How to create customized software to program boards via bluetooth on nRF Connect

[karenl]

Hi, I'd like to add that "BLE capabilities for nRF Connect" to my customized software in the dongle, is there an example code or a template which I can add to my customized code such that it can do that? Because when I tried using the dfu sample codes that come with the SDK 17.1.0, I was stilled asked to program the device to something else.

[Einarh]

Hello

Can you please explain more clearly exactly what you want your program to do?

I'd like to add that "BLE capabilities for nRF Connect" to my customized software in the dongle

It's not really clear to me what you mean by this.

Best regards,

Einar

[karenl]

Hi Einar,

I've that quote from this post:  Example for Performing OTA DFU from NRF52840 Dongle to NRF52 peripheral ?

What I'd like to do is to use the dongle to transfer data via Bluetooth from my peripheral device to the computer (meaning I have my customized software on the dongle) while also using it to upgrade my firmware on the peripheral device when it needs upgrading. Because currently if I need to use the dongle to upgrade the firmware on the peripheral device, I need to reprogram the dongle with a special firmware from Nordic, and then put my own firmware back in afterwards. I would like to use just one firmware to do both. If that's possible.

Thanks,

[karenl]

Hi Einarh,

Our DK board has finally arrived and I can confirm that at very least, I could follow the instruction and download the provided bin file to the board, and that it can actually connect to the computer afterwards. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the generated zephyr.bin file, I could not actually download the generated bin file the error came back as "Unspecified error -1". And the two bin files are not identical. It is very important that the generated file operate the same way as the provided bin file. Otherwise, we can't proof that the source code works.

[Einarh]

karenl said:

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the generated zephyr.bin file, I could not actually download the generated bin file the error came back as "Unspecified error -1"

How exactly do you generate it and please share the full log output.

-Einar

[karenl]

The build was generated by opening the central_smp_client_dfu folder. At the NRF for VS code page, I selected nRF connect 2.0.0 as suggested by the instruction. And I clicked pristine build under "ACTIONS".

There is nothing at the output terminal, one warning that says "__ASSERT() statements are globally ENABLED". But a bin file is generated none the less as zephyr.bin. There is another one called isrList.bin which I didn't use.

[Einarh]

By log output I meant the log in the programmer that gave you the error.

But I don't think that will be necessary as I see you are building for the nRF52840 DK, while you will probably want to build for the nRF52840 dongle instead.

-Einar

[karenl]

Hi Einarh,

Thanks for your reply, I was building for the nRF52840 because I was trying to follow the instruction here: https://github.com/simon-iversen/ncs_samples/tree/master/central_smp_client_dfu and I was using a development kid as per the example. I did end up being able to program the client part after a few tries.

Unfortunately I was still having troubling recreating the server side. 

"Build and program the sample \zephyr\samples\subsys\mgmt\mcumgr\smp_svr to nRF52840DK_server with the Kconfig fragment \smp_svr\overlay-bt.conf applied"

I kept trying to install and use "west" but couldn't because of this error: File "C:\Python311\Lib\re\_parser.py", line 841, in _parse
raise source.error('global flags not at the start '
re.error: global flags not at the start of the expression at position 9" 
while installing the requirements described in this page https://docs.zephyrproject.org/3.2.0/develop/getting_started/index.html (It's also described in this nordic page (https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/1.7.0/nrf/gs_installing.html#install-additional-python-dependencies):
pip install -r %HOMEPATH%\zephyrproject\zephyr\scripts\requirements.txt 
This happened regardless of whether I was using a virtual environment.

Thanks,

[Einarh]

Is there any reason you're trying to install this manually?

I would recommend installing NCS through the Toolchain Manager in nRF Connect for Desktop.

https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-tools/nrf-connect-for-desktop

-Einar

[karenl]

Hi Einar,

I've been trying to repeat the example you have suggested. I got stuck in trying to build the server side: (4) "Build and program the sample \zephyr\samples\subsys\mgmt\mcumgr\smp_svr to nRF52840DK_server with the Kconfig fragment \smp_svr\overlay-bt.conf applied"

According to the readme file, I'm supposed to sign the sample image as such:
west sign -t imgtool -- --key bootloader/mcuboot/root-rsa-2048.pem

But I don't have root-rsa-2048.pem, so I tried downloading the source files and compile it following the instructions here:
github.com/.../readme-zephyr.md

But I failed at the ninja command, with the following error:

In file included from ←[01m←[KC:/ncs/v2.1.1/zephyr/include/zephyr/sys/kobject.h:36←[m←[K,
from ←[01m←[KC:/ncs/v2.1.1/zephyr/include/zephyr/kernel_includes.h:41←[m←[K,
from ←[01m←[KC:/ncs/v2.1.1/zephyr/include/zephyr/kernel.h:17←[m←[K,
from ←[01m←[KC:/ncs/v2.1.1/zephyr/arch/arm/core/offsets/offsets_aarch32.c:28←[m←[K,
from ←[01m←[KC:/ncs/v2.1.1/zephyr/arch/arm/core/offsets/offsets.c:9←[m←[K:
←[01m←[KC:/sdk-mcuboot/boot/zephyr/build/zephyr/include/generated/kobj-types-enum.h:50:1:←[m←[K ←[01;31m←[Kerror: ←[m←[Kredeclaration of enumerator '←[01m←[KK_OBJ_DRIVER_FLASH←[m←[K'
50 | ←[01;31m←[KK_OBJ_DRIVER_FLASH←[m←[K,
| ←[01;31m←[K^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~←[m←[K
←[01m←[KC:/sdk-mcuboot/boot/zephyr/build/zephyr/include/generated/kobj-types-enum.h:34:1:←[m←[K ←[01;36m←[Knote: ←[m←[Kprevious definition of '←[01m←[KK_OBJ_DRIVER_FLASH←[m←[K' was here
34 | ←[01;36m←[KK_OBJ_DRIVER_FLASH←[m←[K,
| ←[01;36m←[K^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~←[m←[K
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

I had a lot of duplicated definitions, but they are all defined in generated files, so I can't just remove them.
Do you know how I can solve this issue?

Thanks,

[Einarh]

Hi

karenl said:

so I tried downloading the source files and compile it

This doesn't sound like a good idea, and I would expect errors like the ones you are getting.

Instead I would recommend looking at how to generate keys in the documentation you linked:

https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-mcuboot/blob/main/docs/readme-zephyr.md#generating-a-new-keypair

-Einar

[karenl]

Thanks Einarh,

I tried it on both Windows and Linux machines. While mcumgr echo command (

sudo mcumgr --conntype ble --connstring ctlr_name=hci0,peer_name='Zephyr' echo hello) from

 https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/1.7.1/zephyr/samples/subsys/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_svr/README.html on Windows replied with a message saying Windows does not support mcumgr. (As expected) Linux couldn't get a response from the development board and said it could not get a response in 10s. I followed every step of the instructions on that page. Installed everything asked. Everything seemed fine up to that point. I tested with the Nrf connect phone app, and was not able to pick up the dev board from the scan. Can you think of any reason why that would be? Is there any test I can do to sort that out? Or could you share a binary/hex file that works so that I can at least check my set up?

Thanks and Regards,

Karen

[Einarh]

Hi

It's hard to say without more information and context.

What page are you following instructions on?

What exactly are you trying to achieve at this point?

What things did you test that worked correctly before you encountered this unexpected behavior?

What NCS version are you using at this point?

-Einar