Pretty much any MCU is going to include at least one CPU (as does the N1, it is just running the radio stack), but perhaps what you are referring to is the fact that this device has an application core? Also worth noting that there is a nRF7120E variant which includes an NPU[0] as well.
Fun fact: esp-idf includes an x509 Certificate Bundle API[0] that will pull in the entire Mozilla trust store by default. However, they will be stripped unless firmware calls `esp_crt_bundle_attach`. There is an issue[1] tracking removal of the eMudhra root CA certificate.
This is unfortunately accurate, sometimes due to real constraints and more often due to loose threat models. I am hopeful that more open source firmware options (e.g. Zephyr RTOS) and more software investment from silicon vendors is helping to change the status quo. That being said, we are still a long way away from a "Let's Encrypt movement" for embedded devices.
IMO this should always be pushed back against, because it's not a valid excuse. If the hardware is too constrained to support appropriate security then that hardware is not appropriate for the application (or no longer appropriate for the application, as the story often goes).
Nice, thanks for posting the link.
For the people unfamiliar with the Tiny Tapeout program: everyone that gets a copy of the Tiny Tapeout chip will be getting a copy of all the ASICs on the shuttle.
I tried to use picoprobe to debug an nrf52 chip, it failed to even detect it.. All that’s officially supported is using it to debug a raspberry pi, and maybe if I added 100Ohm resistors to the lines I would have had better luck, but.. alas
> I tried to use picoprobe to debug an nrf52 chip, it failed to even detect it
I've literally got a Pi Debug Probe and a nRF52840 dev board on my desk, so I gave it a shot - and it works just fine. Make sure the core is awake when you try to connect for debug, or connect under reset; SWD goes to sleep with the rest of the chip.
> All that’s officially supported is using it to debug a raspberry pi
The Pi Debug Probe is a generic DAPlink probe, and will work for pretty much any Cortex-M part. I routinely use mine for debugging STM32 parts.
'Connect under reset' is an STM32 thing, nrf52840 can't really do that and the probe doesn't use hardware reset pin. Once the MCU is out of pin reset, Ctrl-AP can hold the mcu in soft reset, but that's the standard behavior.
The difference between Pico and Pi Debug Probe are those 100Ω resistors on CLK/DIO lines, so I guess it working for you means I need to try again with resistors soldered.
There's basically zero chance 100Ω resistors are contributing to your issues on a protocol that is host-clocked and can operate in the single kilobaud range.
Lower speed or try one of the other fifty debug firmware projects.
Okay i'm officially a dumbass - looking at the pinout i can clearly see Arduino pins and normal GPIO pins are mixed up on the board I used (seeed xiao rp2040). Arduino strikes again!
Just checked - of course if works fine on proper pins
Author here, thanks for posting! Happy to answer any questions and would love to hear about any use cases in which folks have dynamically enabled / disabled FPU functionality throughout program execution.
Hey Arjun and Sid! I am CTO at Golioth[0], a connected device cloud platform. Just wanted to say congrats on the launch, and wish y’all the best of luck! There is lots of complexity to be addressed, and it is always great to see more folks building in this space. Happy to compare notes any time!
Hey, thanks a lot! Really appreciate you reaching out!
I agree. There's so many cool things to do in this space, and so many unique ways to achieve them. We're excited to be here, and would love to chat sometime as well!
Good question! We wrote a few blog[0] posts[1] about the motivation for signy and how it is used in practice. The primary use case is complex devices with multiple MCUs and multi-protocol connectivity (e.g. Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bluetooth, etc.). In this context, each MCU may have different security capabilities, and manufacturing / provisioning may be simplified by storing a single set of credentials (e.g. a private key) in a single secure storage location, then using that key to generate a temporary signed URL that can be handed to the less secure domain for a scoped operation, such as downloading an asset. There are also more niche use cases, such as allowing an end user to access a private resource by generating a signed URL and sending it to a phone via NFC.
[0] https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF7120E
reply