How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Yusuke — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 15:10:45 GMT

Will you sum up the above practice in user manual in the near future? If so, I appreciate it!

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 15:18:34 GMT

Thanks

I need to get all this written in our documentation

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Yusuke — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 14:30:49 GMT

Ok, I made it!

Over in the nrf/samples/nrf9160/spm directory, make a copy of nrf9160_pca10090.overlay renamed to match the new board name.

This is required.

Thank you so much, jbrzozoski!

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 11:33:55 GMT

See the above note I copied it here since I had trouble finding it in this thread

Placed the folder nrf9160_pca20190 into <..>/ncs/zephyr/boards/arm with all the files you provided
Added the following lines of code into <..>\ncs\zephyr\cmake\app\boilerplate.cmake:

if(FIRST_BOILERPLATE_EXECUTION)
.
.
else() # NOT FIRST_BOILERPLATE_EXECUTION
.
.
    set(BOARD nrf9160_pca20035)
    message("Changed board to secure nrf9160_pca20035 (NOT NS)")
  endif()
  
    if(${BOARD} STREQUAL nrf9160_pca20190ns)                     //Added this
    set(BOARD nrf9160_pca20190)                                  //Added this
    message("Changed board to secure nrf9160_pca20035 (NOT NS)") //Added this
  endif()                                                        //Added this
  
  unset(${IMAGE}DTC_OVERLAY_FILE)...
  .
  .
  .

Built and flashed the hello world sample by running the commands "west build -b nrf9160_pca20190ns" and "west flash"

This should solve your problem

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Yusuke — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 07:02:27 GMT

Hi, jbrzozozski and Jeff,

I'm also stuck on the same issue. I'm attempting to build hello_world program on nrf9160_pca20190 custom board file.

How did you fix DTS?

Thank you in advance.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 19:19:26 GMT

Yes I do not trust these tools yet, and do not like how things are scattered about the system. I have more tweeking to do before I am happy with the way projects are set up.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

jbrzozoski — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 19:10:35 GMT

I tend to live on the command line unless I'm using the debugger specifically. That'd be why I couldn't find it. 🙂

If you care, my alternative method is persistent and works for both the command line and SES.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 18:20:04 GMT

The tool is from the menu bar Project->Edit Device Tree. A word of warning the Configure nRF Connect SDK Project settings are lost if you load the project with a clean build directory, I do not Know about the

settings in the Edit Device Tree.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

jbrzozoski — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:29:26 GMT

Figured out an alternative method: the mismatched DTS configs were because there is an overlay specifically targeting boards named nrf9160_pca10090 in the SPM source directory. I just imitated that file and renamed it to match my new board.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

jbrzozoski — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 16:10:18 GMT

[quote userid="27282" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/49719/how-to-create-a-custom-board-file-for-the-nrf9160/199558"]Then I edited the device tree configuration, using the device tree tool, and changed that status of the peripherals that were giving me the errors. The SPM sample then compiled.[/quote]

I'm stuck on this step, and trying to figure out which device tree tool you're talking about. Can you please send me a pointer?

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 12:11:27 GMT

Thanks Simon that is the part I was missing.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Simon — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 20:26:52 GMT

I was able to flash and build a hello world nonsecure example with your custom board by executing these steps:

Placed the folder nrf9160_pca20190 into <..>/ncs/zephyr/boards/arm with all the files you provided
Added the following lines of code into <..>\ncs\zephyr\cmake\app\boilerplate.cmake:

if(FIRST_BOILERPLATE_EXECUTION)
.
.
else() # NOT FIRST_BOILERPLATE_EXECUTION
.
.
    set(BOARD nrf9160_pca20035)
    message("Changed board to secure nrf9160_pca20035 (NOT NS)")
  endif()
  
    if(${BOARD} STREQUAL nrf9160_pca20190ns)                     //Added this
    set(BOARD nrf9160_pca20190)                                  //Added this
    message("Changed board to secure nrf9160_pca20035 (NOT NS)") //Added this
  endif()                                                        //Added this
  
  unset(${IMAGE}DTC_OVERLAY_FILE)...
  .
  .
  .

Built and flashed the hello world sample by running the commands "west build -b nrf9160_pca20190ns" and "west flash"

I might have done some more changes that I have forgotten, but try to execute my steps and see if you are able to make it work.

Best regards,

Simon

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:46:54 GMT

On your advice I tried programming the SPM sample.

When I first tried Programming SPM with the board set to nrf9160_newboard I did get the PWM and UART errors.

Then I edited the device tree configuration, using the device tree tool, and changed that status of the peripherals that were giving me the errors. The SPM sample then compiled.

When I moved back to my hello world test I needed to edit the device tree for that project. However the changes made in the device tree did not affect the errors when compiling.

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Jeff Seaman — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 11:59:51 GMT

I have run the hello world example as a secure application and that works. The problem is when I try to run it as a non-secure application. I am attaching a zip file of the board directory.devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../nrf9160_5F00_cti.zip

RE: How to create a custom board file for the nRF9160

Bjørn Kvaale — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 07:04:18 GMT

Have you remembered to set the Secure Partition Manager to your custom board too? It seems that the SPM example is still using the regular board. I would try opening the SPM example with that custom board, building & then go back to your example & trying that again.