nRF5 action!

[Terrence]

@NeverDie I prefer it over the Arduino platform, not VS Micro.

It is a super lightweight editor, but really powerful with added extensions.
In Windows Explorer, right click a folder and click on "Open with Code' and the folder and all code files are there.

I have been using Visual Studio for work for a decade. It is a very heavy capable environment, but too heavy for simple ino projects.

I used VS Micro 3 years ago or so, but I can't compare the two.

https://code.visualstudio.com/

Here is a snip showing the Arduino extension.

[NeverDie]

I received the adafruit nrf52 feathers today, and I'm really quite shocked: adafruit doesn't supply any demo code (at least none that I can find) which would allow two nrf52 feathers to talk to one another. In fact, most of the demo code has nothing to do with bluetooth at all! This is very disappointing.

[Yveaux]

@NeverDie I guess they just rely on mySensors for the communication :-)

[NeverDie]

@Yveaux said in Minimalist SAMD21 TQFP32 Pro Mini:

@NeverDie I guess they just rely on mySensors for the communication :-)

Wait, does mysensors demo code already work using the nrf52832?

If not, does anyone know of some demo code somewhere that demos two 832's communicating (like there's plenty of demo code already for the NRF24L01)? I really don't want to figure this out from scratch using just the datasheet. Been there and done that already with the RFM69, and I don't want to have to do it again with the NRF52832. If there is not already a good "load and go" demo somewhere, then I'm going to return these modules to Amazon.

[scalz]

@NeverDie
Adafruit only provides examples for Bluetooth.

regarding mysensors, i have answered here https://forum.mysensors.org/post/70297 ;)

[scalz]

@NeverDie

sidenote i forgot to say:

your adafruit board should have a bootloader inside, so you can burn a sketch from arduino just by using ftdi (and allows some other features like ota etc). This is why i've also added dtr signal on my aeos in case.

But I've not tried this configuration yet, and if i'm not wrong adafruit added freertos to their core files.
So, i have no idea if burning a mysensors sketch by using adafruit boards in Arduino (so their core) will work out of the box.

As, for the moment, i burn my mcus by using swd programmer (like for the atsam), and use the sandeep core files, in Arduino board manager, with custom board definition regarding my boards as i have not this adafruit board,I made mine before, else i would have ordered one :).

I hope my explanations are clear, don't hesitate in case ;)

[NeverDie]

@scalz
I've been able to run Blink on the Adafruit NRF52 by compiling the Adafruit example Blink program within the Arduino IDE and then uploading it to the Adafruit NRF52 over the USB cable using the Arduino IDE, if that's what you mean. That part seems to work as intended, and it behaves just like any other Arduino in that respect. It's just that I had wrongly imagined that NRF52's would be communicating with each other using Bluetooth, and instead it sounds like (?) they'll actually be using a different, non-Bluetooth mode, for that--which is fine by me.

If I understand you correctly, I should be able to just upload the mysensors demo code (one for a gateway and one for a node) to my two Adafruit NRF52's, and that's all it should take for them to then be communicating in a normal mysensors way. Is that right? If so, that would be very welcome news indeed.

[scalz]

@NeverDie
yes, you just need to do this

[NeverDie]

@scalz
Are you sure? I just tried compiling the SerialGateway example inside the Arduino IDE with the board set to "Adafruit Bluefruit NRF52 Feather, " and it won't even compile. Looking at mysensors.h file, I think I can see why:

// Enable radio "feature" if one of the radio types was enabled
#if defined(MY_RADIO_NRF24) || defined(MY_RADIO_RFM69) || defined(MY_RADIO_RFM95) || defined(MY_RS485)
#define MY_SENSOR_NETWORK
#endif

// HARDWARE
#if defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266)
#include "core/MyHwESP8266.cpp"
#elif defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_AVR)
#include "drivers/AVR/DigitalWriteFast/digitalWriteFast.h"
#include "core/MyHwAVR.cpp"
#elif defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_SAMD)
#include "core/MyHwSAMD.cpp"
#elif defined(__linux__)
#include "core/MyHwLinuxGeneric.cpp"
#endif

The library seems to have no recognition capability for either the NRF52 nor for any board based on it.

What do I need to modify to get it to work? Anyone know?

[Yveaux]

@NeverDie what MySensors library are you using? Nrf52 is only supported in development.

[scalz]

@NeverDie

Yveaux is right, you need to use development branch of Mysensors, and just need to enable this define:
#define MY_RADIO_NRF5_ESB

You can also get more details here:
https://www.openhardware.io/view/376/MySensors-NRF5-Platform

[NeverDie]

I had been using the publicly released Mysensors library, but after your suggestions I switched over to the developers release.

So, now a new obstacle: if I compile using the board set as an Adafruit Bluefruit nRF52 Feather, I get the following fatal compile error:

Build options changed, rebuilding all
In file included from C:\Users\CoolerMaster\Documents\Arduino\mysensors sketches\GatewaySerial_v002\GatewaySerial_v002.ino:85:0:

C:\Users\CoolerMaster\Documents\Arduino\libraries\MySensors/MySensors.h:352:2: error: #error No support for nRF5 radio on this platform

 #error No support for nRF5 radio on this platform

  ^

exit status 1
Error compiling for board Adafruit Bluefruit nRF52 Feather.

However, if I switch over to the "Generic nRF52" board from Nordic Semiconductor, it compiles just fine, but it hangs while uploading. :(

[scalz]

@NeverDie
yep that's what i was talking, regarding adafruit&core in board manager.
That would be easier to just use sandeep core only (as adafruit core is an extension using bootloader), and then use one of the boards available for nrf52.

