NRF8001 Problems

[inder]

Hi,

I am trying to get the NRF8001 rev. C chip working with a Tiva Lauchpad (TM4C123GXL) board. I modified the original Arduino SDK for use with Energia. I am using the nrfToolbox app for Windows Phone 8.1.

Problem 1: I got the UART example working with the launchpad. The problem is I can receive but not send data. When I try to send data from the Launchpad, I get a "ACI Evt Pipe Error: Pipe #:8 Pipe Error Code: 0x90" error. I noticed that when I delete the paired device from the phone, connect again, this problem does not occur and I can send data from the launchpad. In this case the serial window of Energia reads,

....
    Evt Connected 
    Evt Pipe Status
    Evt link connection interval changed
....

But when I disconnect and connect again (without deleting the paired device) then I don't get the "Evt link connection interval changed" line and once again I cannot send data from the launchpad.

Problem 2: I am trying to get the proximity example to work but I always get this error,

....
    Evt Device Started: Standby
    C5 :5, 10, B4, 0, 50, 0, 
    No Bond present in EEPROM.
    Advertising started : Waiting to be connected and bonded
    E3 :3, 84, 10, 85, 
    ACI Command 10
    Evt" Cmd respone: Status 85
....

However, if I disable security in nrfGo and replace the bond command with a connect command everything works. I am not really sure what the problem is ??!!

I have attached the nrfGo Studio xml's for both the UART and the Proximity program I use.

Proximity.xml UART.xml

UART Serial Monitor Data (Problem 1) -> Launchpad_Capture.txt

Please let me know if you need some more information. Your help will be appreciated.

[inder]

I have found the solution to problem 2. So the old rev. C chip uses a slightly different BOND (0x10) command. For the rev. C the timeout limits are from 1 to 30 and for the rev. D the timeout limits are 1 to 180 seconds. The examples in the Arduino SDK are all for rev. D and all use a 180 second timeout value. Changing this value to 30 seconds made everything work.

[David Edwin]

For problem one: You attempt to send and you get a Pipe Error code 0x90. Looking this up in the documentation aka [Product Specification] (www.nordicsemi.com/.../nRF8001) we see that in the Appendix for ACI status codes

0x90 ACI_STATUS_ERROR_PIPE_INVALID Pipe Error Event : Transmit failed, Invalid or unavailable Pipe number or unknown pipe type

Clearly the pipe exists so this is not invalid so this may be a case of inadequate documentation.

Would it be possible to get the SPI messages you are sending and receiving printed out on the UART, the Arduino code base this by using the lib_aci_init and setting the debug parameter to true.

Can you use a different app, like BLE scanner to test this out ? You will need to subscribe to Notifications. You can also use our Master Control panel app on Android to test this.

[inder]

Unfortunately, I don't have an Android device at the moment. But, I used BLE Explorer to test this (github.com/.../BLEExplorer.WP). And, I was able to send and receive data without any problems. No matter how many times I connected / disconnected. Now when I use nrfToolbox I can send data from the launchpad but cannot send data to it (previously I couldn't send data from the launchpad). And I don't get this 0x90 error anymore ! I think the problem is in the nrfToolbox app, maybe ?

I have added the UART data seen on the Serial Monitor in the original question. Dunno why I can't add attachments here ?

Thanks !

[David Edwin]

See answer below

[David Edwin]

I think you maybe right, I will ask the developer to examine the nRFToolbox. For attachments you need to put it in the answer.