Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Edvin — Fri, 22 May 2020 08:56:35 GMT

Hello,

That looks like a valid workaround. Either that, or not manually start the advertisement after you call disconnect would work equally fine. Alternatively, you could filter out the NRF_ERROR_INVALID_STATE on your advertising start call and ignore it (not pass it into APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);

However, if the current workaround is working, you don't need to change anything. Glad to hear you got it working!

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Bruno Santamaria — Thu, 21 May 2020 10:45:28 GMT

Hi, you were right (of course). I had not tried to find out what that fatal error meant because I thought it was the same as before. But it was indeed NRF_ERROR_INVALID_STATE (8) because advertising had already been restarted when I requested that again.

I explain the full problem and solution in case it helps anyone reading and in case you think there is a better one:

When connected and using my function ble_app_disconnect(), a BLE_GAP_EVT_DISCONNECTED was handled in ble_advertising.c, calling on_disconnected(), which restarts advertising even if disconnection was made intentionally.

What I did is this. I added init.config.ble_adv_on_disconnect_disabled = true; in advertising_init() to prevent on_disconnected from being called. And I added the code from that function to my own handled BLE_GAP_EVNT_DISCONNECTED event, but only in case disconnection was not done on purpose:

static void ble_evt_handler(ble_evt_t const * p_ble_evt, void * p_context)
{
    uint32_t err_code;

    switch (p_ble_evt->header.evt_id)
    {
        //{...}

        case BLE_GAP_EVT_DISCONNECTED:
            NRF_LOG_INFO("Disconnected");
            // LED indication will be changed when advertising starts.
            m_conn_handle = BLE_CONN_HANDLE_INVALID;

            // <ADDED>
			// If device is not asleep, restart advertising and try to reconnect
			// Advertising restart is done here instead of in ble_advertising.c because ble_adv_on_disconnect_disabled set true
			// If device is asleep, device initiated disconnection. Don't start advertising
			if(device.flags.is_not_asleep == 1){
				m_advertising.whitelist_temporarily_disabled = false;

				if (p_ble_evt->evt.gap_evt.conn_handle == m_advertising.current_slave_link_conn_handle)
				{
				   err_code = ble_advertising_start(&m_advertising, BLE_ADV_MODE_DIRECTED_HIGH_DUTY);
				   if ((err_code != NRF_SUCCESS) && (m_advertising.error_handler != NULL))
				   {
					   m_advertising.error_handler(err_code);
				   }
				}
			}
			// </ADDED>
            break;
        
        //{...}
        default:
            // No implementation needed.
            break;
    }
}

Thanks Edvin

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Edvin — Wed, 20 May 2020 12:04:47 GMT

Whenever you see "Fatal error" in your log, you should go to your preprocessor definitions and add "DEBUG" as a preprocessor define. If you do this, then the log will tell you what APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code) that received an err_code != 0. Try to do that. If you are not sure how to change your preprocessor definitions, please let me know what IDE you are using.

I guess you are trying to restart advertising twice, and the last one returns NRF_ERROR_INVALID_STATE (8).

I can only guess what might happen, but the fastest way is for you to check what causes the fatal error by checking the log with the DEBUG preprocessor define

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Bruno Santamaria — Wed, 20 May 2020 09:26:09 GMT

Of course, it makes sense. Thanks! Truth be told, I don't know what is that line doing there. I guess the previous developer copied that from some example without knowing.

I have removed it and now I can restart advertising... only when not connected to the central device.

This is the log of that situation:

Button ON-OFF pressed

Sleep!

<info> app: BLE Disconnected

<info> app: Disconnected

Button ON-OFF released 

Button ON-OFF pressed 

Wake up!

Button ON-OFF released 

<info> app: Before AdvRestart, advertising handle: 0

<error> app: Fatal error

I've tried to change the code in my ble_app_disconnect() function to only stop advertising when not connected, but result was the same.

void ble_app_disconnect(void){
	ret_code_t err_code;

	if (m_conn_handle != BLE_CONN_HANDLE_INVALID)
	{
		err_code = sd_ble_gap_disconnect(m_conn_handle, BLE_HCI_REMOTE_USER_TERMINATED_CONNECTION);
		if (err_code == NRF_SUCCESS){
			NRF_LOG_INFO("BLE Disconnected");
		} else if (err_code != NRF_ERROR_INVALID_STATE){
			APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
			NRF_LOG_INFO("BLE Not previously connected");
		}
	} else {
		ble_app_advertising_stop();
	}
}

With my debug lines I see that when advertising/disconnected, my log prints <info> app: BLE advertising stopped, from function ble_app_advertising_stop. When not advertising/connected, it prints <info> app: BLE Disconnected from function ble_app_disconnect.

