BLE Device Monitor doesn't connect to CC2540 USB Dongle

Hello Tim,

There is a BLE Device Monitor User's Guide on the web.  There are some details in Monitor setup section that you need to follow to your device working with the monitor program.

Thanks,

I can't go through the step "Finding the correct COM port". In the device manager I can see the device "CC2540 USB Dongle" under Cebal Controlled Devices. But the device is not on list of COM ports (Only Communication Port COM1 is on the list). It is NOT listed as uknown device either. Attempting to re-install driver by selecting the file manully from the folder (as instructed on the WEB) led to getting a message that specified folder doesn't contain compatible driver (the .inf file is there).

I'm using the dongle "as is". I didn't program any new firmware.

Please advice how to troubleshoot.

Tim.

Hello Tim,

In the first section of  the http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/BLE_Device_Monitor_User_Guide  the INSTALLATION section details the. Prefect file that has to be loaded into the Dongle as well as the location of that file in your directory.

I believe the Dongle come preprogrammed with the Packet Sniffer firmware.  The hostTestRealease is required.

Thanks,

Does that mean that first of all I need to program the dongle with the mention in User Guide file? Do I have to have a CC Debugger to program the dongle? If I load hostTestRealease file, would I be able to use the dongle as a packet sniffer?

Thanks.

OK. Thanks alot.

One more question: If I reload back the Packet Sniffer at the later time, would I return back to the current problem (device not on the list of COM ports)?

Thanks.

Well I wouldn't call it a problem.  The hostTestRelease uses a Virtual Com Port to communicate with the PC.  Packet Sniffer uses the CDC.

You just have to keep track of what is loaded into the dongle when you try to use the different software tools and project examples.  If you don't, you may frustrate yourself unnecessarily.

Thanks,

Hi,  I am lost in the same cycle.

I have the dongle driver installed, it shows in the Device Manger but there is no associated COM port.

I do not understand this line in the BLE Device Monitor set up guide:

"Run BLE Device Monitor installer.

"Make sure to upload the correct image to the CC2540 USB dongle, CC2540_USBdongle_HostTestRelease_All.hex. The default location is: C:\Program Files\Texas Instruments\BLE Device Monitor\firmware."

How do I do that upload?

Am I to understand that I need to load firmware into the dongle in order to get it to operate with the BLE Device Monitor software?  And do I need a debugger kit to do that?

Surely not - There is no mention of this as a requirement in the CC2541 Quick Start Guide (Section 8.  "Using the Sensor Tag with TI's BLE Device Monitor" "Please note that you also need a CC2540 USB dongle to use the BLE Device Montior"

Thanks for your help.

Hi mrscz

mrscz said:

How do I do that upload?

By using Flash Programmer or IAR embedded Workbench.

mrscz said:

Am I to understand that I need to load firmware into the dongle in order to get it to operate with the BLE Device Monitor software?  And do I need a debugger kit to do that?

Correct.

mrscz said:

"Please note that you also need a CC2540 USB dongle to use the BLE Device Montior"

The CC2540USB Dongle usually comes pre-programmed with HostTestRelease.hex (the name of the FW you need to program it with) but I suppose yours didn't. It should be lit red if so.

Best Regards

Thanks Joakim, for the confirmation.

My dongle has a green light on it.  The documentation talks of it being used as a packet sniffer.

This is rather frustrating. All I wanted to do was to test some sensor readings, so I ordered two tags and one dongle from the TI Store. 

But now it turns out I can do nothing with those.

Regards

Mark

Hi Mark,

Well, you can at least sniff the advertisements :)

Send me your company address as a private message and I will ship a pre-programmed dongle for you.

Best Regards

Joakim

Joakim,

Thanks for that kind offer,  I shall contact you privately and would be happy to do a swap.

Just for the public record, in case it helps others -  I ordered and received part number CC2540EMK-USB.   Is there a different part number that can comes pre-programmed with the firmware needed to support the BLE Device Monitor?

Best,
Mark

Hi Mark,

mrscz said:

Is there a different part number that can comes pre-programmed with the firmware needed to support the BLE Device Monitor?

