Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 10:25:32 GMT

Hi ,

Found no way finally
Manually editing the binaries.
So marking this as closed.

devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../app_5F00_update_5F00_DFU_5F00_v3.bin

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 11:39:57 GMT

I got an idea:

The "-vvv" option to west will make it more verbose, making the build print the command used for creating the binaries.

Can you build both for Zephyr and for the nRF Connect SDK with this?

west -vvv build -p -b <board_name>

Then post the build log for both here using "Insert->Code".

This way, we can compare the generations of the different binaries to try and find the difference.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:49:31 GMT

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image/413721"]What is the point of padding the start of the binary?[/quote]

I have a custom binary signing server, to pass the binaries to the server, I need my binaries to be prepended with zero header.

As it will mark the header.

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 08:16:07 GMT

In that case, it does not look like CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET is what you need.

I think I may need some more information to find another solution here.

What is your end goal?

What is the point of padding the start of the binary?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 10:12:32 GMT

[quote userid="108934" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image/412765"]Please suggest how do I achieve this..?[/quote]

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:45:47 GMT

Hello Sigurd,

I tried all possible combinations and yet as you can see couldn't achieve a binary with 0x00 to 0x200 prepended with zeros and 0x200 onwards having image data.

Please suggest how do I achieve this..?

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 12:12:42 GMT

I suggest that you try to build for different numbers of CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET.
Then you can compare output binaries to test if this is the configuration you were looking for.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 09:19:57 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

Can you please suggest on use of CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:45:11 GMT

Sure will try, Thanks

So It will look like CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET=0x00
Or
CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET=0x200
..?

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:40:16 GMT

I think it could be, but I am not 100% certain.

But I suggest that you give it a try on a development device.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:34:30 GMT

Can I set CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET and my binary will look like LHS binary above?

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:15:22 GMT

Are you looking for CONFIG_FLASH_LOAD_OFFSET?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 06:35:33 GMT

Hello Sigurd,

Sorry, there seems to have been some miscommunication.

2 cases:

1. With the attached image, If image starts at 0x000210 address in memory, you can see the on LHS image that from address 0x00000 up until 000210 there is zeros prepended.!

2. Whereas same image, when built with nCS on vscode, starts with 000000, straight away with data without no prepended zeros. Now I assume linker scripts may copy this at appropriate memory location as it is working.

But my problem is, how do I generate binary as in the first case using nCS VScode..?

Thanks,

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 07:57:12 GMT

From the same hello_world sample mentioned below, I take build/zephyr/zephyr.bin and convert it to hex using bin2hex.py.

bin2hex.py zephyr.bin converted_zephyr.hex

The resulting hex-file also has this padding:

devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../converted_5F00_zephyr.hex

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 06:49:42 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

So now how will I achieve this on my bin files..?

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image/410653"]Aha, so you want to get the Zero padding.[/quote]

Thanks

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:40:09 GMT

Hi,

I realize that you will need a bootloader if you offset the image in flash, as the chip will start at address 0x0000.

If you enable MCUboot in an nRF Connect SDK project, the address off zephyr.hex will be offset:

Here is a sample from zephyr.hex in the hello_world sample with CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT=y:

Does this help?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 08:14:23 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image/410653"]Aha, so you want to get the Zero padding.[/quote]

Yes, This is what I need.

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image/410653"]Do you build with MCUboot for both projects?
Do you see the same issue if you build without MCUboot for both projects?[/quote]

Yes, I tried without mcuboot configured build and found that still generated binaries do not have zero prepended.

Thanks,

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:12:52 GMT

[quote user="Ubaid_M"]Also, I have never used CLI build, please help me where I can fire the commands.[/quote]

For VS Code, press the arrow beside the "+" sign in the terminal view.
Then select "nRF Connect SDK". Now you should get a CLI below to type commands.

[quote user="Ubaid_M"]Now If I build simple LED code, on zephyr RTOS+eclipse, I am getting zero prepended "zephyr.bin".
While for same code if I build on nRF Connect Extension on vscode, I am not getting zero prepended "zephyr.bin".[/quote]

Aha, so you want to get the Zero padding.

