Nordic nRF8001 User manual

Copyright © 2014 Nordic Semiconductor ASA. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.
nRF8001 Development Kit
User Guide v2.0

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
1 Introduction
The nRF8001 Development Kit v2.0 for Arduino is an easy-to-use Bluetooth low energy kit that is designed
for use with an Arduino board or an Arduino compatible board. By using the development kit with our open
source ble_sdk_arduino SDK and Arduino's hardware and software, you can start creating designs and
speedily prototype with little expenditure.
1.1 Minimum requirements
Below are the minimum requirements for the nRF8001 Development Kit:
• Arduino UNO or an Arduino compatible board
• Computer with 2 USB ports
• Windows XP and Windows 7
1.1.1 Support for Linux and OS X
The Arduino development environment supports development on OS X and Linux and the ble_sdk_arduino
SDK is supported on the OS X and Linux version of Arduino.
Note: The Master Control Panel is Windows based and is not supported on OS X and Linux.
1.2 Documentation
The following documentation is recommended reading:
Document Description
nRF8001 Product Specification Defines the nRF8001 hardware and electrical specifications and describes the
ACI (Application Controller Interface).
nRFgo Studio help nRFgo Studio help documents the functionality of the nRFgo Studio.

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
1.3 Required tools
The following list of software tools are necessary for using this development kit. Installation is covered in
Chapter 3 “Quick start” on page 6 and Chapter 4 “Typical setup” on page 7.
Nordic Tools Description
nRFgo Studio nRFgo Studio is our tool to program and configure devices. It is the visual editor for GATT
(Generic Attribute Profile) server, GATT Client and GAP (Generic Access Profile) settings. nRFgo
Studio is also used for Bluetooth Direct Test Mode (DTM).
For more information, see the help in nRFgo Studio.
ble_sdk_arduino The ble_sdk_arduino Software Development Kit (SDK) provides source code of examples and
libraries forming the base of your application development. The ble_sdk_arduino SDK includes:
•Examplecode
•Bluetooth profile examples
•Drivers
•Libraries
For more information, see the documentation packaged with the ble_sdk_arduino SDK.
Master Control Panel The Master Control Panel is the software tool that is used with the Master Emulator
Development Dongle (PCA10000) to act as a Bluetooth low energy peer device. You can test
your application’s wireless connection with this tool.
For more information, see the help files in the Master Control Panel.
Third party tools Description
Arduino hardware
and software
Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use
hardware and software. See http://arduino.cc/ for purchasing/downloading hardware and
software components.

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
2 Kit content
The nRF8001 Development Kit consists of hardware and software components, firmware libraries, and
example applications.
2.1 Hardware components
Figure 1 Hardware components
For more information on the hardware modules see Chapter 6 “Hardware description” on page 11.
nRF2740 - SCC module (PCB antenna)
nRF2741 - SCC module (SMA connector)
PCA64105 - Arduino shield adapter
5 pcs. 8001 samples
nRF8001 Welcome card
PCA10000 -
nRF51822 Development Dongle

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
2.2 Downloadable content
The nRF8001 Development Kit includes firmware source code, documentation, hardware schematics, and
layout files. To access these files, log in to your My Page account, enter your product key, and download the
files. Instructions can be found in Chapter 3 “Quick start” on page 6.
2.2.1 nRF8001 DK software content
•nRFgoStudio
• ble_sdk_arduino Software Development Kit (SDK)
• Precompiled HEX files
•Sourcecode
•KeilARMprojectfiles
•MasterControlPanel
•nRFSniffer
2.2.2 nRF8001 DK documentation
• nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide
• nRF8001 Product Specification
2.2.3 Schematics, Bill of Materials, PCB layout files, and production files
The ZIP file and its subdirectories contain the hardware design files for the nRF8001 DK.
• Altium Designer files
•Schematics
• PCB layout files
•Productionfiles
• Assembly drawings
• Drill files
•Gerberfiles
• Pick and Place files
•BillofMaterials

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
3 Quick start
1. Connect the Arduino shield adapter to the Arduino motherboard or Arduino compatible board.
2. Connect the nRF8001 radio module to the Arduino shield adapter board.
3. Follow the instructions at http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage to download and program a test
program for the Arduino board.
4. Run the test program to verify that the Arduino board has been successfully programmed and is
working.
5. Download the ble_sdk_arduino SDK from https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/ble-sdk-
arduino/releases.
6. Unzip the file.
7. In the Arduino IDE, click Sketch and choose Import library and Add library.
8. From the ble-sdk-arduino folder, choose to import the libraries/BLE folder.
9. Test the installation by running the ble_Hello_World_Program from File/Examples/BLE.

