on how to program the Thingy:53 using nRF Connect Programmer.

-Amanda H.

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

Hi,

I followed the steps given in the guide for both: my application as well as the prebuilt applications in the Thingy:53 downloads page. Both of them are not being written to the board, and I get an error saying please make sure the board is in the MCUBoot mode. The bootloader thingy:53 device is recognised by the programmer though, so I am not very sure where the issue is.

I've tried flashing the Peripheral LBS application as well as the Edge Impulse application.

This is the error I get. I am not sure how to go about fixing this to flash an application using MCUBoot.

Regards,

Karthik Lakshmanan

[Amanda Hsieh]

Please make sure to Press SW2 while moving the power switch SW1 to the ON position.

-Amanda H.