Nordic BLE-sniffer doesn't use softdevice, does it?

[allankliu]

Since Nordic offers BLE sniffer tools including its hex code, I would like to flash it to my own USB dongle as a test. I insepected the hex code, and found its address starts from 0x0000

:020000040000FA
:10000000483200207D2C00008F2C0000610200008F
:1000100000000000000000000000000000000000E0
:10002000000000000000000000000000932C000011
:100030000000000000000000952C0000972C00003C
:10004000992C000025060000D71A0000992C00000A
:10005000992C000000000000992C0000992C000051
:10006000D1080000650900007F090000A709000011
:10007000992C0000992C0000992C0000992C00006C
:10008000992C0000992C0000992C0000992C00005C
:10009000992C0000992C0000992C0000992C00004C
:1000A000992C0000992C00000000000000000000C6
:1000B0000000000000000000000000000000000040
:1000C00000F002F800F040F80CA030C808382418FE
:1000D0002D18A246671EAB4654465D46AC4201D180
:1000E00000F032F87E460F3E0FCCB6460126334272
:1000F00000D0FB1AA246AB4633431847942E0000AB
:10010000B42E0000103A02D378C878C1FAD852074A
...

:1030A0000000000000000000000000000000000020
:1030B0000000000000000000000000000000000010
:0430C0000024F400F4
:04000005000000C136
:00000001FF

Usually HEX is an absolute code, the programmer will program it according to the Intel Hex format, stated at en.wikipedia.org/.../Intel_HEX.

So, we can tell the BLE sniffer is not a regular mergeed softdevice + user hex code, nor standalone user hex code.

Does Nordic develop it from another source tree ?

[Sigurd]

Hi,

That is correct. The sniffer firmware is not using the softdevice, it is talking to the radio directly.

[allankliu]

Awesome, good to know how it works. I will try to flash it with different version of silicon to find out its compatibilies, for Nordic doesn't reveal detail about it.