Do you build with MCUboot for both projects?
Do you see the same issue if you build without MCUboot for both projects?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 10:07:31 GMT

Hello Sigurd Hellesvik,

Thanks for the info.

The snap of comparision I attached is of zephyr.bin, Sorry I forgot to mention.

[quote userid="108934" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image"]

While the left image below is the binary i generated with just zephyr and no nCS. It clearly has zero padded header.

[/quote]

Now If I build simple LED code, on zephyr RTOS+eclipse, I am getting zero prepended "zephyr.bin".
While for same code if I build on nRF Connect Extension on vscode, I am not getting zero prepended "zephyr.bin".

So, I need to be able to build zero prepended "zephyr.bin" from nRF Connect Extension on vscode.

I am attaching the partition file:

app:
  address: 0xf200
  end_address: 0x70000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x60e00
external_flash:
  address: 0x0
  end_address: 0x100000
  region: external_flash
  size: 0x100000
mcuboot:
  address: 0x0
  end_address: 0xf000
  placement:
    before:
    - mcuboot_primary
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xf000
mcuboot_pad:
  address: 0xf000
  end_address: 0xf200
  placement:
    before:
    - mcuboot_primary_app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x200
mcuboot_primary:
  address: 0xf000
  end_address: 0x6f000
  orig_span: &id001
  - mcuboot_pad
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x60000
  span: *id001
mcuboot_primary_app:
  address: 0xf200
  end_address: 0x6f000
  orig_span: &id002
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x5fe00
  span: *id002
mcuboot_secondary:
  address: 0x0
  device: IS25
  end_address: 0x60000
  placement:
    align:
      start: 0x4
  region: external_flash
  share_size:
  - mcuboot_primary
  size: 0x60000
settings_storage:
  address: 0x70000
  end_address: 0x80000
  placement:
    before:
    - end
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x10000
sram_primary:
  address: 0x20000000
  end_address: 0x20020000
  region: sram_primary
  size: 0x20000

Also, I have never used CLI build, please help me where I can fire the commands.

Thanks,

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 08:02:25 GMT

Hi,

I will assume the file you refer to is build/zephyr/app_update.bin.

Our build system automatically generates this file.
To see the command used to generate this file, you can build using CLI and add "-vvv" to the west command like this:

west -vvv build -p -b nrf52840dk_nrf52840

From my code, the generation looks like this:

[19/24] cd /home/bruk/git/samples_for_nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader_samples/smp/mcuboot_smp_uart/build/modules/mcuboot && /home/bruk/zephyr-sdk-0.15.1/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/arm-zephyr-eabi-objcopy --input-target=ihex --output-target=binary --gap-fill=0xff /home/bruk/git/samples_for_nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader_samples/smp/mcuboot_smp_uart/build/zephyr/mcuboot_primary_app.hex /home/bruk/git/samples_for_nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader_samples/smp/mcuboot_smp_uart/build/zephyr/app_to_sign.bin && /usr/bin/python3.10 /home/bruk/nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader/mcuboot/scripts/imgtool.py sign --key /home/bruk/nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader/mcuboot/root-ec-p256.pem --header-size 0x200 --align 4 --version 0.0.0+0 --pad-header --slot-size 0x7a000 /home/bruk/git/samples_for_nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader_samples/smp/mcuboot_smp_uart/build/zephyr/app_to_sign.bin /home/bruk/git/samples_for_nrf_connect_sdk/bootloader_samples/smp/mcuboot_smp_uart/build/zephyr/app_update.bin

As you can see from this, imgtool generates the binary.

You can try to generate app_update.bin manually from this command and then change arguments to your liking.

Can you also send the contents of the partition_manager_report? Maybe the padding could be related to the partitions?

west build -t partition_manager_report

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Ubaid_M — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 07:10:17 GMT

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/96744/generating-binaries-on-vscode-with-prepended-zeroed-header-to-the-image/410436"]I will look into this and return with more information tomorrow.[/quote]

Yes please,

Thanks

RE: Generating binaries on vscode with prepended zeroed header to the image

Sigurd Hellesvik — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 15:32:23 GMT

Hi Ubaid,

I will look into this and return with more information tomorrow.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik