!!!Partition alignment error!!!

[Hannibalhz]

Dear Nordic Engineers

I used gd25lq32e to replace mx25r6435 and it is a 32Mbit Flash, when I add it to the Devicetree of Lwmwm(NCS 2.6.1), the build will report the following log:

!!!Partition alignment error!!!
The non-secure start address in pm_static.yml or generated partition.yml is: 0x1be00
which is not aligned with the SPU HW requirements.
Refer to the documentation section 'TF-M partition alignment requirements'
for more information.

'
18 | #pragma message \
| ^~~~~~~
E:/NCS/v2.6.1/nrf/modules/trusted-firmware-m/tfm_boards/common/assert.c:27:2: error: #error "TF-M non-secure start address is not aligned to SPU HW requirements"
27 | #error "TF-M non-secure start address is not aligned to SPU HW requirements"
| ^~~~~
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

I tried to set CONFIG_PM_PARTITION_SIZE_TFM=0x8000, but it didn't work.

This is my partitions.yml, please give me some good suggestions.

EMPTY_0:
  address: 0xf2000
  end_address: 0xf8000
  placement:
    after:
    - settings_storage
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x6000
EMPTY_tfm_ps:
  address: 0xfc000
  end_address: 0x100000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x4000
app:
  address: 0x1be00
  end_address: 0xe8000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xcc200
external_flash:
  address: 0x4d4200
  end_address: 0x400000
  region: external_flash
  size: -0xd4200
fmfu_storage:
  address: 0xd4200
  align: 0x10000
  device: DT_CHOSEN(nordic_pm_ext_flash)
  end_address: 0x4d4200
  placement:
    before:
    - end
  region: external_flash
  size: 0x400000
mcuboot:
  address: 0x0
  end_address: 0x13e00
  placement:
    before:
    - mcuboot_primary
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x13e00
mcuboot_pad:
  address: 0x13e00
  end_address: 0x14000
  placement:
    before:
    - mcuboot_primary_app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x200
mcuboot_primary:
  address: 0x13e00
  end_address: 0xe8000
  orig_span: &id001
  - app
  - mcuboot_pad
  - tfm
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xd4200
  span: *id001
mcuboot_primary_app:
  address: 0x14000
  end_address: 0xe8000
  orig_span: &id002
  - app
  - tfm
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xd4000
  span: *id002
mcuboot_secondary:
  address: 0x0
  device: DT_CHOSEN(nordic_pm_ext_flash)
  end_address: 0xd4200
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x4
  region: external_flash
  share_size:
  - mcuboot_primary
  size: 0xd4200
mcuboot_sram:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20016000
  orig_span: &id003
  - tfm_sram
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x16000
  span: *id003
nonsecure_storage:
  address: 0xe8000
  end_address: 0xf2000
  orig_span: &id004
  - settings_storage
  - nvs_storage
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xa000
  span: *id004
nrf_modem_lib_ctrl:
  address: 0x20016000
  end_address: 0x200164e8
  inside:
  - sram_nonsecure
  placement:
    after:
    - tfm_sram
    - start
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x4e8
nrf_modem_lib_rx:
  address: 0x20018568
  end_address: 0x2001a568
  inside:
  - sram_nonsecure
  placement:
    after:
    - nrf_modem_lib_tx
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x2000
nrf_modem_lib_sram:
  address: 0x20016000
  end_address: 0x2001a568
  orig_span: &id005
  - nrf_modem_lib_ctrl
  - nrf_modem_lib_tx
  - nrf_modem_lib_rx
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x4568
  span: *id005
nrf_modem_lib_tx:
  address: 0x200164e8
  end_address: 0x20018568
  inside:
  - sram_nonsecure
  placement:
    after:
    - nrf_modem_lib_ctrl
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x2080
nvs_storage:
  address: 0xe8000
  end_address: 0xf0000
  inside:
  - nonsecure_storage
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x8000
    before:
    - settings_storage
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x8000
otp:
  address: 0xff8108
  end_address: 0xff83fc
  region: otp
  size: 0x2f4
settings_storage:
  address: 0xf0000
  end_address: 0xf2000
  inside:
  - nonsecure_storage
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x8000
    before:
    - end
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x2000
sram_nonsecure:
  address: 0x20016000
  end_address: 0x20040000
  orig_span: &id006
  - sram_primary
  - nrf_modem_lib_ctrl
  - nrf_modem_lib_tx
  - nrf_modem_lib_rx
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x2a000
  span: *id006
sram_primary:
  address: 0x2001a568
  end_address: 0x20040000
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x25a98
sram_secure:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20016000
  orig_span: &id007
  - tfm_sram
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x16000
  span: *id007
tfm:
  address: 0x14000
  end_address: 0x1be00
  inside:
  - mcuboot_primary_app
  placement:
    before:
    - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x7e00
tfm_its:
  address: 0xf8000
  end_address: 0xfa000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x2000
tfm_nonsecure:
  address: 0x1be00
  end_address: 0xe8000
  orig_span: &id008
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xcc200
  span: *id008
tfm_otp_nv_counters:
  address: 0xfa000
  end_address: 0xfc000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x2000
tfm_secure:
  address: 0x13e00
  end_address: 0x1be00
  orig_span: &id009
  - mcuboot_pad
  - tfm
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x8000
  span: *id009
tfm_sram:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20016000
  inside:
  - sram_secure
  placement:
    after:
    - start
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x16000
tfm_storage:
  address: 0xf8000
  end_address: 0x100000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x8000
  span:
  - EMPTY_tfm_ps
  - tfm_its
  - tfm_otp_nv_counters

