problem in adding time sync features in ESB

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 13:46:44 GMT

Hi,

The CPU will be waiting for event for the most time in any case so that in itself may not mean much. Perhaps it would be a good idea to add some logging to see more what is happening? Log in RADIO_IRQHandler whenever you get a SYNC_PKT and a URLLC_DATA_PKT. From there, add more logging where you see relevant.

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 13:00:16 GMT

Hi,

at my Rx device,it receives packets normally for minutes but later it stuck and never get a single packet.Whne I press the pause button of the debugger,it stuck in the while loop and waiting for events,I am sure the the Tx is working normally.

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Einar Thorsrud — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 14:25:23 GMT

That is good: Then you get the sync packets. If we for now assume that the Tx part is OK, the question is what happens to that. Does sync_timer_offset_compensate() return true or false? If it returns false, why? (check with a debugger)

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:10:45 GMT

I actually check it with the gpio output,I set the pin high when Rx received sync packet in RADIO_IRQHandler().

 if (NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_DISABLED && (NRF_RADIO->INTENSET & RADIO_INTENSET_DISABLED_Msk)) {

      NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_DISABLED = 0;
      uint8_t message_id;
      message_id = m_rx_payload_buffer[2];
      switch (message_id){
      case SYNC_PKT:
            {
              nrf_gpio_pin_set(TEST_PIN);
              bool adjustment_procedure_started;
              sync_pkt_t *p_pkt;
              p_pkt = (sync_pkt_t*)&m_rx_payload_buffer[2];
              adjustment_procedure_started = sync_timer_offset_compensate(p_pkt);
              nrf_gpio_pin_clear(TEST_PIN);
              if (adjustment_procedure_started) {
                p_pkt = tx_buf_get();
              }
              clear_events_restart_rx();
            }
            break;

      case URLLC_DATA_PKT:
            if (on_radio_disabled) 
            {
              on_radio_disabled();
            }
            
            break;

      }

    }

And the result is shown below,it seems that I get the sync packet normally.

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Einar Thorsrud — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 13:56:47 GMT

Hi,

Have you checked with a debugger if you get the sync packets regularly/as epxected in RADIO_IRQHandler()?

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:10:04 GMT

thanks a lot for help

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:09:04 GMT

Hi Hao,

I have not had a chance to look at your code yet but will do so during this week and get back to you.

Einar

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:37:29 GMT

devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../nRF5_5F00_SDK_5F00_17.0.2_5F00_esb_5F00_rx.7z

Above is my Rx program,it is in ...\nRF5_SDK_17.0.2_esb_rx\examples\proprietary_rf\esb_prx,basically the time sync featured code is added in main.c and ...\nRF5_SDK_17.0.2_esb_tx\components\proprietary_rf\esb\nrf_esb.c,in nrf_esb.c,the RADIO_IRQHandler() is called when radio receiving packet,in the unmodified version of nrf_esb.c,once receiving packet,on_radio_disabled() is called.but in my case,I have two kinds of receiving packet,one is urllc_data_pkt and the other is sync_pkt identified by meassage_id.

So in RADIO_IRQHandler(),I treat urllc_data_pkt as the esb data packet (follow the original procedure how esb handle the data) and I add the case:SYNC_PKT to handle the sync procedure.

void RADIO_IRQHandler() {
  
    if (NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_READY && (NRF_RADIO->INTENSET & RADIO_INTENSET_READY_Msk)) {
      NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_READY = 0;
       //DEBUG_PIN_SET(DEBUGPIN1);
    }

    if (NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_END && (NRF_RADIO->INTENSET & RADIO_INTENSET_END_Msk)) {
       NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_END = 0;
       //DEBUG_PIN_SET(DEBUGPIN2);
      // Call the correct on_radio_end function, depending on the current protocol state
      if (on_radio_end) {
        on_radio_end();
      }
    }

    if (NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_DISABLED && (NRF_RADIO->INTENSET & RADIO_INTENSET_DISABLED_Msk)) {

      NRF_RADIO->EVENTS_DISABLED = 0;
      uint8_t message_id;
      message_id = m_rx_payload_buffer[2];
      switch (message_id){
      case SYNC_PKT:
            {
              bool adjustment_procedure_started;
              sync_pkt_t *p_pkt;
              p_pkt = (sync_pkt_t*)&m_rx_payload_buffer[2];
              adjustment_procedure_started = sync_timer_offset_compensate(p_pkt);
              if (adjustment_procedure_started) {
                p_pkt = tx_buf_get();
              }
              clear_events_restart_rx();
            }
            break;

      case URLLC_DATA_PKT:
            if (on_radio_disabled) 
            {
              on_radio_disabled();
            }
            
            break;

      }

    }

  }

Thanks for your kindly help

Best Regards,

Hao.

