Thread DFU support in nRF Connect SDK

[Bhumika]

We have built our application in nRF SDK for Thread and Zigbee. Since nRF SDK for Thread and Zigbee is in maintenance mode now, we plan to move our application to nRF Connect SDK.

With respect to nRF Connect SDK, I have the following queries:

1. Is DFU OTA supported on Thread in nRF Connect SDK?

2. If yes, can I upgrade my current devices which are based on nRF SDK for Thread and Zigbee and are already installed in the field, via DFU OTA to nRF Connect SDK based application?

We understand that Thread 1.2 specs have good features with respect to high-density network performance and low battery consumption. So, should we move our current implementation which is based on nRF SDK for Thread and Zigbee to nRF Connect SDK?

Looking forward to hear from you.

[Simonr]

Hi

1. Yes, in general, DFU in the nRF Connect SDK (NCS) is done by getting the DFU image into the second bootloader partition, then rebooting and letting the bootloader do the swap. I think you should be able to use any network libraries in Zephyr/NCS. You can I.E. download the DFU image using the download client that supports CoAP. It is also integrated in the FOTA download library.

2. No, upgrading from the nRF5 SDK to the nRFConnect SDK will not be a good idea no matter the protocol, as the two SDKs are so different. The nRF Connect SDK is RTOS based, and therefore is fundamentally different. The way to move projects to the nRFConnect SDK would be to reimplement the project/application in the nRFConnect SDK rather than doing a DFU. You'll have to evaluate if that is an option for you or not. If not, it might be best sticking to the nRF5 SDK.

Best regards,

Simon

[Bhumika]

In nRF_SDK_thread, there is one example to demonstrate dfu in openthread.

Is there any similar sample on how to do DFU in Nrf_connect_SDK?