Debugging nRF51822 project with DFU

[Adam]

Hi,

How to upload and debug application program to the beacon with S110_nRF51822_7.1.0 and bootloader (DFU) using J-LINK? The standard procedure takes into account OTA update with init packet, how to upload this packet using Segger J-Link?

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

Hi Adam

Usually, you would flash the softdevice and the bootloader and then use the Master Control Panel, nRFToolbox for Android or nRFToolbox for IOS to upload your application via BLE, see this thread how to contstruct the init file for SDK 7 bootloader.

If you however want to flash softdevice+bootloader+application all at once with j-link, then you need to combine the three files into one hex file as described on this thread

If you want to debug an application you have uploaded, you do that as normally. The bootloader places the application at the same place in flash as Keil does, so after you upload the application via bootloader, you can open it in Keil, press the debug button and debug as normally. To debug properly, you must remove optimizations from the project and recompile. Just make sure you use the same application to debug in Keil and upload via bootloader.

Here is a thread that describes how to debug the bootloader, but also describes how to remove optimization from a project, i.e. bootloader or application.

[Adam]

Thx for the tips. Could you explain how to prepare app_valid_setting_apply.hex file? Is it always the same, regardless of the project?

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

Yes, it is always the same for all projects. Have tested it with both SDK 7.x and SDK 8.x. See the latest update to the thread for additional information.