Read nRF5340 Network Core "FW_INFO" from the App Core

[blake-bit]

Hello Devzone,

How can the nRF5340 App core read the "version number" of the image flashed to the Network Core, e.g. the FW_INFO fields, or something similar?

I am using NCS 1.9.1.

I am able to manually dump and examine the Network core's binary file and see that I can indeed change the FW_INFO version number by adding CONFIG_FW_INFO_FIRMWARE_VERSION=1234 to my child_image/hci_rpmsg.conf file, but I am unsure as to how the App core can obtain that value at runtime.

When CONFIG_BT_DEBUG is set, the calls to  bt_hci_cmd_send_sync(BT_HCI_OP_VS_READ_VERSION_INFO, NULL, &rsp) seem to return junk data, see below.

[00:00:00.642,761] <inf> bt_hci_core : HW Platform: Nordic Semiconductor (0x0002)
[00:00:00.655,426] <inf> bt_hci_core : HW Variant: nRF53x (0x0003)
[00:00:00.666,503] <inf> bt_hci_core : Firmware: Standard Bluetooth controller (0x00) Version 14.50663 Build 1008232294
[00:00:00.684,448] <inf> bt_hci_core : Identity: FC:DB:21:36:D2:52 (random)
[00:00:00.696,563] <inf> bt_hci_core : HCI: version 5.2 (0x0b) revision 0x22fe, manufacturer 0x0059
[00:00:00.711,212] <inf> bt_hci_core : LMP: version 5.2 (0x0b) subver 0x22fe

I don't believe that these are valid values for: Version 14.50663 Build 1008232294.

I tried hacking where those values seem to be set here in vs_read_version_info() at https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-zephyr/blob/d6cd4fc1ceec4bb41c217709c373e5b9ffd05e51/subsys/bluetooth/controller/hci/hci.c#L4555 but the values did not change when I rebuilt and reflashed the network core. Are they controlled/set somewhere else?

I also saw this defined BT_VS_CMD_BIT_READ_BUILD_INFO, but didn't see anywhere that this command type/enum is handled. I attempted to make the HCI call with this command but it failed with: 
[00:00:00.665,740] <wrn> bt_hci_core : opcode 0xfc08 status 0x01
Is this command implemented?

How can I set some kind of version information in the Network Core image and then read that back at runtime from the Application Core?

Thank you for any guidance

[dejans]

Hi,

I'll look into it. I'll get back to you tomorrow.

Best regards,
Dejan

[dejans]

Hi,

I have asked internally. I'll get back to you when I get new information.

Best regards,
Dejan

[dejans]

Hi,

It should not be possible to read information written in the network core from the application core at runtime.

For the second question, it is not expected for values that you mentioned to change. BT_HCI_OP_VS_READ_VERSION_INFO calls vs_read_version_info here. BT_HCI_VS_HW_PLAT and BT_HCI_HW_VAR relate to the board. Kernel variables are defined here.

You could try command BT_HCI_OP_VS_READ_BUILD_INFO? This should return "Zephyr OS v" \ KERNEL_VERSION_STRING CONFIG_BT_CTLR_HCI_VS_BUILD_INFO if  CONFIG_BT_CTLR_HCI_VS_BUILD_INFO has been set in your configuration file.

Best regards,
Dejan

[blake-bit]

Hello,

Correct, I am aware the two Cores cannot read each other's flash data, thus a HCI command will have to be used.

Ok, the BT_HCI_OP_VS_READ_VERSION_INFO command seems to be fixed from the nrfx pre-compiled library and cannot be changed.

I did try the command you suggested as I noted in my original question, but re-trying today I still get a failed response as I saw before:

blake-bit said:

I also saw this defined BT_VS_CMD_BIT_READ_BUILD_INFO, but didn't see anywhere that this command type/enum is handled. I attempted to make the HCI call with this command but it failed with: 
[00:00:00.665,740] <wrn> bt_hci_core : opcode 0xfc08 status 0x01
Is this command implemented?

Can you tell me how to configure the BLE controller to be able to respond to this command? Or where the code in the controller is that populates the data to respond to this command - I could not find it?

Thanks.

[dejans]

Hi,

You should include CONFIG_BT_HCI_VS_EXT=y configuration option.

The code for populating the data is located in hci.c file.

Best regards,
Dejan