nRFBeacons does not build

[Bryan Hughes]

Howdy,

I just got my nRF51822 Bluetooth Smart Beacon Kit. I down loaded "nRF Beacon iOS_1.0.zip" and fixed up the project and targets so that it was using the correct Code Signing profiles.

When I try to build the project in XCode 6.0.1 on an iPhone 5 with iOS 8, I get 6 errors:

            BeaconsViewController.m:96:22: error: multiple methods named 'enable' found with mismatched result, parameter type or attributes
            BeaconsViewController.m:96:22: error: bad receiver type 'BOOL' (aka 'signed char')
            BeaconsViewController.m:381:23: error: multiple methods named 'enable' found with mismatched result, parameter type or attributes
            BeaconsViewController.m:381:23: error: bad receiver type 'BOOL' (aka 'signed char')
            BeaconsViewController.m:467:15: error: multiple methods named 'enable' found with mismatched result, parameter type or attributes
            BeaconsViewController.m:467:15: error: bad receiver type 'BOOL' (aka 'signed char')

After fixing up the code by casting the objects from the array to what I expect to be the Beacons class, for example:

            Beacons *beacon = self.beacons[beaconIndex];

When I build the app and follow the instructions, it never finds the beacon. I am able to follow the Update instructions and re-configure the Beacon -- which means I can find the beacon to reconfigure, but can't find the beacon when in Beacons mode. It keeps telling me Beacon Not Found.

This is a bit disappointing -- was hoping it would work out of the box. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I downloaded the app from the AppStore, and it also does not work.

UPDATE: I am able to get the app to work in an iOS 7 device with no problem. This means that the code and the apps functionality is broken on iOS8, which is seriously problematic.

Cheers, Bryan

[Asbjørn]

Apple has added a filter on iOS 8 that filters on the content of the beacon package. So unless the beacon is using the correct packet structure it will not be visible in iOS8.

The information on the packet structure needed is available from Apple under the MFI and iBeacon licensing. To prevent users outside this licensing to get access to this we have implemented the beacon code to by default not be iBeacon compatible.

[Asbjørn]

1: The APP_COMPANY_IDENTIFIER is found in the beacon code example for the nRF51822 and not in the BeaconsViewController.m. The BeaconsViewController.m is for iOS device. Please have a look in the beacon code example named "ble_app_beacon_bcs" on line 42.

2: Press SW1 on the beacon kit as you insert the battery. This should trigger the board to enter DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode and make it connectable. The nRF51822 on the beacon can then receive a new firmware from for example the nRFtool or nRF Master control panel app. Select the device you want to connect to and select the hex file you want to upload to the beacon.