nrf51 BTLE frequency hopping certification

[Maycon Kruger]

Hi,

I have been tasked of developing a custom BTLE test software for nrf51822 for purpose of certification.

The lab is asking for a custom test that ignores the pairing state and transmit continuously in hopping mode.

I trying to develop this test software using SD130 and ble_central/ble_app_uart_c from nrf_SDK_10. But I can't seen to achieve transmission on hopping mode withou pairing two devices first.

So, is there anyway to transmit data in hopping mode using SD130 without pairing?

Any help would be apreciated , Thanks!

[endnode]

You can do it but not with off-the-shelf BLE stack such as Nordic Soft Device, that's kind of logical;) The stack has just GAP layer functions such as "advertise", "scan", "connect", disconnect" and without having both observer and broadcaster first the stack won't enter central/peripheral mode. Then you could theoretically (after first packet exchange) cut the Slave power and just observe Master PDUs how they hop over the spectrum but that will end by Supervision timeout (and you still need the second device during the initialization so why to shut it down later?)

Other solution is to develop it on your own without Soft Device (e.g. based on DTM or radio test examples) or go with other stack (e.g. Zephyr) and customize it (if it's open source).

[Maycon Kruger]

I see, so in summary that would no be achieavable with nordic SD. The problem is the lab is requesting a test that uses the SD, so it could test the device under normal operation.

[endnode]

Yes, SD needs valid peer to operate Link Layer (as it is BT LE certified it's kind of logical that it doesn't provide non-standard feature). Footnote: I went through several BTSIG and FCC certifications and I've never seen such request. If it is some usual certification like one of these then I would challange the lab why exactly they demand this (what criteria/limit they want to test by this) and I would crosscheck with some trusted reference.

[Maycon Kruger]

Ok so , wouldn't it be possible to modify the ble_central example to emulate responses from the slave device by software , instead of listening for actual radio responses? Like, make the central believe it is connected to a slave device, but the slave device is really emulated by software.

[endnode]

Guess what: no it wouldn't;) There is no entry point to speak to LL inside the SD so what is expected to come over radio must vome over radio;)