Eddystone TLM + iBeacon UUID advertising issue

RE: Eddystone TLM + iBeacon UUID advertising issue

Karl Ylvisaker — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:29:12 GMT

Hello Susan,

[quote user="Susan_cfx"]Can "manuf_specific_data.company_identifier" and "manuf_specific_data.data.p_data " be combined into one fileld, just add two bytes of overhead ? [/quote]

Aha, it seems I misunderstood your question previously.
Yes, the manufacturing specific data is only 1 data field, so the overhead of this field is only 2 bytes total. You may populate the manufacturer specific data with whatever you would like.

[quote user="Susan_cfx"]

I reference to the example \nRF5_SDK_17.0.0_9d13099\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_beacon ,

It advertise 1 Bytes (flas) + 2 Bytes (manuf_specific_data.company_identifier) + 23Bytes (manuf_specific_data.data.p_data) , add 2 Bytes for each separate data field, so total 26+2*3 = 32 Bytes, which also exceeds the limit 31 Bytes.

[/quote]

No, this is not correct. The company identifier is part of the manufacturing data, and therefore does not require the 2 bytes overhead - placing the advertising on 30 bytes.
The following three lines is the entire advertising payload of the ble_app_beacon:

    advdata.name_type             = BLE_ADVDATA_NO_NAME;
    advdata.flags                 = flags;
    advdata.p_manuf_specific_data = &manuf_specific_data;

The company identifier is contained within the manufacturer specific data.

Please do not hesitate to ask if anything still should be unclear!

Best regards,
Karl

RE: Eddystone TLM + iBeacon UUID advertising issue

Susan_cfx — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 10:11:45 GMT

Hi Karl,

As you said both company identifier and manufacturer specific data need to add 2bytes,

the total data I try to fit into the advertising is 1 Bytes (flags) +2 Bytes (manuf_specific_data.company_identifier) +23 Byte(manuf_specific_data.data.p_data)+ 2 Bytes overhead*3 , total 32Bytes.

I reference to the example \nRF5_SDK_17.0.0_9d13099\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_beacon ,

Can "manuf_specific_data.company_identifier" and "manuf_specific_data.data.p_data " be combined into one fileld, just add two bytes of overhead ?

Best regards,

Susan

RE: Eddystone TLM + iBeacon UUID advertising issue

Karl Ylvisaker — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 09:10:19 GMT

Hello Susan,

[quote user="Susan_cfx"]the total data I try to fit into the advertising is 3bytes (flags) +2(Length +Type)+2bytes (company_identifier) +23byte(m_beacon_ibeacon_payload) , total 30Bytes.[/quote]

Each data field requires two bytes of overhead, one for length and one for type. So in reality, you will need to add 2 bytes to every separate data field you include - in this case, both for company identifier and manufacturer specific data. Adding this to your included length calculation above leaves you at 34 bytes, which exceeds the limit.
To remedy this you could either try to remove the company identifier, or shave 3 bytes off the manufacturer specific payload.

[quote user="Susan_cfx"]I attached the code, please review for me, thank you. [/quote]

Which part in particular would you like me to have a look at?
It is very hard to read the code you have just copied in between your logs. Your code is also cluttered with comments of non-included code. On a general note I strongly recommend removing scrap code immediately, and saving it elsewhere if necessary, to avoid cluttering up the code and decreasing readability.

[quote user="Susan_cfx"]if comment out five bytes in the payload, and don't include flags[/quote]

Please be advised that the flags may only be omitted in the case that the advertising is non-connectable, otherwise it violates the BLE specification. This is of course not an issue for you now that you are creating a beacon, but I mention it for future reference. Please see the answer by my colleague in this ticket for further details.

[quote user="Susan_cfx"]It seems that when broadcasting eddystone UID +TLM+ URL + ibeacon, the length of ble_advdata_manuf_data_t is limited, can the length of ble_advdata_manuf_data_t be set?[/quote]

As mentioned you need to add 2 bytes of overhead to each data field of your advertising. Please account for this in your calculations of the manufacturer specific data length limit, and let me know if the limit then is as expected.

Best regards,
Karl

RE: Eddystone TLM + iBeacon UUID advertising issue

Susan_cfx — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 07:32:00 GMT

Hi Karl,

the total data I try to fit into the advertising is 3bytes (flags) +2(Length +Type)+2bytes (company_identifier) +23byte(m_beacon_ibeacon_payload) , total 30Bytes. I attached the code, please review for me, thank you.

devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../beacon_5F00_ibeacon.c devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../2451.beacon_5F00_adv.c

I do more test, if comment out five bytes in the payload, and don't include flags , reduce the total data to 22 Bytes, it can advertising iBeacon + Eddystone UID+ TLM+URL , no error.

