CC2652R: Transmit BLE iBeacon packet with rfPacketTx app

Hello Ryan,

Thank you for the sample code. I've run this and I see the data in SmartRF Studio if transmitting on data channel 17. If I change to an advertisement channel,  the payload is not seen by a regular BLE scanner. I've attached the screenshot from SysConfig.

Thank you,

Igor

Hi Igor,

Understood. Can you describe your scanner setup? Are you only sending a single packet or continuously sending packets? If you are using a smart phone scanner, then its possible the app may not report a single advertisement and multiple are needed.

Best Regards,

Jan

Hello Jan,

I use Silabs Bluetooth NCP Commander for scanning, with a Silabs MG21 dev kit. The scanner set to observation mode, in continuous scanning mode. The GUI collects and displays all advertisements that are picked up even once and updates the ones already discovered. To avoid the chance of missing rfPacketTx packets, I've set the delay to 100ms.

Attached screenshots from smartrf studio with channel 17 (when it picks up data), channel 37 (custom packets are not picked up), and a view of NCP Commander.

Thank you,

Igor

Hi,

Got it. Thank you for the in-depth analysis! Can you confirm that the CC2652 is actually transmitting? You can verify this by checking the power draw or connecting the RF output to a spectrum analyzer.

Best Regards,

Jan

hi Jan,

I use as a confirmation for myself the led toggling of the LaunchPad and that it's not crashed or stuck in debugger. Unfortunately, I don't have means of checking the power draw or using a spectrum analyzer. 

But I agree, it might not transmit when channel is changed, but behave as it would. I'll try to instrument the switch statements in the code and see if any errors occur.

Thank you,

Igor

Hi Igor,

Sounds good! Let us know once you had a chance to make the modifications and re-test.

Best Regards,

Jan

hi Jan,

I've added while(1) in all error cases, and the code is running. I suppose it is transmitting.

.

        switch(terminationReason)
        {
            case RF_EventLastCmdDone:
                // A stand-alone radio operation command or the last radio
                // operation command in a chain finished.
                break;
            case RF_EventCmdCancelled:
                // Command cancelled before it was started; it can be caused
            // by RF_cancelCmd() or RF_flushCmd().
                while(1);
                break;
            case RF_EventCmdAborted:
                // Abrupt command termination caused by RF_cancelCmd() or
                // RF_flushCmd().
                while(1);
                break;
            case RF_EventCmdStopped:
                // Graceful command termination caused by RF_cancelCmd() or
                // RF_flushCmd().
                break;
            default:
                // Uncaught error event
                while(1);
        }

        uint32_t cmdStatus = ((volatile RF_Op*)& RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1)->status;
        switch(cmdStatus)
        {
            case BLE_DONE_OK:
                // Packet transmitted successfully
                break;
            case BLE_DONE_STOPPED:
                // received CMD_STOP while transmitting packet and finished
                // transmitting packet
                break;
            case BLE_DONE_ABORT:
                // Received CMD_ABORT while transmitting packet
                while(1);
                break;
            case BLE_ERROR_PAR:
                // Observed illegal parameter
                while(1);
                break;
            case BLE_ERROR_NO_SETUP:
                // Command sent without setting up the radio in a supported
                // mode using CMD_PROP_RADIO_SETUP or CMD_RADIO_SETUP
                while(1);
                break;
            case BLE_ERROR_NO_FS:
                // Command sent without the synthesizer being programmed
                while(1);
                break;
            case BLE_ERROR_TXUNF:
                // TX underflow observed during operation
                while(1);
                break;
            default:
                // Uncaught error event - these could come from the
                // pool of states defined in rf_mailbox.h
                while(1);
        }

Thanks Igor,

I am also observing wakeups every 500 ms as expected and a current profile which indicates radio transmissions

Jan and I will try to further evaluate whether radio packets are being sent out at the expected frequency.

Regards,
Ryan

hi Ryan and Jen, thank you for your support. Looking forward to learn about your findings.

