nRF52832 (E0/E1) Bluetooth failure and device hanging

[CAN KANIK]

We have two nRF52832-QFAA E0 version devices; Bluetooth works on one, but on the other, it used to work but stopped working over time. Even though we upload the same code, the code that worked before does not work now. Regarding the E1 version, Bluetooth never works. We tried it on 7-8 different devices and could not see it working in any of them. When we write only a "blink" code, the devices work, but when we add the Bluetooth code, even the "blink" code on the device does not work. It is as if the code is getting stuck somewhere. We write the code with Arduino and upload it to the device using OpenOCD with an ST-Link V2.

Additionally, when we upload Nordic Semiconductor's own hex file that includes the SoftDevice (\DeviceDownload\nRF5SDK153059ac345\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_blinky\hex\ble_app_blinky_pca10040_s132.hex), we saw that it blinks, but we could not see the device name in nRF Connect. Could you please help?

[Einar Thorsrud]

Hi,

I assume this is custom baords and not development kits? Are the bords identical? Have you done any debugging to understand more about what happens when you write that "the code is getting stuck somewhere"? First I would enable logging if you have not done so, and see if that tells you anything. After that, start debugging to se if execution is realy "stuck" and if so, where.

As blinky works, and the same firwmare works on one of the boards, it seems possible that there could be a HW problem that is somehow related to radio usage.

Additionally, when we upload Nordic Semiconductor's own hex file that includes the SoftDevice (\DeviceDownload\nRF5SDK153059ac345\nRF5_SDK_15.3.0_59ac345\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_blinky\hex\ble_app_blinky_pca10040_s132.hex), we saw that it blinks, but we could not see the device name in nRF Connect.

It should advertise the device name. Does this also work on the other board?

After debugging the software and if that does not provide any usefull information (everything looks OK), the next could be to look at the current consumption pattern to see if you see the typical pattern of an advertising device with three consecutive packets on each avertising channel.