Programming Thingy:53 with Bluetooth Mesh sensor_server example

[alwalker]

I have successfully built the Bluetooth Mesh sensor_server example, using the thingy53_nrf5340_cpuspp_ns build configuration.

But when I come to try and program the Thingy:53, it does not appear in the Connected Devices list, when connected to an nRF5340-DK board with a standard 10-pin cable (I used one from a STLink-V3). The RGB LED on the Thingy:53 illuminates on power up and cycles through the three colours a couple of times before going out, as it does when not connected via the 10-pin cable. When the Thingy:53 is connected via the 10-pin cable to the nRF5340-DK, the LEDs on the latter are not illuminated and neither appear in the Connected Devices list.

When I unplug and replug the USB cable to the nRF5340-DK board without the Thingy:53 connected, then the nRF5340-DK is detected and does appear in the Connected Devices list.

What else do I need to do for the Thingy:53 to be detected please?

I am using nRF Connect SDK v2.3.0 on Windows 11.

[Elfving]

Hello,

But when I come to try and program the Thingy:53, it does not appear in the Connected Devices list, when connected to an nRF5340-DK board with a standard 10-pin cable

So when using the DK as an external programmer, the Thingy does not show up, but does the 5340DK still show up? I believe that is the way it is supposed to be, the DK is simply claiming it is the programmer/debugger on the DK, not what SoC it is necessarily programming. 

When the Thingy:53 is connected via the 10-pin cable to the nRF5340-DK, the LEDs on the latter are not illuminated and neither appear in the Connected Devices list.

By this, do you mean that the DK doesn't show up as a device?

Regards,

Elfving

[alwalker]

Hi Elfving,

Neither the nRF5340-DK nor the Thingy:53 appear in the VS Code Connected Devices list when connected via the USB cable to the PC with the Thingy:53 connected to the nRF5340-DK with the 10-pin cable.

The nRF5340-DK only appears in the Connected Devices list when it is connected via the USB cable to the PC without the 10-pin cable connected.

I am referring to these articles:

https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/topic/ug_nrf5340_dk/UG/dk/hw_debug_out.html

https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrf/working_with_nrf/nrf53/thingy53.html

https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrf/samples/bluetooth/mesh/sensor_server/README.html#bluetooth-mesh-sensor-server

Kind regards,

Al

[alwalker]

Hi Elfving,

I think I've made some progress. When I don't have the Thingy:53 switched on, In the list of Connected Devices, I see:

1050006835 (nRF5340-DK serial number)

     VCOM1 COM26

     VCOM0 COM27

     RTT

But when I switch it on, then I see an additional entry:

1050006835 (nRF5340-DK serial number)

     NRF5340_xxAA_ENGD

     VCOM1 COM26

     VCOM0 COM27

     RTT

Which I assume is the nRF5340 in the Thingy:53, so I select that for flashing. After failing the first time due to the readback protection, doing the --recover action then allowed it to be programmed correctly.

So now I think I have both an nRF52DK programmed with the sensor_client application and the Thingy:53 programmed with the sensor_server application, but then running the nRF Mesh application on my iPad, no Proxy is found. Do you have any suggestions please?

I note that neither the nRF52DK nor the Thingy:53 show any power on indication.

Kind regards,

Al

[Elfving]

alwalker said:

But when I switch it on, then I see an additional entry:

I find it a bit strange how didn't see that the entire time, but no I don't think that is the Thingy per se. How are you selecting it for flashing? For some more details on this process, see here.

Could you flash something to the Thingy that you can confirm works, like a Blinky?

Regards,

Elfving

[alwalker]

Hi Elfving,

I successfully built and flashed the basic blinky application to the Thingy:53 by selecting  NRF5340_xxAA_ENGD in Connected Devices. So this is how the thingy:53 appears.

The red LED on the Thingy:53 now blinks on and off approximately once per second.

So I think the issue is not that this entry wasn't appearing before, but rather that it wasn't  obviously identifying itself as the Thingy:53.

So now that I've proven that it's possible to program the Thingy:53, and that I have both the sensor_server and sensor_client sample applications running on the Thingy:53 and nRF52DK respectively, how can I use these to build a Bluetooth Mesh (with the addition of more Thingy:53 modules) with the nRF Mesh application please?

Kind regards,

Al

[Elfving]

alwalker said:

The red LED on the Thingy:53 now blinks on and off approximately once per second.

Great! I believe I disagree with you when it comes how the Thingy appears there and what it takes to flash it, but as long as it works for you its fine. (For instance, I believe you'll also see the same thing on connected devices with the Thingy disconnected. And you'll also be able to flash the Thingy by selecting eg. RTT. Its the DK serial number your selecting). 

alwalker said:

how can I use these to build a Bluetooth Mesh (with the addition of more Thingy:53 modules) with the nRF Mesh application please?

What you need to do now is provision and configure these devices. To get an understanding of how this works it might be easiest to start of with a sample that only requires one node, like the mesh light, but the sensor servers should work fine as well. The steps to test them our outlined in their documentation. Could you let me know if you have issues with a specific point in that list?

Regards,

Elfving

[alwalker]

Hi Elfving,

Thanks, I do not see NRF5340_xxAA_ENGD on the Connected Devices list when the Thingy:53 is switched off and/or disconnected from the nRF5340DK. Can I suggest that you might confirm with your development team  how they expect the Thingy:53 to appear in this situation, and also to check using the same hardware setup?

I will review the Bluetooth mesh documentation and let you know if I have any issues.

Kind regards,

Al