00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: ES_FRAME_TYPE_UID
00>
00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: ES_FRAME_TYPE_TLM
00>
00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: ES_FRAME_TYPE_URL
00>
00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: BEACON_FRAME_TYPE_IBEACON
00>
00> <info> beacon_main: Enter main loop
00>
00> <info> beacon_ibeacon: sizeof_my_maunf: 12
00>
00> <info> beacon_adv: sizeof_manuf : 12
00>
00> <info> beacon_adv: encode data length: 22

typedef struct {
uint8_t id; /**< Packet ID; Equal to 2 for an iBeacon */
uint8_t len; /**< Length of the remaining data in the payload */
uint8_t uid[16]; /**< Beacon UID */
//uint8_t major_0; /**< Beacon major ID */
// uint8_t major_1;
// uint8_t minor_0; /**< Beacon minor ID */
// uint8_t minor_1;
// uint8_t tx; /**< Tx power received at 1 meter in dBm */
}__attribute__((packed)) beacon_ibeacon_payload_t;

/* The advertisement payload */
static beacon_ibeacon_payload_t m_beacon_ibeacon_payload = {

.id = BEACON_IBEACON_DEVICE_TYPE,
.len = BEACON_IBEACON_ADV_DATA_LENGTH,
.uid = BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_UUID,
//.major_0 =BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_MAJOR_0_VALUE,
//.major_1 =BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_MAJOR_1_VALUE,
//.minor_0 = BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_MINOR_0_VALUE,
//.minor_1 = BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_MINOR_1_VALUE,
//.tx = BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_MEASURED_RSSI,
};

/* Manufacturer data struct. This is passed on to the advertisement module. */
static ble_advdata_manuf_data_t m_beacon_ibeacon_manuf_data = {
.company_identifier = BEACON_IBEACON_DEFAULT_COMPANY_IDENTIFIER,
.data.p_data = (uint8_t *) &m_beacon_ibeacon_payload,
.data.size = sizeof(beacon_ibeacon_payload_t),
};

static void m_beacon_adv_fill_proprietary_data(uint8_t type, ble_gap_adv_data_t * const p_adv_data)
{
ble_advdata_t adv_data;
ret_code_t err_code;

static ble_advdata_manuf_data_t manuf_data;

// Build and set advertising data.
memset(&adv_data, 0, sizeof(adv_data));

switch(type) {
case CFX_BEACON_FRAME_TYPE_IBEACON:
adv_data.name_type = BLE_ADVDATA_NO_NAME;
// adv_data.flags = BLE_GAP_ADV_FLAGS_LE_ONLY_GENERAL_DISC_MODE;

cfx_beacon_ibeacon_get_advertisement_data(&manuf_data);
adv_data.p_manuf_specific_data = &manuf_data;

NRF_LOG_INFO("sizeof_manuf %d", sizeof(ble_advdata_manuf_data_t));

break;

}

/*add for sdk17*/
err_code = ble_advdata_encode(&adv_data, p_adv_data->adv_data.p_data, &p_adv_data->adv_data.len);
NRF_LOG_INFO("encode data length: %d", p_adv_data->adv_data.len);

APP_ERROR_CHECK(err_code);
p_adv_data->scan_rsp_data.p_data = NULL;
p_adv_data->scan_rsp_data.len = 0;

}

I print sizeof( m_beacon_ibeacon_manuf_data ) and sizeof( ble_advdata_manuf_data_t ), why it always is 0x12,18Bytes ? no matter how many beacon_ibeacon_payload_t is set.

00> <info> cbeacon_slot_parser: ES_FRAME_TYPE_UID
00>
00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: ES_FRAME_TYPE_TLM
00>
00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: ES_FRAME_TYPE_URL
00>
00> <info> beacon_slot_parser: CFX_BEACON_FRAME_TYPE_IBEACON
00>
00> <info> beacon_main: Enter main loop
00>
00> <info> beacon_ibeacon: sizeof_my_maunf: 12
00>
00> <info> beacon_adv: sizeof_manuf : 12
00>
00> <info> beacon_adv: encode data length: 0
00>
00> <error> app: ERROR 12 [NRF_ERROR_DATA_SIZE] at ../../../../../communication/cfx_beacon_adv.c:191
00>
00> PC at: 0x0003656D
00>
00> <error> app: End of error report

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

if I configure the beacon to only advertise iBeacon, the log is as follows, no erro.

00> <info> cfx_beacon_slot_parser: CFX_BEACON_FRAME_TYPE_IBEACON
00>
00> <info> cfx_beacon_ibeacon: sizeof_my_maunf: 12
00>
00> <info> cfx_beacon_adv: sizeof_manuf : 12 , why it still is 12?
00>
00> <info> cfx_beacon_adv: encode data length: 27
00>
00> <info> cfx_beacon_ibeacon: sizeof_my_maunf: 0x12

It seems that when broadcasting eddystone UID +TLM+ URL + ibeacon, the length of ble_advdata_manuf_data_t is limited, can the length of ble_advdata_manuf_data_t be set?

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,

Susan

RE: Eddystone TLM + iBeacon UUID advertising issue

Karl Ylvisaker — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 14:04:24 GMT

Hello Susan,

[quote user=""]

00> <info> beacon_main: Enter main loop
00>
00> <error> app: ERROR 12 [NRF_ERROR_DATA_SIZE] at ../../../../../communication/beacon_adv.c:85
00>
00> PC at: 0x0003607F
00>
00> <error> app: End of error report

I attached code of es_adv_frame.c and beacon_adv.c and sdk_config.h , please help me analyze, why eddystoneTLM + ibeacon slot failed ?

[/quote]

It seems that you are getting an NRF_ERROR_DATA_SIZE returned from your ble_advdata_encode call.
The ble_advdata_encode API Reference says the following about the error:

NRF_ERROR_DATA_SIZE

If the operation failed because not all the requested data could fit into the provided buffer or some encoded AD structure is too long and its length cannot be encoded with one octet.

Could you verify that the contents of your adv_data is in line with the requirements of the ble_advdata_encode function?
For instance, how long is the total data you are trying to fit into the advertising?
You may not exceed the 31 byte limit, and you must also remember to account for overhead for each datafield.

Best regards,
Karl