hardware timer in nrf connect sdk

[shiva74638]

Hi, can anyone tell me how to configure hardware timers in nrf connect sdk. using nrfx_timer driver? not the kernel timers.

[Simon]

There are different ways to use the TIMER peripheral in the nRF Connect SDK:

Using the Zephyr API

Take a look at the counter Alarm Sample and set CONFIG_COUNTER_NRF_TIMER=y. It will make the counter driver use Timer peripheral through the NRF HAL

Using the NRFX API

Take a look at the Direct Test Mode sample, which uses the Timer peripheral through the nrfx api

Best regards,

Simon

[shiva74638]

I implemented this code in the blinky with the example you mentioned using NRFX API 

const nrfx_timer_t timer_led = NRFX_TIMER_INSTANCE(0);

static void wait_timer_handler(nrf_timer_event_t event_type, void *context)
{
	printk("timer expired");
}

static int timer_init(void)
{
	nrfx_err_t err;
	nrfx_timer_config_t timer_cfg = {
		.frequency = NRF_TIMER_FREQ_1MHz,
		.mode = NRF_TIMER_MODE_TIMER,
		.bit_width = NRF_TIMER_BIT_WIDTH_16,
	};

	err = nrfx_timer_init(&timer_led, &timer_cfg, wait_timer_handler);
	if (err != NRFX_SUCCESS) {
		printk("nrfx_timer_init failed with: %d\n", err);
		return -EAGAIN;
	}
	
	IRQ_CONNECT(TIMER1_IRQn, 3,
		    nrfx_timer_1_irq_handler, NULL, 0);

	nrfx_timer_compare(&timer_led,
		NRF_TIMER_CC_CHANNEL0,
		nrfx_timer_ms_to_ticks(&timer_led, 1000000),
		true);

	nrfx_timer_enable(&timer_led);
	
	return 0;
}


void main(void)
{
	int err;
	
	err = timer_init();
	if (err) {
		return;
		printk("timer init failed\n");
	}
	
	printk("timer initialized\n");
	for(;;)
	{
		k_msleep(1000);
	}
}

added all the config options too, as in dtm example and flashed it to the nrf52840 dk board. it just keeps resetting like this 

[Simon]

I would highly recommend you to use the Zephyr API (which actually uses the nrfx API under the hood), as it is much less complicated and easier to implement.

Take a look at the Counter Alarm sample and set CONFIG_COUNTER_NRF_TIMER=y in the prj.conf.

Please let me know if this sample is not sufficient for you.

Best regards,

Simon

[noob_123]

Hi, 

If I set CONFIG_COUNTER_NRF_TIMER=y in prj.conf of this sample it gives following error

error: COUNTER_NRF_TIMER (defined at drivers/counter/Kconfig.nrfx:4) is assigned in a configuration
file, but is not directly user-configurable (has no prompt). It gets its value indirectly from other
symbols.

[Simon]

Hello,

Can you try to set CONFIG_COUNTER_TIMERx=y (where x is 1,2,3 or 4) instead. If you look in /ncs/zephyr/drivers/counter/Kconfig.nrfx you can see that these Kconfig options will enable COUNTER_NRF_TIMER.

Best regards,

Simon

[noob_123]

Yes I am now using CONFIG_COUNTER=y and CONFIG_COUNTER_TIMER2=y

As I am also using BLE in this application the problem is now UART is not working, means I can't see anything on nrf Terminal that I print using printk or printf.