Unable to connect with HCI on a nRF52840 dongle

[splitice]

This has me stuck I'm not able to get the HCI controller to accept a create connection (in enhanced or legacy forms).

> HCI Event: LE Meta Event (0x3e) plen 36                                                                                                                                                             #106 6.365610
      LE Extended Advertising Report (0x0d)
        Num reports: 1
        Entry 0
          Event type: 0x001b
            Props: 0x001b
              Connectable
              Scannable
              Scan response
              Use legacy advertising PDUs
            Data status: Complete
          Legacy PDU Type: SCAN_RSP to an ADV_SCAN_IND (0x001b)
          Address type: Public (0x00)
          Address: 04:AC:44:09:8F:3D (OUI 04-AC-44)
          Primary PHY: LE 1M
          Secondary PHY: No packets
          SID: no ADI field (0xff)
          TX power: 127 dBm
          RSSI: -30 dBm (0xe2)
          Periodic advertising interval: 0.00 msec (0x0000)
          Direct address type: Public (0x00)
          Direct address: 00:00:00:00:00:00 (OUI 00-00-00)
          Data length: 0x0a
        09 09 51 4e 2d 53 63 61 6c 65                    ..QN-Scale
        Name (complete): QN-Scale
< HCI Command: LE Extended Create Connection (0x08|0x0043) plen 26                                                                                                                                    #107 6.376629
        Filter policy: White list is not used (0x00)
        Own address type: Public (0x00)
        Peer address type: Public (0x00)
        Peer address: 04:AC:44:09:8F:3D (OUI 04-AC-44)
        Initiating PHYs: 0x01
        Entry 0: LE 1M
          Scan interval: 960.000 msec (0x0600)
          Scan window: 480.000 msec (0x0300)
          Min connection interval: 7.50 msec (0x0006)
          Max connection interval: 60.00 msec (0x0030)
          Connection latency: 0 (0x0000)
          Supervision timeout: 400 msec (0x0028)
          Min connection length: 0.000 msec (0x0000)
          Max connection length: 960.000 msec (0x0600)
> HCI Event: Command Status (0x0f) plen 4                                                                                                                                                             #108 6.377655
      LE Extended Create Connection (0x08|0x0043) ncmd 1
        Status: Command Disallowed (0x0c)
< HCI Command: LE Create Connection (0x08|0x000d) plen 25                                                                                                                                             #109 6.382326
        Scan interval: 960.000 msec (0x0600)
        Scan window: 480.000 msec (0x0300)
        Filter policy: White list is not used (0x00)
        Peer address type: Public (0x00)
        Peer address: 04:AC:44:09:8F:3D (OUI 04-AC-44)
        Own address type: Public (0x00)
        Min connection interval: 7.50 msec (0x0006)
        Max connection interval: 60.00 msec (0x0030)
        Connection latency: 0 (0x0000)
        Supervision timeout: 400 msec (0x0028)
        Min connection length: 0.000 msec (0x0000)
        Max connection length: 0.000 msec (0x0000)
> HCI Event: Command Status (0x0f) plen 4                                                                                                                                                             #110 6.383672
      LE Create Connection (0x08|0x000d) ncmd 1
        Status: Command Disallowed (0x0c)

The HCI controller appears to have been setup correctly:

