Custom PCB: How to quick check if BLE is working? nRF51822AB

[Stephan]

Hi guys,

I hope you can answer my question: I made myself a custom pcb for testing purpose. I can program the nRF51822 just fine. Thats the actual state right now.

In combination with the nRF51822-EK: How can I just quick check if my BLE is working? I just want to kinda sniff, if I got RF-Output. It doesn't need to be a connection. I just want to be sure, that RF works before I'm getting into SW-debugging and API and stuff like that.

How can I check that? Is there a plain, simple solution?

Regards, Stephan

[Alex]

Simplest, turn on the radio with this:

NRF_RADIO->SHORTS = RADIO_SHORTS_READY_START_Msk; NRF_RADIO->FREQUENCY = channel; NRF_RADIO->TASKS_RXEN = 1;

Then check radio output with any handy 2.4GHz spectrum analyzer and antenna :)

Slightly more complex, set up radio_test_example from the SDK (and set up your board to talk with uart), then use uart commands to control radio. If you have a BLE test rig such as Anritsu that can be hooked up to the uart as well, enabling BLE DTM.

My first try, BLE wasn't working but the radio was just fine, due to bad crystal. That's why it seems best to test radio directly without BLE first. Something to watch out for, anyway.