nRF Connect Desktop: Show Characteristic & Service Names

[awneil]

On the Android app, I can define human-readable names for my custom Services & Characteristics.

How do I do that on the Desktop app?

[haakonsh]

I'm afraid it's not implemented on the desktop version yet :/ 

[mrono]

haakonsh said:

I'm afraid it's not implemented on the desktop version yet :/

It has been possible for quite some time to give human-friendly aliases for UUIDs in the desktop app. Or are we talking about some other kind of naming?

There is a uuid_definitions.json file somewhere on your system that has the definitions. The file is available from the settings menu (the gear icon) of the adapter in nRF Connect. It seems you need to be connected for the menu item to show up.

[awneil]

You're right - there it is:

When you click the option, you get:

I really don't think it's a good idea to have to set the global Windows configuration for the special case of this one particular app - would be better if the app held the option.

The default file content is:

{
    "_comment": {
        "comment": [
            "Add UUIDs for your services, characteristics, and descriptors in this file.",
            "The format is the UUID of the item, followed by an object containing the data.",
            "'name' is a mandatory handle, while 'format' is optional.",
            "Currently the only supported format is 'TEXT', default is 'NO_FORMAT'.",
            "The application must be reloaded to access changes in this file."
        ]
    },
    "uuid16bitServiceDefinitions": {
        "180D": {
            "name": "Heart Rate"
        }
    },
    "uuid16bitCharacteristicDefinitions": {
        "2A37": {
            "name": "Heart Rate Measurement"
        },
        "2A29": {
            "name": "Manufacturer Name String",
            "format": "TEXT"
        }
    },
    "uuid16bitDescriptorDefinitions": {},
    "uuid128bitServiceDefinitions": {
        "6E400001B5A3F393E0A9E50E24DCCA9E": {
            "name": "UART over BLE"
        }
    },
    "uuid128bitCharacteristicDefinitions": {
        "6E400002B5A3F393E0A9E50E24DCCA9E": {
            "name": "UART RX"
        },
        "6E400003B5A3F393E0A9E50E24DCCA9E": {
            "name": "UART TX"
        }
    },
    "uuid128bitDescriptorDefinitions": {}
}

The comment assumes that readers are familiar with JSON and what "object", "handle", etc mean in that context.

[awneil]

Hmm ...

There doesn't seem to be any way to copy the UUIDs from the app to enter them into that fie.

[awneil]

It would be helpful if the UUIDs could be easily copied & pasted from the source file which defines them; eg, from Nordic's own Tutorial:

// FROM_SERVICE_TUTORIAL: Defining 16-bit service and 128-bit base UUIDs
#define BLE_UUID_OUR_BASE_UUID              {{0x23, 0xD1, 0x13, 0xEF, 0x5F, 0x78, 0x23, 0x15, 0xDE, 0xEF, 0x12, 0x12, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00}} // 128-bit base UUID
#define BLE_UUID_OUR_SERVICE_UUID                0xF00D // Just a random, but recognizable value

// ALREADY_DONE_FOR_YOU: Defining 16-bit characteristic UUID
#define BLE_UUID_OUR_CHARACTERISTC_UUID          0xBEEF // Just a random, but recognizable value

Is there a way to define the Base UUID as 128-bit, and then others as 16-bit ?

[awneil]

awneil said:

There doesn't seem to be any way to copy the UUIDs from the [desktop] app

However, it is possible to export them from the mobile app - and the exported file can be used with the Desktop app.