You could try that :

• select NRF52 generic or DK in board manager (so this uses sandeep core)
• Select Softdevice : no
• Programmer : J-link
• Connect SWD programmer
• upload sketch

this should work, you'll just loose the adafruit bootloader feature i think.

[NeverDie]

I tried using the ST-LINK V2 programmer that I got from Amazon, but I think maybe (?) it's junk: almost nothing seems to recognize it after I've plugged it in. I've installed the USB driver for it from the ST website, and I've tried connecting to it using the ST-LINK utility program. It did recognize it long enough to identify its firmware and to actually (or so it said) upgrade its firmware to the current version. However, even that program can't seem to "connect" with it for anything else other than upgrading the firmware. Arduino doesn't see it at all.

So, maybe I need a better programmer? Is the DK for the 52832 from Nordic the one to get, or should I get something else (preferably something which might also work with the 52840 when that becomes available)?

An actual J-Link from Segger is priced at >$400. Are the cheap Aliexpress knock-offs just as good?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/V9-the-LINK-J-LINK-ARM-emulator-support-A9A8-V9-4-high-speed-download-speed/32806221560.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.1.JlcJUT&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10152_10065_10151_10068_10130_10084_10083_10119_10080_10082_10081_10110_10178_10136_10137_519_10111_10060_10112_10113_10155_10114_437_10154_10056_10055_10054_10182_10059_303_100031_10099_10078_10079_10103_10073_10102_10120_10052_10053_10142_10107_142_10050_10051,searchweb201603_49,ppcSwitch_4&btsid=55ccaf9e-4381-4041-87de-32344016ca8e&algo_expid=281f8f71-cf63-4236-b1e7-4fbf7703f3dc-0&algo_pvid=281f8f71-cf63-4236-b1e7-4fbf7703f3dc

[NeverDie]

So, I went ahead and ordered this:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/1PC-JLI-V9-J-LINK-ARM-emulator-support-A9A8-V9-3-high-speed-download/1710342_32790881245.html?spm=2114.12010615.0.0.5qtBo0

since it has e-packet delivery. Hopefully it's not a complete waste of money. Unfortunately, I guess there's not much more I can do until it arrives....

Anything else I should get to go with it? Like maybe:
https://www.amazon.com/ARM-JTAG-20-10-ARM-Micro-JTAG-adapter/dp/B009UEO9ZY/ref=pd_sim_21_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B009UEO9ZY&pd_rd_r=C8G4T1QSJT3YVC6CQADF&pd_rd_w=CsX9i&pd_rd_wg=OIb04&psc=1&refRID=C8G4T1QSJT3YVC6CQADF
and/or
https://www.amazon.com/Gikfun-J-link-Emulator-Adapter-Converter/dp/B00RBHOSTY/ref=pd_sim_21_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00RBHOSTY&pd_rd_r=C8G4T1QSJT3YVC6CQADF&pd_rd_w=CsX9i&pd_rd_wg=OIb04&psc=1&refRID=C8G4T1QSJT3YVC6CQADF
and/or something else?

Is there by any chance some kind of bit-bang equivalent that someone has already developed? With arduino's being so cheap, I'd think there'd be a way to use one as a programmer, or at least as some kind of uploader, to an ARM mcu. I mean, how hard can it be?

[NeverDie]

Since it seems I'll be forced to use a programmer, the adafruit advantages completely go out the window. Therefore, I ordered a couple of these, which will probably (?) be just as good in the end, but a whole lot cheaper:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/nRF52832-Bluetooth-4-1-BLE-Module-M4-Transparent-Transmission-SMA-512K-FLASH-64K-RAM-pass-through/32798522093.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.17.YON8eD&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0&aff_platform=aaf&cpt=1499046377472&sk=e2Vzr3v&aff_trace_key=0cb03246d5ed4112b865663460b55419-1499046377472-08913-e2Vzr3v

I like that they have through-holes and not just castellated connectors. That will make them much easier to wire up.

[NeverDie]

I also ordered this as my final insurance in case the J-Link Segger knock-off turns out not to work:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2PCS-LOT-Link-OB-ARM-emulator-debugger-j-link-programmierer-downloader-link-statt-V8-SWD-Best/32813752595.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.RyKjDr

If none of that extra hardware works, then I'll probably switch to Linux to see if I have more luck using that instead of Windows.

[scalz]

@NeverDie
I think this is because you need to install Zadig, open it, choose your swd programmer in list and change the driver. Then it should work.

[NeverDie]

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

BTW, I noticed this nRF52830 module, which is interesting because it includes a trace antenna and is allegedly just 15.4mmx15.4mm in size: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/PTR5618-Nordic-nRF52832-Module-BLE-4-0-Module-Free-shipping/32758284869.html?spm=2114.10010108.100009.2.98oryP&traffic_analysisId=recommend_2037_null_null_null&scm=1007.13482.37805.0&pvid=c8de9a80-7258-4a83-a683-1ef7c7104607&tpp=1
Granted, it doesn't expose as many pins though.

[scalz]

@NeverDie
oki cool.
Raytac has also modules with pcb antenna, and interestingly, from their datasheet, perform worse than their chip antenna version.
I prefer to clarify it a bit! We can't say pcb antenna are always better than chip antenna. :)
But it's sure that you can't get the best performance with an antenna which is not adapted to the usecase.
Also, when doing very tiny pcb, the gnd plane can be too small regarding the wavelength etc, decreasing even more the antenna efficiency.
The more tiny, the less range..that's not a problem for a wearable, that you wear, close to your phone.