Access nRF52840 Dongle through pc-ble-driver-py library

[Sebi1128]

Hello,

I've been trying to access the nRF52840 dongle through the pc-ble-driver-py library. However, I can't get the Nordic examples to run. Here's what I did so far:

 

- Install pc-ble-driver-py release 0.16.2 as described here ("installing from pypi"): https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-ble-driver-py/tree/release/0.16.2#installing-from-pypi

 

- Follow the instructions from the pc-ble-driver release 14.1.4: https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-ble-driver/tree/release/4.1.4#overview

- Driver installation (Segger J-Link)

- Installing tools (nRF5x Command-Line Tools for Windows and nRF Connect Programmer)

- Programming connectivity HEX files with nrfutil (part of nRF5x Command-Line Tools):  

nrfutil dfu usb-serial -pkg connectivity_x.x.x_usb_with_s<x>_<a>.<b>.<c>_dfu_pkg.zip -p <serial port>

I flashed "connectivity_4.1.4_usb_with_s140_6.1.1_dfu_pkg" which is provided in pc-ble-driver-release-4.1.4\hex\sd_api_v6 

- Then, I try to run one of the examples from pc-ble-driver-py, I get the following output: (form the heart_rate_collector.py example)

 

runfile('C:/Users/s-fre/US_project/pc-ble-driver-py-release-0.16.2/pc_ble_driver_py/examples/heart_rate_collector.py', args='NRF52 COM10', wdir='C:/Users/s-fre/US_project/pc-ble-driver-py-release-0.16.2/pc_ble_driver_py/examples')

Serial port used: COM10

2021-10-28 22:53:58,874 [17532/LogThread] Successfully opened COM10. Baud rate: 1000000. Flow control: none. Parity: none.

2021-10-28 22:53:58,879 [17532/LogThread] evt> severity(20) message(Successfully opened COM10. Baud rate: 1000000. Flow control: none. Parity: none.)

2021-10-28 22:53:58,882 [10420/StatusThread] RpcAppStatus.resetPerformed: Target Reset performed

2021-10-28 22:53:58,883 [10420/StatusThread] evt> status code(RpcAppStatus.resetPerformed) message(Target Reset performed)

2021-10-28 22:54:00,122 [10420/StatusThread] RpcAppStatus.connectionActive: Connection active

2021-10-28 22:54:00,125 [10420/StatusThread] evt> status code(RpcAppStatus.connectionActive) message(Connection active)

2021-10-28 22:54:01,634 [17532/LogThread] Failed to receive response for command

2021-10-28 22:54:01,635 [17532/LogThread] evt> severity(30) message(Failed to receive response for command)

2021-10-28 22:54:01,636 [10420/StatusThread] RpcAppStatus.pktSendError: Error sending packet to target. Code: 0x8016

2021-10-28 22:54:01,637 [10420/StatusThread] evt> status code(RpcAppStatus.pktSendError) message(Error sending packet to target. Code: 0x8016)

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "C:\Users\s-fre\US_project\pc-ble-driver-py-release-0.16.2\pc_ble_driver_py\examples\heart_rate_collector.py", line 216, in <module>

    main(serial_port)

  File "C:\Users\s-fre\US_project\pc-ble-driver-py-release-0.16.2\pc_ble_driver_py\examples\heart_rate_collector.py", line 175, in main

    conn = collector.connect_and_discover()

  File "C:\Users\s-fre\US_project\pc-ble-driver-py-release-0.16.2\pc_ble_driver_py\examples\heart_rate_collector.py", line 112, in connect_and_discover

    self.adapter.driver.ble_gap_scan_start(scan_params=params)

  File "C:\Users\s-fre\miniconda3\envs\py38\lib\site-packages\pc_ble_driver_py\ble_driver.py", line 106, in wrapper

    raise NordicSemiException(

NordicSemiException: Failed to ble_gap_scan_start. Error code: NRF_ERROR_SD_RPC_SEND

 

Any suggestions what the proplem could be or what I could try to solve it?

Thank you for your help!

Best regards,

Sebastian

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[Vidar Berg]

Hello Sebastian,

The python wrapper for the pc-ble-driver does not support API version 6 so you need to program version 5 of the connectivity FW instead: https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-ble-driver/tree/v4.1.4-hex/hex/sd_api_v5

Best regards,

Vidar

[Sebi1128]

Hello Vidar,

I see, in this case I have a follow up question:

1) Am I correct in assuming that I have to flash the connectivity firmware with Softdevice S140 for the 52840 Dongle?

2) If yes, can you provide me with a connectivity firmware dfu package with S140, because I didn't find one in the github repo that you provided.

Thanks a lot!

Sebastian

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[Vidar Berg]

Hello Sebastian,

We actually use 'connectivity_4.1.4_usb_with_s132_5.1.0_dfu_pkg.zip' for the nRF52840 dongle. The first production qualified Softdevice for the nRF52840 came in version 6.

Best regards,

Vidar

[Sebi1128]

Hello Vidar,

Thank you for the answer, now I'm able to run the examples.

But I'm still a bit confused, is it safe to use the nRF52840 with the S132 connectivity firmware, since they are not officially compatible? Or are the differences between S132 and S140 negligible?

Best regards,

Sebastian

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[Vidar Berg]

Hello Sebastian,

Good to hear that it works now.

It is fine to use the s132 for testing purposes (production test rig, etc), but it should not be used in an end product as the s132 has not been qualified for this IC (There is no QDID you can reference for this chip/Softdevice combination: Bluetooth QDIDs).

Best regards,

Vidar