compile error with mcuboot and external qspi flash

[AndyM]

Hello I have an nRF52840 board with a 2 MB external flash
I'm using SDK 2.6.2
I'd like to configure the mcuboot_secondary partition to be on the external flash

Here is my pm_static.yml

# Internal flash partitions

mcuboot:

  address: 0x00000000

  size: 0x0000C000  # 48 KB

settings_storage:

  address: 0x000F8000

  size: 0x00007800  # 30 KB

app_config:

  address: 0x000FF800

  size: 0x00000800  # 2 KB

# External flash region

external_flash:

  address: 0x00000000

  size: 0x00200000  # 2 MB

  end_address: 0x00200000

  region: external_flash

# External flash partitions

mcuboot_secondary:

  address: 0x00000000

  size: 0x00100000  # 1 MB

  region: external_flash

  device: QSPI_FLASH

  end_address: 0x00100000

scratch_partition:

  address: 0x00100000

  size: 0x00010000  # 64 KB

  region: external_flash

  device: QSPI_FLASH

  end_address: 0x00110000

qspi_app_storage:

  address: 0x00110000

  size: 0x000F0000  # 960 KB

  region: external_flash

  device: QSPI_FLASH

  end_address: 0x00200000

DTS file:

chosen {

        .....

       

       pm_ext_flash = &qspi_flash0;

};

&qspi {

    status = "okay";

    pinctrl-0 = <&qspi_default>;

    pinctrl-1 = <&qspi_sleep>;

    pinctrl-names = "default", "sleep";

    qspi_flash0: qspi_flash@0 {

        compatible = "nordic,qspi-nor";

        status = "okay";

        label = "QSPI_FLASH";

        reg = <0>;

        sck-frequency = <16000000>;              

        writeoc = "pp4o";                         /* enable quad page program */

        readoc = "read4io";                       /* enable quad fast read */

        jedec-id = [c8 40 15];

        size = <0x00200000>;                      /* 2 MiB */

        has-dpd;

        t-enter-dpd = <20000>;                    /* match datasheet typical */

        t-exit-dpd = <20000>;

        quad-enable-requirements = "S2B1v1";      /* required for quad mode */

       

        partitions {

            status = "okay";

            compatible = "fixed-partitions";

            #address-cells = <1>;

            #size-cells = <1>;

            mcuboot_secondary: partition@0 {

                label = "mcuboot_secondary";

                reg = <0x000000 0x100000>;  /* 1MB */

            };

            scratch_partition: partition@100000 {

                label = "scratch";

                reg = <0x100000 0x10000>;  /* 64KB */

            };

            qspi_storage: partition@110000 {

                label = "qspi_storage";

                reg = <0x110000 0xF0000>;  /* 960KB */

            };

        };

    };

};

BUT I'm still getting compile error:

C:/ncs/v2.6.2/bootloader/mcuboot/boot/zephyr/include/sysflash/pm_sysflash.h: In function '__flash_area_ids_for_slot':
C:/ncs/v2.6.2/bootloader/mcuboot/boot/zephyr/include/sysflash/pm_sysflash.h:47:60: error: 'PM_MCUBOOT_SECONDARY_ID' undeclared (first use in this function); did you mean 'PM_MCUBOOT_PRIMARY_ID'?
47 | #define FLASH_AREA_IMAGE_0_SLOTS PM_MCUBOOT_PRIMARY_ID, PM_MCUBOOT_SECONDARY_ID
| ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SDK is 2.6.2

When I examine the partitions.yml in and pm_config there is no mention of the mcuboot secondary. Looks like my pm_static.yml is ignored even though I see this message in the build log
Found partition manager static configuration:..../pm_static.yml
Partition 'mcuboot' is not included in the dynamic resolving since it is statically defined.
Partition 'settings_storage' is not included in the dynamic resolving since it is statically defined.
Partition 'mcuboot_secondary' is not included in the dynamic resolving since it is statically defined.

Any ideas?
Thank you

Andy

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Remove the partitions in the DTS and pm_static.yml to let the partition manager allocate the partition.

Take a look at this course Exercise 3 – DFU with external flash for setting mcuboot_secondary on the external flash.

Regards,
Amanda H.

[AndyM]

I'm using SDK 2.6.2

I must have the "app_config" partition  at a certain address. How do I do that without pm_static.yml?

