Sniffer on OSX - revisited

[David Elvig]

It looks like the last discussion of Sniffer on Devzone was 2-3 yrs ago.

I’ve ordered the nRF Dongle and will download the Windows-based nRF Sniffer app.

i can run this with WireShark on a Windows VM on my Mac, though I would like a Mac OSX option.

- Any news on that front?

- Any way the Bluetooth hardware built into the MacBook could serve a Mac Sniffer app?

thanks!

[David Elvig]

Still looking for a solution here.  I think a few others are having the same trouble.

Martin Lesund, what is the next steps?

[David Edwin]

Can you summarize your versions so I can look at it.

OS Version:
Wireshark version:
Python version:
Pyserial version:

Segger jlink version on PC:
Segger jlink version or build date on the jlink emulator on nRF5x-DK:

nRF Sniffer version:

PCA board number: 

=

Python 32 bit or 64 bit:

Use: 

import ctypes
ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_void_p)

8 -> 64 bit
4 -> 32 bit

[David Edwin]

You need to downgrade the firmware as stated in the nRF Sniffer User Guide v2.1. I see that the jlink emulator firmware is "J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Jul 24 2017 17:30:12", which is clearly not what was shipped with jlink 6.16c.

Use the section "Downgrade the J-Link emulator version on the hardware" in the nRF sniffer user guide v2.1 to downgrade.

Please do the downgrade and post the jlinkexe in the OS X terminal app again.

[David Elvig]

Thanks.

I did the following:
1)    dragged the j-link folder (said 6.16c) to trash.
2)    deleted the old nrf_sniffer files from the Applications\Wireshark.app...extcap\ directory
3)    downloaded the sniffer V2 at nrf sniffer V2
4)    copied the downloaded extcap folder contents into Wireshark's extcap dir, and assured execute privileges for any user
5)    ran the j-link installation from the v6.16c included with the sniffer download
6)    ran Terminal and jlinkexe, and then the "exec invalidatefw" command... exited and restarted jlinkexe, resulting in this display

Davids-MacBook-Pro-2:extcap davidelvig$ jlinkexe
SEGGER J-Link Commander V6.16c (Compiled Jun 16 2017 18:19:39)
DLL version V6.16c, compiled Jun 16 2017 18:19:20

Connecting to J-Link via USB...O.K.
Firmware: J-Link OB-SAM3U128-V2-NordicSemi compiled Jun  9 2017 14:57:23
Hardware version: V1.00
S/N: 680476627
VTref = 3.300V


Type "connect" to establish a target connection, '?' for help
J-Link>

I can't seem to get the same date on my j-link files as you note above (Jul 24. 17).  Mine are June 16, 17.
I do see a version 6.16j on the Segger site with that date (Jul 24 17).

7)    ran "python ./nrf_sniffer.py --extcap-interfaces" from terminal to list interfaces outside of WireShark, resulting in this (which I can't interpret):

Davids-MacBook-Pro-2:extcap davidelvig$ python ./nrf_sniffer.py --extcap-interfaces
extcap {version=2.0.0}{display=nRF Sniffer}{help=http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Bluetooth-low-energy/nRF-Sniffer#Downloads}
control {number=0}{type=selector}{display=Device}{tooltip=Device list}
control {number=1}{type=string}{display=Passkey / OOB key}{tooltip=6 digit temporary key or 16 byte Out-of-band (OOB) key in hexadecimal starting with '0x', big endian format. If the entered key is shorter than 16 bytes, it will be zero-padded in front'}{validation=\b^(([0-9]{6})|(0x[0-9a-fA-F]{1,32}))$\b}
control {number=2}{type=string}{display=Adv Hop}{default=37,38,39}{tooltip=Advertising channel hop sequence. Change the order in which the siffer switches advertising channels. Valid channels are 37, 38 and 39 separated by comma.}{validation=^\s*((37|38|39)\s*,\s*){0,2}(37|38|39){1}\s*$}{required=true}
control {number=3}{type=button}{role=help}{display=Help}{tooltip=Access user guide (launches browser)}
control {number=4}{type=button}{role=restore}{display=Defaults}{tooltip=Resets the user interface and clears the log file}
control {number=5}{type=button}{role=logger}{display=Log}{tooltip=Log per interface}
value {control=0}{value= }{display=All advertising devices}{default=true}
Davids-MacBook-Pro-2:extcap davidelvig$ 

Still no interface shows in Wireshark.

