Can you use the PA/LNA assist code to have the softdevice toggle more than two pins?

[Glen M]

Hi all!

I'm using an nRF52833, SDK 17.0.2, s140 softdevice 7.2.0. My design uses a Skyworks SKY66112 amplifier.

I have the pa_lna_assist function that I found here on DevZone working to automatically control the Skyworks CTX and CRX pins, but if I can, I'd also like it to change two more pins (both from 0 to 1) whenever Bluetooth goes active, and back to 0 when it goes inactive.

Is there is a way I can enable an interrupt service routine for the GPIOTE channel that gets used or configure some other ISR that will get called before and after BLE events? Can you call sd_ble_opt_set(BLE_COMMON_OPT_PA_LNA... more than once and have the softdevice handle more than one set of pins?

The problem I'm trying to solve is that I thought I could leave the Skyworks CHL and CSD lines high forever to get the operating modes I want, but it turns out our hardware designer put 100k pulldowns on those lines, so leaving them high all the time costs me 66uA of current, which is a lot on a battery powered device. If I can have those lines go high only when they need to be it will solve my problem.

Otherwise I might have to see if we can get future boards built without these pulldowns.

Thanks!

Glen

[Smart.Enrg]

Hi,

I am trying to do pretty much what Glen described (except for pulldown part), with NCS instead of nRF5.

How can I accomplish this (SKY66112 controlled automatically from nRF52833) using NCS 1.5.0/1.4.2?

[Glen M]

I suggest creating a new ticket with your question - Nordic is great about assigning an engineer to answer things quickly, but an older post like this probably doesn't get the same level of attention. I was able to get what I needed working based on the above suggestion, though, so hopefully that's available for NCS as well. Good luck!

[Kenneth]

You can check out:
https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrf/ug_radio_fem.html 

And:
https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrfxlib/mpsl/doc/radio_notification.html 

[Smart.Enrg]

Thanks Kenneth,

A follow-up question/ clarification needed please.

Per 802.15.4 service layer - https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrfxlib/nrf_802154_sl/README.html
...
"It also provides an API to retrieve the capabilities of the binary in run-time and defines APIs for features that are not yet supported, as the following:

• WiFi coexistence support. It provides an API for facilitating the integration with an external PTA.

• Antenna diversity support. It provides an API for runtime antenna selection."

What does that mean in terms of diversity supported FEM (like SKY66112) - for 802.15.4, in NCS?
Can 66112 work for Thread/ Zigbee or not?

[Kenneth]

These are features under development, the api is there, but the implementation may not be done yet (for all wireless protocols), so expect that over the next coming months. You will need to check the individual protocol for the status of implementation.

Kenneth

[Smart.Enrg]

Sorry but I am a bit confused - nRF21540 for example says it supports "BLE (including mesh), Thread, Zigbee (802.15.4) and Proprietary 2.4 GHz". Is there a doc or table maybe that describes which protocols are supported by FEM in nRF5 vs. NCS etc.? Does nRF5 support FEM for BLE, 802.15.4, Proprietary protocols?