Hi Igor,

Just wanted to provide a quick update. We reproduced the behavior you are reporting on our side. Advertising on channel 17 works fine but other channels seems to not be picked up by the smartrf receiver. We will continue looking into this and provide an update as soon as possible.

Best Regards,

Jan

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the update! I've applied your changes in code, and I can see the advertisement from rfPacketTx in SmartRF studio, as in screenshot below (Mac filled with 0x66, payload with 0xCC). But, my ble scanner still does not pick up these advertisements. Verified with a Nordic sniffer + Wireshark, still the advertisement is not picked up. Am I missing something in the cofiguration?

Thank you,

Igor

Hi Ryan,

I have another update. It seems that the advertisement are trickling down and it is transmitting.

Not sure why not all advertisements are picked up (added a sequence number at the end of payload, the code is below). I'm not expecting 100% of advs to be picked up, but there are quite a lot of gaps. Attached screenshot from Wireshark. The last column, Data, is the sequence number.

Thank you,

Igor

static uint8_t packet[] = { 0x02, 0x01, 0x06,
                            0x06, 0x08, 0x54, 0x49, 0x53, 0x49, 0x4D,
                            0x04, 0xFF, 0xCC, 0xCC, 0x00};
static uint16_t seqNumber;
static uint16_t baddr[3] = {0x6666, 0x6666, 0x6666};

/***** Function definitions *****/

void *mainThread(void *arg0)
{
    RF_Params rfParams;
    RF_Params_init(&rfParams);

    GPIO_setConfig(CONFIG_GPIO_GLED, GPIO_CFG_OUT_STD | GPIO_CFG_OUT_LOW);

    GPIO_write(CONFIG_GPIO_GLED, CONFIG_GPIO_LED_OFF);

    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.pParams->advLen = sizeof(packet);
    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.pParams->pAdvData = packet;
    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.pParams->pDeviceAddress = baddr;
    //RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.channel = 17;
    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.startTrigger.triggerType = TRIG_NOW;

    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.channel = 0x25;
    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.whitening.init = 0x65;
    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.whitening.bOverride = 1;

    RF_cmdFs_bt5le1madvnc_1.frequency = 0x0962;

    /* Request access to the radio */
#if defined(DeviceFamily_CC26X0R2)
    rfHandle = RF_open(&rfObject, &RF_prop, (RF_RadioSetup*)&RF_cmdPropRadioSetup, &rfParams);
#else
    rfHandle = RF_open(&rfObject, &RF_prop_bt5le1madvnc_1, (RF_RadioSetup*)&RF_cmdBle5RadioSetup_bt5le1madvnc_1, &rfParams);
#endif// DeviceFamily_CC26X0R2

    /* Set the frequency */
    RF_postCmd(rfHandle, (RF_Op*)&RF_cmdFs_bt5le1madvnc_1, RF_PriorityNormal, NULL, 0);

    while(1)
    {
        /* Create packet with incrementing sequence number and random payload */
        packet[sizeof(packet) - 1] = seqNumber++;

        /* Send packet */
        RF_EventMask terminationReason = RF_EventCmdAborted | RF_EventCmdPreempted;

hi Ryan, it seems that the advertisements on channel 37 are picked up fine. I wasn't testing this properly.

I've tried to change configuration to transmit on other advertisement channels, but then I cannot receive the advertisements. I've made these changes in my code for channel 39:

    RF_cmdBleAdvNc_bt5le1madvnc_1.channel = 0x27;
    RF_cmdFs_bt5le1madvnc_1.frequency = 2480;

I don't see the advertisements in neither regular scanner nor smart studio.

Thanks, Igor

Hi Igor,

Glad you were able to see the advertisements on channel 37! Regarding channel 38, did you copy/paste the RF configuration generated by smartRF as well?

Best Regards,

Jan

Hi Jan, Ryan,

I managed to extract frequency settings from SmartRF studio for channel 39, and I can see the advertisements. I think my question is solved now. 

Thank you for your help!

Igor