RE: nRF91 and nRF52 FOTA using the nRF Cloud

JackT — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:57:36 GMT

I am working on a custom hardware project similar to this with the nRF9151 and nRF54L15. Who can I contact to discuss this?

RE: nRF91 and nRF52 FOTA using the nRF Cloud

justin — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 01:24:49 GMT

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]Is the nRF Cloud suitable for a project that would include thousands of connected devices?[/quote]

Yes it is.

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]I don't see any options on the Cloud that would enable me to add the custom device which doesn't have a HWID.
Can HWID be set by the application connecting to the cloud or the nRF9160 development-kit HWID is already saved on the nRF Cloud?[/quote]

The device ID is set when you provision your device with nRF Cloud.
https://docs.nrfcloud.com/Devices/Properties/DeviceId.html
See the nrf_cloud firmware library options: https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrf/libraries/networking/nrf_cloud.html#configuration-options-for-device-id
You can use any unique ID you want, however a UUID format is recommended.
For nRF91 devices, it is also recommended to use the device's internal UUID.
The HWID/PIN is only used for JITP credentials, which are not recommended for custom devices.

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]I have gone through many documentation for provisioning the custom device to nRF Cloud, but I am not sure which one to use and what would be the correct steps.[/quote][quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]Is there a way of automating the provisioning process and adding the provisioned devices to the nRF Cloud?[/quote]

https://docs.nrfcloud.com/Devices/Associations/Provisioning.html
You should use the Preconnect provisioning method.
This allows you to provision your devices to the cloud in bulk, up to 1000 at a time.

Please see the example python scripts in the nRF Cloud utils repo:
https://github.com/nRFCloud/utils/tree/master/python/modem-firmware-1.3%2B
The device_credentials_installer.py script generates and installs device credentials.
It can create a provisioning CSV file that can be uploaded to the cloud using the ProvisionDevices endpoint.
See the nrf_cloud_provision.py script for an example use of the ProvisionDevices endpoint.
The CSV provisioning file can also be uploaded through the website: https://nrfcloud.com/#/provision-devices
Let us know if you have specific provisioning questions.

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]I tried generating my own certificates following nRF Cloud documentation, but wasn't able to connect to cloud using the nRF Cloud REST FOTA sample.[/quote]

The credentials provisioned on your device must match the credentials provisioned to nRF Cloud. If they do not match, nRF Cloud will not be able to authenticate your device's REST call.
An overview of the process:
nRF Cloud receives the device's public certificate during the cloud provisioning process.
The JWT used for each REST call is signed with the device's private key.
The cloud verifies the JWT's signature using the device's public certificate.
If you are having issues with this process, please open a separate ticket so we can better support you.

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]What would you recommend is the best way of communicating to implement for not frequent communication and mostly only FOTA performance?[/quote]

REST or CoAP would be the best options if you only plan to use nRF Cloud for FOTA.
The choice might depend on how frequently your device checks for FOTA updates.
With REST, the overhead is in the TLS connection and for each REST call, the JWT.
So, if your device checks for FOTA updates once or twice a week, REST is probably fine.
For more frequent checks or other cloud activities, CoAP might be more efficient.

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]Could you provide me with best starting points and NCS samples to achieve FOTA over BLE using nRF Cloud?[/quote]

I don't believe we have a complete or up-to-date sample for BLE FOTA.
You can view the docs for MQTT-based BLE FOTA. And also configuration and handling in the nrf_cloud FW library.
We will get back to you regarding a sample/documentation for your use case.

[quote userid="129395" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/105038/nrf91-and-nrf52-fota-using-the-nrf-cloud"]nd the last thing, we want the nRF9160 to be able to update itself and also to download the binary for nRF52833 over LTE and update nRF52833 manually. Also we would like for the nRF52833 to be able to download the binary for nRF9160 over BLE and update the nRF9160 manually.
Does the nRF Cloud support those kinds of updates and can you recommend starting points and sample?[/quote]

See the https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrf/samples/cellular/smp_svr/README.html sample for updates between nRF91 and nRF52 devices.
nRF Cloud should be able to support those type of updates, however it expects the nRF91 (IP device) to be the primary device. The nRF52 would be a secondary/auxiliary device that wouldn't interact directly with the cloud.
We will discuss your use case and get back to you with additional information.