How to integrate nRF52840 dongle in iOS/Android App.

[GiumaSoft]

Dear,

I’m author of BlueSpy a mobile app available for iOS, I recently approached to Nordic Semiconductor while looking into a valid alternative to overcome the CoreBluetooth API limited functionalities offered by Apple framework. I’m really enthusiast about ur Sniffer solution (I’m actually playing with nRF52840 dongle on macOS) for Wireshark, and I’m reasoning on support ur hardware natively on my app. Since I’m new to that kind of integration I need to be pointed on the right direction, so I’ve some question for you.

• It is possible to establish a 2-way communication with an nRF52840 dongle and obtain sniffer data?
• To avoid complex Apple MFI requirements Is an UART over BLE a viable solution?
• Can I use your Sniffer firmware already available for download?
• Do you have any SDK and/or relevant documentation for integration with Android or iOS devices?

Best regards,

/GM

[Hung Bui]

Hi Guiseppe, 

You may want to bring your question to iOS support as it's mor relevant to them. But AFAIK it's very limited support from Apple for connecting external peripheral. 

It is possible to establish a 2-way communication with an nRF52840 dongle and obtain sniffer data?

No AFAIK, there is no option to talk UART directly from iPhone to the nRF5280 dongle

To avoid complex Apple MFI requirements Is an UART over BLE a viable solution?

It's possible to do UART over BLE, but the sniffer doesn't have that supported. You may need to have extra chip do handle BLE. And I don't think the throughput and latency on BLE would be enough for the sniffer data.

Can I use your Sniffer firmware already available for download?

I don't understand what you asking. Are you asking if we have support for iOS out of the  box ? 

• Do you have any SDK and/or relevant documentation for integration with Android or iOS devices?

I'm afraid not. We do have nRF Connect app on iOS and Android, but it's not a sniffer, but a central/peripheral emulator instead. 

[GiumaSoft]

Dear,

Thanks for quick reply, forget about UART over BLE solution I understand is not possible for several reasons.

on iOS we have IOKit framework to communicate with external hardware device via USB/Lightning interface.

I just used your sniffer software solution for MacOS and for what I can understand u create a virtual interface that is used by some python’s script that can be used by terminal but also integrate with Wireshark.

I would like to make something similar via lightning port using IOKit API.

Do you have any tech reference about how to integrate your sniffer solution?

[Hung Bui]

Hi Giuseppe, 

Thanks for letting me know about the IOKit framework. 
I'm afraid that we don't have any reference for interfacing the nRF Sniffer with that. 

I don't know much about the IOKit framework, but can it emulate UART communication via the lightning port ? If it's the case you can take a look at the API guide provided in the sniffer\doc folder. The document show how you can interface with the sniffer directly without using Wireshark.
You can base on that to build your app on the phone to interface with the sniffer in replacement for wireshark.