Best regards,

Hannibal

[AHaug]

Hi Hannibal,

There are quite a few items here you will need to fix in your .dts and overlay.

The first item is your external flash, which has a negative size in the generated partition layout. How did you set it up in your board files?

Kind regards,
Andreas

[Hannibalhz]

Hi Andreas

1. I changed 2 overlay files of lwm2m/boards path and added the configure of gd25lq32e to them, as the following files.

7607.nrf9160dk_nrf9160_ns_0_14_0.overlay1830.nrf9160dk_nrf9160_ns.overlay

2. I changed an overlay file of lwm2m\child_image\mcuboot\boards path as same as the last step, this is the file. 

nrf9160dk_nrf9160_0_14_0.overlay

And then this is the zephyr.dts file from the build/zephyr path.  

0488.zephyr.dts

Is there any problem with this configuration?

Best regards,

Hannibal

[AHaug]

At first lookthrough the files look ok.

Them moving on to the second item, the CONFIG_PM_PARTITION_SIZE_TFM:

You need to change the size of the TF-M partition so that it follows the requirement that the secure and non-secure partition addresses are aligned with the TrustZone flash region size This can be done by changing CONFIG_PM_PARTITION_SIZE_TFM.

From a discussion with my colleague, the following example should explain how you can achieve this: For example if the default value in the sample you've based your application on is set to 0x20000 in the sample, such that the TF-M partition is from 0x0 to 0x20000, with tfm_secure starting at 0x0 and tfm_nonsecure starting at 0x20000 so that they are both aligned to 0x4000:

However, when you add MCUboot to your project, partition manager will add an MCUboot partition from 0x0 to 0xc000, causing TF-M to start at 0xc000 instead. This will shift tfm_secure in such a way that the start of tfm_nonsecure will no longer be aligned with 0x4000, so you need to change the size of TF-M to ensure that both tfm_secure and tfm_nonsecure are still aligned.

Kind regards,
Andreas

[Hannibalhz]

Hi Andreas

I tried to set CONFIG_PM_PARTITION_SIZE_TFM=0x8000 and 0x10000, but it didn't improve.

This is the build log while I set CONFIG_PM_PARTITION_SIZE_TFM=0x10000

!!!Partition alignment error!!!
The non-secure start address in pm_static.yml or generated partition.yml is: 0x24000
which is not aligned with the SPU HW requirements.
Refer to the documentation section 'TF-M partition alignment requirements'
for more information.

'
18 | #pragma message \
| ^~~~~~~
E:/NCS/v2.6.1/nrf/modules/trusted-firmware-m/tfm_boards/common/assert.c:27:2: error: #error "TF-M non-secure start address is not aligned to SPU HW requirements"
27 | #error "TF-M non-secure start address is not aligned to SPU HW requirements"
| ^~~~~
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

This is the partitions.yml file.

