https://nordicsemiconductor.github.io/asset-tracker-cloud-docs/v1.5.x/docs/aws/GettingStarted/Flashing.html

Question

Hello, the directions indicate that it is possible to use Windows Subsystem for Linux, and you instruct us to use version 2 of WSL, but I have no access to the COM ports so I cannot flash from WSL -- a severe inconvenience. I read somewhere that only WSL 1 allows access to COM ports. What gives here?

Burt · Accepted Answer

Nice Windows fix -- that error disappeared after I updated. I guess I will close this ticket now. Thanks again, Markus.

Markus Tacker (he/him) · Answer

The System requirements are for getting the cloud components up and running. 
 Since you are on Windows, you can follow the instructions for flashing using nRF Connect for Desktop linked in section 3 here .

Burt · Answer

Thanks, Markus, but I am talking about section 2, just prior to the section 3 you refer to: naturally after having done all the work for getting the cloud components up and running (having used WSL per the instructions and those instructions link to Microsoft's recommendations to use WSL2), I want to provision the certificates using the CLI, like referenced on the page you pointed me to. Now, most of my previous work with the Nordic SDK I have done using a bash shell invoked from the nRF Connect Toolchain Manager. It seems to me, though I have not tested it, the best approach for getting the cloud components up and running would have been to do that in a bash shell, with the proviso that the direnv program will not work. That is a small negative compared to the positive of having access to the USB serial ports from the bash shell. 
 Can you verify my findings and if successful have the documentation for getting the cloud components up and running changed so that future users will have an easier time. In my case, I ended up provisioning the certs. the old fashioned way with LTE Link Monitor but that is more of a nuisance than a more automatic approach.

Burt · Answer

Holy Crap! -- I was able to get that nasty "node cli flash" to work in the msys2 bash environment I start from ToolChain manager. One stumbling block was JLinkExe. They really mean JLinkExe.exe and not JLink.exe. Apparently the SEGGER folks never heard of Java and the JLink command in the Java JDK, etc. I copied SEGGER's JLink.exe to JLinkEXE.exe in directory ~/bin after creating ~/bin as I noticed that directory was in my PATH. Then I just needed to export my correct AWS credentials and I was ready to run the command. I put the certificates into slot 43 and verified afterwards with an AT_Client+LTE Link Monitor that they got there.

However, nothing doing when I try this from a Windows console, can you tell me what is wrong?

C:\Users\Burt\cat-tracker-aws>node cli flash --dk -p COM10 -s 44 --debug -f "/c/ncs/v1.5.0/nrf/applications/asset_tracker_v2/build/zephyr/merged.hex" 352656100392227
An unhandled exception occured!
Exception origin: "uncaughtException"
TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]: The "path" argument must be of type string. Received undefined
at new NodeError (node:internal/errors:329:5)
at validateString (node:internal/validators:129:11)
at Object.resolve (node:path:147:9)
at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Burt\cat-tracker-aws\dist\cli\commands\flash.js:17:28)
at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1092:14)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1121:10)
at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:972:32)
at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:813:14)
at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:996:19)
at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:92:18)
at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Burt\cat-tracker-aws\dist\cli\cli.js:24:17)
at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1092:14)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1121:10)
at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:972:32)
at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:813:14)
at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:996:19) {
code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE'
}

It is really good that the bash shell works. If someone builds using WSL 2, they can then set up cat-tracker-aws in their bash environment, copy the certificate directory from their WSL and their AWS key/secret key also, and make progress. Assuming they have a complete set of directions in the documentation. Well, I guess not really, it was a fun experiment, but it would be quicker to do the old fashioned annoying process with Programmer and LTE Link Monitor.

And then there is always GitHub - inductivekickback/cred: A command line tool for writing credentials to nRF91 devices via the SWD interface which is what I was trying to think of earlier.

https://nordicsemiconductor.github.io/asset-tracker-cloud-docs/v1.5.x/docs/aws/GettingStarted/Flashing.html

Top Replies