Split Host Controller changes from NCS 1.x to 2.x

RE: Split Host Controller changes from NCS 1.x to 2.x

Hieu — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 22:40:01 GMT

Does the setup work at all if you flash a NCS v2.4.2 version of the HCI application on the nRF52820?

I mentioned CONFIG_BT_HCI_VS for general mixed SDK version setup. Right now, I think the problem is more likely communication, so it and CONFIG_BT_HCI_VS_EXT won't be relevant yet. Sorry, I should be clearer on this.

Could you please also check if CONFIG_BT_WAIT_NOP is set in both the nRF52820 and the nRF9160 application?

RE: Split Host Controller changes from NCS 1.x to 2.x

esisk — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:30:28 GMT

In the VERSION file in my /nrf directory, the listed version is 2.4.2. Yeah possibly a terminal error. I never knowingly enabled LPUART, but it may have been accidentally enabled when I had to upgrade my board file. This is the pin control definition for the board used in the 9160 app:

    /* configuration for uart0 device, default state */
    uart0_default: uart0_default {
      /* group 1 ('group1' name is arbitrary) */
      group1 {
        psels = <NRF_PSEL(UART_TX, 0, 29)>, <NRF_PSEL(UART_RTS, 0, 24)>;
      };
      /* group 2 */
      group2 {
        psels = <NRF_PSEL(UART_RX, 0, 28)>, <NRF_PSEL(UART_CTS, 0, 26)>;
        // bias-pull-up;
      };
    };
    /* configuration for uart0 device, sleep state */
    uart0_sleep: uart0_sleep {
      /* group 1 ('group1' name is arbitrary) */
      group1 {
        psels = <NRF_PSEL(UART_TX, 0, 29)>, <NRF_PSEL(UART_RTS, 0, 24)>,
                <NRF_PSEL(UART_RX, 0, 28)>, <NRF_PSEL(UART_CTS, 0, 26)>;
        /* all pins are configured in low power mode */
        low-power-enable;
      };
    };

However, I see that the options CONFIG_UART_ASYNC_API and CONFIG_NRF_SW_LPUART_INT_DRIVEN are not set in my .config file in my build directory. The 52820 build doesn't have these options set either.

I set CONFIG_BT_HCI_VS=n and CONFIG_BT_HCI_VS_EXT=n and I'm still seeing the same problem

RE: Split Host Controller changes from NCS 1.x to 2.x

Hieu — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:03:11 GMT

Hi esisk,

[quote user=""]- Could someone help me diagnose the problem I'm having? Seems like a buffer is overflowing or there is not enough buffer space to send/receive the data I need. I don't know why that problem would show up since on the old NCS version everything would send just fine.[/quote]

Are you certain the log is from NCS v2.4.2? I can't find anywhere in v2.4.2 that produce that exact log. The closest is this spot
https://github.com/nrfconnect/sdk-zephyr/blob/v3.3.99-ncs1-1/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_raw.c#L139-L141

Perhaps some terminal error added a colon between "H" and "4." Assuming that, it seems there is an issue with the connection between the host and the controller.

Could you please check what protocols each of them is using? I suspect one is using UART and the other is using LPUART.

[quote user=""]- Is it bad practice to have my 9160 app running with NCS 2.4.2 and the 52820 app running with NCS 1.7.0?[/quote]

We generally recommend using the Host and Controller from the same SDK version to ensure compatibility. While using Host and Controller from different releases, there is a high chance of incompatible due to change vendor-specific commands. Please try to at least disable CONFIG_BT_HCI_VS to prevent this. It's preferred to avoid this situation completely.

Hieu