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Why i need a zip file to perform DFU over the air with MCP 3.8.0?

Hi, i can say that i'm familiarized with nrf51 devices from some time ago. Using softdevice 7.1.0 and MCP 3.7.1 i was able to perform a device firmware upgrade using just a single .hex. With master control panel v3.8.0 i start to get some problems when use DFU. Now, instead of input a single .hex file with my application, bootloader or softdevice i need to give a zip file containing files that, honestly, i don't why they are needed.

So, my question is why Nordic have done this harder to accomplish?

  • we took the initiative to find a common format to be used in the different Nordic tools for DFU (SDK, mobile apps, PC applications) because it was starting to diverge into many different solutions.

    mobile apps was the first solution to start using zip file and the reason for using a zip instead of just hex is that the DFU from SDK has been getting more features for each release, in the beginning it just supported DFU of application so it was just a simple hex then bootloader and softdevice DFU was added and a combination of these, as well as the option of specifying a required version of softdevice etc. all this meant that one single hex was not enough, and we chose to solve it by using a zip that contains all required hex/bin files as well as a manifest that gives all required metainformation

    Also signing/encryption will be supported in later DFU versions, and that the zip format is ready to support that.

    However, we will look at adding the option of the user giving just a hex file if it's just the application that's being updated, to make it easier. if it's softdevice update etc. then the zip format will have to be used

  • Thanks for replying. As you have sated, i see a lot of advantages in using the zip format for uploading a complete flash image. From the point of view of an application developer (at least me), having to add the application to a zip file every time i want to test it is a little boring. So, adding the option for upload just the .hex with the application it will be very useful. (I mean this for remote devices where debug tools cannot be used)

  • The team promised that the option to upload just the hex file will be added in the future.

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