Thanks

[Amanda Hsieh]

Just let the pm_static.yml only have that part.

[AndyM]

Leaving just the app_config partition in the pm_static.yml
fixed the link error I saw before, but now I'm getting this error
c:/ncs/toolchains/cf2149caf2/opt/zephyr-sdk/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/../lib/gcc/arm-zephyr-eabi/12.2.0/../../../../arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/ld.bfd.exe: zephyr\zephyr_pre0.elf section `rodata' will not fit in region `FLASH'
c:/ncs/toolchains/cf2149caf2/opt/zephyr-sdk/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/../lib/gcc/arm-zephyr-eabi/12.2.0/../../../../arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/ld.bfd.exe: region `FLASH' overflowed by 2790 bytes

When I build without MCUBOOT here is what the memory  usage looks like

Memory region Used Size Region Size %age Used
FLASH: 516680 B 1 MB 49.27%
RAM: 195217 B 256 KB 74.47%
IDT_LIST: 0 GB 32 KB 0.00%

My goal is to use the external flash for the mcuboot_secondary so I can grow my app

I can adapt my scripts  to use a different address for app_config partition but I need to have it .

Where do you suggest I place it ?

Here is the partitions.yml generated by the build

EMPTY_0:

  address: 0x7c00

  end_address: 0x8000

  placement:

    before:

    - mcuboot_pad

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0x400

EMPTY_1:

  address: 0xff000

  end_address: 0xff800

  placement:

    after:

    - settings_storage

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0x800

app:

  address: 0x8200

  end_address: 0xfd000

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0xf4e00

app_config:

  address: 0xff800

  end_address: 0x100000

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0x800

external_flash:

  address: 0xf5000

  end_address: 0x40000

  region: external_flash

  size: -0xb5000

mcuboot:

  address: 0x0

  end_address: 0x7c00

  placement:

    before:

    - mcuboot_primary

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0x7c00

mcuboot_pad:

  address: 0x8000

  end_address: 0x8200

  placement:

    align:

      start: 0x1000

    before:

    - mcuboot_primary_app

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0x200

mcuboot_primary:

  address: 0x8000

  end_address: 0xfd000

  orig_span: &id001

  - app

  - mcuboot_pad

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0xf5000

  span: *id001

mcuboot_primary_app:

  address: 0x8200

  end_address: 0xfd000

  orig_span: &id002

  - app

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0xf4e00

  span: *id002

mcuboot_secondary:

  address: 0x0

  device: DT_CHOSEN(nordic_pm_ext_flash)

  end_address: 0xf5000

  placement:

    align:

      start: 0x4

  region: external_flash

  share_size:

  - mcuboot_primary

  size: 0xf5000

settings_storage:

  address: 0xfd000

  end_address: 0xff000

  placement:

    align:

      start: 0x1000

    before:

    - end

  region: flash_primary

  size: 0x2000

sram_primary:

  address: 0x20000000

  end_address: 0x20040000

  region: sram_primary

  size: 0x40000

[AndyM]

Update

With this pm_static.yml the build succeeds
Thank you

# ===== Internal flash (1 MiB) =====

mcuboot:

  address: 0x00000

  size:    0x9000        # 36 KiB, bigger than the default so MCUboot fits

  region:  flash_primary

mcuboot_pad:

  address: 0x9000        # immediately after mcuboot

  size:    0x200

  region:  flash_primary

  placement:

    align:

      start: 0x1000

    before:

    - app                 # keep the pad right before the app

# Leave the gap from 0x9200 up to settings_storage for the app (dynamic)

settings_storage:

  address: 0xF6000

  size:    0x9800        # fills exactly up to 0xFF800 to avoid a second gap

  region:  flash_primary

  placement:

    align:

      start: 0x1000

    before:

    - app_config

app_config:

  address: 0xFF800      

  size:    0x800         # 1 KiB

# ===== External flash =====

mcuboot_secondary:

  address: 0x0000

  size:    0xEE000

  region:  external_flash

  device:  DT_CHOSEN(nordic_pm_ext_flash)

qspi_storage:

  address: 0xEE000

  size:    0x52000

  region:  external_flash

# ===== SRAM =====

sram_primary:

  address: 0x20000000

  size:    0x40000

  region:  sram_primary