Fullscreen partitions.log Download

EMPTY_0:
  address: 0xf2000
  end_address: 0xf8000
  placement:
    after:
    - settings_storage
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x6000
EMPTY_tfm_ps:
  address: 0xfc000
  end_address: 0x100000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x4000
app:
  address: 0x24000
  end_address: 0xe8000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xc4000
external_flash:
  address: 0x4d4200
  end_address: 0x400000
  region: external_flash
  size: -0xd4200
fmfu_storage:
  address: 0xd4200
  align: 0x10000
  device: DT_CHOSEN(nordic_pm_ext_flash)
  end_address: 0x4d4200
  placement:
    before:
    - end
  region: external_flash
  size: 0x400000
mcuboot:
  address: 0x0
  end_address: 0x13e00
  placement:
    before:
    - mcuboot_primary
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x13e00
mcuboot_pad:
  address: 0x13e00
  end_address: 0x14000
  placement:
    before:
    - mcuboot_primary_app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x200
mcuboot_primary:
  address: 0x13e00
  end_address: 0xe8000
  orig_span: &id001
  - tfm
  - mcuboot_pad
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xd4200
  span: *id001
mcuboot_primary_app:
  address: 0x14000
  end_address: 0xe8000
  orig_span: &id002
  - app
  - tfm
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xd4000
  span: *id002
mcuboot_secondary:
  address: 0x0
  device: DT_CHOSEN(nordic_pm_ext_flash)
  end_address: 0xd4200
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x4
  region: external_flash
  share_size:
  - mcuboot_primary
  size: 0xd4200
mcuboot_sram:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20016000
  orig_span: &id003
  - tfm_sram
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x16000
  span: *id003
nonsecure_storage:
  address: 0xe8000
  end_address: 0xf2000
  orig_span: &id004
  - settings_storage
  - nvs_storage
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xa000
  span: *id004
nrf_modem_lib_ctrl:
  address: 0x20016000
  end_address: 0x200164e8
  inside:
  - sram_nonsecure
  placement:
    after:
    - tfm_sram
    - start
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x4e8
nrf_modem_lib_rx:
  address: 0x20018568
  end_address: 0x2001a568
  inside:
  - sram_nonsecure
  placement:
    after:
    - nrf_modem_lib_tx
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x2000
nrf_modem_lib_sram:
  address: 0x20016000
  end_address: 0x2001a568
  orig_span: &id005
  - nrf_modem_lib_ctrl
  - nrf_modem_lib_tx
  - nrf_modem_lib_rx
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x4568
  span: *id005
nrf_modem_lib_tx:
  address: 0x200164e8
  end_address: 0x20018568
  inside:
  - sram_nonsecure
  placement:
    after:
    - nrf_modem_lib_ctrl
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x2080
nvs_storage:
  address: 0xe8000
  end_address: 0xf0000
  inside:
  - nonsecure_storage
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x8000
    before:
    - settings_storage
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x8000
otp:
  address: 0xff8108
  end_address: 0xff83fc
  region: otp
  size: 0x2f4
settings_storage:
  address: 0xf0000
  end_address: 0xf2000
  inside:
  - nonsecure_storage
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x8000
    before:
    - end
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x2000
sram_nonsecure:
  address: 0x20016000
  end_address: 0x20040000
  orig_span: &id006
  - sram_primary
  - nrf_modem_lib_ctrl
  - nrf_modem_lib_tx
  - nrf_modem_lib_rx
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x2a000
  span: *id006
sram_primary:
  address: 0x2001a568
  end_address: 0x20040000
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x25a98
sram_secure:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20016000
  orig_span: &id007
  - tfm_sram
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x16000
  span: *id007
tfm:
  address: 0x14000
  end_address: 0x24000
  inside:
  - mcuboot_primary_app
  placement:
    before:
    - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x10000
tfm_its:
  address: 0xf8000
  end_address: 0xfa000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x2000
tfm_nonsecure:
  address: 0x24000
  end_address: 0xe8000
  orig_span: &id008
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xc4000
  span: *id008
tfm_otp_nv_counters:
  address: 0xfa000
  end_address: 0xfc000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x2000
tfm_secure:
  address: 0x13e00
  end_address: 0x24000
  orig_span: &id009
  - mcuboot_pad
  - tfm
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x10200
  span: *id009
tfm_sram:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20016000
  inside:
  - sram_secure
  placement:
    after:
    - start
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x16000
tfm_storage:
  address: 0xf8000
  end_address: 0x100000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x8000
  span:
  - EMPTY_tfm_ps
  - tfm_its
  - tfm_otp_nv_counters

So, do you have other good suggestions?

Best regards,

Hannibal

[AHaug]

Hi,

In your build log it is clearly written where you need to look next:

"The non-secure start address in pm_static.yml or generated partition.yml is: 0x24000
which is not aligned with the SPU HW requirements.
Refer to the documentation section 'TF-M partition alignment requirements'
for more information."

Please have a look at the TF-M documentation it refers to: https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/ncs-2.6.1/page/nrf/security/tfm.html 

Kind regards,
Andreas