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Demo Software for Thingy91

I search for an LTE modem for a small device. (between 10000 or 100000 parts per year)

So I need something to play with it to learn what is possible. (for example battery live with my measurement hardware)

My idea is to buy a Thingy91.

Is there somewhere an easy demoprogram that I can modify and compile so it reads data for example from I2C oder USART and send to with LTE-M or NB to my computer or my server?

Olaf

Parents
  • Hello Olaf,

    My idea is to buy a Thingy91.

    Is there somewhere an easy demoprogram that I can modify and compile so it reads data for example from I2C oder USART and send to with LTE-M or NB to my computer or my server?

    Yes, the Thingy:91 is a great choice as a rapid prototyping platform for an LTE-M / NB device.

    It sounds like you might be looking for the demo application source code for the Thingy91, you can see this on the nrf-sdk github.
    For example, you may see the standard asset tracking example source code and documentation here.

    As a side note, for development of a custom device with the nRF9160 SiP you might also want to have a look at the nRF9160 Development kit.
    While the Thingy:91 is fast to setup, test and get results, the development kit makes it easier to add custom hardware and peripheral sensors, for example, which might be useful if you are going to develop your own custom board with the nRF9160.

    Please do not hesitate to ask if anything still should be unclear, or if you have any other issues or questions!

    Best regards,
    Karl

  • The thingy91 arrived on my desktop. It was easy to install the SIM-Card.

    It was possible to register the SIM-Card. The thingy is now blinking with two RGB-LED. I think both are blinking with red, green and blue. But I can not add the device. It said:

    There was an error adding your device: It wasn't found. Is it connected?

    If the LED(s) don't indicate that it's connected, you may have to update your device.

    I wonder if I have to update anything, because the thingy said it is made 2020.13. That sound new to me.

    I tried to install nrfconnect to read error-codes. But when I start nrfconnectsetup341ia32.exe it said it can not download apps list. with Status code 500. That sound not very reliable to me. 

    I read that the SIM-Card is LTE-M, but LTE-M is limited in Germany, because we are using LT-NB? Do I need a different SIM Card?

    Olaf

  • BTW: I think there is a bug in the Nordic firmware. :-)

    My Airpressure is 1004hPa and not 100.4hPa. .-)

    Olaf

  • good to hear it work! I can report it.

    Kenneth

  • I found a new problem, sigh.

    I tried to update the firmware. I download this file:

      thingy91_fw_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.zip

    I unpack it.

    I start the programmer. I switch on the Thingy when press the big button and connect it to usb.

    I connect with the programmer and use the button "Update modem" 

    I direkt it to the file "mfwnrf9160120.zip"

    The programmer did program some file to the thingy. It looks good. 

    Modem DFU starts to write...

    Writing C:\Daten\Source\Nordic\thingy91_fw_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b\mfwnrf9160120.zip to device

    Modem DFU completed successfully!

    I switched off and on the device. But it did not work anymore. No blinking led.

    I don't understand what I did wrong!

    Is it now time to connect the j-link Ultra and did the real work? Slight smile

    Olaf

  • It is possible to repeat the steps above. So the uboot is perhaps working:

    But the result is the same. It did not work anymore. 

    BTW: You should think about using the led to do some blinking in the uboot so people know what the device is doing.

  • Okay, I found the nordic page in internet that explain that the device firmware is deleted when I update the modem firmware. BTW: Your link above to the explanation is dead. So I had search in internet for it.

    I wrote now some firmware inside and the red led is blinking. 

    C:\Daten\Source\Nordic\thingy91_fw_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b\images_dfu_hex\debug\thingy91_nbiot_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex

    Do I need to program more than one file? It is hard to understand what happens or not.

    Olaf

Reply
  • Okay, I found the nordic page in internet that explain that the device firmware is deleted when I update the modem firmware. BTW: Your link above to the explanation is dead. So I had search in internet for it.

    I wrote now some firmware inside and the red led is blinking. 

    C:\Daten\Source\Nordic\thingy91_fw_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b\images_dfu_hex\debug\thingy91_nbiot_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex

    Do I need to program more than one file? It is hard to understand what happens or not.

    Olaf

Children
  • The CONTENTS.txt file in the zip file should explain a bit:

    These files were built with nRF Connect SDK version v1.2.0-406-gbc7ade8b
    from repository at https://github.com/NordicPlayground/fw-nrfconnect-nrf
    
    Full commit SHA: bc7ade8b14a18265933f713d47e44f4eb50f337c
    
    Package contents:
    images_full/          Full firmware images, updated over debug probe / development kit
    images_dfu_hex/       Application images, updated over USB, HEX format
    images_dfu_bin/       Application images, updated over USB, binary format
    
    images_full/debug     Full firmware images with modem debug tracing enabled, updated over debug probe / development kit
    images_dfu_hex/debug  Application images with modem debug tracing enabled, updated over USB, HEX format
    images_dfu_bin/debug  Application images with modem debug tracing enabled, updated over USB, binary format
    
    File                                                                                             Description
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    images_dfu_bin/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                   DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160
    images_dfu_bin/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin             Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
    images_dfu_bin/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin  DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
    images_dfu_bin/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                               Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160
    images_dfu_bin/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                         Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
    images_dfu_bin/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin              Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
    images_dfu_bin/nrf9160dk_at_client_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                                   Firmware for direct modem communication
    images_dfu_hex/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                   DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160
    images_dfu_hex/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex             Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
    images_dfu_hex/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex  DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
    images_dfu_hex/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                               Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160
    images_dfu_hex/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                         Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
    images_dfu_hex/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex              Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
    images_dfu_hex/nrf9160dk_at_client_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                                   Firmware for direct modem communication
    images_full/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_ltem_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                     DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160
    images_full/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                    DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
    images_full/debug/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_legacy_pco_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex         DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
    images_full/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_ltem_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                                 Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160
    images_full/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                                Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
    images_full/nrf9160dk_asset_tracker_nbiot_legacy_pco_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                     Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
    images_full/nrf9160dk_at_client_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                                          Firmware for direct modem communication
    mfwnrf9160120.zip                                                                                Modem firmware, updated through nRF Connect for Desktop
    

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