MCUBoot without Partition Manager

[BenKrug]

Hi, I want to implement DFU on an nRF52832 with a mx25r1635f external flash, originally I implement the partitions and everything using the devicetree since I find it a lot more comfortable to use. I followed this proccess: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/guides/nrf-connect-sdk-guides/b/software/posts/ncs-dfu , but the CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT option enables the partition manager by default, is there a way to use it with the devicetree method for partitions? I saw that most applications on Zephyr do actually use the devicetree instead of the partition manager, so I expect it to be possible, but couldn't find a way to do it.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Which NCS are you using? Is it v2.2.0? If so, You can have .conf and .overly for mcuboot as this example. 

Regards,
Amanda H.

[BenKrug]

Hi, I tried to build the code, but I'm getting a lot of error messages, I tried taking out a couple of config parameters, even after trying many combinations, I still can't make it build. Do you know what config parameters I need to use for the nRF52832 with SPI-NOR flash, not QSPI? 

[Amanda Hsieh]

Unfortunately, the Partition Manager cannot be disabled, but you can use static partitions to modify the memory layout as you desire. See Configuring static partitions and this example. 

-Amanda H.

[BenKrug]

Ok, that's very unfortunate, but if there's no alternative I'll have to use it. So I added the pm.yml file and now I'm having trouble with defining my own partition, it gives this error:

C:\ncs\v2.2.0\nrf\include\flash_map_pm.h:41:22: error: 'PM_lfs1_part_ID' undeclared here (not in a function)
   41 | #define PM_ID(label) PM_##label##_ID
      |                      ^~~
C:\ncs\v2.2.0\nrf\include\flash_map_pm.h:46:35: note: in expansion of macro 'PM_ID'
   46 | #define FIXED_PARTITION_ID(label) PM_ID(label)
      |                                   ^~~~~
c:\Projetos\Smartpet\sirros_smartpet\firmware\Smartpet_NRF52_SDK\src\Sirros_NRF52_configHandler.c:25:32: note: in expansion of macro 'FIXED_PARTITION_ID'
   25 |         .storage_dev = (void *)FIXED_PARTITION_ID(lfs1_part),

The pm.yml file is this:

app:
  address: 0x20200
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xdfe00
mcuboot:
  address: 0x0
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x20000
mcuboot_pad:
  address: 0x20000
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0x200
mcuboot_primary:
  address: 0x20000
  orig_span: &id001
  - mcuboot_pad
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xe0000
  span: *id001
mcuboot_primary_app:
  address: 0x20200
  orig_span: &id002
  - app
  region: flash_primary
  size: 0xdfe00
  span: *id002
mcuboot_primary_1:
  address: 0x0
  size: 0x40000
  device: flash_ctrl
  region: ram_flash
mcuboot_secondary:
  address: 0x00000
  size: 0xe0000
  device: MX25R16
  region: external_flash
mcuboot_secondary_1:
  address: 0xe0000
  size: 0x40000
  device: MX25R16
  region: external_flash
lfs1_part:
  address: 0x120000
  size: 0x6e0000
  device: MX25R16
  region: external_flash

Do you know what I'm doing wrong?

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Are you trying to allocate a separate partition for littleFS? If so, you can take a look at this post. 

The pm_static.yml example is for nRF5340 which has two cores and that might mislead you, so I have updated it for nRF52. I also update my example in the previous reply with the pm_static.yml as 

mcuboot_primary:
    orig_span: &id001
        - mcuboot_pad
        - app
    span: *id001
    address: 0xc000
    size: 0xf2000
    region: flash_primary
mcuboot_primary_app:
    orig_span: &id002
        - app
    span: *id002
    address: 0xc200
    size: 0xf1e00

settings_storage:
    address: 0xfe000
    size: 0x2000
    region: flash_primary

mcuboot_secondary:
    address: 0x0
    size: 0xf2000
    device: MX25R64
    region: external_flash
    

littlefs_storage:
    address: 0xf2000
    size: 0x7000
    device: MX25R64
    region: external_flash
 
external_flash:
   address: 0xf9000
   size: 0x707000
   device: MX25R64
   region: external_flash 

It would look like this

-Amanda H.

[BenKrug]

I made the changes you showed, but now I'm getting this error:

error: 'PM_MCUBOOT_SECONDARY_ID' undeclared (first use in this function); did you mean 'PM_MCUBOOT_PRIMARY_ID'

[BenKrug]

Another thing I'm finding weird is that the flash size is going down to 232kB even though the flash has 512kB, that is making my code overflow the flash in 47kB, but I can't reduce the code any more than I've already done. Is this a bug or is there a configuration I can change to fix that?

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Could you provide the overlay and config files?

The 'PM_MCUBOOT_SECONDARY_ID' undeclared issue is usually caused by the setting inside the overlay. Make sure the overlay has the following section

/ {
	chosen {
		nordic,pm-ext-flash = &mx25r64;
	};
};

BenKrug said:

I'm finding weird is that the flash size is going down to 232kB even though the flash has 512kB, that is making my code overflow the flash in 47kB

Is it possible to provide the log for the overflow?

-Amanda H.

[BenKrug]

It finally compiled!! Now I'm going to test if the basic functions are still working with the partition manager instead of the devicetree. Thank you.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Good to hear that. Happy to help.

-Amanda H.

[BenKrug]

Now I'm having one more problem, the partition for littleFS is getting set as 0x6000, even though on the pm.yml file it's set as 0x7000, I tried to change the value but nothing changed that final result, always get 0x6000.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Check the CONFIG_PM_PARTITION_SIZE_LITTLEFS value. 

-Amanda H.