Send/receive message from/to thread Device and global address using OpenThread API

[vipin das]

I am currently working on establishing thread network using nRF5340DK to send/receive data between thread device(client) and global network(server). I was successful in setting up the network and able to ping the devices.

But I really don't know, how could I send packets of data from the thread device to cloud server or global network using OpenThread API calls from my application. Can someone guide me on this or share some useful examples or reference to send some messages(UDP or TCP/IP) from thread device.

Below diagram is my network configuration. Here the OTBR is connected to Ethernet. 

Note: Final goal is to send/receive data from Thread Device to Blockchain Node(Global network) via OTBR. 

Thanks and Regards

Vipin Das

[Charlie]

Hi Vipin,

CoAP/UDP is normally used on top of the Thread network by your application.

You can refer to the sample mentioned here: (+) OpenThread COAP Client to a public server over Internet - Nordic Q&A - Nordic DevZone - Nordic DevZone (nordicsemi.com)

Best regards,

Charlie

[vipin das]

Hi Charlie, 

Thanks for your reply. I will take a look at the samples you mentioned. 

I have few more questions. 

• Is there any way I can use TCP+SSL on Thread end device(nRF5340DK) instead of UDP. 
• I am not quite successful in pinging a global address from my thread end device. I followed many Q&A discussions and also some other discussions as well. Could you please give some insights on that. I did set the route/prefix for global addressing. Current route output is 

pi@pi:~ $ sudo ip -6 route
::1 dev lo proto kernel metric 256 pref medium
fd11:22::/64 dev wpan0 proto kernel metric 256 pref medium
fd70:77a5:30f0:1437::/64 dev eth0 proto kernel metric 256 expires 1603sec pref medium
fdde:ad00:beef::/64 dev wpan0 proto kernel metric 256 pref medium
fe80::/64 dev eth0 proto kernel metric 256 pref medium
fe80::/64 dev wlan0 proto kernel metric 256 pref medium
fe80::/64 dev wpan0 proto kernel metric 256 pref medium
pi@pi:~ $ 

pi@pi:~ $ sudo ot-ctl netdata show
Prefixes:
fd11:22:0:0::/64 paros med 6000
Routes:
fd83:b72e:262d:2:0:0::/96 sn low 6000
fd70:77a5:30f0:1437::/64 s med 6000
Services:
44970 5d fddead00beef0000869fa0cfca6b6ce3d11f s 6000
44970 01 3a000500000e10 s 6000
Done
pi@pi:~ $ 

• I am bit confused with ifconfig up / thread start commands done in BR side as well as End device side. Could you please tell me what I should do to make RPi+Dongle side as Router only and nRF5340 side as Child. Few times I noticed in my configuration that BR side as well as End device side as leader. 

Looking forward to your reply. 

Thanks 

Vipin Das

[Charlie]

Hi Vipin,

vipin das said:

Is there any way I can use TCP+SSL on Thread end device(nRF5340DK) instead of UDP. 

Yes, you can find solutions mentioned in (+) Error -22 in mqtt_connect() - nRF52840dk with Azure IoT Hub using OpenThread and TCP - Nordic Q&A - Nordic DevZone - Nordic DevZone (nordicsemi.com)

vipin das said:

I am not quite successful in pinging a global address from my thread end device.

Looks like your NAT64 prefix is already set to fd83:b72e:262d:2:0:0::/96. Which is the feedback when you run the ping command?

