ble_connectivity project

[DamonKelly]

I am trying to get the "ble_connectivity" project to work on the nRF52840 Dongle.

I am using a nRF52840 DK as a debugger, and SES Nordic Edition V4.16 (64-bit), with SDK 15.3

The steps I have followed are:

1. Connect to the Dongle
2. Erase the memory
3. From within SES, download the HEX file "open_bootloader_usb_mbr_pca10059_debug.hex"
4. Remove and re-insert the Dongle from the USB port (does the Reset button not function in this bootloader?)
5. The Dongle appears as "nRF52 SDFU USB (COMn)", with slowly blinking LED (so far, so good...)
6. nRF Connect v2.7.0 - Programmer finds the Dongle with Bootloader correctly
7. Using nRF Connect, I write "ble_connectivity_s140_usb_hci_pca10059.hex" to the Dongle
8. The write appears successful, but...
9. nRF Connect says:
   
   • LIBUSB error is detected. Reloading app could... etc...
10. Reloading the app doesn't help.
11. nRF Connect Programmer finds the Dongle, but selecting the device results in:
    

    1. 2019-06-21T00:17:08.815Z ERROR Error while probing usb device at bus.address 1.27: LIBUSB_ERROR_NOT_FOUND. Please check that a libusb-compatible kernel driver is bound to this device, see https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-nrfconnect-core/blob/master/doc/win32-usb-troubleshoot.md
       2019-06-21T00:17:17.505Z ERROR Unsupported device. The detected device could not be recognized as neither JLink device nor Nordic USB device.
       

12. In Bluetooth Low Energy app, selecting the Dongle results in:

    1. 2019-06-21T00:20:35.735Z INFO Validating connectivity firmware for device with serial number E22D3666FCCE...
       2019-06-21T00:20:35.737Z INFO Connectivity firmware is valid.
       2019-06-21T00:20:35.737Z ERROR Unsupported device with serial number 'E22D3666FCCE' and traits ["serialport"]
       

So, what's going wrong?

[Edvin]

Hello,

 

• Connect to the Dongle
• Erase the memory

 Did you use nRF Programmer to erase the dongle, or do you connect a debugger and erase the dongle using nRF Connect? Did you erase the entire dongle, or just the application?

To be clear, all of these steps, do you use the dongle, or the DK? (you said: "I am using a nRF52840 DK as a debugger")

The reason I ask is that there are a few things you need to look out for when you use the dongle, if you want to program it manually (without the preprogrammed bootloader and nRF Programmer).

Please check out this blog post.

[DamonKelly]

The Dongle is connected to the Debug Out connector on the Dev Kit via a 10-pin cable.

I erased the Dongle from within Segger Embedded Studio Nordic Edition V4.16 (64-bit), using:

Target->Connect J-Link

Target->Erase All

Then I downloaded the Bootloader HEX using:

Target->Download File->Download Intel Hex File...

[DamonKelly]

Yes, I have read the Dongle Programming Guide.

No, the Dongle works fine!

The problem is that I'm trying to get the Open Bootloader and the ble_connectivity project from the SDK 15.3.0 to actually work.

The Open Bootloader works, but when I either use the pre-compiled ble_connectivity HEX from the SDK, or compile it myself, the BLE app doesn't recognize it.

[Edvin]

Using nRF Connect, I write "ble_connectivity_s140_usb_hci_pca10059.hex" to the Dongle

 You mean nRF Programmer, right? 

It isn't the ble_connectivity_s140_usb_hci_pca10059.hex that is used with the nRF Connect FW. If you want to use the dongle with nRF Connect, you open the app that you want to use, select the dongle (while it is in bootloader mode), and then it will ask you whether you want to program your dongle with the suitable FW. 

So if you want to use it with the standard Bluetooth low energy app in nRF Connect, just open that app while the dongle is in DFU mode. 

[DamonKelly]

So what is the purpose of the ble_connectivity project?

[Edvin]

It is used for serialization applications. Let us say you have a heavy application so that you need to run it on a CPU with a larger processor, but this processor/chip doesn't have a radio, then you can use the ble_connectivity to send commands over a serial interface to the nRF, which will act as a slave radio. You can check out this site.

The application that is programmed so that the chip works with nRF Connect is based off of this project, but it is not that exact one.

Did you try to program it via the tool that you want to use? Did it work with the custom bootloader?

Best regards,

Edvin

[DamonKelly]

OK, I understand.