Customizing a bootloader

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 06:47:19 GMT

Hi Juan,

Glad to hear that it solved the problem, thanks for the update. I guess the original SDK example worked because it was built without the DEBUG flag. That means the device will get reset if an error code is passed to the APP_ERROR_HANDLER() macro instead of entering the infinite error loop.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:24:17 GMT

Hi Vidar.

¡You simply got it!

Let me tell you that I am more than shocked with your efficiency and certainly, this deserves a great great reward. Let me think wich one.

Thanks very much for such great work.

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 11:01:21 GMT

It's in main.c:

case APP_UART_COMMUNICATION_ERROR:
     //APP_ERROR_HANDLER(p_event->data.error_communication); <-- remove this line to ignore UART communication errors
break

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:23:14 GMT

I see. But were in within all program should I write this "APP_ERROR_HANDLER(p_event->data.error_communication);" sentence?

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 06:30:13 GMT

Hi Juan,

There's nothing that indicates problems with the power supply. Your application code is running fine except that it seems to be ending up the error handler as I mentioned. I suspect it happens because of an UARTE error condition which is why I asked you to comment the "APP_ERROR_HANDLER(p_event->data.error_communication);" line. An error condition can for instance occur if you have a floating RX input.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 16:26:56 GMT

Hi Vidar.

I took good care in using your modified file and not mine, so the problem should be easy to trace for you, since only you know the changes which were introduced.

If you can't reproduce in your lab this simple, critic and repetitive failure I described, and it only happens to me, this would necessarily mean that the culprit would necessarily be either the module+host PCB I am using myself (NINA-B306 in this case) either the Power supply. The power supply I am using, is a battery from a very recognized Lithium Polimer manufacturer, and the problem also happens if I use a professional power supply, so I would take this reason out of the failure candidates.

Regarding the module, remember that mine works perfectly when instead your file, I program the SDK v15.2.0 original ble-uart app, all this meaning that most probably, the problem comes from any of the code modifications made on your file.

All this said, I will be glad (always with your guidance) to try and discover which is the code line in your file causing the problem, but before, it would be encouraging to know if the problem I described, happens also to you or nor, since I am not fully familiarized with all your code functions, commands and argot etc. and is going to be a tough job. Thanks.

Waiting on your comments,

Best regards

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 06:52:46 GMT

Hi Juan,

It looks like your program is entering the app_error_fault_handler() from the UART callback.

Try to comment out the "APP_ERROR_HANDLER(p_event->data.error_communication);" line for the APP_UART_COMMUNICATION_ERROR event and see if that helps.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 15:27:39 GMT

Hi Vidar.

Here you have the readregs command output snapshot:

This is the snapshot when the module is programmed with your original ble-uart modified file, which presents exactly the same symptoms than the later modified files we built in our own, further modifying few more parameters. Thanks for your help.

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:17:55 GMT

Can you run "nrfjprog--readregs" after you've programmed the FW and post the result here?

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:12:05 GMT

No. I do not

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:01:33 GMT

Hi Juan,

I'm fine, thank you. I kept the default power settings when I created the sample code, but even if I did it should not have had any impact on POR. My guess is that you get a code assertion after boot that causes the program to hang inside the app_error_fault_handler() function. Are you able to debug the application to see if your program reaches main()? Do you have debug logging enabled?

Regards,

Vidar

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 10:06:12 GMT

How are you Vidar?

We have been thoroughly testing your (see above link you sent us some time ago: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/40476/unable-to-convert-to-long-range-after-looking-at-umpteen-examples--/157300#157300) modified ble-uart application in several BLE modules and everything works flawlessly except one marginal problem we hope to be able to solve with your help.
The problem is that all the modules we tested (all from the ublox NINA-B3 family with a nRF52840 SoC inside) running your modified firmware, present an erratic Power-On process (the modules simply don´t switch on, nor transmit anything), whereas when they run a non-modified ble-uart application from the SDK 15.2.0, the problem does not happen. Surprisingly, when the module is being fed from an external power supply and does not switch-on, we can measure a DC consumption of around 6 mA. The problem shows up no matter we feed the module with a power supply or with a battery.
As far, the only way to boot up the module we found is switching on and off the power supply continuously till it does boot ...
We suspect that the problem may be related with the nRF52840 Power Module Unit (PMU) which as you know controls the Power-On Reset and the Module initialization.
My question is. Do you know if some of the modifications which were made on this ble-uart file you sent us were affecting the PMU block? Affecting may be to any of the power mngt library files we've found in the components SDK directory like "nrf_pwr_mgmt.c" or "nrf_pwr_mgmt.h"?
Apart from this, do you have any suggestion to get around this annoying problem?

We would very much appreciate your help.
Thanks so much.
Regards.

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 12:00:14 GMT

Hi Vidar.

Everything is working flawlessly now. Regarding your modified ble_app_uart example and its PHY_CODED modulation, what is the BLE data rate actually set in this case. 125 or 500 kbps?

Thanks.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 22:30:11 GMT

Thanks, Vidar.

By the way. Do you know of any smartphone BT v5.0 PHY_CODED compatible, apart from (I read it somewhere) the ONEPLUS 6?

Thanks

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 07:12:45 GMT

Hi Juan,

You can use the advertising_init() function from the original ble_app_uart example in SDK 15.2.0 if you want to revert back to 1M.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:18:21 GMT

Hi Vidar.

APP_ADV_DURATION is now set to '0' and working fine.

