Provision non proxy examples BLE Mesh

[Milogic]

Hi,

I'm eveluating the mesh SDK (with segger studio) for some days now and I can not stand that I still can't figure out what the examples for BLE mesh can and can't do.

I have 2 NRF52-DK DEV KITs, and nRf Mesh on an Samsung Galaxy tablet (because provisioning does not work om my Samsung S7). Working with the 2.2.0 Mesh SDK. I was hoping to find an example of a swich and a light which where provisioned via the android device, and after that I can switch the light from the oher DK. Then I expand functionality from there.

The only 2 examples that appear in the nRF Mesh app are the server and client proxy examples of the light_switch. I can provision these devices, but are there other (non proxy) examples that should appear in the nRF mesh app to add to the network. Or are they provisioned another way? Or is there just no example that should appear? How does provioning work for non proxy devices?

I probably am on the wrong track, but I hope someone can explain what I can expect from the examples in the mesh SDK.

Thanks in advance,

Milo

[Hung Bui]

Maybe you should read the documentation first ? Please have a look here , and here is some articles about provisioning . But I guess the best source is the Bluetooth Mesh specification. 

So basically there are 2 type of provisioning, one is PB-ADV provisioning via adverting bearer, and PB-GATT provisioning via GATT connection. PB-GATT is what you did with the phone and the proxy examples, for other examples you need to use PB-ADV.

[Milogic]

Hi,

I think I understand now. And I got all the examples to work.

Just a check if my understanding is correct:

- When you want to use a phone/tablet (gatt) for provisioning, all modules must support a proxy_server to be able to provision them via the phone/tablet.
- When a proxy_server is used, they will be easier to discover by any phone/tablet? So I want to bind with a BT speaker in a building that has BT mesh lighting, I see my speaker and 10 other (light) nodes that are in direct range. But may be the nodes can be hidden when they are successfully provisioned?

My misunderstanding was (if I'm correct), that I thought you needed one proxy node to be able to access/provision a complete network. Which is not the case...

Am I correct?

Regards

[Hung Bui]

Hi Milogic, 

1. Correct, if a node wants to be provisioned by a phone it needs to have proxy role. However, it's possible to configure a note remotely via another proxy note. Configuration is a normal mesh operation when provisioning requires PB-GATT and it has to be direct connection between the node and the  phone. 

2. What do you mean by "easier" ? When it's advertising as a proxy node or unprovisioned node that has proxy support, any phone or tablet can discovery and connect to it. After it get provisioned it can turn off the proxy role and works as a normal mesh node. Note that the speaker doesn't support mesh and can't be provisioned.