Does the function sd_ble_gap_conn_evt_trigger_start, or an equivalent, exist in the nRF Connect SDK?

[gfrung]

Hello!

I have an application that makes use of the function sd_ble_gap_conn_evt_trigger_start(), present in v7.3.0 of the S113, S132, and S140 SoftDevices. Here's the documentation for that function.

I was looking to migrate to the new nRF Connect SDK, but couldn't find a comparable function. Is this function, or an equivalent, available in the nRF Connect SDK? If not, I'll have to remain on the old nRF SDK.

Thanks!

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If you're wondering why I must have the sd_ble_gap_conn_evt_trigger_start() function: sometimes I need my application to know how long it has been since the last connection event. To do this, I use that function to trigger a timer capture task on each connection event:

nrf_timer_task_address_get(NRF_TIMER1, NRF_TIMER_TASK_CAPTURE0)

Then, I can compare the value of the timer with the captured value to know how long ago a connection event occurred. If the timer value minus the captured value is 5700μs, then the last connection event started 5700μs ago.

This is important to my application. If the nRF Connect SDK does not have a similar function, I cannot use it.

[Einarh]

Hi

Sounds like Zephyr's Connection Management API could be useful to you.

Using this API you should be able to define callbacks for connection events.

Best regards,

Einar

[gfrung]

This might work, but I was hoping for a solution using the programmable peripheral interconnect (PPI), like the function in the old SDK. Using the PPI means that the capturing of the connection event time is handled entirely outside the CPU.

The Connection Management API deals with callback functions, which means my code would have to run every connection interval to capture the time. This would make the CPU work harder, and would be subject to inaccuracies if some higher-priority task were running at the time.

It seems the old method using the PPI was better.

[Einarh]

I've asked internally, and it seems like getting an event triggered by a BLE connection handled by PPI outside the CPU isn't a feature in NCS, at least not yet.

It might get added at some point, you could pay attention to future updates to the nrfxlib SoftDevice Controller.

-Einar