One more thing. If I want to revert your modified ble_app_uart peripheral example to PHY_1MBPS modulation (which I imagine is the one you can scan with a standard dongle), would you please tell me which code statements should I edit? I tried on my own editing 'init.config.ble_adv_primary_phy' and 'init.config.ble_adv_secondary_phy' main.c initialization statements, but obviously with not very much success.

Thanks

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 07:05:32 GMT

Hi Juan,

Did you use the ble_app_uart_c example from my modified SDK on the dongle? You will need a scanner that is set up to scan for CODED_PHY advertisement packets. Otherwise, it won't be able to scan any packets from this peripheral.

[quote user="p143"]Apart from this, if I change APP_ADV_DURATION from "18000" to "0", (as I need permanent advertising), nothing seems to change except that LED 1 stops blinking.[/quote]

In addition to setting APP_ADV_DURATION to '0' you need to change the adv. flag from BLE_GAP_ADV_FLAGS_LE_ONLY_LIMITED_DISC_MODE to BLE_GAP_ADV_FLAGS_LE_ONLY_GENERAL_DISC_MODE in advertising init.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 20:47:40 GMT

Hi Vidar,

Now I have the ble_app_uart example compiled and running on my PCA10056. As expected and according to the main.c source code, Tx_power is set to +8 dBm, the modulation is CODED_PHY, the Device _Name is set to "Nordic_uart", the LED 1 is blinking and I also can read the text "UART Start!" printed on the PuTty terminal emulator running on the computer but unfortunately, the device_name is not being advertised, so I can't connect the module from my nRF52840 USB Dongle to complete the ble_app_uart example test.

If I review the main.c code, I can see an advertising_init(); and also an advertising_start(); statement, but no advertising going on. I tried introducing an adv_start(); just after advertising_init(); since you told me to do so in the past (while discussing about the central & peripheral cli example. See above comments) but the compiler does not accept it.

Apart from this, if I change APP_ADV_DURATION from "18000" to "0", (as I need permanent advertising), nothing seems to change except that LED 1 stops blinking.

Being anyway the advertising matter my main concern, what am I missing?

Any suggestion will be appreciated.

Thanks

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 06:57:55 GMT

Hi Juan,

The modified SDK uses s140 v.6.1.1 already. If you have started with a new SDK copy you can replace the entire "s140" folder with the one from nRF5_SDK_15.2.0_mod (\nRF5_SDK_15.2.0_mod\components\softdevice\s140). nrf_error.h is located in s140/headers.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 23:56:10 GMT

Hi Vidar.

Using the modified SDK you sent to me (see above link) and changing the original S140 with the S140 v6.1.1 you suggested, I get this error while compiling:

Since it seems that the "nrf_error.h" file path is missing, where in the modified SDK folder could I find this header file?

Thanks

Juan

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:31:18 GMT

Hi Vidar.

Hope you had a pleasant Christmass.

After programming in my nRF52840 DK board the ble_app_uart modified example you suggested, let me make a couple of comments.

1/ Using the Segger Embedded Studio IDE I couldn't find the file "ble_m.c" in order to type the "adv_start();" sentence you told me. Instead, I've noticed that there is an "advertising_init();" sentence in the "main.c" file, and even an "advertising_start();" sentence few lines later on the script. If I try to edit this file instead of the"ble_m.c" one, the SES IDE says it doesn't recognize the "adv_start();" sentence but suggest typing "advertising_start() instead;". Then, if I write "advertising_start()" right after "advertising_init()", LED1 goes permanently on, but device_name is not being advertised. If instead I write nothing, and since in the referred modified example you told me, there is already an "advertising_start();" sentence a bit further on in the original script, what I get is LED1 intermittently blinking but again, no device_name being advertised.

2/ To make things harder, with this example I can't open a PuTTY session with the nRF52840 DK board to see what's going on by using CLI commands.

3/ If instead of the modified example I use the standard SDK_v15.2.0 ble_app_interactive you find in the ble_central and peripheral>experimental folder, then I can find the ble_m.c file you mention, LED3 goes permanently on, and everything goes fine as you said but then obviously, PHY is not coded and Tx_Power is not +8dBm (as it would have happened if I would have used the modified example)

As a conclusion, It seems to me that the modified example shall be further edited in order to accept the "adv_start();" sentence. I'm I right? Could you help on that?

In the hope you will be still willing to provide some guidance to me, then I fill we are near to achieve the initially intended goal.

Waiting on your comments,

Thanks in advance.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 18:21:55 GMT

OK OK. Thanks

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 18:14:19 GMT

Hi,

It's a "diff" to show the change I made. Just add the "adv_start();" line after advertising_init(); in ble_m.c at line number ~1872 and it should work.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

p143 — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 16:48:17 GMT

Hi Vidar.

Are you sure we are not missing a starting parenthesis ({) in the script you sent me?

and also, where should I copy this script, at the end of the ble_m.c file script or not matter where in within?

Thanks for your help.

RE: Customizing a bootloader

Vidar Berg — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 08:19:48 GMT

You are not wrong, just add adv_start() here:

+++ b/examples/ble_central_and_peripheral/experimental/ble_app_interactive/ble_m.c
@@ -1872,6 +1872,7 @@ void ble_m_init(void)
     bas_init();
     conn_params_init();
     advertising_init();
+    adv_start();
 }

[quote user="p143"](Post Data. The link https://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/nordic/Products/nRF52840-DK/S140-SD-v6/60625 you provide gives a 404 error )[/quote]

This is a link to our old website, it should have been redirected. Use this one instead: https://www.nordicsemi.com/Software-and-Tools/Software/S140/Download#infotabs