The Buttonless DFU Template Application is not working on a custom board

[Vu]

Hi,

I am currently working on a custom product that uses module BMD-300 from u-blox, which has nrf52382 chip in it. My application works fine and now I want to integrate the Secure DFU function into it. I programmed the board with the DFU test image sd_s132_bootloader_buttonless_with_setting_page_dfu_secure_ble_debug_without_bonds.hex but I could not see it advertising when I scan for devices on nrf Connect. Does anyone know what problem could cause it to not advertising? I am using sdk v15.0.0.

Thank you in advance.

[Turbo J]

The BMD-300 lacks the 32768 Hz RTC (LFXO) quarz crystal that most Nordic examples require. You need to change the LF clock configuration in the source code and recompile - or populate the quarz circuit on XTAL1/XTAL2.

[Vu]

I tried your suggestion but the problem still exists. I followed the instruction on this link Add Nordic DFU to SDK Example from u-blox, and then changed the clock configuration afterward, but I still could not see it on the nRF Connect Scanner.

Now I think the custom board may behave different than the eval board, so I go straight into modify my firmware, which I know is working, and the scanner can see the device. After following the instruction on the link above, I can connect to it through nRF Connect and see the DFU service, but the device is frozen after a few seconds. Same thing happened when I use nRF Connect on Android. The nRF Connect on iOS, on the other hand, can connect to the device without any problem, but it doesn't see the DFU service.

I know these maybe 2 different problems, but I just want to put it here in case you (or anybody) know the answer for the problems.

[Vu]

Can I test the bootloader without my application hex file? If yes, how can I do it? Without the application, nRF Connect cannot find the board with scanner.

Thanks,

Vu

[Edvin]

Yes, If you program the softdevice and the bootloader, but no application, it should advertise as "DfuTarg". If it doesn't, try to program the _debug project from the same folder (dfu\secure_bootloader\pca10040_uart_debug).

Look at the log from the bootloader's _debug project and see what it says. It is also possible to disable optimization and debug the bootloader's _debug project.

[Vu]

00> <info> app: Inside main
00> <debug> app: In nrf_bootloader_init
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_settings: Calling nrf_dfu_settings_init()...
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: Initializing nrf_fstorage_nvmc backend.
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_settings: Resetting bootloader settings.
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_settings: Writing settings...
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_settings: Erasing old settings at: 0x0007F000
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: nrf_fstorage_erase(addr=0x0x0007F000, len=1 pages), queue usage: 0
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: Flash erase success: addr=0x0007F000, pending 0
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: nrf_fstorage_write(addr=0x0007F000, src=0x200092A4, len=440 bytes), queue usage: 1
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: Flash write success: addr=0x0007F000, pending 0
00> <debug> app: Enter nrf_bootloader_fw_activate
00> <info> app: No firmwareto activate.
00> <debug> app: Enter nrf_dfu_app_is_valid
00> <debug> app: Return false in valid app check
00> <debug> app: DFU mode because app is not valid.
00> <info> nrf_bootloader_wdt: WDT is not enabled
00> <debug> app: in weak nrf_dfu_init_user
00> <info> app_timer: <info> app: Inside main
00> <debug> app: In nrf_bootloader_init
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_settings: Calling nrf_dfu_settings_init()...
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: Initializing nrf_fstorage_nvmc backend.
00> <debug> app: Enter nrf_bootloader_fw_activate
00> <info> app: No firmware to activate.
00> <debug> app: Enter nrf_dfu_app_is_valid
00> <debug> app: Return false in valid app check
00> <debug> app: DFU mode because app is not valid.
00> <info> nrf_bootloader_wdt: WDT is not enabled
00> <debug> app: in weak nrf_dfu_init_user
00> <info> app_timer: RTC: initialized.
00> <info> app: Entering DFU mode.
00> <debug> app: Initializing transports (found: 1)
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Initializing BLE DFU transport
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Setting up vector table: 0x00072000
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Enabling SoftDevice.
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Configuring BLE stack.
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Enabling the BLE stack.
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: No advertising name found
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Using default advertising name
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: Advertising...
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_ble: BLE DFU transport initialized.
00> <debug> nrf_dfu_flash: Initializing nrf_fstorage_sd backend.
00> <debug> app: Enter main loop

Here is the log when I run the _debug project. I still can't see the Dfu Targ device when scanning on nRF Connect

[Vu]

Now when I rerun it I got an error

00> <error> app: Fatal error at line 61 in F:\2790_002\sdk\components\libraries\util\app_error_weak.c

Tracing in the code, line 61 is in the function __WEAK void app_error_fault_handler(uint32_t id, uint32_t pc, uint32_t info), which is called in sd_softdevice_enable(&clock_lf_cfg, app_error_fault_handler) or __WEAK void assert_nrf_callback(uint16_t line_num, const uint8_t * file_name). The clock is set as follow:

nrf_clock_lf_cfg_t const clock_lf_cfg =
{
.source = NRF_CLOCK_LF_SRC_RC ,
.rc_ctiv = 0,
.rc_temp_ctiv = 0,
.accuracy = NRF_CLOCK_LF_ACCURACY_500_PPM
};

[Edvin]

Try setting:

NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_RC_CTIV = 16 and

NRF_SDH_CLOCK_LF_RC_TEMP_CTIV = 2 in sdk_config.h of your bootloader project.

You should set these equal to what you set them to in your application's sdk_config.h file.

[Vu]

Thank you, my bootloader works now. But my application still freeze after connect on nRF Connect on PC (I haven't even tried to connect to DFU yet). On iOS, I can connect to nRF Connect without freezing, but cannot get into DFU mode. What do you think could cause the problem?

[Vu]

[Vu]

Here is where it stops when I try program the device through DFU. If I hit "Connect", it will reconnect to the device like normal and I have to restart the whole process.

[Edvin]

Do you know whether it is the bootloader or the application that freezes? Try monitoring the log on both.

Try to monitor the log in the _debug bootloader project. What does it say? Did it change after you changed the LFCLOCK settings?

[Vu]

Update: So now everything works with nRF Connect on iOS. I can get the device to go into DFU mode and reprogram it.

The problem still is that it freezes after connected to nRF Connect on PC. I don't think this problem is related to the DFU function as I haven't even tried to go into DFU mode after the connection. What is the difference between nRF Connect on iOS vs on PC?