Generation of MCUboot and application addresses, offsets, and padding when pm_static.yml is not present (Peripheral LBS Sample).

[aam]

I am using peipheral lbs sample and modifying it for my project use. By default it doesnot has pm_static.yml where addresses could have been defined. Once i build the modified application it results in partitions.yml file and pm.config file. These files have all the relevant placement data of mcuboot, primary and secondary partitions, padding etc. From where these files are getting the relevant data ?
I have checked the following files but couldnt get much info. 

• C:/ncs/v2.7.0/nrf/cmake/partition_manager.cmake
• files in C:/ncs/v2.7.0/nrf/subsys/partition_manager/
• files in C:/ncs/v2.7.0/zephyr/boards/nordic/nrf52dk/
• .dts file for nrf52dk , this one has some info but not all of it

1- From where these files partitions.yml file and pm.config are getting the relevant addresses, offsets and size of mcuboot and app?
2- I want to have and understanding of this process. The purpose is to know how to flash bootloader and app separately on relevant addresses.
3- Where can I find documentation or literature explaining how to define and use macros in pm_static.yml for configuring flash partitions?
4- Which CMake file in NCS is responsible for merging the bootloader and application into the final firmware image?

[Menon]

Hello,

From where these files partitions.yml file and pm.config are getting the relevant addresses, offsets and size of mcuboot and app?

From Partition Manager, which processes .dts files, CMake scripts, and optionally pm_static.yml. Since you are working with peripheral_lbs sample pm_static.yml is not present and partition manager determines the layout dynamically. Check https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-nrf/blob/v2.7-branch/cmake/partition_manager.cmake and  https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-nrf/tree/v2.7-branch/subsys/partition_manager, see the device tree files which contains the flash memory definitions.

I want to have and understanding of this process. The purpose is to know how to flash bootloader and app separately on relevant addresses.

If you check the generated build/partition you could see that the bootloader (MCUBoot) and application have separate memory regions, you can flash them independently. MCUBoot starts at 0x00000 and occupies 0xC000, and the application starts at 0x0C200 and occupies 0x38E00.

Where can I find documentation or literature explaining how to define and use macros in pm_static.yml for configuring flash partitions?

See the section "Partition Manager" in the technical documentation. There, you can also find the section on configuring static partitions.

Kind Regards,

Abhijith