Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iOS

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bjfurman
 
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Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iOS

Post by bjfurman »

I'm not finding my nRF52840 in the list of Bluetooth devices using the Bluefruit LE Connect app ver 3.6.2 running on the iPhone SE iOS 14.4. I have code.py running on the nRF board (just printing the CPU temperature in a while True: loop). On the Select Device screen, I see many devices (or entries) listed, but they all say <Unknown> and most say Not Connectable. I don't see the Central Mode button at the bottom of the Bluefruit Connect app as mentioned in the Bluefruit LE Connect Basics on the Adafruit website (https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpytho ... ect-basics).

I have reinstalled the app several times, restarted my phone, and I don't see my Sense board showing up in the list. Any suggestions on how to just get to first base on this? Thank you.

bjfurman
 
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Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by bjfurman »

I also tried this on an Apple 5s phone running iOS 12.5.3, and the same things happen: No Central Mode button shows up at the bottom of the screen, list of all <Unknown> devices shows up, and nRF board is not in the list :(

bjfurman
 
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Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 4:22 pm

Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by bjfurman »

I've tried a second nRF52840 Sense board with both iPhones, and I get the same result: no CIRCU or CIRCUITPY device shows up on the list of Bluetooth devices when I have the Sense board powered up and running code.py. I know that both phones ARE able to see and connect to Bluetooth devices, so I don't think the phones are the problem.

Any suggestions?

bjfurman
 
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Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 4:22 pm

Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by bjfurman »

I tried the Bluefruit Connect on a third iPhone, this time an iPhone SE running iOS 14.1, and I get the same thing: no CIRCU or CIRCUITPY device shows up on the list of Bluetooth devices when the nRF52840 is running code.py.

Has anyone tried Bluefruit Connect on the iPhone and been able to connect to the nRF52840 Sense?

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adafruit_support_carter
 
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Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by adafruit_support_carter »

I have code.py running on the nRF board (just printing the CPU temperature in a while True: loop).
Is that all your code.py is doing? You need to also run code that actually enables and operates the BLE on the Feather. It's not "on" by default. There are code examples in the other pages of that guide, ex:
https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpytho ... tton-press

bjfurman
 
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Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by bjfurman »

Problem solved!

What the documentation for the nRF52840 Sense board fails to make clear on the page that introduces Bluefruit LE Connect (https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpytho ... ect-basics) is that the code.py program that must be running on the board must be one that is advertising for BLE connectivity! It cannot just be some random code.py program running on the Sense board! The guide does have examples *later* that advertise for BLE connectivity, but neither it nor the more detailed guide (https://learn.adafruit.com/bluefruit-le-connect) make it clear at the outset when they launch into how to use the Bluefruit Connect app that the board must be running a code.py that has imported things from adafruit_bluefruit_connect and adafruit_ble libraries and have the line:

Code: Select all

ble.start_advertising(advertisement)
It would be great if Adafruit would update the web page to make clear that the BLE libraries and code that advertises for BLE connection need to be running before showing the details about connecting with Bluefruit Connect.

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mousethief
 
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Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by mousethief »

I second this request, having stumbled into the same trap.
bjfurman wrote:Problem solved!

(snip)
It would be great if Adafruit would update the web page to make clear that the BLE libraries and code that advertises for BLE connection need to be running before showing the details about connecting with Bluefruit Connect.

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kattni
 
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Re: Bluefruit Connect Not Finding nRF52840 Sense Board on iO

Post by kattni »

Thank you for the feedback. I have updated the guide page and included the minimum viable code necessary for a board to show up in the Bluefruit LE Connect application.

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