Distributing an application to perform DFU over USB using nrfutil

[Aerosensor]

Our devices are updateable over a usb serial connection.

So far I have been using the "nrfutil dfu usb-serial" command.  

I have created an application that checks current firmware version, then does the update if necessary.  I had embedded the nrfutil app, but am finding on macos that this is very problematic - I can't sandbox it, or create a hardened runtime for it as it essential needs recompiling.

I can't be the first to do this. Is there a recommended approach?

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

You could do it with the bootloader. Are you working with nRF5SDK? See the Security Configuration of the app and bootloader documentation.

Regards,
Amanda H. 

[Aerosensor]

I am using the bootloader, but doing it over USB from a computer.  The question is about how to perform the dfu from an application on the computer (mac or windows)  For this I use nrfutil (command is "nrfutil dfu usb-serial ....")  Question is how can I embed that in an application on mac?  Within my app I am just using the nrfutil executable, saved in /usr/local/bin then running a commmand to run it.

On windows it is simple as there are fewer security requirements.  On mac it requires nrfutil executable to be hardened runtime.

[Amanda Hsieh]

The version control can be done on the bootloader instead of the nrfutil which is only the transfer tool. 

Which SDK are you using? nRF5SDK or NCS? What is the version number?

[Aerosensor]

SDK 17.0.2
NRF52840

I don't really understand what you mean in your first sentence.

I have a bootloader on the device that enables me to boot it into dfu mode.  My question is basically about how I can distribute a transfer tool to transfer the dfu package over serial connection via USB.  I want to avoid doing it over the air because of cost of bluetooth certification that we otherwise don't need.

It works fine using nrfutil on my local machine.  I am looking for a way to distribute an application on mac and windows that does the dfu over the usb serial port connection.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Aerosensor said:

I am looking for a way to distribute an application on mac and windows that does the dfu over the usb serial port connection.

https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-tools/nrf-util can support mac and windows, and the command is nrfutil dfu usb-serial. See DFU over a serial USB connection.

[Aerosensor]

I understand that, and have it working.

However to distribute as part of a package for mac it has to be compiled in a secure way, called "Hardened Runtime".  The link you gave is not compatible with this method.

I can ask our users to install manually but on mac this is very awkard (download, save to /usr/local/bin, run "chmod +x nrfutil" in a terminal, in that directory, then run "nrfutil install nrf5-tools").  I was hoping that you could suggest something more user friendly.
 

If you have an alternative suggestions or any way you can help I would appreciate it.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Thanks for the feedback. I would forward it to the team. 

[Aerosensor]

Hello!  Any feedback from the team?  This seems like quite a serious issue.

Otherwise is there an open source version available of nrfutil that we can build into our application?

Thank you.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi,

Aerosensor said:

Any feedback from the team?  This seems like quite a serious issue.

Not yet. Please contact your regional sales manger for the feature suggestion or use the contact form.

Aerosensor said:

Otherwise is there an open source version available of nrfutil that we can build into our application?

Unfortunately, there is no open source for nrfutil.  

-Amanda H.