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Can't get BLE device to sleep

I have a custom PCBA with which has the flow of:

- Boot

- Advertise some temperature data read from TWI with a 5 second timeout using `ble_adv_fast_timeout`.

- I then set a timer to wake the `app_timer_start(m_awake_timer_id, APP_TIMER_TICKS(SLEEP_IN_MS), NULL);`

And I expect the device to go into sleep whilst its BLE is not advertising. Here's my main.c file:

#include "app_timer.h"
#include "nrf_pwr_mgmt.h"
#include "nrf_crypto_init.h"
#include "nrfx_clock.h"

#include "SEGGER_RTT.h"
#include "nrf_log.h"
#include "nrf_log_ctrl.h"
#include "nrf_log_default_backends.h"
#include "nrf_delay.h"

#include "customble.h"
#include "peripheral.h"
#include "encryption.h"

void timers_init(void)
{
  ret_code_t err_code = app_timer_init();
  APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}

static void idle_state_handle(void)
{
  if (NRF_LOG_PROCESS() == false)
  {
    nrf_pwr_mgmt_run();
  }
}

/**@brief Function for initializing power management.
 */
void power_management_init(void)
{
  ret_code_t err_code;
  err_code = nrf_pwr_mgmt_init();
  APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
}

int main(void)
{
  NRF_LOG_INIT(NULL);
  NRF_LOG_DEFAULT_BACKENDS_INIT();

  ret_code_t reta = nrf_crypto_init();
  APP_ERROR_CHECK(reta);

  timers_init();
  ble_timers_init();
  ble_stack_init();

  power_management_init();

  gap_params_init();
  advertising_init();

  advertising_start();

  for (;;)
  {
    idle_state_handle();
  }
}

and here's the relevant sections of the customble.c code

void awake_timer_handler()
{
  NRF_LOG_INFO("Awake and start advertising");

  update_advertising_data_while_advertising();
  advertising_start();
}

void sleep_timer_handler()
{
  NRF_LOG_INFO("asleep");

  sd_ble_gap_adv_stop(m_advertising.adv_handle); // i've tried with and without this

  // Proceed with setting the device to low power mode
  app_timer_start(m_awake_timer_id, APP_TIMER_TICKS(SLEEP_IN_MS), NULL); // 60 seconds
}

void on_adv_evt(ble_adv_evt_t ble_adv_evt)
{
  NRF_LOG_INFO("BLE EVENT");
  switch (ble_adv_evt)
  {
  case BLE_ADV_EVT_IDLE:
    NRF_LOG_INFO("Advertising event: Idle");
    sleep_timer_handler();
    break;
  }
}

I have measured the amps on the device and during advertising it jumps to about 3mA and when it's not advertising (when I thought it would sleep) it's using ~1.48mA. What exactly am I doing wrong here?

I have commented lots of things out, and it's not the TWI causing the issue, it's definitely the BLE. When I comment out starting BLE, I get ~400uA constant.

Parents
  • Hi

    I'm taking over this case until Edvin is back now, and from reading it seems you're on a good path now. Just to confirm, the issue remaining is that you're seeing a ~400µA current draw "extra" when enabling the radio/BLE, correct? If so, that's likely the HF crystal drawing this current, as that will draw ~400µA when running, and is required to run for the radio peripheral to work, and this will be expected. Let me know if I'm misunderstanding something with your issue here.

    Best regards,

    Simon

  • Hey Simon!

    The only issue remaining is posted here and it's drawing 80mA, not 400uA. This number seems wildly high for the radio/BLE cycle.

    The sleep cycle is fine, it draws the correct/expected current.

    Nathan

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