DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Ahmed Samir — Wed, 22 May 2024 18:10:05 GMT

thanks you!

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 21 May 2024 07:41:40 GMT

Hi,

These tests are not DTM related (this is for etsting LE isocnronous channels, while DTM is for PHY level testing).

Regardign configurations, CONFIG_BT_CTLR_ADV_ISO or CONFIG_BT_CTLR_CONN_ISO is requiered in order to include most of this (you can see that in the code). I do not have any example of how to intergrade this in the hci_rpmsg.

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Ahmed Samir — Mon, 20 May 2024 17:13:49 GMT

Hi Einar,

I'm trying to use the Zephyr controller with the (CONFIG_BT_LL_SW_SPLIT=y) and (CONFIG_BT_CTLR_DTM_HCI=y), as you mentioned, to execute the DTM test. I changed the hci_rpmsg child image config file with these two flags. The code built successfully and I believe the code uses Zephyr controller now.

The next step is to use the below HCI commands to execute the DTM testing:

BT_HCI_OP_LE_ISO_TRANSMIT_TEST

BT_HCI_OP_LE_ISO_RECEIVE_TEST

BT_HCI_OP_LE_ISO_READ_TEST_COUNTERS

BT_HCI_OP_LE_ISO_TEST_END

- Are the above BT_HCI_OP.... flags related to DTM testing? or Am I missing something?

If yes, when I call the above HCI commands, I get errors. When I checked the implementation of the hci_rpmsg code, I found that these HCI commands require different configurations than CONFIG_BT_CTLR_DTM_HCI and CONFIG_BT_LL_SW_SPLIT. The below screenshot is from hci.c file.

At this point, I entered a continuous loop of configuration errors.

is there an example of how to configure the hci_rpmsg correctly to support the Zephyr controller with these DTM HCI commands? also, is there an example of how to use them?

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Einar Thorsrud — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:36:55 GMT

Hi,

You are right we have had some requests for this, but DTM support is currently not plannet for the SoftDevice controller.

I am glad to hear you are happy with the SoftDevice and SoftDevice controller in other regards, though 🙂

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Ahmed Samir — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:54:19 GMT

Got it. Actually I worked with Softdevice for 10 years and it is one of the best BLE controllers I used.

Is there a plan to integrate the DTM functionality in the softdevice controller like zypher? I saw many requests/questions about the same functionality.

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Einar Thorsrud — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 14:58:24 GMT

Yes, the Zephyr controller supports it. So if you use the Zephyr controller (CONFIG_BT_LL_SW_SPLIT=y) you can enable it with CONFIG_BT_CTLR_DTM_HCI=y.

I would recomend using the SoftDevice controller in production though, for several reasons including quality and the fact that we normally only qualify the SoftDevice controller (for which you can find the QDID's here).

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Ahmed Samir — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 18:54:26 GMT

Is DTM over HCI supported in Zypher controller?

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Einar Thorsrud — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 07:55:15 GMT

Our DTM implementation use the radio directly, and this will conflict with the Bluetooth controller in hci_rpmsg. These were never designed to be used together and use the same resources (most importantly the radio) without any mechanism for handling resource sharing.

It will be difficult with DTM, but if you really need some direct radio usage for a custom test mode in your production firmware, you could consider implementing something yourself in MPSL timeslots. Alternatively, perhasp you could do the tests with regular Bluetooth, perhaps with establishing a connection, advertising and/or scaninng so that you can use the regular Bluetooth stack features for your testing?

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Ahmed Samir — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:27:39 GMT

Thanks Einar,
Is there other way than the HCI? The production firmware uses the hci_rpmsg image on the network core which conflicts with the dtm image that needs to be on the network core as well. Is there a way to have both images on the network core, but run only one of them based on some configurations from the application core?

RE: DTM functionality over HCI without the DTM sample code

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 12:46:06 GMT

Hi Ahmed,

There is no support for DTM in the SoftDevice Controller, so that will not work. DTM is normally not used in production testing, but if you want to to it you would need to first flash your test firmware (with TDM), and after testing, flash your production firmware without it (but with the Bluetooth controller etc).

Br,

Einar