New project using Thingy, or DK?

[kevy]

Hi,

I am starting a new iOS BTLE project for a new kind of music instrument. I started with the Thingy believing that that would be a good reference design to start from. While the hardware is great, the firmware is very lacking and requires a several thousand dollar (from what I can tell) purchase from Keil to use a $40 reference design. Am I missing something here? The SES version of the Thingy FW is out of date and fraught with build errors.

As such, is it better to perhaps start a new design using one of the DK boards instead of the thingy?

Thoughts?

Thank you,

Kevin

[Martin]

I work with the Segger Embedded Studio for projects using the nrf52832 all the time.
No problem at all - best development environment ever.
I really would recommend buying a Segger Debug probe, but no need for several thousand dollars Keil software license.

So your having software problems (build problems) and therefore would like to change the hardware?
Normally it is the other way around ...

Perhaps you have to decide first which processer from the nRF52 series is right for your project ...

[kevy]

Thanks for the input Martin.

I was hoping I could buy a Thingy ($40), download an SES codebase build (that works out of the box!), and start understanding and modifying code for my purpose. Instead there doesn't seem to be a sanctioned SES build and codebase for the Thingy. Instead, if I spend upwards of $1500 - $2500 I can get Keil for which, apparently, there is a codebase that builds out of the box for the Thingy.

Seems kinda counter intuitive to me to offer such an inexpensive and great piece of hardware to get one started then have the hidden expense of the development system rendering the whole option kind of unusable, in my case. Unless I'm still missing something...

I'm going to try an nRF52DK which has SES sample code that builds for it right out of the box.

[Edvin]

Hello,

I assume you are talking about the Segger Embedded Studio (SES) projects in the Thingy SDK.

Unfortunately, the SES projects were never supposed to be released in that SDK, because they do not work. It is removed from the github repo containing the SDK for Thingy, but the SDK for Thingy download on nordicsemi.com isn't changed.

The difference  between the Thingy SDK and the "normal" SDK is that the Thingy SDK has the example project that is shipped with the Thingy, and the motion drivers, LED drivers, and the drivers for the different sensors that the Thingy use. Other than that, the nRF5_SDK should work with the thingy, but you will not be able to use the sensors.

If you want to use the thingy SDK, perhaps you can try to check the project file that my colleague, Joakim posted in this ticket.

Best regards,

Edvin

[kevy]

Thanks Edvin. I wonder why the bad SES project is still available online. Kinda strange. In any case, I did try the project Joakim put out but still had build issues. Thanks anyway.