LAUNCHXL-CC2640R2: How to configure Launchpad cc2640r2f to achieve long range.

Hi Prashant,

Please see the PHY chapter of the BLE5-Stack User's Guide: dev.ti.com/.../phy.html

Hi Marie,
Thanks for your reply.
I have gone through link sent by you it was informative.
I have seen a video by Espen Wium where it is claimed 1.5 km LOS range using the same boards(one configured as central and other as peripheral).
I have 2 queries,
Q1: Whatever 1.5km range claimed in the video is for connected mode(Both boards connected) or non connected mode(both boards Advertising but not connected).?
Q2: Please share me the sample code used for the demo for my reference

Thanks
Prashant V Achari

Part Number: LAUNCHXL-CC2640R2

Hi,
I have viewed the video of BLE 1.5Km range. I am working on requirement where i need long range using BLE 5. I have installed sdk 2.30.00.28 and configured one Launchpad cc2640R2 board as central and other board as peripheral, but didnt achieve long range(got 150m LOS). The sequence of operations i followed is as follows,
1. Power on both boards
2. Discover for devices using the button
3. Connect to the discovered device
4. select work with option
5. select Start RSSI reading
6. Select preferred PHY as coded
7. Read the RSSI

Please let me know if i am missing any sequence to configure Long range

Thank you!

Hi Prashant,

1) Connected
2) The demo used in the video is found here: github.com/.../simplelink_sdk-1.40 (Long range demo).
However this demo is based on SDK 1.40. In my opinion you should use the newest SDK (2.30), since this contains the certified Bluetooth 5 stack.

Hi Marie,
Thanks for your response, below are my queries for your response
1) In connected mode if range claimed 1.5km, then what range we can expect in broadcast mode..?
2) I have installed sdk 2.30.00.28 and imported examples of simple peripheral and central from BLE 5 examples, but got range of 180m LOS in broadcast(Non-connected mode) and around 140m inn connected mode. I am using Launchpad R2 boards.
Note: I have configured PHY of both boards to coded while testing.
please suggest me how can i achieve longer range

Thanks,
Prashant V Achari

Hi Prashant,

1) The range should be the same. (One factor here can be packet length, longer packets will give higher packet loss.)
2) - I think there might be a chance that your devices are not using LE Coded PHY. Can you use Host_test+BTool as the master device, to confirm that the devices are using the LE Coded PHY?
- Are you using LE Coded S=2 or S=8?

Hi Marie,
1) Ok thanks

2) By default the coding is s2 as seen in gap_advertiser.h file, please see below

/// Default parameters for long range, connectable, advertising extension
#define GAPADV_PARAMS_AE_LONG_RANGE_CONN { \
.eventProps = GAP_ADV_PROP_CONNECTABLE, \
.primIntMin = 160, \
.primIntMax = 160, \
.primChanMap = GAP_ADV_CHAN_ALL, \
.peerAddrType = PEER_ADDRTYPE_PUBLIC_OR_PUBLIC_ID, \
.peerAddr = { 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa, 0xaa }, \
.filterPolicy = GAP_ADV_WL_POLICY_ANY_REQ, \
.txPower = GAP_ADV_TX_POWER_NO_PREFERENCE, \
.primPhy = GAP_ADV_PRIM_PHY_CODED_S2, \
.secPhy = GAP_ADV_SEC_PHY_CODED_S2, \
.sid = 0


in the above part of code i replaced S2 to S8 to change the coding from S2 to S8. Please confirm am i doing it right or i need to change some other parameter..?

3) I tried changing tx power from default 0dbm to 5 dbm by replacing DEFAULT_TX_POWER 7(0dbm) with 12(5dbm) in ble_user_config.c.
Note: Getting same current when i measured the current consumption when DEFAULT_TX_POWER was 7 and when DEFAULT_TX_POWER was 12.
Please let me know what i need to do to change TX power.

Thanks
Prashant V Achari

Hi Marie,

  Please do reply to my queries.

Thanks

Prashant V Achari

Hi Marie,

Please do reply to my queries.

Thank you,

 Prashant V Achari

Hi Marie,

     2) Thanks i will try out and will let you know.

     3) Please provide me a sample code as to how to use  HCI_EXT_SetTxPowerCmd() .

Thanks,

    Marie

   

Hi Marie,

      2) How to configure S2 and S8 coding in simple peripheral code?. I mean please tell me which function/macro/variable i need to call/set to change PHY coding from S2 to S8 and vice versa.

Thanks 

  Prashant V Achari