5.2.6 BLE ANPC Application

Recommended Readings

1. Getting Started with Application Building Blocks – See Building Block Examples from Related Links.

2. Getting Started with Peripheral Building Blocks – See Peripheral Devices from Related Links.

3. FreeRTOS and BLE Stack Setup – See Peripheral - FreeRTOS BLE Stack and App Initialize from Related Links.

4. BLE Software Specification – See MPLAB® Harmony Wireless BLE in Reference Documentation from Related Links.

Hardware Requirement

SDK Setup

Refer to Getting Started with Software Development from Related Links.

Software Requirement

To install Tera Term tool, refer to the Tera Term web page in Reference Documentation from Related Links.

Smart phone App

None

Programming the Precompiled Hex File or Application Example

Using MPLAB® X IPE:

1. Import and program the precompiled hex file: <Harmony Content Path>\wireless_apps_pic32_bz6\apps\ble\advanced_applications\ble_anpc_app\precompiled_hex\ble_anpc_app.X.production.hex.
2. Import and program the precompiled hex file: <Harmony Content Path>\wireless_apps_pic32_bz6\apps\ble\advanced_applications\ble_anps_app\precompiled_hex\ble_anps_app.X.production.hex.
3. For detailed steps, refer to Programming a Device in MPLAB® IPE in Reference Documentation from Related Links.
   Note: Ensure to choose the correct Device and Tool information.

Using MPLAB® X IDE:

1. Perform the following the steps mentioned in Running a Precompiled Example. For more information, refer to Running a Precompiled Application Example from Related Links.

2. Open and program the application example ble_anpc_app.X located in: <Harmony Content Path>\wireless_apps_pic32_bz6\apps\ble\advanced_applications\ble_anpc_app\firmware\ble_anpc_app.X.
3. Open and program the application example ble_anps_app.X located in: : <Harmony Content Path>\wireless_apps_pic32_bz6\apps\ble\advanced_applications\ble_anps_app\firmware\ble_anps_app.X.
4. For more details on how to find the Harmony Content Path, refer to Installing the MCC Plugin from Related Links.

Demo Description

This application demonstrates on simulating an ANPC on the Curiosity board. The on-board User button, LED and UART are used as user interface during the demo.

• Type of Pressing on USR BTN1:
  • Press: Press the button for less than 500 ms
  • Long press: Press the button for more than 500 ms
• LED Behavior:
  • All LEDs are OFF
  • Blue LED flashes one time every 3 seconds
  • Blue LED flashes two times every 3 seconds
  • Blue LED flashes two times every 1.5 seconds
• UART Settings:
  • Baud Rate/Speed: 115200
  • Parity: None
  • Data Bits: 8
  • Stop Bits: 1
  • Flow Control: None
  • Character Encoding: UTF-8

Testing

Experience the Demo using two PIC32-BZ6 Curiosity boards configured as Peripheral and Central device

This section assumes that a user has already programmed the “ble_anps_app.X” and “ble_anpc_app.X” application on two PIC32-BZ6 Curiosity boards.

1. Board 1 – PIC32-BZ6 Curiosity Board Programmed with “ble_anpc_app.X”. Once programmed, the board’s LED will Flash once every 3 seconds and wait for a new connection within 60 seconds.
   1. Open TeraTerm and configure as mentioned below:
      Terminal Settings:

      • Baud Rate/Speed – 115200 (as configured in SERCOM configuration)
      • Parity – None
      • Data Bits – 8
      • Stop Bits – 1
      • Flow Control – None

      

      For terminal setup configuration, go to Setup>Terminal and set the “New-line” of Receive to LF then click OK

      For Serial port setup and connection, go to Setup>Serial Port

      Note: For more details on how to set the “Serial Port” and “Speed”, refer to COM Port Setup in Running a Precompiled Application Example from Related Links.
   2. Reset the board (on-board Reset), Upon Reset, “ANPC init” will be displayed in Tera Term.

      

2. Board 2 – PIC32-BZ6 Curiosity Board Programmed with “ble_anps_app.X”. Once programmed, the ANPS device will establish a new connection with the ANPC device.
3. Once connection is established, the ANPC device stores the pairing data with the ANPS device and the ANPC device’s LED will Flash twice every 1.5 seconds. The following logs will also be displayed in Tera Term.

   

4. Press the USR BTN1 on the ANPS device to send a new alert notification to the ANPC device and the following will be displayed in Tera Term.

