Can't get WiFi and PSA API to work in the same application using nRF7002DK

[MarioDLH]

Hi.

We're working on a project using nRF Connect SDK 2.5.0 and nRF7002DK that needs to use both WiFi and PSA in order to do some cryptographic operations, but there are memory issues when running the application, even changing drastically the values in CONFIG_MAIN_STACK_SIZE and/or CONFIG_HEAP_MEM_POOL_SIZE. To replicate the problem, I've tried to combine both WiFi Station and PSA SHA256 samples in a single application using the required configurations but I still face the same problem, getting errors on WiFi and hash operations. I've also tried to increase the stack size with a value up to 40960 without making a difference. The output looks like this: 

[00:00:00.406,829] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_hal_dev_add: No space for TX buf info

[00:00:00.407,043] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add: nrf_wifi_hal_dev_add failed

[00:00:00.407,073] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add_zep: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add failed

[00:00:00.407,073] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_if_init_zep: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add_zep failed

[00:00:00.419,525] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_hal_dev_add: No space for TX buf info

[00:00:00.419,708] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add: nrf_wifi_hal_dev_add failed

[00:00:00.419,738] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add_zep: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add failed

[00:00:00.419,769] <err> wifi_nrf: nrf_wifi_if_start_zep: nrf_wifi_fmac_dev_add_zep failed

*** Booting nRF Connect SDK v2.5.0 ***
[00:00:00.419,921] <inf> net_config: Initializing network
[00:00:00.419,921] <inf> net_config: Waiting interface 1 (0x20001508) to be up...
[00:00:00.420,013] <inf> net_config: IPv4 address: 192.168.1.99
[00:00:00.420,074] <inf> net_config: Running dhcpv4 client...
[00:00:00.420,318] <inf> sta: Starting nrf7002dk_nrf5340_cpuapp with CPU frequency: 64 MHz
[00:00:01.397,491] <inf> sta: QSPI Encryption disabled
[00:00:01.397,583] <inf> sta: Static IP address (overridable): 192.168.1.99/255.255.255.0 -> 192.168.1.1
[00:00:01.397,583] <inf> sta: Starting SHA256 example...
[00:00:01.397,613] <inf> sta: ---- Plaintext to hash (len: 150): ----
[00:00:01.397,613] <inf> sta: Content:
                              45 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 20  73 74 72 69 6e 67 20 74 |Example  string t
                              6f 20 64 65 6d 6f 6e 73  74 72 61 74 65 20 62 61 |o demons trate ba
                              73 69 63 20 75 73 61 67  65 20 6f 66 20 53 48 41 |sic usag e of SHA
                              32 35 36 2e 54 68 61 74  20 75 73 65 73 20 73 69 |256.That  uses si
                              6e 67 6c 65 20 61 6e 64  20 6d 75 6c 74 69 2d 70 |ngle and  multi-p
                              61 72 74 20 50 53 41 20  63 72 79 70 74 6f 20 41 |art PSA  crypto A
                              50 49 27 73 20 74 6f 20  70 65 72 66 6f 72 6d 20 |PI's to  perform 
                              61 20 53 48 41 2d 32 35  36 20 68 61 73 68 69 6e |a SHA-25 6 hashin
                              67 20 6f 70 65 72 61 74  69 6f 6e 2e 00 00 00 00 |g operat ion.....
                              00 00 00 00 00 00                                |......           
[00:00:01.397,644] <inf> sta: ---- Plaintext to hash end  ----
[00:00:01.397,644] <inf> sta: Hashing using SHA256...
[00:00:01.397,644] <inf> sta: psa_hash_compute failed! (Error: -134)
[00:00:01.397,674] <inf> sta: Example exited with error!

Is it a problem with the device or the SDK or is there anything we can try on our side?

Thanks.

Best regards.

[dejans]

Hi,

For potential memory problems, there are some guides in the documentation which you could look at - memory footprint optimization and memory requirements for Wi-Fi applications.

Best regards,
Dejan

[MarioDLH]

Hi.

Thanks for your reply. I've tried to follow the guides provided, specifically using the configurations listed under Usage profiles for the memory optimized STA mode. However I still face the same issue with the PSA API, being unable to do the hash operations, as well as other memory problems while running the project (global variables with wrong values). I also decreased the main stack size and used thread analyzer to check memory usage, which constantly shows that there is still enough unused memory. This is an example of the output:

Thread analyze:
 0x20002fa0          : STACK: unused 1256 usage 2840 / 4096 (69 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 16
 0x20001680          : STACK: unused 564 usage 460 / 1024 (44 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 14
 0x20003078          : STACK: unused 6168 usage 2024 / 8192 (24 %); CPU: 5 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 406
 0x200027c8          : STACK: unused 840 usage 184 / 1024 (17 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 1
 0x200028a0          : STACK: unused 3912 usage 184 / 4096 (4 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 0
 0x20002360          : STACK: unused 3800 usage 296 / 4096 (7 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 2
 0x20002a38          : STACK: unused 792 usage 232 / 1024 (22 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 0
 0x20002e40          : STACK: unused 792 usage 232 / 1024 (22 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 0
 0x200036e0          : STACK: unused 2280 usage 280 / 2560 (10 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 21
 0x20002108          : STACK: unused 792 usage 232 / 1024 (22 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 1
 0x20003130          : STACK: unused 1352 usage 696 / 2048 (33 %); CPU: 3 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 267
 0x20003208          : STACK: unused 1048 usage 1000 / 2048 (48 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 41
 0x20001738          : STACK: unused 552 usage 216 / 768 (28 %); CPU: 0 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 1
 0x20003508          : STACK: unused 224 usage 96 / 320 (30 %); CPU: 62 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 4740
 0x200035c0          : STACK: unused 3244 usage 1876 / 5120 (36 %); CPU: 22 %
      : Total CPU cycles used: 1726
 ISR0                : STACK: unused 892 usage 1156 / 2048 (56 %)

Is there any other possible approach to this issue?

Thanks.

Best regards.

[dejans]

Hi,

Do Wi-Fi station and SHA-256 samples work for you if you use them separately?

Best regards,
Dejan

[MarioDLH]

Hi.

Yes, they both work properly separately. The problem arises when trying to use them in a single application.

Best regards.

[dejans]

Hi,

Could you provide full error log?

Could you also provide information how you combined two mentioned samples?

Best regards,
Dejan