Firmware Update over UART Interface

[Jatala]

Hello,

Background: I have a custom board that contains nRF52832 module and exposes UART pins (RX, TX, RTS, CTS). I have developed an application using nRF5 SDK v17.0.2. The application does not use any so -called SoftDevice.

Objective: I want to develop a mechanism to update the application firmware of on the nRF52832 module over the UART interface from another micro-controller.

Seeking Help: After searching through the SDK and the forum, it looks like I have to use libraries under Bootloader and DFU modules But I am still confused which components to use and in what order. On the nRF52832 module, do I need to program, as part of my application, routines to receive and process DFU commands/data packets. I am also using the same UART port to exchange application data (from sensors attached sensors )  with the other micro-controller.

I would appreciate any help that can get me started on the right path to achieve the objective.

[Hung Bui]

Hi Jatala, 

I would suggest you to get started with our uart bootloader located inside examples\dfu folder. There are 2 options, secured DFU and open DFU. It depends on your need you can choose to use one. 

The DFU example allow you to do DFU via UART from either PC (nrfutil.exe on PC) or from external MCU (official example is not included). 

I have made an example of doing DFU from one MCU to another MCU here.

I would suggest to get familiar with these resource first, so that you can do DFU from one MCU to another MCU. 

What's missing here is to combine that to your application. What you want to achieve may be accomplished by implementing a command to switch from your application to the bootloader and from there the bootloader can receive the image and update the application. The limitation is that your application will be stopped when the bootloader receiving the image. But the advantage is that you only need to switch to the bootloader, and don't need to modify anything. 
Another option is to implement background DFU where your application will receive the image and then only switch to the bootloader to swap the image. This would require some implement on your application code to receive image that we don't have example code for now. 

Note that the bootloader, when not to be used with the softdevice would need the MBR to be flashed to run. Please refer to the bootloader documentation. 

[Jatala]

Hi Hung,

Thanks for the insight. I will go though the sources that you have pointed out and will come back to this thread if stumbled upon any issue.

The first approach seems simpler to implement. "...implementing a command to switch from your application to the bootloader and from there the bootloader can receive the image and update the application", so in this case, the bootloader will be responsible to receive the application over the UART. But how the configuration and registration of the UART will be handled. I suppose it has to done from my application, right?

[Hung Bui]

Hi, 
Please check your  mergehex.exe, because when I did exact command you used: 
mergehex --merge bootloader_setting.hex bootloader.hex app.hex --output allmerged.hex

I got a allmerged2.hex and I can flash withour any problem. 

However, there is an issue that you don't flash the MBR. I mentioned in the previous reply, if you don't flash the softdevice you need to flash the MBR (located at \components\softdevice\mbr\hex) . It's the piece of code that execute the bootloader instead of the application when the device booting up. 

And also you need to move your application to address 0x1000 when you use it with the MBR, please have a look at the Blinky example which we has the MBR version: \examples\peripheral\blinky\pca10040\mbr

[Jatala]

Thanks Hung,

- As I reported in my last two posts. The flashing of allmerged.hex file works with 'nrfjprog --reset --program allmerged.hex --family NRF52 --sectoranduicrerase' command. But when the same file is opened with the Programmer tool in nRF Connect app, gives error message "Overlapping data around address ....".

- For the MBR, I just take the hex file from \components\softdevice\mbr\hex and merge it with the others and then flash the result, right?

- Moving application to address 0x1000, I suppose I need to specify this in the Linker settings (Segger Embedded Studio) of application, very much like it is done in the configuration of  \examples\peripheral\blinky\pca10040\mbr

[Hung Bui]

Hi  Jatala, 
Sorry that I forgot to attach the allmerged2.hex. 
I reattached it here, with the allmerged.hex that you generated. There are some slight different (you can use Notepad++ to compare the 2 hex files) 
So I strongly suggest you to check the mergehex version you are using. 

Please don't use nRF COnnect app for DFU and bootloader project, please use nrfjprog.exe 

You don't even need to use merge hex.

 

Jatala said:

- For the MBR, I just take the hex file from \components\softdevice\mbr\hex and merge it with the others and then flash the result, right?

- Moving application to address 0x1000, I suppose I need to specify this in the Linker settings (Segger Embedded Studio) of application, very much like it is done in the configuration of  \examples\peripheral\blinky\pca10040\mbr

 => Correct.

allmerged2.hex

8865.allmerged.hex

[Jatala]

Thanks Hung for all the help. Flashing the merged file works and booloader is successfully entered in DFU mode from my application by resetting the bit of the relevant register and softrest. Now I will attempt the DFU over UART.

[Jatala]

Hi Hung,

I generated DFU .zip package for an updated version of application:

nrfutil pkg generate --hw-version 52 --application-version 1 --application appnew.hex --sd-req 0xFF --key-file my_private_key.key app_dfu_package_new.zip

But when tried to do DFU with 'nrfutil dfu serial' command, I get the following error  'Extended Error 0x07: The array of supported SoftDevices for the update does not contain the FWID of the current SoftDevice', although I am not using any softdevice. Any idea how to resolve this problem.

Complete log of the  command 'nrfutil dfu serial' here:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/pi/.local/bin/nrfutil", line 10, in <module>
    sys.exit(cli())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/click/core.py", line 764, in __call__
    return self.main(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/click/core.py", line 717, in main
    rv = self.invoke(ctx)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/click/core.py", line 1137, in invoke
    return _process_result(sub_ctx.command.invoke(sub_ctx))
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/click/core.py", line 1137, in invoke
    return _process_result(sub_ctx.command.invoke(sub_ctx))
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/click/core.py", line 956, in invoke
    return ctx.invoke(self.callback, **ctx.params)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/click/core.py", line 555, in invoke
    return callback(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/__main__.py", line 1042, in serial
    timeout)
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/__main__.py", line 956, in do_serial
    dfu.dfu_send_images()
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/dfu/dfu.py", line 129, in dfu_send_images
    self._dfu_send_image(self.manifest.application)
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/dfu/dfu.py", line 97, in _dfu_send_image
    self.dfu_transport.send_init_packet(data)
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/dfu/dfu_transport_serial.py", line 256, in send_init_packet
    self.__execute()
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/dfu/dfu_transport_serial.py", line 421, in __execute
    self.__get_response(DfuTransportSerial.OP_CODE['Execute'])
  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/nordicsemi/dfu/dfu_transport_serial.py", line 502, in __get_response
    raise NordicSemiException('Extended Error 0x{:02X}: {}'.format(resp[3], data))
pc_ble_driver_py.exceptions.NordicSemiException: Extended Error 0x07: The array of supported SoftDevices for the update does not contain the FWID of the current SoftDevice.