I recently followed Thread Border Router - Bidirectional IPv6 Connectivity and DNS-Based Service Discovery (openthread.io) to set up an OTBR and formed a Thread network through Web GUI with default setting. Run the following commands on OpenThread CLI device, the ping command to 8.8.8.8 just works.

ot networkkey 00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff 
ot networkkey 00112233445566778899aabbccddeeff
Done
ot ifconfig up
ot ifconfig up
Done
ot thread start
ot thread start
ot state
ot state
detached
Done
ot state
ot state
child
Done
ot state
ot state
child
Done
ot state router
ot state router
Done
ot state
ot state
router
Done
ot netdata show
ot netdata show
Prefixes:
fd8e:964d:9d85:1::/64 paos low 3000
Routes:
fd11:1111:1122:2222::/64 s med 3000
fd8e:964d:9d85:2:0:0::/96 sn low 3000
Services:
44970 01 32000500000e10 s 3000
44970 5d fd35e07c0372271ee4a005368966fa59d11f s 3000
Done
ot ping 8.8.8.8
ot ping 8.8.8.8
Pinging synthesized IPv6 address: fd8e:964d:9d85:2:0:0:808:808
16 bytes from fd8e:964d:9d85:2:0:0:808:808: icmp_seq=1 hlim=53 time=38msua

1 packets transmitted, 1 packets received. Packet loss = 0.0%. Round-trip min/avg/max = 38/38.0/38 ms.
Done

vipin das said:

I am bit confused with ifconfig up / thread start commands done in BR side as well as End device side. Could you please tell me what I should do to make RPi+Dongle side as Router only and nRF5340 side as Child. Few times I noticed in my configuration that BR side as well as End device side as leader. 

You need to form the network on OTBR first, then turn on and configure the child device to join the formed network, it will become child first then turn to router, you can also set its role with "ot state router".

Best regards,

Charlie

[vipin das]

Hi Charlie, 

Happy New Year!!!

Thank you for your answers and sorry for late reply. 

I setup the OTBR as per the page and formed the network. And followed the steps as mentioned by you. But I still have some issues. Below is my output from the OT CLI end device terminal. 

uart:~$ ot networkkey
d6af7ff1a2fcf42743fd7a6989911d67
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot ifconfig up
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot thread start
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot state
leader
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot state child
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot state
leader
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot state router
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot state router
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot state
leader
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot netdata show
Prefixes:
fd11:22:0:0::/64 paros med 2400
Routes:
fd1f:8fda:e9e0:2:0:0::/96 sn low 2400
fd70:77a5:30f0:1437::/64 s med 2400
Services:
44970 5d fddead00beef00000cd8cbff1e5c562fd11f s 2400
44970 01 76000500000e10 s 2400
Done
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot ping 8.8.8.8
Error 6: Parse
uart:~$ 
uart:~$ ot ping 2001:4860:4860:0:0:0:0:8888
1 packets transmitted, 0 packets received. Packet loss = 100.0%.
Done
uart:~$ 

Output of OTBR:

pi@pi:~ $ sudo ot-ctl state
router
Done
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ sudo ot-ctl ipaddr
fdde:ad00:beef:0:0:ff:fe00:fc11
fdde:ad00:beef:0:0:ff:fe00:fc38
fd11:22:0:0:5734:5484:47b:792d
fdde:ad00:beef:0:0:ff:fe00:fc10
fdde:ad00:beef:0:0:ff:fe00:2400
fdde:ad00:beef:0:cd8:cbff:1e5c:562f
fe80:0:0:0:1c0e:8cf:728e:e245
Done
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ sudo ot-ctl networkkey
d6af7ff1a2fcf42743fd7a6989911d67
Done
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ sudo ot-ctl state
router
Done
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ 
pi@pi:~ $ sudo ot-ctl netdata show
Prefixes:
fd11:22:0:0::/64 paros med 2400
Routes:
fd1f:8fda:e9e0:2:0:0::/96 sn low 2400
fd70:77a5:30f0:1437::/64 s med 2400
Services:
44970 5d fddead00beef00000cd8cbff1e5c562fd11f s 2400
44970 01 76000500000e10 s 2400
Done
pi@pi:~ $ 

Could you please tell me what could be possibly wrong in my case. 

Regards

Vipin Das 

[Charlie]

Hi Vipin,

It looks fd1f:8fda:e9e0:2:0:0::/96 should be used when converting your IPv4 address to IPv6.

What if you ping  fd1f:8fda:e9e0:2:0:0:808:808 directly?

Best regards,

Charlie