Dang!

Edit: Just for kicks, I downloaded 6.16j from Segger and installed that, and erased and reprogrammed the dongle.

Still no luck.

Am I the only one with these challenges?  I can try to start from scratch (or perhaps on a different Mac).

[David Edwin]

we could try one more thing:

Can you use screen or any other terminal program on OS X to connect over UART to the board at 19200 baud and disconnect.

The run the ./nrf_sniffer.py --extcap-interfaces

Let me know the results.

[David Elvig]

I've not done that before, though I expect I have all I need in equipment.

Are we able to connect by phone (I could message you)?

I'm in US Central time

[David Elvig]

I found the modem name, and typed in terminal

     screen cu.usbmodem1461 19200 -L

---> blanks, promptness terminal window (? screen window?) from which I can exit with Ctrl-A, Ctrl-K

Is that helpful? 

[David Elvig]

Davids-MacBook-Pro-2:extcap davidelvig$ ./nrf_sniffer.py --extcap-interfaces
extcap {version=2.0.0}{display=nRF Sniffer}{help=http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Bluetooth-low-energy/nRF-Sniffer#Downloads}
control {number=0}{type=selector}{display=Device}{tooltip=Device list}
control {number=1}{type=string}{display=Passkey / OOB key}{tooltip=6 digit temporary key or 16 byte Out-of-band (OOB) key in hexadecimal starting with '0x', big endian format. If the entered key is shorter than 16 bytes, it will be zero-padded in front'}{validation=\b^(([0-9]{6})|(0x[0-9a-fA-F]{1,32}))$\b}
control {number=2}{type=string}{display=Adv Hop}{default=37,38,39}{tooltip=Advertising channel hop sequence. Change the order in which the siffer switches advertising channels. Valid channels are 37, 38 and 39 separated by comma.}{validation=^\s*((37|38|39)\s*,\s*){0,2}(37|38|39){1}\s*$}{required=true}
control {number=3}{type=button}{role=help}{display=Help}{tooltip=Access user guide (launches browser)}
control {number=4}{type=button}{role=restore}{display=Defaults}{tooltip=Resets the user interface and clears the log file}
control {number=5}{type=button}{role=logger}{display=Log}{tooltip=Log per interface}
value {control=0}{value= }{display=All advertising devices}{default=true}
Davids-MacBook-Pro-2:extcap davidelvig$ 

[David Edwin]

did you actually give the right path to the UART, it is usually in /dev .

Verify that by using the "screen <port> 460800", you should see some characters on the screen.

[David Elvig]

I've done the following:
- Identified the serial port with this partial ls from \dev: 

cu.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port	ttyv0
cu.LGHBS760-CSRGAIA		ttyv1
cu.MALS				ttyv2
cu.SOC				ttyv3
cu.usbmodem1451061		ttyv4
cu.usbmodem1461			ttyv5
disk0				ttyv6
disk0s1				ttyv7

    It is the "cu.usbmodem1461" entry that appear/disappears with plugging/unplugging the dongle

I typed the following into Terminal:      
        screen cu.usbmodem1461 46800

...resulting in:

No typed keystrokes show, and it responds only to the Ctrl-a-Ctrl-k command to quit.

[David Edwin]

The baud rate I suggested was 460800 (not 46800 as I see in your screen shot). 
Please connect to the port at 460800 and see if you are getting characters on the "screen".

Thanks

[David Elvig]

Thanks for your patience.

I get the same result as above with

"screen cu.usbmodem1461 460800"

Dave