How to send .bin file in custom bootloader?

[AlexVrubel]

Hello everyone!

I work on custom bootloader over spi. As a starting point I took nrf_dfu_ble example, this tutorial and this example for spis bootloader (I need spi in master mode). With nrfutill I created .zip file with test app I try to understand how to send it over SPI. I added logs to nrf_dfu_ble example to dump packets and for comparison with .dat and .bin files. And use NrfConnect app on my mobile phone to send app to the PCA10040 board.

So at this point I can validate app using .dat file. It sends in raw format:

But then I look at next packets and I'm a little confused. The packets I see in logs:

But .bin file of app looks like this:

So the question is how to send app correctly? My test app:

test_app.zip

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Please refer to the documentation for SPI DFU Master: DFU_SPI_readme.docx.

Regards,
Amanda H.

[AlexVrubel]

Hello, thanks for reply.

Already done this steps, prefer handlers and etc. So I have to send raw .bin file or should make some preprocess of it?

Now the sequence is as follows:

0601            // NRF_DFU_OP_OBJECT_SELECT
01018D000000    // NRF_DFU_OP_OBJECT_CREATE - 141 bytes len of .dat file for validation
020000          // NRF_DFU_OP_RECEIPT_NOTIF_SET - ??? from ble_dfu example
0840080110341a0281..... // NRF_DFU_OP_OBJECT_WRITE - write 141 bytes of .dat file
03              // NRF_DFU_OP_CRC_GET
04              // NRF_DFU_OP_OBJECT_EXECUTE

Apps validates. Then I send:

020C00          // NRF_DFU_OP_RECEIPT_NOTIF_SET
0602            // NRF_DFU_OP_OBJECT_SELECT
0102001000000   // NRF_DFU_OP_OBJECT_CREATE - create 4096 (one page) object

And then I try to understand how exactly I should parse and send .bin file of application? Should I encrypt it or add crc or something else? Should be something like in SPIS example:

083a30323030303030.... // My app begins with 3a 30 32 30 30 30 30 30

[Hung Bui]

Hi Alex, 

I'm taking over the ticket as I was the one who made the SPI master demo code. 

My suggestion is to try DFU a very simple app as small as possible (blink an LED for example) so that the size of the app is as small as possible. I assume you can get to an image with a few kB. 

What you can do is to get to understand the protocol is to spy the communication on a successful DFU update. If you use my example as-is can you do a DFU update ? If it doesn't work out of the box, you can also use nrfutil application to do DFU according to the DFU documentation and the nRFutil documentation: https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/topic/ug_nrfutil/UG/nrfutil/nrfutil_dfu_ble_serial.html?cp=11_8_4

The DFU protocol is described here: https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/topic/sdk_nrf5_v17.1.0/lib_dfu_transport_serial.html?cp=9_1_3_5_2_3

You can start with UART and after you are familiar with UART you can switch to SPI. 

[AlexVrubel]

The initial problem was with displaying the data. Next, write data to a flash drive. Everything works and answering my original question - you need to transfer the raw application bin file. Thanks