2023-05-12T06:54:29.792Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:RESET_CMD REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:29.915Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:RESET_CMD RSP Success { status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:29.961Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:SET_EVENT_MASK_CMD REQ { eventMask: { EVT_INQUIRY_COMPLETE: true, EVT_INQUIRY_RESULT: true, EVT_CONN_COMPLETE: true, EVT_CONN_REQUEST: true, EVT_DISCONNECT_COMPLETE: true, EVT_AUTH_COMPLETE: true, EVT_REMOTE_NAME_REQ_COMPLETE: true, EVT_ENCRYPTION_CHANGE: true, EVT_CHANGE_CONN_LINK_KEY_COMPLETE: true, EVT_MASTER_LINK_KEY_COMPLETE: true, EVT_READ_REMOTE_SUPP_FEATURES_COMPLETE: true, EVT_READ_REMOTE_VER_INFO_COMPLETE: true, EVT_QOS_SETUP_COMPLETE: true, EVT_HW_ERRROR: true, EVT_FLUSH_OCCURRED: true, EVT_ROLE_CHANGE: true, EVT_MODE_CHANGE: true, EVT_RETURN_LINK_KEYS: true, EVT_PIN_CODE_REQ: true, EVT_LINK_KEY_REQ: true, EVT_LINK_KEY_NOTIFY: true, EVT_LOOPBACK_COMMAND: true, EVT_DATA_BUFFER_OVERFLOW: true, EVT_MAX_SLOTS_CHANGE: true, EVT_READ_CLOCK_OFFSET_COMPLETE: true, EVT_CONN_PACKET_TYPE_CHANGED: true, EVT_QOS_VIOLATION: true, EVT_PAGE_SCAN_MODE_CHANGE: true, EVT_PAGE_SCAN_REP_MODE_CHANGE: true, EVT_FLOW_SPEC_COMPLETE: true, EVT_INQUIRY_RESULT_WITH_RSSI: true, EVT_READ_REMOTE_EXT_FEATURES_COMPLETE: true, EVT_SYNC_CONN_COMPLETE: true, EVT_SYNC_CONN_CHANGED: true, EVT_SNIFF_SUBRATING: true, EVT_EXTENDED_INQUIRY_RESULT: true, EVT_ENCRYPTION_KEY_REFRESH_COMPLETE: true, EVT_IO_CAPABILITY_REQUEST: true, EVT_IO_CAPABILITY_RESPONSE: true, EVT_USER_CONFIRM_REQUEST: true, EVT_USER_PASSKEY_REQUEST: true, EVT_REMOTE_OOB_DATA_REQUEST: true, EVT_SIMPLE_PAIRING_COMPLETE: true, EVT_LINK_SUPERVISION_TIMEOUT_CHANGED: true, EVT_ENHANCED_FLUSH_COMPLETE: true, EVT_USER_PASSKEY_NOTIFY: true, EVT_KEYPRESS_NOTIFY: true, EVT_REMOTE_HOST_SUPPORTED_FEATURES_NOTIFY: true, EVT_LE_META_EVENT: true } }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.017Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:SET_EVENT_MASK_CMD RSP Success { status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.024Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_INFO_PARAM:READ_LOCAL_VERSION_INFORMATION_CMD REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:30.154Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_INFO_PARAM:READ_LOCAL_VERSION_INFORMATION_CMD RSP Success { HCI_Version: 13, HCI_Revision: 0, LMP_Version: 13, Manufacturer_Name: 1521, LMP_Subversion: 65535, status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.160Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_INFO_PARAM:READ_BD_ADDR_CMD REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:30.220Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_INFO_PARAM:READ_BD_ADDR_CMD RSP Success { BD_ADDR: <Buffer 58 2a 69 f6 e9 08>, status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.229Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:WRITE_LE_HOST_SUPPORTED_CMD REQ { LE_Supported_Host: 1, Simultaneous_LE_Host: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.268Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:WRITE_LE_HOST_SUPPORTED_CMD RSP Unknown HCI Command { status: 1 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.271Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:READ_LE_HOST_SUPPORTED_CMD REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:30.355Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_HOST_CTL:READ_LE_HOST_SUPPORTED_CMD RSP Unknown HCI Command { status: 1 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.356Z gw:bt:hci1 LE_Supported_Host is not supported this may indicate a lack of BT Low Energy support (or it might be always enabled!)
2023-05-12T06:54:30.359Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:READ_LOCAL_SUPPORTED_FEATURES REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:30.423Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:READ_LOCAL_SUPPORTED_FEATURES RSP Success { LE_Features: { LE_ENCRYPTION: true, CONNECTION_PARA_REQ_PROC: true, EXTENDED_REJECT_INDICATION: true, SLAVE_INITIATED_FEATURES_EXCH: true, LE_PING: true, DATA_LEN_EXT: true, LL_PRIVACY: true, EXT_SCAN_FILT_POLICY: true, LE_2M_PHY: true, STABLE_MODI_CODING_TX: false, STABLE_MODI_CODING_RX: false, LE_CODED_PHY: true, LE_EXTENDED_ADVERTISING: true }, status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.430Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:LE_SET_EVENT_MASK REQ { eventMask: { LE_EVT_MASK_CONN_COMPLETE: true, LE_EVT_MASK_ADV_REPORT: true, LE_EVT_MASK_READ_REMOTE_FEAT_COMPLETE: true, LE_EVT_MASK_CONN_UPDATE_COMPLETE: true, LE_EVT_MASK_EXT_ADV_REPORT: true, LE_EVT_MASK_ENHANCED_CONN_COMPLETE: true } }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.483Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:LE_SET_EVENT_MASK RSP Success { status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.486Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:READ_BUFFER_SIZE REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:30.520Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:READ_BUFFER_SIZE RSP Success { HC_LE_ACL_Data_Packet_Length: 251, HC_Total_Num_LE_ACL_Data_Packets: 7, status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.522Z gw:bt:hci1 using br/edr buffer size
2023-05-12T06:54:30.524Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_INFO_PARAM:READ_BUFFER_SIZE_CMD REQ {}
2023-05-12T06:54:30.576Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_INFO_PARAM:READ_BUFFER_SIZE_CMD RSP Unknown HCI Command { status: 1 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.580Z gw:bt:connector:hci1 Chip state poweredOn
2023-05-12T06:54:30.581Z gw:bt:connector:hci1 Scanning: enabling
2023-05-12T06:54:30.590Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:SET_EXTENDED_SCAN_ENABLE REQ { enable: 0, filterDuplicates: 0, duration: 0, period: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.646Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:SET_EXTENDED_SCAN_ENABLE RSP Success { status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.652Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:SET_EXTENDED_SCAN_PARAMETERS REQ { ownAddressType: 0, scanningFilterPolicy: 0, scanPhys: { LE_1M_PHY: true, LE_CODED_PHY: true }, scanPhyData: <Buffer 01 00 04 00 03 01 00 04 00 03> }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.665Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:SET_EXTENDED_SCAN_PARAMETERS RSP Success { status: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.667Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:SET_EXTENDED_SCAN_ENABLE REQ { enable: 1, filterDuplicates: 0, duration: 0, period: 0 }
2023-05-12T06:54:30.674Z gw:bt:hci1:OGF_LE_CTL:SET_EXTENDED_SCAN_ENABLE RSP Success { status: 0 }