This seems to be an additional problem. Any idea? If you need any other debug information please tell me.

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Edvin — Wed, 20 May 2020 08:48:48 GMT

So you set the advertising handle to 0xFF when you stop advertising. Is there a particular reason for this? I suspect that if you comment out this line in ble_app_advertising_stop it will work as you intend:

        m_advertising.adv_handle = (uint8_t)BLE_GAP_ADV_SET_HANDLE_NOT_SET;

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Bruno Santamaria — Wed, 20 May 2020 08:38:52 GMT

Hi Edvin,

all my three advertising funtions (ble_advertising_init(), ble_advertising_start() and ble_app_advertising_restart()) are placed in a file, which I've named ble_app.c. On top of that file I define m_advertising instance. Here I show you this code:

BLE_ADVERTISING_DEF(m_advertising);                                                 /**< Advertising module instance. */

/**@brief Function for initializing the Advertising functionality.
 */
void ble_app_advertising_init(void)
{
    uint32_t               err_code;
    ble_advertising_init_t init;

    memset(&init, 0, sizeof(init));

    init.advdata.name_type          = BLE_ADVDATA_FULL_NAME;
    init.advdata.include_appearance = false;
    init.advdata.flags              = BLE_GAP_ADV_FLAGS_LE_ONLY_LIMITED_DISC_MODE;

    init.srdata.uuids_complete.uuid_cnt = sizeof(m_adv_uuids) / sizeof(m_adv_uuids[0]);
    init.srdata.uuids_complete.p_uuids  = m_adv_uuids;

    init.config.ble_adv_fast_enabled  = true;
    init.config.ble_adv_fast_interval = APP_ADV_INTERVAL;
    init.config.ble_adv_fast_timeout  = APP_ADV_DURATION;
    init.evt_handler = on_adv_evt;

    err_code = ble_advertising_init(&m_advertising, &init);
    APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);

    ble_advertising_conn_cfg_tag_set(&m_advertising, APP_BLE_CONN_CFG_TAG);
	NRF_LOG_INFO("After AdvInit, advertising handle: %d", m_advertising.adv_handle);
}

/**@brief Function for starting advertising.
 */
void ble_app_advertising_start(void)
{
    uint32_t err_code = ble_advertising_start(&m_advertising, BLE_ADV_MODE_FAST);
    APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
	NRF_LOG_INFO("After AdvStart, advertising handle: %d", m_advertising.adv_handle);
}


/**@brief Function for stopping advertising.
 */
void ble_app_advertising_stop(void)
{
    ret_code_t err_code = NRF_SUCCESS;

    if (m_advertising.adv_handle != (uint8_t)BLE_GAP_ADV_SET_HANDLE_NOT_SET)
    {
        err_code = sd_ble_gap_adv_stop(m_advertising.adv_handle);
        if (err_code == NRF_SUCCESS){
			NRF_LOG_INFO("BLE advertising stopped");
		} else if (err_code != NRF_ERROR_INVALID_STATE){
			NRF_LOG_INFO("BLE not previously advertising");
            APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
        }
        m_advertising.adv_handle = (uint8_t)BLE_GAP_ADV_SET_HANDLE_NOT_SET;
    } 
}

void ble_app_advertising_restart(void){
	ret_code_t err_code;
	NRF_LOG_INFO("Before AdvRestart, advertising handle: %d", m_advertising.adv_handle);
	err_code = ble_advertising_start(&m_advertising, BLE_ADV_MODE_FAST);
	if(err_code != NRF_SUCCESS)
	{
		APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
	}
}

Here is the result that you requested:

<info> app: After AdvInit, advertising handle: 0

<info> app: After AdvStart, advertising handle: 0

<info> app: Before AdvRestart, advertising handle: 255

<error> app: Fatal error

It is the same result if there is a connection with a central device and if there is not (in this case the module is advertising which I stop with ble_app_advertising_stop).

RE: Problem at advertisement restart with button in custom board using NUS: sd_ble_gap_adv_set_configure returns 0x4 NRF_ERROR_NO_MEM

Edvin — Tue, 19 May 2020 14:27:38 GMT

Hello,

Do you use the same instance of m_advertising in your ble_app_advertising_restart?

Try to print out the advertising handle at these points:

1: After ble_advertising_init()

2: Before ble_advertising_start();

3: Before you restart your advertising in your custom ble_app_advertising_restart()

You can print it like this:

NRF_LOG_INFO("advertising handle: %d", m_advertising.adv_handle);

What is the advertising handle at the different scenarios?

BR,

Edvin