Unable to start head Topology Monitor

[RyanP]

Hi

I have tried to run the thread topology monitor. Each attempt ends in this log message "Error - No response from Thread CLI device.".The COM-port has been chosen a  dongle is available in the USB port. The software has been unpacked from nRFTTMwin32x6401201alpha.zip and execute out the unpacked folder.

Please let me know what is missing.

[Hung Bui]

Hi Ryan, 

How did you program the dongle  ? Which dongle did you use ? 
As far as I know the TTM tool is only supporting nRF52840 development kit, not the dongle (yet) . Please follow the documentation here. 

[RyanP]

Hi Hung

[RyanP]

I am in situation where I need to monitor a Thread network and I have the nRF52840 dongle on hand. Now you write, in your reply, that the dongle is not supported -yet. I would indeed like to understand what that means. Does it mean that I am not able to use the tool-set (Dongle and Thread Topology Monitor) to walk through and monitor my network? Or will I have to install additional tools to do that? Which would that then be?
It is very important to me that I get a grip of the network and the topology monitor looks like a handy tool.

Should it be that this is not a valid configuration yet, I would like your recommendations on a way to monitor and debug my Thread network.

Thanks in advance
Ryan Pedersen

[Hung Bui]

Hi Ryan, 

To be able to use the TTM you would need the nRF52840 Development Kit, code name PCA10056 not the dongle. 

[RyanP]

Hi Hung,
Just for my understanding. Does this mean that I cannot use TTM to monitor a live mesh Thread network? Or will the development kit give access to the network. 
I am asking because a seminar i December gave the impression that TTM along with nRF52840 would provide a very fine tool monitor such network.
As you have noticed am I new to this and would like to have more hints on how to actually test and monitor my network.
Thanks in advance

[Hung Bui]

Hi Ryan, 

The TTM can monitor a live mesh Thread network, doesn't matter if the mesh nodes running on the DK or the dongle , or can run on other 3rd party vendor. 

But to be able to let the TTM running on PC to access the Thread network, you would need a backend device to talk to Thread network. And for now only the PCA10056 is compatible with the TTM software. 

So in sort, you can use the dongles PCA10059 to form your network, but you need at least one PCA10056 connects to PC to use with TTM. 

[RyanP]

Hi Hung,
I am beginning to understand that I have to bite the dust and get my hands on a 52840-DK to achieve what I am trying to do.
Thank you so much for helping me so far

[Hung Bui]

Hi again Ryan, 

I'm sorry but I was just testing and found that actually it's possible to run the TTM with the nRF52840 dongle (PCA10059). 

You just need to flash the \Thread_ZigbeeSDKv2.0\examples\thread\cli\usb_bootloader example into the PCA10059 and make sure the USB driver for it is installed correctly (you have a new COM Port ) and you can use TTM to open that COM Port to join thread network. You can use the precompiled hex in that folder. 

To flash the firmware to the dongle you would need to use the nRFConnect -> Programmer app and put the dongle into bootloader mode (the LED breathing Red).

Note that the COM Port it created should be different from the COM Port that the dongle creates when in DFU mode. 

If windows couldn't install the COM port, you may want to point Windows to the CDC driver at \SDKv15.2\examples\usb_drivers

[RyanP]

Hung,
This is indeed good. I now have my TTM running and I am able to monitor the system. :-)
Thank you very much
Regards

Ryan Pedersen