NRF9160 Board for Qr Code Project

[Gioele]

I need to create an IoT QR code reader.

I decide to use the NRF9160 board because it integrates a lot of components that I need to use (LTE, GPS, Bluetooth) so the only mandatory device to buy was the QR Code Reader.

This project aims to prepare a message to be sent to a blockchain, and this message is composed of the QrcodeData read, the location GPS, the time, etc.

It does not seem to be so difficult. -.-

I tried to connect the device with the NRF Cloud but the LTE connection is not available in Italy

I connected the four pins (VCC, GND, RX, TX of the reader to 5V, GND, 0.10, 0,11 of the board) of the Qr code reader (https://www.amazon.it/Waveshare-Barcode-Scanning-Directly-Computer/dp/B07P3GD3XV) to the board and I tried the UART connection with no results.

Then I tried the GPS connection following the sample of the guide with no results, always "Searching device".

I think that I really can't realize the project with this board, so I have three solutions, or I try to set a way to program the NRF9160 with the Arduino IDE where I feel more comfortable, or someone, probably God, helps me, or I change the board.

So, there is a way to program with the Arduino IDE?

This is all folks!

Merry Christmas and happy new year! :)

[Gioele]

Well, Gps now works.
Now I have a Barcode Scanner module compatible with Arduino One. This has 4 pins, and I want to connect the Barcode directly to the NRG9160 but I don't know how to read the data from the device (with a UART probably). This is all that I know 
See this: www.waveshare.com/.../Barcode_Scanner_Module_Setting_Manual_EN.pdf

[Didrik Rokhaug]

Note that the nRF9160 doesn't support 5V, so you will need some form of level converter to reduce the voltage on the UART lines to not harm the nRF9160.

As for how to actually get any data from the QR code module, reading the datasheet is your best bet.

For help with how to use the UART, you can look at this sample: https://github.com/simon-iversen/sdk-nrf/tree/lpuart_using_normal_uart/samples/peripheral/lpuart 

[Gioele]

I have no problems with the 5V. nRF9160 supports it. The problem is related to the RX and TX pins.

[Didrik Rokhaug]

Gioele said:

I have no problems with the 5V. nRF9160 supports it

Yes, there is a 5V supply, but the TX pin will also send 5V signals, and the RX pin expects 5V. Those pins needs to be converted.

Gioele said:

The problem is related to the RX and TX pins.

What problem?

[Gioele]

I want to find a way to see the data of the code read by my device, so I need to set a pin of the nRF9160 board in RX mode. I was used to writing only a line of code for doing that with the Arduino Ide, there is some fast way to realize that in nRF9160?

[Didrik Rokhaug]

I recommend you read through this getting started guide: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/guides/nrf-connect-sdk-guides/b/getting-started/posts/nrf-connect-sdk-tutorial

It was written for NCS v1.5.0, but most of what it says should still be valid for NCS v1.8.0.

It goes sthrough a lot of useful things, including how to edite the device tree to fit your purposes.