NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 14:15:37 GMT

What are your symptoms?

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

Capitillar — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 15:32:22 GMT

Has anyone solved this issue? I'm trying to combine the GFX and SAADC examples in SDK v16 and this old config file problem with SPI is giving me lots of problems.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:56:12 GMT

Are you saying that the SPI Master Example and SPI Slave Example are not working out of the box?

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

lelisele — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 20:46:58 GMT

That is incredible !!!!!! I'm trying to implement one stupid SPI interface to transfer 32 bits and it is impossible to find working example. Even from SDK16 doesn't work with the same errors. Since few hours I'm playing with nrf_drv, nrfx_spi, nrfx_spim etc. I've one version for 8 bits but ..... for huge file ....

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

Felix — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 00:34:52 GMT

This issue is still here with SDK 16.0; I have wasted a lot of time this.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 15:23:45 GMT

Oh yeah, that was a bad typo :/

"Will your modification be added to future SDK releases?"
- I've notified the developers.

"Does the nrf_drv_spi code actually support EasyDMA Lists for SPIM3, and the extended SPIM features of hardware SS control the way the NRFX drivers do?"
- the array list is HW controlled so I think the driver should work with it, there's just no API for it. You'll have to turn it on via the HAL.

"How do we work-around the fact that the type nrf_drv_spi_config_t doesn't contained the necessary extended configuration parameters (use_hw_ss, dcx_pin, etc) that the nrfx_spim_config_t type does."
- I suggest you use the NRFX driver or rely on the HAL.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

Nicholas Lee — Tue, 28 May 2019 16:05:32 GMT

Interesting.
I have questions

I'm guessing that line 4 of that was supposed to say NRFX_SPI3_ENABLED rather than the typo NRFX_SPI2_ENABLED?

Will your modification be added to future SDK releases?

Does the nrf_drv_spi code actually support EasyDMA Lists for SPIM3, and the extended SPIM features of hardware SS control the way the NRFX drivers do?

How do we work-around the fact that the type nrf_drv_spi_config_t doesn't contained the necessary extended configuration parameters (use_hw_ss, dcx_pin, etc) that the nrfx_spim_config_t type does.

How would EasyDMA Lists be enabled using the nrf_drv_spi library?
Currently I am using the following code to enable it with the NRFX drivers:
// Enable the use of EasyDMA ArrayList
spim3.p_reg->TXD.LIST = 1;

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Tue, 28 May 2019 14:18:15 GMT

You need to add the following code snippet to line 142 of nrf_drv_spi.h:

#if NRFX_CHECK(NRFX_SPIM3_ENABLED)
    #define NRF_DRV_SPI_INSTANCE_3 \
        { 3, { .spim = NRFX_SPIM_INSTANCE(3) }, true }
#elif NRFX_CHECK(NRFX_SPI2_ENABLED)
    #define NRF_DRV_SPI_INSTANCE_3 \
        { 3, { .spi = NRFX_SPI_INSTANCE(3) }, false }
#endif

I used the SPI example from SDK15.3 with the PCA10056 as the target. Enabled NRFX_SPIM3_ENABLED under nRF_Drivers/NRFX_SPIM_ENABLED/ in sdk_config.h.
Then I set SPI_INSTANCE to 3 and compiled successfully.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

Nicholas Lee — Mon, 27 May 2019 12:35:53 GMT

And yet here we are, 8 months later and the #ifdef issue is still in the apply_old_config.h and still causing customers problems.

For example, the "#ifdef SPI_ENABLED" causes the undefine of the NRFX_SPIM_ENABLE, which prevents the use of the NRFX module which is the only code that allows customers to use the SPIM3 hardware. The Legacy nrf libraries don't support SPIM3.

