Thread Topology Monitor new version unavailable and old version incompatible with latestSDK

[Eddyl]

I am attempting to run the Thread topology monitor as per

https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/index.jsp?topic=%2Fsdk_tz_v4.1.0%2Fthread_topology_monitor.html

1) First problem is the above refers to nRF_TTM-win32-x64_v0.13.0 and this is not available on the linked https://www.nordicsemi.com/Software-and-Tools/Development-Tools/nRF-Thread-topology-monitor/Download which only wants to offer https://www.nordicsemi.com/-/media/Software-and-other-downloads/Desktop-software/nRF-Thread-topology-monitor/nRFTTMwin32x6401201alpha.zip i.e. 0.12 alpha.

2) Second problem is that attempting to flash

nRF5_SDK_for_Thread_and_Zigbee_v4.1.0_32ce5f8\examples\thread\cli\ftd\usb\hex\nrf52840_xxaa_mbr_pca10059.hex

onto a PCA10059 Dongle using nRF Connect / Programmer fails:

2020-05-04T15:01:25.872Z INFO Performing DFU. This may take a few seconds
2020-05-04T15:01:25.891Z INFO DFU procedure starts. This may take a few seconds.
2020-05-04T15:01:43.880Z INFO DFU for Application completed successfully!
2020-05-04T15:01:43.880Z INFO 0 dfu package(s) left.
2020-05-04T15:01:43.880Z INFO Waiting for device
2020-05-04T15:01:48.882Z ERROR Reopen device failed: Timeout while waiting for device  F338462931F7 to be attached and enumerated
2020-05-04T15:01:48.882Z INFO Nordic DFU Trigger Interface was not found.Please physically reset device.
2020-05-04T15:01:48.884Z ERROR Device not found due to failure during DFU

Now it does seem to program things despite complaining. If I program the blinky example the LED makes exciting colours. If I put the CLI back you can open the serial port and talk to it. I note that unlike the blinky example the CLI firmware does NOT show a mbr coloured block in the programmer - it shows a solid green application section over both regions.

3)Assuming it's programmed correctly and attempting to use topology monitor 0.12 fails with a timeout:

16:13:55.251

Boot up Thread Topology Monitor v0.12.0-1.alpha

16:13:57.296

Serial port COM9 has been successfully opened.

16:14:00.592

Successfully verified Thread CLI device.

16:14:00.594

Configuring Thread CLI device..

16:14:00.607

Successfully configured Thread CLI device. Joining to the network..

16:14:04.692

Successfully joined to the network.

16:14:23.719

Error - No response from Thread CLI device.

16:14:40.717

Error - No response from Thread CLI device.

4)If I find an old dongle that has the CLI programmed from last year all is well - but I've no idea what firmware that is.

Questions:

a)Can you provide a link to the 0.13 topology manager?

b)Is there a problem with the PCA10059 CLI hex file that causes it not to show a bootloader in the programmer?

c)Any other suggestions to make the topology monitor work?

[Eddyl]

Note: going back to 4.0 SDK the programmer still complains and still doesn't show the MBR in a different colour but the CLI hex file does seem to work with the monitor

[Edvin]

Hello,

a) The new release was recently published (together with the SDK), in the end of last week. I have reported that the public link is missing. It will probably come soon. However, in the meantime, the old version should work just fine (I downloaded it and tested now together with the .hex file from SDK4.0.0).

b) not valid

c) yes:

You will get the error when you program the dongle with nrf52840_xxaa_mbr_pca10059.hex using the nRF Connect -> Programmer app. The reason for this is because the USB device will get a new serial number, and appear as a new COM port. The error message in nRF Connect is only saying that the current COM port has stopped responding, which is true. But it doesn't detect that a new COM port has appeared. 

This is an issue with nRF Connect, and not the dongle. It happens whenever you program either an example that doesn't use the USB peripheral at all, or if it will appear as a new COM port.

So, just program the dongle like you did. When the error message appears, just close the COM port that it was using. Then, open nRF_TTM-win32-x64\nRF_TTM.exe, and select the programmed device from the dropdown menu. If it doesn't appear, try to unplug an replug the dongle. If this doesn't work, please let me know.

BR,

Edvin

[Eddyl]

Ok so in terms of what works with what:
nrf_TTM v0.12 + SDK 4.0.0 Works

nrf_TTM v0.13 + SDK 4.1.0 can't test as no link download link yet

nrf_TTM v0.12 + SDK 4.1.0 didn't work for me - did you try that combination? If it works it would enable me to move to the later SD

Also re the programmer - I'm happy that it complains because a new serial number has popped up.  What's more puzzling is whatever logic nRF Connect Programmer is using to colour-code the memory map into app vs bootloader vs mbr - doesn't spot an MBR section for the pre-supplied hex files. Whereas other examples like blink seem to be detected properly. Is this just a quirk of the programmer?

[Edvin]

Hello,

I have not been able to test the 0.13+4.1.0 yet, as the release of 0.13 is on an internal server, which I can't access from the home office. However, if 0.12 works, I would suggest that you just use this for now. I can't imagine that there are any significant changes in the TTM. I suspect that they only updated to 0.13 because of some changes in the example on the cli example.

[Edvin]

FYI:

The 0.13.0 version is available now, and the .hex file that you flash to use this tool is located in the hex folder inside the zip folder. So use this, and not the cli example from the SDK.

BR,

Edvin