building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Sigurd Hellesvik — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:21:27 GMT

As far as I know, the nRF Connect for VS Code extension does not have any GUI functions (buttons) for flashing specific hex-files.
You should be able to use a terminal from VS Code, so you could call the command I mentioned below in that terminal.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Ubaid_M — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 06:40:43 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

How do I flash this file "build/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex" using VSCode..?

Thanks

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Sigurd Hellesvik — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 09:36:12 GMT

[quote user="Ubaid_M"]How do I flash mcuboot build file using nrfjprog via an attached debugger..?
Please help me with an example..![/quote]

nrfjprog --sectorerase --program build/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Ubaid_M — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 09:10:19 GMT

Thank you Sigurd Hellesvik,

I will look at alternatives 2 & 3 you suggested.

Meanwhile, can you also help me with:

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/86125/building-mcuboot-as-a-separate-hex-bin-file/359933#359933"]1, Using nrfjprog via an attached debugger[/quote]

How do I flash mcuboot build file using nrfjprog via an attached debugger..?
Please help me with an example..!

Thanks,

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Sigurd Hellesvik — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 08:43:12 GMT

You can update the bootloader in multiple ways:

1, Using nrfjprog via an attached debugger

2. Using serial recovery

3. Using an SMP Server

For alternative 2 and 3, you will need another bootloader to run before MCUBoot. This is the nRF Secure Immutable Bootloader (NSIB).
Then you must add MCUBoot as an Upgradable Bootloader.

I made a sample on how to do this using the SMP server for this case.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Ubaid_M — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 17:07:58 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/86125/building-mcuboot-as-a-separate-hex-bin-file/359779#359779"]Why do you need to flash the bootloader alone?[/quote]

Simply put, It is the way my product is supposed to work, There is a software architecture already laid out.

As per that I need to flash mcuboot file independently when the requirement is so.
Likewise flash application file independently when the requirement is so.

Hence kindly suggest how I can flash mcuboot build file on my nordic board.

Thanks,

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Ubaid_M — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 17:07:48 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/86125/building-mcuboot-as-a-separate-hex-bin-file/359779#359779"]Why do you need to flash the bootloader alone?[/quote]

Simply put, It is the way my product is supposed to work, There is an architecture already laid out.

As per that I need to flash mcuboot file independently when the requirement is so.
Likewise flash application file independently when the requirement is so.

Hence kindly suggest how I can flash mcuboot build file on my nordic board.

Thanks,

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Sigurd Hellesvik — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 11:53:24 GMT

To make sure that I do not misunderstand your intention, I have a return question for this:

Why do you need to flash the bootloader alone?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Ubaid_M — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 10:18:54 GMT

Hi Sigurd Hellesvik,

Thanks, that clears things for me.

My follow up question is can I flash mcuboot zephyr.hex on the board...?

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/86125/building-mcuboot-as-a-separate-hex-bin-file/359748#359748"]build/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex: only mcuboot[/quote]

How do I update the mcuboot file on the board..?

Thanks

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Sigurd Hellesvik — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:39:03 GMT

The merged.hex file is the file referenced in Multi-image builds, Default configuration:
"When building the child image from the source or using a prebuilt HEX file, the build system merges the HEX files of both the parent and child image, so that they can be programmed in one single step. This means that you can enable and integrate an additional image just by using the default configuration."

So:

build/zephyr/zephyr.hex: only application

build/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex: only mcuboot

build/zephyr/merged.hex: mcuboot+application

The "west flash" command will flash "build/zephyr/merged.hex" for multi-image builds, and "build/zephyr/zephyr.hex" for single image builds.

For images used for MCUBoot, see Using MCUboot in nRF Connect SDK.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Ubaid_M — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:10:44 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

Thanks, Actually this is what I was looking at.

devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../3833.peripheral_5F00_lbs_5F00_BL653.7z

In the attached project I am building DFU sample app provided by nordic for BL653: devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../ncs-dfu

I have 4 more questions:

1. In this project, at path "peripheral_lbs_BL653\build\zephyr", I am to understand that application build file is present at this location, Does this application build file have mcuboot code as well.?

2. At the path "peripheral_lbs_BL653\build\mcuboot\zephyr", I am to understand that mcuboot build file is present as you said..?

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/86125/building-mcuboot-as-a-separate-hex-bin-file/359602#359602"]build/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex[/quote]

3. mcuboot zephyr.hex is being generated separately at the aforementioned path, Is it getting integrated into the application build file at path "peripheral_lbs_BL653\build\zephyr"...?

4. How can I flash this mcuboot build file found at the path "peripheral_lbs_BL653\build\mcuboot\zephyr" separately into the board..?

Thanks,

Ubaid

RE: building mcuboot as a separate .hex / .bin file

Sigurd Hellesvik — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 12:31:26 GMT

The MCUBoot child image build can be found in the folder build/mcuboot.
The hex file for only mcuboot is therefore located at build/mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex.

Is this what you were looking for?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik