Error when building BT mesh DFU OTA Target on Dongle 52840 (struct.error: ushort format requires 0 <= number <= 0xffff)

RE: Error when building BT mesh DFU OTA Target on Dongle 52840 (struct.error: ushort format requires 0 <= number <= 0xffff)

Joakim Jakobsen — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 21:47:40 GMT

Hi.

Thanks for your concern. I'll close the ticket, but the information will still be available for others (and us) to see.

It can be re-opened at a later point in time.

Br,
Joakim

RE: Error when building BT mesh DFU OTA Target on Dongle 52840 (struct.error: ushort format requires 0 <= number <= 0xffff)

alebldn — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:52:31 GMT

Hei Joakim, hyggelig å møte deg.

About the timing, yes, I'm sorry too because right now I'm actually sort of a herald trying to promote Nordic as the manufacturing company to switch to in the near future to the firm I'm working for. And they see that I'm posting here as well.

About closing the ticket: please don't. I would like to keep this post updated so to help other people that will face the very same problems that I'm facing right now in working with the 52840 Dongle and this specific protocol (DFU over BT Mesh) and that, hopefully, might be of help for you guys too.

God natt,

Alessandro

RE: Error when building BT mesh DFU OTA Target on Dongle 52840 (struct.error: ushort format requires 0 <= number <= 0xffff)

Joakim Jakobsen — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:22:47 GMT

Sorry I wasn't able to assist in time.

But glad to hear you was able to work it out.

Closing the ticket. Feel free to open a new ticket if you have any questions in the future.

Br,
Joakim

RE: Error when building BT mesh DFU OTA Target on Dongle 52840 (struct.error: ushort format requires 0 <= number <= 0xffff)

alebldn — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:26:33 GMT

Solved this problem as well.

Turns out, the way i edited the partition was incorrect as the legacy_bootloader_storage partition requires more space than what was previously allocated. You can verify this buy simply blinking a light at startup for 5/10 times: it will keep blinking on and on as the chip reboots itself (probably) due to an internal ROM space error.

The new code included in pm_static_nrf52840dongle_nrf52840.yml is:

nrf5_mbr:
  address: 0x0
  size: 0x1000
  placement:
    after: start
mcuboot:
  address: 0x1000
  size: 0xf000
  placement:
    after: [nrf5_mbr]
mcuboot_primary:
  address: 0x10000
  size: 0x60000
  span: [mcuboot_pad, mcuboot_primary_app]
mcuboot_pad:
  address: 0x10000
  size: 0x1000
  placement:
    after: [mcuboot]
mcuboot_primary_app:
  address: 0x11000
  size: 0x5F000
  span: [app]
mcuboot_secondary:
  address: 0x70000
  size: 0x60000
  placement:
    after: [mcuboot_primary]
settings_storage:
  address: 0xd0000
  size: 0x18000
  placement:
    after: [mcuboot_secondary]
legacy_bootloader_storage:
  address: 0xe8000
  size: 0x18000  
  placement:
    after: [settings_storage]
sram_primary:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20040000
  size: 0x40000
  region: sram_primary

Now the application fully loads and shows up in the nRF mesh app.

RE: Error when building BT mesh DFU OTA Target on Dongle 52840 (struct.error: ushort format requires 0 <= number <= 0xffff)

alebldn — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 10:37:08 GMT

Apparently, the mcuboot_pad partition is not just padding, but it does contain the header. 😑

Observing the call to imgtool.py the header size is 0x10000, exactly the same as the padding partition. Setting the partition to 0x8000 and the mcuboot_primary_app to 0x68000 solves the problem.

The merged.hex file is now generated and it is possible to flash it to the dongle through the Programmer app. Once this is done, though, the dongle does not show up in unprovisioned proxy nodes in the nRF Mesh app.

Any suggestions?

(Still, the question about statically partition the app is open, if anyone has any idea)