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 13:40:51 GMT

devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../nRF5_5F00_SDK_5F00_17.0.2_5F00_esb_5F00_tx.7z

Hi,sorry for the late reply, my TX program is in ...\nRF5_SDK_17.0.2_esb_tx\examples\proprietary_rf\esb_ptx, in main.c,the while loop(line.325) sending the data packet periodically using nrf_esb_write_payload(&tx_payload).

    while (true)
    {
        
        uint32_t time_stamp;
        uint32_t seq;

        tx_payload.length = sizeof(urllc_payload);
        tx_payload.noack = true;                        //all packet is not required ack
        urllc_payload *p_urllc_payload;
        p_urllc_payload = (urllc_payload*)malloc(sizeof(urllc_payload));
        p_urllc_payload -> header.message_id = URLLC_DATA_PKT;
        p_urllc_payload -> seq_num = seq;
        time_stamp = TIME_SYNC_TIMESTAMP_TO_USEC(ts_timestamp_get_ticks_u64()); //get ticks and transfer to USEC
        p_urllc_payload -> time_stamp =  time_stamp;
        memcpy(tx_payload.data,p_urllc_payload,sizeof(urllc_payload));
           
        if (nrf_esb_write_payload(&tx_payload) == NRF_SUCCESS)
        {

          //NRF_LOG_INFO("Sending urllc data packet succeed");

        }        
        else{

          NRF_LOG_WARNING("Sending urllc data packet failed");
        
        }
        free(p_urllc_payload);
        seq++;
        
        nrf_delay_ms(50);
        NRF_LOG_FLUSH();
    }

Mean while,there is a app timer called sync_timer keep sending sync packet every 30ms

static void repeated_timer_handler(void * p_context)
{

    tx_payload.length = sizeof(sync_pkt_t);               //set tx_payload length packet length
    tx_payload.noack = true;                              //all packet is not required ack
    sync_pkt_t *p_pkt;
    p_pkt = (sync_pkt_t*)malloc(sizeof(sync_pkt_t));
    p_pkt->header.message_id = SYNC_PKT;
    take_sync_timer_val(p_pkt); 
    memcpy(tx_payload.data,p_pkt,sizeof(sync_pkt_t));
    if (nrf_esb_write_payload(&tx_payload) == NRF_SUCCESS)
    {
         //NRF_LOG_INFO("Sending sync packet succeed");
    }        
    else
    {
         NRF_LOG_WARNING("Sending sync failed");
    }
    free(p_pkt);
}

And all the time sync featured code related to time sync TX is in ...\nRF5_SDK_17.0.2_esb_tx\components\proprietary_rf\esb\nrf_esb.c

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Einar Thorsrud — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 13:42:34 GMT

Hi,

No problem, I can take a look. I am not able to see much from these snippets though. Can you upload your full project here (at least everything related to ESB), and explain in a bit more detail what you have done, what you have seen from debugging/testing etc?

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 06:19:26 GMT

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply,I didn't solve it yet,can you help me check the code snippet please.

I probably did something wrong.

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Einar Thorsrud — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 15:04:56 GMT

Hi,

I am sorry for the delay in this thread. Edvin is out of office and I have inherited it from him. Have you had any progress on your end the last couple of weeks?

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Susheel Nuguru — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 09:33:15 GMT

Hi, Edvin and most of our R&D team is on vacation until 2nd of January and we are thinly staffed during these holiday season in Norway. Please expect delays in response until Edvin is back from the vacation. We appreciate your patience and thank you for your understanding

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 18:20:40 GMT

Hi,

I already test the unmofidied one,and that works normally.I need some features in ESB,mean while I need the timers on tx,rx to be synchrnized,so I do the combination.

I add the below snippet in RADIO_IRQHandler() of esb.c to doing sync procedure.I don't know if this is right.

uint8_t message_id;
      message_id = m_rx_payload_buffer[2];
      switch (message_id){
      case SYNC_PKT:
            {
            
              bool adjustment_procedure_started;
              sync_pkt_t *p_pkt;
              p_pkt = (sync_pkt_t*)&m_rx_payload_buffer[2];
              adjustment_procedure_started = sync_timer_offset_compensate(p_pkt);
              /*if (adjustment_procedure_started) {
                p_pkt = tx_buf_get();
              }*/
              clear_events_restart_rx();
            }
            break;

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Edvin — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 10:17:43 GMT

[quote user="HaoHuang"]I just wonder is there any problems in RADIO_IRQHandler()[/quote]

Not that I am aware of. The Radio IRQ Handler is widely used in almost all of our applications, also by our Bluetooth Stack.

Did you test the unmodified version from the guide? The one with Bluetooth? It doesn't actually use bluetooth, it only supports running bluetooth next to it.

BR,

Edvin

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

HaoHuang — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:31:08 GMT

Hi,thanks to your quick reply

1.the RADIO_IRQHandler() is in the nrf_esb.c,the original one doesn't have the time sync part,I add the compesation part which is sync_timer_offset_compensate(pkt) into it.In other words,I move part of time_sync.c code into nrf_esb.c.

2.As mentioned above,esb_tx is sending sync packet regularly (every 30 ms),and the drift is reset when the time sync messages are received (at the beginning of the vedio),but the drift keep driftin for long and then become flat.

I will do more testing to figure it out,I just wonder is there any problems in RADIO_IRQHandler() because I do some modification and also I am not really familiar with the radio.

Best Regards,

Hao

RE: problem in adding time sync features in ESB

Edvin — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:10:37 GMT

Hello,

I have not worked with this unofficial example before (although I have seen it referenced). Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly what is wrong only by looking at a few snippets. Did you test the unmodified version before? Searching through thes from the github repository, which I assume you have used. I am not able to understand what changes you did, and why.

E.g. the RADIO_IRQHandler() that you modified, was it the one in nrf_esb.c, or the one in time_sync.c? The reason I ask is that I don't see any particular similarities with it any of them, so that is why I am not sure what you are trying to do.

I assume that the example is sending the time sync messages regularly. Do you do that as well? And the drift between the devices, do they reset when the time sync messages are received or do they keep drifting?

BR,

Edvin