RE: Bootloader only update with DFU

Adrian Eggenberger — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 09:50:22 GMT

The SDK 7.1 fixes this issue.

RE: Bootloader only update with DFU

Hung Bui — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 16:38:05 GMT

It's acknowledged as a bug in our DFU example in SDK v7.0. The bug happens when update only bootloader. The symptom is as Adrian described. We have implemented a fix and it will be included in SDK v7.1 that will be release in the next few days.

RE: Bootloader only update with DFU

Adrian Eggenberger — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:34:57 GMT

Thank you for the links. The guide "how to debug bootloader" will be helpfull.

The description in the Softdevice Specification sounds good to me, but my behavior when updating only the bootloader is different. The bootloader reboots to application after the update of the bootloader (bootloader.hex). After a power-cycle the bootloader won't start the application ind remains in the bootloader. Only an update of the application seams to complete the update.

I investigated this issue with the guide for debugging the bootloader and found a misbehaviour of the SDK code when updating the bootloader only.

Setup used:

SDK 6.1
S110 7.0
Bootloader (nrf51822\Board\nrf6310\device_firmware_updates\bootloader\arm) -> modified for debugging (devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../)
Application (nrf51822\Board\pca10001\s110\ble_app_hrs\arm)

Steps to reproduce the failure:

Program the softdevice, the bootloader and the application
Download the ble_app_hrs.hex as application with the nRF51 Toolbox
Restart the device with pressed button to enter DFU mode in bootloader
Download a new bootloader.hex as bootloader with the nRF51 Toolbox
When the bootloader leaves the function "bootloader_dfu_start" the bootloader settings are set to -> Bank0: BANK_VALID_APP / Bank1: BANK_VALID_BOOT
The following check "bootloader_app_is_valid" returns true because Bank0 is BANK_VALID_APP and the application gets started
After a later reboot the settings are still set to -> Bank0: BANK_VALID_APP / Bank1: BANK_VALID_BOOT
The test "bootloader_dfu_sd_in_progress" returns true because Bank1 is BANK_VALID_BOOT
In the function "bootloader_dfu_sd_update_finalize" both banks are set to BANK_INVALID_APP
The bootloader now remians in bootmode because the valid app has been invalidated

RE: Bootloader only update with DFU

Stefan Birnir Sverrisson — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:15:49 GMT

Have you read through the Bootloader chapter in the S110 Softdevice Specification v1.3, in order to know what happens after the bootloader+softdevice hex file is downloaded to the nRF51.

You could debug the bootloader in order to better understand what is going on. The guide on how to enable bootloader debug is here