Feature request: nRF Sniffer buttonless DFU

[Matias Karhumaa]

Hello,

We are using nRF sniffers in CI environment for troubleshooting Bluetooth LE related problems. Since we are adding more and more sniffers, it would be really helpful if the nRF sniffer firmware would support buttonless DFU similarly than how pc-ble-driver connectivity firmware does.

Currently updating the firmware of nRF sniffer requires manual work from us as someone needs to go and press the button to trigger to the bootloader mode.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Buttonless DFU requires SoftDevice + DFU application. Something we are not using in the sniffer firmware.

Regards,
Amanda

[Matias Karhumaa]

Yes, understood. That is why I opened this feature request. :) I hope in future the sniffer firmware would have some kind of way to trigger it to bootloader mode without physically pressing the button. It does not necessarily be the exactly same way than in connectivity firmware.

[Joakim Andersson]

It is the need to do a button press that is what you want to get rid of, right?

Adding the buttonless DFU like the pc-ble-driver has is doing DFU over Bluetooth.
Simultaneous Bluetooth and Sniffer is not possible without compromising the usability of the Sniffer.

There are other ways to get around the button press though, if all you need is something that is scriptable?

The nrf52840 dongle is the only board that has this requirement.
Using a nrf5240 DK and attaching the USB cable is an alternative.

[Matias Karhumaa]

Hi Joakim and thank your for your response!

Seems I misused the term "buttonless" here, sorry about that. I wasn't aware there is such a thing as Buttonless Secure DFU Service.

What I'm really looking for is roughly similar behavior than with Nordic's DFU trigger library provides when using pc-ble-driver's connectivity firmware on nRF52840 dongle. Scriptable nRF sniffer firmware update with nRF52840 dongle is exactly what we would need.