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
4 Typical setup
Figure 2 Typical setup
4.1 nRFgo Studio
Before you can start writing any application code for your Bluetooth low energy product you need to decide
what kind of user data your product needs to transfer. For interoperability with products from other vendors
you need to follow set formats specified by Bluetooth. These formats are defined in Bluetooth low energy
services and profiles and decide how, for instance, a temperature sensor reports its data. From the nRF8001
configuration menu in nRFgo Studio you can choose and combine the necessary services for your product.
You can also choose to use proprietary formats when your product only works with your application(s) and
Bluetooth profile compliance is not required:
• Setting the static parameters for nRF8001:
•Setup of GATT services, profiles: lets you decide which Bluetooth low energy profiles
you want to include. The GATT Services view allows you to select the services you
want to include in your application. You can also define your own services and
characteristics.
•GAP setup: lets you tune the parameters of the Generic Access Profile (GAP), for
example, timing parameters and advertisement data.
•Hardware setup: lets you select and configure the nRF8001 hardware features you
want to use. Make the appropriate choices according to your product design.
nRF51822 Arduino
Shield Adapter
Arduino Uno
nRF8001
Radio module
(nRF2740/nRF2741)
(or similar)
Dongle
Development

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When you have the setup you want, you can generate source files containing the setup code as #defines.
The files generated by nRFgo Studio are used by the application project examples in the SDK to configure
nRF8001 before use. This allows you to focus on the application code rather than spending time ensuring
the Bluetooth setup details are correct.
The GAP and GATT settings captured on the nRFgo studio are translated to nRF8001 Setup messages. These
messages are generated as #defines in the services.h and services_lock.h. Include one of these header files
in your build environment (services.h places the nRF8001 Setup in the RAM of the nRF8001 and
services_lock.h places the Setup in the NVRAM of the nRF8001). Once the Setup messages are in your build
environment you can send them over the SPI to the nRF8001 for configuration.
You can also conduct Bluetooth low energy tests and program the hardware from the Bluetooth menu in the
nRFgo Studio:
• Testing the RF PHY using Direct Test Mode.
Please see the nRFgo Studio's online help for detailed instructions.
4.2 SDK
The SDK contains source code for developing applications on the application processor (Arduino).
It includes working examples, and contains libraries that are portable to other microcontroller platforms.
The examples are written in C and can be programmed on to the Arduino using the Arduino IDE.
4.2.1 ACI modules
ACI is the interface for nRF8001. The SDK has two modules that handle the ACI communication. One handles
the physical transport and the other implements the protocol.
4.2.1.1 ACI library (lib_aci)
This library implements the ACI protocol and lets you send commands, and receive events. Please refer to
the nRF8001 Preliminary Product Specification for protocol details. The ACI library gives you:
• An API for ACI commands
• Decoding of ACI events
The ACI library does not have hardware dependencies, and can be used by any microcontroller with a C
compiler. The ACI library requires the ACI Transport Layer, described in the following section.
4.2.1.2 ACI transport layer (hal_aci_tl)
The ACI Transport Layer module is a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for the ACI physical transport. It
handles the SPI communication, and the hand-shake signals. Because of the hardware dependencies this
module must be ported to your target microcontroller.
4.2.1.3 Hardware dependencies
The dependencies are related to power down mode. The code for entering power down mode is hardware
dependent and must be ported when using a third-party application processor.

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4.3 Master Control Panel
The Master Control Panel is used with the nRF51822 Development Dongle (PCA10000) to create a Bluetooth
low energy master for nRF8001 and to test the application using nRF8001. With the Master Control Panel
you can:
•Scanforadvertisers
• Connect with nRF8001
• Send/receive data
Two additional components are installed in conjunction with the Master Control Panel:
• Visual C++ 2008 Redistributables: Files needed for the Master Control Panel, unless .Net v3.5
has already been installed
• Drivers for the master emulator (Segger)
4.4 Compiling for the Arduino platform
The source code is written in C and developed using the Arduino IDE and toolchain and Atmel studio. The
Arduino IDE is available for download from http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software.
To debug software for the application processor (Arduino) you can use simple Serial.print() function calls to
print debug messages through the UART or use a JTAG based debugger that works with the Arduino board.

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
5 Testing the physical layer with Direct Test Mode
To test the RF performance of the physical (PHY) layer of the Bluetooth low energy stack in nRF8001 you can
use the Direct Test Mode (DTM) interface. This interface is compliant with the description in the Bluetooth
Specification, Version 4.0, Volume 6, Part F. It can be used for performance testing, tuning your prototypes
and compliance testing.
The DTM is accessed through a dedicated UART interface on nRF8001 and through the ACI (SPI) interface.
This interface is only available when the nRF8001 is in test mode. Please see the nRF8001 Product
Specification for information on the interface and how to enter test mode.
The DTM is designed for use with Bluetooth test equipment. If you don't have a Bluetooth tester you can
access the interface using this Development Kit and using nRFgo Studio to run the tests. The nRFgo Studio
DTM requires that the ble_set_in_test_mode_ACI program must be flashed/uploaded to the Arduino
board.
Figure 3 Hardware setup for testing with Direct Test Mode
5.1 Testing the physical layer on your own product
The DTM (Direct Test Mode) must be available on your product so that it can be qualified as a Bluetooth low
energy product. This means that your application must have a way of setting the nRF8001 in test mode and
have connections to the UART interface. ble_set_in_test_mode_UART is used to set the nRF8001 in test
mode over UART.
ble_set_in_test_mode_ACI is a simple demo example showing how nRF8001 is put into the test state.
From the source code you can see how the ACI command Test is used to set the device in test mode.

