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

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

Hi,

I will try testing Central SMP client, however, on building, there is no DFU application file generated. I will have to add the MCUMGR configs for this I assume?.

These are the configs I added:

CONFIG_FLASH=y
CONFIG_FLASH_PAGE_LAYOUT=y
CONFIG_STREAM_FLASH=y
CONFIG_IMG_MANAGER=y
CONFIG_FLASH_MAP=y
CONFIG_MCUBOOT_IMG_MANAGER=y
CONFIG_NET_BUF=y
CONFIG_MCUMGR=y
CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT=y

Expected behaviour: After successfully writing the dfu_application.zip file, the board resets and reboots, and is recognised as "Application Thingy 53". 

Observed behaviour: Successful flash, but board does not boot after. Only boots when in bootloader mode.

Meanwhile, I wanted to explain my requirement to you, and wanted to hear your insights. I want to sample raw data from all the sensors on the Thingy 53 and print the output to UART over the USB-C port. Is there a prebuilt application that I can use for this? Or is there anything I need to look out for?

Thanking you

Regards,

Karthik Lakshmanan

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Sorry. My previous reply might not be suitable for thingy53. 

Please see FOTA over Bluetooth Low Energy for thingy53 for the details. 

-Amanda H.

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

I am confused, what exactly is this for? None of the DFU zip files that have been generated seem to run on the board, so I'm not sure about how to proceed.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Do you add CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT=y and CONFIG_NCS_SAMPLE_MCUMGR_BT_OTA_DFU in the prj.conf? If not, please do that and let me know if it helps or not. 

-Amanda H.

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

I tried enabling both, nothing changed. Right after flashing is successful, the board disconnects from my laptop (assuming a reboot sequence was initiated), but it doesn't seem to be able to boot. I try powercycling after this, but that does not work either.

If I flash the precompiled zip file for an applike Edge Impulse though, it works as expected. The flashing completes, and the board reboots and the LED glows. Not sure what I'm missing.

Regards,
Karthik Lakshmanan

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

What is your application? Are you testing with a sample or custom application?

Could you make sure the application can work without issue before adding the OTA feature? If not, I would suggest debugging it with the nRF5340DK.

You can take a look at the Bluetooth: Peripheral LBS sample which supports thingy53 OTA. 

-Amanda H.

[Karthik Lakshmanan]

I am testing it with a custom application. What exactly do you mean by debugging it? I'm not sure I understand, do you want me to flash the thingy with a debug probe? I have also tried flashing the Bluetooth Peripheral LBS code, and it works. All precompiled applications work,

Thingy:53 sensor output to another board using BLE I opened this question as well, this is what I want to do. Requesting assistance for the same.

Regards

Karthik Lakshmanan

[Amanda Hsieh]

Does the custom application on thingy53 work without issues before adding the OTA function? Can It advertise and be scanned/connected by other devices or phones? If not, it needs to connect a debug probe or nRF53DK to debug the issue.  

-Amanda H.