Any ideas? Does Zephyr / NRF require something very specific to start LE?

[hermabe]

Which controller are you using? The nordic softdevice controller does not support running the scanner and the initiator at the same time, so will return disallowed.

[splitice]

@hermabe correct. We figured that out about half an hour ago.

You mention Nordic softdevice controller. I'm fairly new to zephyr. Does that mean there are other controllers for the Nordic platform?

I didn't see them in menuconfig but perhaps I missed something?

[hermabe]

Are you using upstream zephyr or downstream nrfconnect from Nordic? Since you mentioned "Zephyr / NRF" I thought you maybe were using nrfconnect.

Upstream Zephyr has an open source controller ("the zephyr controller" / "ZLL"). In nrfconnect Nordic has an additional proprietary controller ("the softdevice controller" / "SDC"). I am not very familiar with ZLL and whether it supports scanning and initiating in parallel.

[splitice]

Upstream zephyr in that case. I wasn't aware downstream support existed. It looks like upstream zephyr implementation inherits the same behaviour in this case.

Fyi I've mostly used texas instruments hardware to date. So very new to the Nordic ecosystem.

Currently evaluating the hci stack as exposed by the Nordic & zephyr platform to see what it could do if built into a custom board for incredibly long range (pa & lna) coded bt 5. For r&d only at this time. Something that's really lacking currently.

Got it doing the basics now, at-least enough to begin evaluation of gains with / without pa/lna in an indoor environment.