Achieving extended range with Bluetooth 5 with an iPhone X?

[Pau]

Hi, We would like to support Bluetooth 5 in an upcoming product development.

Bluetooth 5 gives us two options for an improved connection: Twice the data through put (payload size) or an extended range.

For an extended range, a PHY request needs to be negotiated between the peripheral and the central device.

This PHY request succeeds on an Android device (Xiaomi 8, Android 9). However, when testing with an iPhone X (iOS 12), the PHY request from the peripheral to the central fails with error code 30 and the PHY is changed to 2 Mbit (higher data throughput, no extended range).

With iPhone X (Bluetooth 5.0):

BLE_GAP_EVT_PHY_UPDATA shows the result: 30,2,2.

1. Does the iPhone or the peripheral issue the PHY request?

2. What does error code 30 mean?

3. How do you enable extended range between a peripheral and an iOS device with Bluetooth 5 support?

I don't know if it is relevant, but we also negotiate a MTU size of 32.

All the best,

Pau Senabre. 

[awneil]

Are you sure that both the iPhone X hardware and iOS 12 support coded PHY ?

See:  https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/39460/related-to-ble-lon-range/153430#153430

Pau said:

when testing with an iPhone X (iOS 12), the PHY request from the peripheral to the central fails with error code 30

Is that an iOS error code in the phone app, or a Nordic error code in the embedded firmware?

Pau said:

What does error code 30 mean?

If it's an iOS error code, then you will have to consult the iOS documentation.

if it's a Nordic error code, then use your IDE's browsing facilities to find the definition - there will be a description there ...

Pau said:

iPhone X (iOS 12)