Migrating/Porting from SDK8 & S110 to SDK12 & S130

[Aravinth]

Hello Nordic Support Team,

We have a product that uses nrf51422_CE_AA, Revision 3, 256KB ROM, 16KB RAM, PCA10028, SDK 8.0.0, S110. Since there are more than 7000 devices purchased, we deliver Firmware OTA updates to our customers via our iOS/Android/OSX App with buttonless DFU Bootloader (Dual Bank). Our product development started 2 years ago and now our firmware and hardware are mature enough after many revisions. Therefore we are in the stage of performance optimization. Our Firmware is 40KB (nrf-util distribution binary size) excluding Softdevice and Bootloader.

Now we are wishing to migrate/port to SDK v12 and Softdevice S130 because it improves a lot of aspects of the platform from our current SDK v8 and S110. Finally we should deliver the new Softdevice, new Bootloader and new firmware over-the-air to our 7000+ customers without bricking their devices.

Is it recommended to do such a migration with major SDK & SD revision? Our existing DFU Bootloader is dual bank, will it be able to update itself, the Softdevice and the firmware in an atomic process? Do our iOS/Android/OSX App need to update nrf SDK?

Please give us your suggestions.

[Francois]

Also very interested to know :-)

[bjorn-spockeli]

Hi Aravinth,

if the features of the S130 and the new SDK is something that improves your product, then yes, I would recommend migrating.

As you correctly stated, we introduced a new secure bootloader in SDK v12.0.0 which allow you to sign the firmware images. However, this bootloader is considerably larger[~24kB) compared to the legacy bootloader(~15kB), which means that it is not possible to update from the legacy to the secure bootloader unless the size bootloader region was initially set to 24kB. This is becaue the bootloader address that is stored in a UICR register cannot be rewritten without erasing the entire device. Additionally, the Secure Bootloader does not currently support bond sharing or buttonless DFU( only experimental).

Thus, I would recommend porting the legacy bootloader to SDK v12.0.0 and implement bond sharing using the Peer Manager instead of the Device Manager in the application, please see the attached example.

Attachments: nRF5_SDK_11.0.0_dfu_with_pm_310316.zip

Best regards

Bjørn

[Aravinth]

thank you for pointing it out that there is a change in bootloader size. So we will not be migrating because we also have some pages below bootloader settings to persist our custom settings. Probably we migrate the SDK since we face issues with TWI driver as it locks up. All our peripherals (6 Sensors) are using i2c. I'll let you know if there is anything. Thanks once again.

[bjorn-spockeli]

Happy to help :) I would appreciate of you could mark the answer as correct/accepted by clicking the checkmark in the circle to the left of the answer.