adding Softdevice BLE (S140) with GPIO attached coprocessor to project without softdevice. hardfault calling existing code after Softdevice active

[rexxdad]

I am extending one of Qorvo's UWB platforms.. adding Softdevice BLE functions..  (which work ok) (this is on sdk 17_1_0)

the coprocessor uses a GPIO connected signaling mechanism,  using interrupts..

calling the existing code after BLE is active causes a hardfault.. 

this is running freetos,  we are in a freetos task. 

I've debugged (using ozone) it to  attempting to setup the interrupt handler for the GPIO pins. 

the existing code calls the nrfx libs 

       return qgpio_pin_irq_configure(&qm33_irq, QGPIO_IRQ_DISABLED);  //according to the doc, a gpio interrupt disable shouldn't impact softdevice.. 

```

enum qerr qgpio_pin_irq_configure(const struct qgpio *qgpio_pin, uint32_t flags)

{

nrfx_err_t r;

enum qerr err;

struct qgpio_cb_data *cb_data;

nrfx_gpiote_in_config_t trigger_config;

uint32_t abs_pin = NRF_GPIO_PIN_MAP(qgpio_pin->port, qgpio_pin->pin_number);  // this sets abs_pin = 25 

/* Init GPIOTE at least once. */

if (!nrfx_gpiote_is_init()) {   // this causes the hardfault.   

   r = nrfx_gpiote_init();

   if (r)

   return QERR_EBUSY;

}

if (flags & QGPIO_IRQ_DISABLED) {

   nrfx_gpiote_in_event_disable(abs_pin);

   nrfx_gpiote_in_uninit(abs_pin);

   return QERR_SUCCESS;

}

```

hardfault window
```
The target stopped in HardFault exception state.

Reason: A fault with configurable priority has been escalated to a HardFault exception at 0x00000000.
```

I don't see any mechanism to cause hardfault on a GPIO pin  with SD active. 
if SD is not active this code works as written 

what am I missing

if I run this code BEFORE setup of softdevice, it works, but softdevice init fails. 

[Hung Bui]

Hi Sam, 

You mentioned earlier "if I comment out the 198 anomaly test it hardfaults in the nrfx_spim, irq_handler," 
Could you explain what has been changed ? 
My understanding now is that you have it working both BLE and SPIM3 ? 

Is there any option to use other SPIM instead of SPIM3 ? So that we can avoid errata 198. Please find this note in the SDK's release note (Known issue): 
- The workaround for Anomaly 198 for nRF52840 SPIM3 peripheral
that has been implemented in nrfx_spim cannot be used with a SoftDevice.
Flag NRFX_SPIM3_NRF52840_ANOMALY_198_WORKAROUND_ENABLED must be set to zero.
The workaround based on a dedicated RAM block for SPIM3 must be used instead.

If SPIM3 is a must, then you will have to use the solution to use dedicated RAM block for SPIM3. 

One my coworkers have made an example a few years back. I attached the project (SDK v17.1.0) and the instruction here: 
=========
ble_app_beacon_spim.zip

Look at the flash placement file:

To see how this reserves one RAM block for the SPI, and then in main.c how it allocates the spim buffer to be within this block. 

Then you should use this buffer for your SPI when you initialize it. The softdevice will not touch the allocated ram block.

Give it a go, and let me know how it works in your application. Please note that you can see where this RAM block ends up (this is dynamic). If the application grows too big, then it will go into ram block 8, and things may start to get messy with the callstack and so on. You should see this after compiling:

[rexxdad]

ok, I am now at the spot where I think I have to implement this..  the buffer and link time placement is easy..

usage is not so much

they are using

 

#if NRFX_SPIM_ENABLED
		nrf_spim_enable(spi->type.spim.p_reg);

		const nrfx_spim_xfer_desc_t xfer_desc = { xfer->tx_buf, xfer->tx_size, xfer->rx_buf,
							  xfer->rx_size };
		result = nrfx_spim_xfer(&spi->type.spim, &xfer_desc, xfer->flags);
#else

I don't find any doc on this.(nrfx_spim_xfer) . my assumption is this could be write then read, (depending on flags)
so I set the spim_buffer I created as write from, and copy the write data there, set the read buffer same place, and copy the read data from there to the address specified by caller

[Hung Bui]

Hi Sam, 

It's been a while with nRF5SDK but can you just define 2 dedicated buffers ? One for TX and one for RX ? 

Could you describe exactly the issue you are seeing  by "that didn't work" ?

[rexxdad]

I am using some else's firmware, which is quite complex. they NEED SPIM3 for some reason, undisclosed to me, and no answer on their forum site. 

so I just copied the data from their buffer (on send) and copied the data back to their buffer (on receive)
it should have just worked, transparently..  but the app crashed in different places..

I should note that with NRFX_SPIM3_NRF52840_ANOMALY_198_WORKAROUND_ENABLED set to 0,

AND WITHOUT the workaround code, the firmware works as expected.. 

[Hung Bui]

Hi Sam, 
It's difficult to tell what could be wrong here. We have little information about the firmware from Qorvo. 

rexxdad said:

AND WITHOUT the workaround code, the firmware works as expected.. 

I assume this only applied when the softdevice is not used ?

From what you wrote earlier "they have another package on this card that uses the same build model and mostly source, but with SoftDevice and the setting is off." " .. they use SD 113 (perf only)," I assume that Qorvo has an firmware with softdevice + RTOS +SPIM3 and it works ? 

[rexxdad]

I am using softdevice, s113 on one side and s140 on the other. The s140 has connections to multiple devices concurrently and is broadcasting and scanning extended advertising packets too. All works great so far

yes their firmware to support Apple nearby with their UWB sensors uses FreeRTOS and ble. Not much traffic, but it works, using sd s113

they use SPIM3 to transfer data to/from their UWB chip

[Hung Bui]

Hi Sam, 
We are not so familiar with Qorvo firmware. I don't have further suggestion except for that you can try to debug a little bit more and narrow down the issue and figure out what exactly cause the crash. We have some debugging guide that you can take a look: 
An introduction to error handling in nRF5 projects

 What can cause a Hardfault and how to catch it