KAGA FEI nRF53 Series BLE Module Owner’s Manual
- May 15, 2024
- KAGA FEI
Table of Contents
KAGA FEI nRF53 Series BLE Module
Product Information
Specifications
- Product: BLE Module (Nordic nRF53 series)
- Model: EB5340AA1, EJ5340AA1
- Security Features: APPROTECT function
- Manufacturer: KAGA FEI Co., Ltd.
- Revision: 1.0
- Date: 25-Jul.2023
Product Usage Instructions
Introduction
The Nordic nRF53 series features a robust security function called APPROTECT
to prevent unauthorized access and enhance security against attacks.
Setting up APPROTECT
Requirements
To set up APPROTECT, you will need the following tools:
- nRF Command Line Tools (details available in Nordic Infocenter)
- VSCode (Visual Studio Code)
Setting up the APPROTECT function
The APPROTECT function is set using the UICR register in the FLASH area and
the CTRL-AP register in the RAM area. Follow these steps:
- Ensure the device is powered off.
- Access the appropriate registers and set the desired state of the APPROTECT function.
- After setting up, power on the device to enable the APPROTECT function.
Developing New Software
Enable APPROTECT
To enable the APPROTECT function for new software development:
- Refer to the specific register values mentioned in the user manual.
- Follow the guidelines for setting up the APPROTECT function.
Disable APPROTECT
If needed, you can disable the APPROTECT function by reverting the settings in
the registers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Can I disable the APPROTECT function after enabling it?
A: Yes, you can disable the APPROTECT function by adjusting the settings in the UICR and CTRL-AP registers.
Revision History
| date | rev. | comment |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Jul.2023 | 1.0 | Release |
Introduction
Security features of the Nordic nRF53 series
Nordic’s nRF53 series includes a robust APPROTECT function to prevent unauthorized reading of internal information and to counteract fault injection attacks.
| APROTECT initial state | remark |
|---|---|
| Disable | Debugging functionality is enabled |
| Enable | Debugging functionality is disabled |
Note
When the APPROTECT function is enabled, data readout is disabled and debugging
such as memory access is not possible.
APPROTECT function operation overview
Nordic’s nRF53 series has the following registers related to the APPROTECT function.
Application core
| APPROTECT disable | APPROTECT enable |
|---|
UICR.APPROTECT ： 0x50FA50FA CTRL-AP.APPROTECT.DISABLE(CPU):
Same value as CTRL-AP.APPROTECT.DISABLE(debugger). CTRL- AP.APPROTECT.LOCK:0x00
| Other than left column
Network core
| APPROTECT disable | APPROTECT enable |
|---|
UICR.APPROTECT ： 0x50FA50FA CTRL-AP.APPROTECT.DISABLE(CPU):
Same value as CTRL-AP.APPROTECT.DISABLE(debugger).
| Other than left column
The APPROTECT function is set by the UICR register in the FLASH (nonvolatile) area and the CTRL-AP register in the RAM (volatile) area, so immediately after reset, the device starts up with APPROTECT enabled.
- Set the newly established APPROTECT register in the firmware. This cannot be used at the time of initial write. Perform module initialization using the following command.
- Initialize the module with the “recover” command of nRF Command Line Tools.
For details, please refer to “8.2 Access port protection” in the Product Specification document for each chip on the Nordic web page.
List of modules
The following modules are covered.
Part number of the appropriate modules
| EB5340AA1 | EJ5340AA1 |
|---|
APPROTECT setting
Requirements
This manual assumes the use of the following.
Tool
- nRF Command Line Tools (see Nordic Infocenter for details)
- VSCode (Visual Studio Code)
Note
Please use the latest version of nRF Command Line Tools
https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-tools/nrf- command- line- tools/download
SDK (Software Development Kit)
- nRF Connect SDK (developing environment: VSCode)
How to set up the APPROTECT function
- Nordic’s nRF53 series is shipped with the APPROTECT function enabled, so the firmware cannot be written as it.
- Please execute the following commands using nRF Command Line Tools.
Application core
Network core
This will disable the APPROTECT feature and allow you to continue writing firmware. Issuing –recover using nRF Command Line Tools will disable APPROTECT and retained after reset.
Note
The –recover command is used to completely erase the FLASH area together with the disabled setting of APPROTECT, so the –eraseall command is not necessary.
When the –eraseall command is issued, the APPROTECT setting area is also erased (0xFF), thus returning to the enabled setting.
When developing new software
For new software development, please use the latest nRF Connect SDK. Please refer to the following chapters based on the development environment and settings to be used.
APPROTECT enable
- Enable the APPROTECT function in the compile options.
- Add “CONFIG_NRF_APPROTECT_LOCK=y” to the “prj.conf” file of the project.
APPROTECT disable
- In nRF Connect SDK 18.0 or later, the process of setting the UICR register to the APPROTECT register has been added.
- When writing firmware, the APPROTECT function can be disabled by setting the UICR register (0x5A).
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