This happens regardless of whether SPI_ENABLED is set to 0 or 1 in sdk_config.h

Only by going into sdk_config.h and commenting out the line defining SPI_ENABLED can this erroneous behaviour be overridden and the NRFX drivers for SPIM3 control be enabled.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 07:55:47 GMT

We're about to release a new series of SDKs called nRF Connect SDK, I believe we will only have the nRFX drivers on those SDKs.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 07:53:32 GMT

Compare your sdk_config.h file with the one in the SPIM example.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

eric-appion — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 15:51:33 GMT

The problem is that almost all of the SDK configuration tests are done using #if, but for no good reason, apply_old_config.h is testing some of the configuration using #ifdef, which evaluates as true even if the define is zero. These #ifdef in apply_old_config.h should be changed to #if. That will not break anything, because #if will still evaluate a configuration as false if it is not defined.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

cp52 — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 15:24:13 GMT

OK well I have all of the above enabled but it is not being picked up in the nrfx_spi.h

line 68 doesnt detect that this has been set to 1.

#if NRFX_CHECK(NRFX_SPI0_ENABLED)
NRFX_SPI0_INST_IDX,
#endif

From my sdk_config.h

Legacy:

#ifndef SPI_ENABLED
#define SPI_ENABLED 1
#endif

// <e> SPI0_ENABLED - Enable SPI0 instance
//==========================================================
#ifndef SPI0_ENABLED
#define SPI0_ENABLED 1
#endif
// <q> SPI0_USE_EASY_DMA - Use EasyDMA

#ifndef SPI0_USE_EASY_DMA
#define SPI0_USE_EASY_DMA 1
#endif

// <e> NRFX_SPI_ENABLED - nrfx_spi - SPI peripheral driver
//==========================================================
#ifndef NRFX_SPI_ENABLED
#define NRFX_SPI_ENABLED 1
#endif
// <q> NRFX_SPI0_ENABLED - Enable SPI0 instance

#ifndef NRFX_SPI0_ENABLED
#define NRFX_SPI0_ENABLED 1
#endif

So it looks like it is now only picking up if I create a nrfx_confg file......... Is this correct?

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

cp52 — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:54:12 GMT

Do you have a plan to fix this?

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:48:10 GMT

You'll have to use the same settings for the NRFX drivers and legacy drivers in the sdk_config.h

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

cp52 — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:29:49 GMT

Any news of this in SDK 15.2?

Looks like its still an issue.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

Eric Smith — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 17:54:34 GMT

I have the same problem, and just spent an hour tracking it down. It is caused by the legacy adapter code in apply_old_config.h, which is included from nrf_glue.h, which is included from nrfx.h, which is included from just about everything peripheral-related.

If you're not using the legacy interface, this should leave your NRFX_SPI0_ENABLED etc. unchanged, but unfortunately it does not. If you don't also have SPI0_ENABLED, it redefines NRFX_SPI0_ENABLED to 0. In my opinion, this is a serious defect in the SDK; using the new NRFX drivers shouldn't require having the legacy defines also set.

The workaround is to define SPI<n>_ENABLED to have the same value as NRFX_SPI<n>_ENABLED, to prevent apply_old_config from changing it.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Wed, 16 May 2018 11:18:45 GMT

I suggest you use the SPI example in SDK 15 and compare the two projects.

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

ndarkness — Mon, 07 May 2018 09:20:02 GMT

Hi haakonsh,

It does not work, I get the same kind of error as described in my post.

Then I don't understand why the documentation of the SDK15 suggest moving to the new drivers,NRFX, if they don't seem to work. Does this mean as well that I should skip including any NRFX library in my application?

RE: NRFX_SPI instantiation fails using NRFX, why?

haakonsh — Fri, 04 May 2018 12:55:02 GMT

Does it work if you use static const nrfx_spi_t spi = NRFX_SPI_INSTANCE(2); instead of SPI_INSTANCE_2?

The nrfx SDK module is a wrapper/translator between our "legacy" SDK and a future nRF Connect SDK. I suggest you use the "legacy" drivers for the time being.