Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

dragilla — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 13:54:45 GMT

Thanks. I don't know how the producct will look like. It depends which way I go. For now I'm trying to keep things simple. It looks I'm going to go with UART for now. I will write an APP for Windows that will connect to my device through UART.

The next step, I think, will be to use 310 softdevice and write an Android app that would use Bluetooth to connect to my device. But I'm not good enough to do it now, and don't have enough time to spare :)

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 13:05:28 GMT

Hi,

What will your device be made of in the end? the nRF51 dongle has an onboard debugger, but I assume you will not have that in your end product? If so, there is no USB. If you need USB, then you should look at for instance the nRF52840. If you want to do this configuration ni production with a debugger attached (same as you have on the nRF51 dongle), then there are a few options: Use UART to transfer data, program a hex that contains your configuration. Finding a way to access the data on the Segger interface IC may be possible but I am not sure, and I have no idea how. If you really want to go down that path I suggest you contact Segger directly.

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 09:51:24 GMT

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file/297017#297017"] I was referring to the link that you provided (about the JLINK storage)[/quote]

This one: https://os.mbed.com/handbook/How-mbed-works#how-the-localfilesystem-works ?

As that's defined by mbed (ie, ARM) it should be independent of the microcontroller used.

Segger should be able to confirm if they have (fully) implemented it:

https://forum.segger.com/index.php/Board/3-J-Link-Flasher-related/

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file/297017#297017"]About RTT and UART - both would require writing a native app[/quote]

Indeed.

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

dragilla — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 20:26:33 GMT

In my previous post I was referring to the link that you provided (about the JLINK storage).

About RTT and UART - both would require writing a native app, because regular users don't what a terminal is. This might be the was it ends, but I'm still hoping to access the storage :)

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

dragilla — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 20:24:03 GMT

Can anyone from Nordic / Segger confirm this is possible and tell me how to do it? :)

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 16:19:15 GMT

There's also RTT - that can do Host-to-Target as well as Target-to-Host

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 16:03:11 GMT

In fact, it looks like you might actually be able to get to the USB MSC storage of the J-Link:

https://os.mbed.com/handbook/How-mbed-works#how-the-localfilesystem-works

(assuming Segger have implemented this?)

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:58:46 GMT

If you've got UART over USB, I'd have thought that'd be the simplest thing to use?

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

dragilla — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:48:01 GMT

Yes, I get UART over USB. I will try and see what I can find in the Jlink API. Thanks

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:35:50 GMT

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file/296932#296932"]"have that write the config info into Flash" - How? [/quote]

Not sure if the J-Link allows just a partial update, or if it will always do a full re-program

EDIT

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file/296932#296932"]As I use the dongle[/quote]

I forget - does the nRF51 dongle give you a UART-over-USB ?

Another idea:

AIUI, the J-Link does have an extensive API - maybe you could look into that?
(you'd have to study the J-Link docs and/or contact Segger about that)

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

dragilla — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:26:54 GMT

Yes, sorry. The device is independent. You just plug it in to the power socket in the wall and it does its job. Its job is communicating via ANT+ and controlling a fan connected to it. So there really is no user interaction here.

The problem is that I need a user to somehow pass some initial information to it. Basically it's 3 numbers (INTs).

As I use the dongle, USB was my first idea - let user plug it into their computer and open a CFG file.

I have UART working (one way so far, as debug)

"have that write the config info into Flash" - How? What is the scenario here from the user perspective?

Thanks

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:06:16 GMT

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file/296914#296914"]most straightforward for a user of my device[/quote]

Knowing nothing about your device or your users, that's pretty much impossible to say

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file/296914#296914"]A mobile app communicating via Bluetooth would be great, but that would be too much of an investment for me[/quote]

So how do users normally communicate with your device? Can't you use that path? What interfaces do you have available?

UART ?

NFC?

If you were happy to use the J-Link, have that write the config info into Flash?

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

dragilla — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:49:59 GMT

So what would be the easiest way to pass configuration to my app? By easiest I mean most straightforward for a user of my device but also not too complicated to implement.

A mobile app communicating via Bluetooth would be great, but that would be too much of an investment for me :)

RE: Use Segger JLink USB drive as means to configure my device through a configuration file

awneil — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:15:28 GMT

[quote userid="6103" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/72186/use-segger-jlink-usb-drive-as-means-to-configure-my-device-through-a-configuration-file"]Can I use this medium to configure my application? [/quote]

No.

The target microcontroller has no access to that storage - it is purely used by the J-Link to receive programming images