That would be the USB Dongle included in the CC2541DK-MINI kit.

Best Regards

Hi Joakim,

I met a similar problem. I want to show the value of different sensors in my PC. I have a CC2540 USB dongle and a CC2541 SensorTag Development Kit. Now I follow http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/BLE_Device_Monitor_User_Guide

to do. The problem is I can not find a COM port that mentioned.  When I open the BLE device monitor, the serial port has nothing, no port can be chosen. What is your solution for this? Thank you.

Joakim

I have the same problem.  With no way to reprogram the CC2540 to allow me to use it with the BLE Device monitor.

Its definitely not that clear in the data sheets.

Is it possible to get it re-programmed?:-)

Regards 

Roger Davies

Hi Joakim,

I apparently have the same problem as mrscz. 

The BLE Device Monitor connects to the CC2540 but the Scan button is greyed out and unavailable.  My CC2540 has a green LED light on.

I ordered this dongle to use with the Sensor Tag per the website.

What do you suggest I do?

Thanks,

Paul

Hello Joakim, 

I also got CC2540 USB dongle in sniffer mode and BLE Device Monitor does not see it. Based on comments above, now I'll have to purchase CCDebuger in oder to re-program it. This is a bit of a bad surprise and it was not mentioned anywhere on USB dongle page. Are there any plans to allow re-program of the dongle without using CCDebuger? Thank you!

Kind regards, Lazar Gramatikov

Me too. I wanted was to see the Sensortag readings on my Windows 7 PC as confirmation of the work I have been doing with the Raspberry Pi.

This is turning out to be a costly and time consuming exercise.

Does the Sensortag work natively with Windows 8 yet ?

If it does then it might be quicker and cheaper for me to upgrade my PC rather than to wait for a CCDebugger to be delivered. Any news on this ?

The Sensortag is a great product otherwise btw.

Happy New Year and

kind regards

Kevin Hainsworth

If you are using Windows 8, you can try the solution listed under this thread,

http://e2e.ti.com/support/low_power_rf/f/538/t/243424.aspx

Download and install the signed driver attached in the thread.

Regards,

Jaya

Hey,

I am facing the same problem now. Any solution? It would be great help.

Thanks

Let me see if I understand the most straightforward options for using the CC2541 SensorTag with the CC2540EMK-USB dongle and the BLE Device Monitor:

- Load the firmware image CC2540_USBdongle_HostTestRelease_All.hex onto the dongle, which requires the use of the SmartRF Flash Programmer software on Windows and the $49 CC-Debugger module. 

Do I need some other hardware to make that connection? The dongle has a fine-pitch, double-row header that is shown in photos as connected to the CC-Debugger via a ribbon cable target connector adapter module. Does that adapter come with the CC-Debugger or is it a separately-orderable part? Do I also need a separate connection to power the dongle from the CC-Debugger?

- alternatively, I can get a CC2540 dongle that already has the CC2540_USBdongle_HostTestRelease_All.hex firmware image loaded on it by purchasing the $99 CC2541 Mini Development Kit.

Are those options correct?

It is certainly disappointing that that information was not included in the guide document that is shipped with the SensorTag.

HI All,

I have a similar problem. I have windows 8. When I go into the BLE device monitor to set up the serial port settings the port drop down is empty. The dongle shows up under my devices and the driver is installed. I installed packet sniffer as well. What am I missing?

I ordered both the CC-Debugger and the CC2541 Mini Development Kit.

That seems to have been a mistake, since apparently the CC-Debugger is included within the Mini Development Kit, which somehow I overlooked.

I plugged the BLE USB dongle into a USB port on my PC, confirmed that it was listed in Device Manager with a COM port (COM24), launched the BLE Device Monitor software, got the expected COM1 error popup, and changed the COM port to COM24.

Now I'm getting a "No response from BLE host" error.

I haven't yet figured out what that means or how to fix it. So, at least for the moment, it looks like I'm doing the "one step forward, one step back" dance rather than experimenting with the SensorTag dev kit.

