no safe boot possible

[devinv]

@robert-hh Is it possible that all what I did could create problem with my sipy sending messages to Sigfox?
It doesn't work anymore.

This was working before

sigfox = Sigfox(mode=Sigfox.SIGFOX, rcz=Sigfox.RCZ1)
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_SIGFOX, socket.SOCK_RAW)
s.setblocking(True)
s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SIGFOX, socket.SO_RX, False)
s.send(bytes([0x01, 0x02, 0x03]))

But not anymore.
No messages arrives to my sigfox account!?

[robert-hh]

@devinv Erasing flash erase all data, including any credentials that existed. But these will normally be restored when you do a firmware install through the Pycom updater. And that needs to work, because sometimes devices are in a state where only a full erase help.
But you may also ask Pycom service. Maybe Sigfox requires another configuration step.

[devinv]

@robert-hh Sorted. I just had desengage the sequence number on my sigfox account.

[goldfishalpha]

Just for the record, I had a similar issue with a LoPy on a Pysense board.
I foolishly got it stuck in a while loop. Pulling p12 high as per the official documentation could not get me back into REPL to reflash the file system, i.e

import os
os.mkfs('/flash')

Reinstalling the firmware with the 'Erase flash file system' option checked worked the end.

Additional: This is not the first time that the official documentation has been wrong or incomplete.
Maybe an update of docs is in order?

[robert-hh]

@goldfishalpha Pulling P12 high and then pushing the reset button should activate safe boot, which does not execute boot.py and main.py on boot. That's almost the same as typing Ctrl-F at the REPL prompt.

[Martinnn]

@goldfishalpha Are you sure you have P12? As you have noted, documentation is pretty buggy and pinout description a mess. You might well have the wrong pin.

[goldfishalpha]

@robert-hh
To qoute the docs directly, " After reset, if P12 pin is held high (i.e. connect it to the 3V3 output pin), the heartbeat LED will begin flashing orange slowly. If after 3 seconds the pin is still held high..." suggesting that the pin should be pulled high AFTER reset.
In fact I did get a flashing orange led, using this method.
My problem was that it appeared to reset once I released P12. I released P12 because I did not want to go to the prvious OTA firware and only wanted to disable boot.py and main.py.
@Martinn
I am sure that I have P12 (and not GPIO12 or '12') as I get the flashing led..

I haven't solved it yet. Just documenting for posterity.

[ferfersan6]

@goldfishalpha
Did you solve it? Having the same problem on a Lopy 4.0. Thanks!!

[robert-hh]

@goldfishalpha If there is a time window where micropython is running, you could try to push Ctrl-F in a terminal window. That forces a safe boot. Ctrl-C may work too. This time slot is hard to catch, because typically you cannot connect a terminal when the device is in deepsleep. An indication for start would be an increase in power consumption. So if you have a USB dongle which shows that, if gives the trigger.

[goldfishalpha]

@ferfersan6 Good intentions pave the way to hell and I had every intention to reply to this. I know this is WAY too late to reply this but may useful for any experiencing the same issues.
If I remember correctly, I just held the pin high for as long as possible and went through the drudgery of reinstalling the proper firmware. Nothing sophisticated going on here! :)