   

5. Press the USR BTN1 on the ANPS device again to send an unread alert notification to the ANPC device and the following will be displayed in Tera Term.

   

6. Press the USR BTN1 on the ANPC device to disable the Client Characteristic Configuration Descriptor (CCCD) for new/unread alerts on the ANPS device and the following will be displayed in Tera Term.

   

7. Press the USR BTN1 on the ANPS device to try to send a new/unread alert notification to the ANPC device. As evidenced in Tera Term, the new/unread alert notification is not received by the ANPC device.
8. Unplug the USB cable of the ANPC device then plug it in again. The ANPC device will establish a reconnection with the ANPS device within 30 seconds and the ANPC device’s LED will again blink twice every 1.5 seconds.
9. Now, unplug the USB cable of the ANPS device and program the ANPS precompiled .hex file or application example in another Curiosity board.
   Note: Since the ANPC device stored pairing data with the ANPS device, it will not yet attempt a connection with the ANPS Device 2.
10. Long press the USR BTN1 on the ANPC device so that it accepts a new connection within 60 seconds. Once connection is established with the ANPS Device 2, the ANPC device’s LED will blink twice every 1.5 seconds.

Developing this Application from Scratch using MCC

1. Create a new harmony project. For more details, see Creating a New MCC Harmony Project from Related Links.

2. Import component configuration - This step helps users setup the basic components and configuration required to develop this application. The imported file is of format .mc3 and is located in the path "<Harmony Content Path>\wireless_apps_pic32_bz6\apps\ble\advanced_applications\ble_anpc_app\firmware\ble_anpc_app.X\ble_anpc_app.mc3". .
   Note: Import and export functionality of Harmony component configuration will help users to start from a known working setup of MCC configuration.
3. Accept dependencies or satisfiers when prompted.
4. Verify if the project graph window has all the expected configuration.

   

Verify MCC Component Settings

Generating a Code

For more details on code generation, refer to MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) Code Generation from Related Links.

Files and Routines Automatically Generated by the MCC

After generating the program source from the MCC interface by clicking Generate Code, the BLE configuration source and header files can then be found in the following project directories.

Initialization routines for OSAL, RF System, and BLE System are auto-generated by the MCC. See OSAL Libraries Help in Reference Documentation from Related Links. Initialization routine executed during program initialization can be found in the project file.

The BLE stack initialization routine executed during Application Initialization can be found in project files. This initialization routine is automatically generated by the MCC. This call initializes and configures the GAP, GATT, SMP, L2CAP and BLE middleware layers.

Header Files

• ble_gap.h: contains BLE GAP functions and is automatically included in app.c

Function Calls

MCC generates and adds the code to initialize the BLE Stack GAP, GATT, L2CAP and SMP in APP_BleStackInit() function.

• APP_BleStackInit() is the API that will be called inside the Applications Initial State -- APP_STATE_INIT in app.c

User Application Development

Include:

• Include the user action. For more information, refer to User Action from Related Links.
• definitions.h must be included in all the files where UART will be used to print debug information.
  Note: definitions.h is not specific to UART peripheral, instead it must be included in all application source files where peripheral functionality will be exercised.

Configure the Advertisement:

• APP_BleConfigBasic();
• The below code snippet sets the Advertising Data and Scan Response Data of the ANPC application that will be used by the ANPS device to connect.

  

Starting Advertisement:

• APP_EnableAdv(bPaired ? APP_ADV_TYPE_WITH_BOND_ADV: APP_ADV_TYPE_ADV)

  

Connected and Disconnected Events:

• All the possible GAP, GATT, SMP and L2CAP event handlers are available in app_ble_handler.c. Users can implement their own application code to denote Connection State here.

  

Initialize ANPC:

• ANPC functionality initialization is done in APP_BleStackInitAdvance()

  

Implement ANPC:

• ANPC is implemented in ble_anpc.c and BLE_ANPC_BleEventHandler() will handle all ANPC events.

  

Firmware FSM (Finite State Machine)

This application firmware implements an ANPC on the Curiosity board:

• APP_ANPC_STATE_IDLE: application remains in the Idle mode
• APP_ANPC_STATE_ADV: application is waiting for a new connection within timeout_adv seconds.
• APP_ANPC_STATE_WITH_BOND_ADV: application is waiting for a reconnection within timeout_with_bond_adv seconds.
• APP_ANPC_STATE_CONN: application is prepared to send commands/receive notifications.