I'll have to figure out if DigiKey will accept the return of the extra CC-Debugger without hitting me with a large restocking fee.

Hello E,

If you follow the BLE Device Monitor User Guide,  you should be able to get everything working correctly by loading the USB Dongle with the correct  image CC2540_USBdongle_HostTestRelease_All.hex

http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/BLE_Device_Monitor_User_Guide

As for the extra CC Debugger, if your budget allows, you should keep it.  It has a CC2511 inside and when you open it up you see that all the port pins are available.  If you are handy with a soldering iron, you can even add a dipole antenna for doing proprietary wireless test, including two way audio communication.

http://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/swra225     

Thanks,

greenja, thanks - I had thought from earlier posts in this thread that CC2540_USBdongle_HostTestRelease_All.hex was preloaded onto the USB dongle that came with the Mini Development Kit.

But I will take some time out and do some in-depth reading before going any further.

Hi,

I too bought a CC2540 dongle which seems to have the wrong firmware in for operating with the BLE software. I bought a CC debugger and I have downloaded the SmartRF Flash Programmer software.

I plugged in the dongle to the USB port and attached the CC debugger. I set-up the smartRF Flash programmer as shown below with the CC2540_USBdongle_HostTestRelease_All.hex loaded.

However, when I try to program the dongle I get the error "Flash image overlaps with the bootloader".

Any thoughts as to what I might be doing wrong?

Regards,

T

Hello Tom,

You are attempting to reprogram the CCDebugger and not the CC2540.

In the What do you want to Program? drop down window select Program CCxxxx or MSP430.

Thanks,

Hi,

Just as a note to anyone else having the same problem. I fixed it by two things:

1. The programming cable from the CC debugger to the CC2540 dongle was the wrong way around (the light on the CC debugger was Red, and if you notice from my previous screencapture the "chip type" was N/A. I swapped the header around and got a Green light).

2. I took greenja advice and switch to "program CCxxxx or MSP430" and that worked (the chip ID was populated).

Thanks,

T

For those who are getting "No response from BLE host" error using BLE Device Monitor, installing BLE Device Monitor 1.1 solved the problem for me.

Google "BLE Device Monitor 1.1" and install the old version.

Hi Berwyn,

No. Unfortunately, it's two different debug/programming protocols on the CC25xx and CC26xx series.

Best Regards

Joakim

I purchased the CC Debugger on your advice, Joakim.  I have received it now, but nothing works and no drivers install automatically like the docs say they should.  Here is progress so far.

1. We did eventually manage to get the drivers for the CC Debugger installed so that the CC Debugger least does appear in SmartRF Studio 7 and in SmartRF Flash Programmer.
2. We also managed to (manually) install the drivers for the CC2540 USB Eval Kit so that it appears in device manager under COM ports as "TI CC2540 USB CDC Serial Port (COM2).  But when we run the packet sniffer it does not appear despite the user manual that came with it saying it already comes "preprogrammed with software that lets the dongle operate as a "Bluetooth low energy packet capture device for the SmartRF Packet Sniffer"
3. BTool seems to connect to it fine now.

   But here are the problems:

4. We tried to update the CC2540 dongle's firmware as you recommended.  We plug the CC Debugger 10-ping cable into the CC2540 dongle (red wire on pin 1) and push Reset on the CC Debugger.  But the LED stays red.
5. It does not appear in the SmartRF Flash programmer nor in SmartRF Studio 7 where we click on CC2540 and "Show connected devices" and it pops up a window saying "No connected devices".  SmartRF Studio 7 does see the CC Debugger under "List of connected devices" but at the end of that line it says "no chip".

Thanks for your help.

- Berwyn

Hi Berwyn

For point# 4, please make sure that the USB BLE Dongle should be connected to USB port while you want to update the firmware.

Thanks,

Dhaval

Hey Joakim, 

 Would you extend this to our university? I have also purchased a CC2540 USB dongle pre programmed with a packet sniffer. I am not able to use it on Btool. 

Is there a possibility of this swap?

Thanks in advance

Irfan