Flashing firmware to 52840-dongle failed due to “no debugger found” error

[Gultekin]

I have followed the dfu bootloader instructions for dfu secure ble example in both sdk 15.3 and 15.2 versions. I copied pca10056 folder to pca10059 and changed the board definitions accordingly. Used newly generated public keys and compiled with segger ide. 

I have then generated settings file and merged with bootloader. 

When i try to flash with programmer gui from nrfconnect desktop app, by adding softdevice and bootloader I had error saying invalid dfu package. 

When i try to use nrfjprog command line i see error “no attached debugger found error”  

I have also tried to merge softdevice with new bootloader package and tried to flash as above with no success  

finally, i have tried to deploy read dubug samples from both SDKs using nrdconnect desktop app. the images from 15.3 failed with a similar error but i did not get any error when the images from 15.2 is flashed  even though i did not get error i could not see ble advertisement for ota  

what am i doing wrong? Is dongle have specific requirements for firmware updates? Please also add samples for pca10059

let me know if there is any full tutorial or step by step guide for ota on pca10059 nrf52840 dongle version

 

[Sigurd]

Hi,

Gultekin said:

When i try to use nrfjprog command line i see error “no attached debugger found error”  

There is no programmer/debugger on the dongle. We are using the USB bootloader to update new firmware images, so you need to use either nRFConnect Programmer app or nrfutil.

Gultekin said:

what am i doing wrong? Is dongle have specific requirements for firmware updates? Please also add samples for pca10059

let me know if there is any full tutorial or step by step guide for ota on pca10059 nrf52840 dongle version

We have a tutorial on dongle programming here: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/tutorials/b/getting-started/posts/nrf52840-dongle-programming-tutorial

There is already a USB bootloader programmed on the dongle, and you are trying to replace this with a BLE bootloader. In theory it’s possible to update the bootloader, but we have added a restriction on bootloader DFU in the USB dongle bootloader(requires signing). Since the dongle does not have debugger/programmer, and if you replace the existing USB bootloader with a bootloader that is not working, you risk bricking the dongle if you don’t have external debugger to recover. I.e. updates to the bootloader on the dongle is not supported.

[Gultekin]

Thank you Sigurd for the reply

You have said:

There is no programmer/debugger on the dongle. We are using the USB bootloader to update new firmware images, so you need to use either nRFConnect Programmer app or nrfutil.

HG: I have already tried using programmer app as I worte in my initial problem. "When i try to flash with programmer gui from nrfconnect desktop app, by adding softdevice and bootloader I had error saying invalid dfu package."

I have already use that dongle programming tutorials to  run 10056 examples on 10059 board. I need tutorial for OTA since dongle has different requirements.  Initially I have followed the DFU tutorial to generate signing keys., I have used public key in the boot loader DFU BLE app and configured for 10059 board. 

I know how to generate bootloader config file, merge and  sign app and created signed zip file but I could not install it to dongle since the programmer app does not accept zip files. How can I sign the bootloader app that I generated and put onto dongle? I can use an external debugger incase I brick the dongle.by mistake.

I want to learn how to install sample BLE bootloader onto dongle so that I can test OTA for my app versions signed with the same key I was looking for a tutorial for this not for regular programming with dongle.

 

[Sigurd]

Gultekin said:

I want to learn how to install sample BLE bootloader onto dongle so that I can test OTA for my app versions signed with the same key I was looking for a tutorial for this not for regular programming with dongle.

You need external debugger for that.

See this post, quote:

"Bootloader update must come from signed packages. We do not distribute the private key that the public key in the Open Bootloader uses, so the only way to update the bootloader on the nRF52840 dongle is to re-flash using a JLink programmer or the JLink OB programmer on a nRF52xxx DK. You will then have to solder wires to the SWDCLK and SWDIO pads on the nRF52840 Dongle or solder on a 10-pin programming header to the P1 pads. "