ble_app_beacon and nRF51822-EK

[antoniolopes]

Hello all.

I just finished started setting up the environment for Nordic development. We have a Beacon Kit and a nRF51822-EK board.

I managed to compile and run board/phone the Heart Rate Example. Next i moved on to the beacon example, compiled ok and deployed to the board but the app on the phone just does not recognize the board as a beacon.

I am updating the FW of the board using the guide stated here: devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../

Essentially i do:

1. clean memory board

2. deploy s110-v7 in address 0

3. beacon.hex in address 0x16000

4. 'r' + 'g')

My s110 is v7 and my sdk version is 6.1.0

Hope my description helps!

Best, Antonio

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

Hi

Perhaps you can benefit also from looking at this thread

Update 12.11.2014 The following images show how you hook up your becon kit with a programmer. The first image shows two beacon kits, one has raw contacts on the P2 pad, the other has soldered headers in order for a programmer to connect to the P2 pad. The second image shows how J-link LITE CortexM programmer is connected to the beacon kit with a flat cable. If you have the nRF51822 development kit, this programmer and flat cable comes with that kit. If you do not have this programmer, you can purchase it separately from Segger. Nevermind the black and red wires, I mounted them because the battery holder at the bottom of the Beacon kit fell off and I just connected the battery to the Beacon kit with those two wires instead.

When you have this setup, you can program the Beacon kit with the same procedure as the nRF51822 evaluation kit or the development kit. If you are not familiar with the programming procedure, look at the user guide for either the nRF51822 evaluation kit or nRF51822 development kit. You should be able to download the User guides once you are logged in on the www.nordicsemi.com site.

Update 2 12.11.2014 The ble_app_beacon_bcs example is part of the "nRF51822 Bluetooth Smart Beacon Kit Firmware Files" available here

Update 18.11.2014 For connecting the Beacon kit directly to the J-Link Lite CortexM programmer with wires, connect it as the following image shows.

Update 19.11.2014 An alternative method for connecting a programmer to the Beacon kit is to order this adapter, which connects the beacon kit with a Segger programmer that has 20-pin connector on the other side, e.g. this one, this one or this one. This mehtod does not require any soldering. It is discussed on this thread.

Update 27.11.2014 If you already have a J-Link LITE CortexM programmer, then you can buy this adapter cable. Then you can program the beacon kit without soldering.

If you do not have a programmer, then a very good choice would be to buy the same adapter cable and the nRF51 DK which has an onboard programmer/debugger and a "debug out" port (see nRF51-DK - User Guide v1_0 section 5.10). If you connect the adapter cable between the "debug out" port and the Beacon kit, then you are able to program/debug the beacon kit. In addition you have full scale development platform (the nRF51 DK) with the latest third revision nRF51 hardware (Beacon kit has the second revision nRF51 hardware).

[antoniolopes]

Good Morning Stefan,

Thank you for your pointers. It made me understand things.

So i have two options to upload to the beacon kit: compile my app with sdk 5.2, or flash the beacon with the v7 and bootloader/sdk 6.1.

• Compile with sdk 5.2: i would need the sdk5.2.zip but i only have access to the 6.1? I tried search for previous sdks but i cant find the 5.2 (just a link to 4.X.X and 6.X).

• If above is not possible i am having trouble to understand how i flash the beacon kit with a new bootloader and or sdk over the air?

Last question: how can we check and change the mapping of the LED's/switch from board PCA10001 to the beacon kit so we can try the examples on the beacon succesfully?

Thank you for your time Stefan, really appreciated!

Antonio

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

The RGB led function is implemented in main.c->leds_timer_handler in the ble_app_beacon_bcs example

[antoniolopes]

Thanks so much for your support Stefan, unfortunately i still have questions! :)

We bought the Evaluation Kit and the new Development Kit (instead of the one that is going to be deprecated from Nordic). Unfortunately i dont see a J-Link Lite board in this nRF51-DK. Cant it be connected to the Evaluation Kit?

The OTA functionality is there and its working, so my question really is: considering my development environment (sdk6.1) how can i deploy at least a "Hello World" hex to the beacon? The hex that i generate with the sdk 6.1 just dont go.

Last (finally!) can you point me to the ble_app_beacon_bcs? i cant seem to find it anywhere in my sdk folder!

Thanks, Antonio

[Stefan Birnir Sverrisson]

The new nRF51 DK does not include this J-Link Lite programmer, and neither does the evaluation kit, only the nRF51822 DK has the programmer included. So in your case, you would have to purchase it from Segger.
From the ble_app_beacon_bcs->main.c->leds_timer_handler implementation, you will need to figure out how to do similar things in your firmware, in order to show anything on the RGB led on the beacon kit. If you have the programmer connected already to the beacon kit, you can flash the softdevice, then any BLE firmware example from the SDK, then the beacon kit will advertize, but it will not show anything on the RGB LED unless you map the LEDs in the example to the Beacon kit. try to look at the documents in the Beacon user guide in the link I pointed to, to see how LEDs and buttons on the beacon kit are mapped.

[antoniolopes]

Thank you Stefan.

Sorry for the delay in the answer.

Im trying to avoid soldering and use the JLink Programmer (we will order meanwhile just in case) and try to use the OTA feature as much as possible for now, so can you confirm that my only option (for now) is to compile hex applications with SDK 5.2.0 and upload to the beacon OTA?