NRF51, SDK 12, FDS Issue(s)

[Tanasis!]

Hello,

I am not able to make the FDS work. Here is my setup

• NRF51
• SDK 12.3
• S130 (2.0.1), i.e. s130_nrf51_2.0.1_softdevice.hex
• Using peer manager as well

sdk_config.h:

// <e> FDS_ENABLED - fds - Flash data storage module
//==========================================================
#ifndef FDS_ENABLED
#define FDS_ENABLED 1
#endif
#if  FDS_ENABLED
// <o> FDS_OP_QUEUE_SIZE - Size of the internal queue. 
#ifndef FDS_OP_QUEUE_SIZE
#define FDS_OP_QUEUE_SIZE 5
#endif

// <o> FDS_CHUNK_QUEUE_SIZE - Determines how many @ref fds_record_chunk_t structures can be buffered at any time. 
#ifndef FDS_CHUNK_QUEUE_SIZE
#define FDS_CHUNK_QUEUE_SIZE 8
#endif

// <o> FDS_MAX_USERS - Maximum number of callbacks that can be registered. 
#ifndef FDS_MAX_USERS
#define FDS_MAX_USERS 4
#endif

// <o> FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGES - Number of virtual flash pages to use. 
// <i> One of the virtual pages is reserved by the system for garbage collection.
// <i> Therefore, the minimum is two virtual pages: one page to store data and
// <i> one page to be used by the system for garbage collection. The total amount
// <i> of flash memory that is used by FDS amounts to @ref FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGES
// <i> @ref FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGE_SIZE * 4 bytes.

#ifndef FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGES
#define FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGES 3
#endif

// <o> FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGE_SIZE  - The size of a virtual page of flash memory, expressed in number of 4-byte words.
 

// <i> By default, a virtual page is the same size as a physical page.
// <i> The size of a virtual page must be a multiple of the size of a physical page.
// <256=> 256 
// <512=> 512 
// <1024=> 1024 

#ifndef FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGE_SIZE
#define FDS_VIRTUAL_PAGE_SIZE 256
#endif

#endif //FDS_ENABLED
// </e>

// <e> FSTORAGE_ENABLED - fstorage - Flash storage module
//==========================================================
#ifndef FSTORAGE_ENABLED
#define FSTORAGE_ENABLED 1
#endif
#if  FSTORAGE_ENABLED
// <o> FS_QUEUE_SIZE - Configures the size of the internal queue. 
// <i> Increase this if there are many users, or if it is likely that many
// <i> operation will be queued at once without waiting for the previous operations
// <i> to complete. In general, increase the queue size if you frequently receive
// <i> @ref FS_ERR_QUEUE_FULL errors when calling @ref fs_store or @ref fs_erase.

#ifndef FS_QUEUE_SIZE
#define FS_QUEUE_SIZE 4
#endif

// <o> FS_OP_MAX_RETRIES - Number attempts to execute an operation if the SoftDevice fails. 
// <i> Increase this value if events return the @ref FS_ERR_OPERATION_TIMEOUT
// <i> error often. The SoftDevice may fail to schedule flash access due to high BLE activity.

#ifndef FS_OP_MAX_RETRIES
#define FS_OP_MAX_RETRIES 3
#endif

// <o> FS_MAX_WRITE_SIZE_WORDS - Maximum number of words to be written to flash in a single operation. 
// <i> Tweaking this value can increase the chances of the SoftDevice being
// <i> able to fit flash operations in between radio activity. This value is bound by the
// <i> maximum number of words which the SoftDevice can write to flash in a single call to
// <i> @ref sd_flash_write, which is 256 words for nRF51 ICs and 1024 words for nRF52 ICs.

#ifndef FS_MAX_WRITE_SIZE_WORDS
#define FS_MAX_WRITE_SIZE_WORDS 256
#endif

#endif //FSTORAGE_ENABLED
// </e>

Using basically this example in our application.

What happens:

• Writing doesn't return any error
• However FDS callback is never triggered!
• When trying to read, getting error FDS_ERR_NOT_FOUND when using fds_record_find(). Weird as write, didn't return any error.

As far as I have searched, I have seen some related topics, but not a single answer. E.g.:

• NRF51 SDK 12 - FDS callback - FDS_EVT_WRITE not triggered
• fds_record_write doesn't trigger a FDS_EVT_WRITE event

Any clues? Any debug-direction? Thanks!

EDIT 1:

After doing some debugging my self this what is happening:

FDS:

• queue_process() is called
• which calls write_execute()
• which calls record_header_write_begin(), which returns 0x00 (=FDS_OP_EXECUTING or FDS_SUCCESS)
• I see the next step is: p_op->write.step = FDS_OP_WRITE_RECORD_ID;, but is never executed! Probably because queue_process(result); is never called, because fs_event_handler() in fds.c is never called. But why?

EDIT 2:

I just run the example, just the main.c with SDK 12.3 and it has the exact same behavior...!

[Nguyen Hoan Hoang]

The evt callback only happens after a call to sd_app_evt_wait(); or app_sched_execute(); if scheduler is in use. So you need something like this to get the event.

g_bFdsInitialized = false;

while (g_bFdsInitialized == false)
{
     app_sched_execute();
}

g_bFdsInitialized needs to be set to true in the event handler

[Tanasis!]

Yes, in the main loop, there is the sd_app_evt_wait(); basically

[Nguyen Hoan Hoang]

If you use FDS before initializing peer_manager, you need to do that before you initializing peer. Otherwise it will get stuck.

[Tanasis!]

By default I use it as:

• APP_TIMER_INIT(APP_TIMER_PRESCALER, APP_TIMER_OP_QUEUE_SIZE, NULL);
• buttons_leds_init(&erase_bonds);
• ble_stack_init();
• peer_manager_init(erase_bonds);
• fds use!
• main loop: sd_app_evt_wait(). It "hangs" here waiting for events

I also removed peer manager and did:

• fds_register();
• fds_init();
• fds use!
• main loop: sd_app_evt_wait(). It "hangs" here waiting for events

No luck in either case of course... :( And no errors either...

[Nguyen Hoan Hoang]

My sequence is

fds_register();
fds_init();
wait_event_loop(); // wait for fds init complete
fds use
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main loop