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nRF8001 Development Kit User Guide v2.0
6 Hardware description
This chapter describes the:
• SCC (Single Chip Connectivity) modules (nRF2740 and nRF2741)
• Arduino shield adapter (PCA64105)
• nRF51822 Development Dongle (PCA10000)
6.1 SCC modules (nRF2740 and nRF2741)
The two SCC modules (nRF2740 and nRF2741) are identical except nRF2740 has an PCB antenna and
nRF2741 has an SMA connector:
Figure 4 nRF2740 and nRF2741 radio modules
6.1.1 Solder bridge SB1
By default, solder bridge SB1 is shorted. Opening the SB1 solder bridge enables use of the nRF8001 internal
step-down DC/DC converter. This feature is enabled from the Bluetooth menu in the nRFgo Studio.
nRF2740 nRF2741
Top side
Bottom side
Top side
Bottom side
P2, UART P2, UART
PCB
antenna
SMA
connector
P1, ACI interface P1, ACI interface
SB1 SB1

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6.1.2 Connector P1
For further details about signal description please see the nRF8001 Product Specification.
Table 1 Pinout for connector P1
6.1.3 Connector P2
This connector is used for the Direct Test Mode interface, which is treated in more detail in
Chapter 5 “Testing the physical layer with Direct Test Mode” on page 10.
Table 2 Pinout for connector P2
Pin number Connector P1
1GND
2VCC_nRF
3ACTIVE
4Not in use
5SCK
6MOSI
7MISO
8RDYN
9REQN
10 RESET
Pin number Connector P2
1TXD
2RXD

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6.2 Arduino shield adapter (PCA64105)
The PCA64105 adapter shield for Arduino is designed to plug onto an Arduino or ChipKIT board (UNO32,
UNO, Mega2560, Leonardo or Due), or similar. The module contains headers for the Arduino interface and a
level translator circuit for the communication between a 5 V platform such as Arduino and the nRF8001
running at 3.3 V.
6.2.1 Key features
• Arduino compatible headers with pass through for stacking
• Connector for a nRF8001 development kit module
• Configurable pin mapping
• Radio current measurement
6.2.2 Hardware pictures
Figure 5 Arduino shield adapter, top side
P7/RADIO
connector

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Figure 6 Arduino shield adapter, bottom side
6.2.3 Connector P7/RADIO
Connector P7/RADIO in Figure 5 on page 13 contains the ACI interface of nRF8001 and connects the SCC
module (either nRF2740 or nRF2741) to the application processor on the Arduino board.
For detailed signal descriptions please see the nRF8001Product Specification.
Table 3 Pinout for connector P7/RADIO
Pin number Connector P5
1GND
2VCC_nRF
3ACTIVE
4CSN
5SCK
6MOSI
7MISO
8RDYN
9REQN
10 RESET

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6.2.4 Jumper nRF Current Measurement on PCA64105
This jumper supplies voltage to the connected SCC module (nRF2740/nRF2741). By replacing this jumper
with an ampere meter it is possible to measure the current drawn by the nRF8001 device on the SCC module
(nRF2740/nRF2741) in any operating mode.
Details on the nRF8001 static and dynamic current consumption can be found in the nRF8001 Product
Specification.
For details on how to perform dynamic current consumption measurements, please read the white paper
RF Performance Test Guidelines, available from www.nordicsemi.com.
Figure 7 nRF current measurement jumper
nRF current measurement jumper

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6.3 nRF51822 Development Dongle (PCA10000)
The nRF51822 Development Dongle (PCA10000) can be used as a peer device or a Bluetooth sniffer. When
PCA10000 is loaded with Master Emulator firmware and combined with the Master Control Panel, it gives
you a peer device for nRF8001 that you can use to test the wireless connection.
PCA10000 can also be used as a peer device when developing a Bluetooth application using the nRF8001
device. It features an on-board programming and debugging solution from SEGGER. In addition to radio
communication, the nRF51822 device can communicate with a computer through a virtual COM port
provided by the SEGGER chip.
Note: PCA10000 can be reprogrammed if overwritten.
6.3.1 Key features
The PCA10000 has the following key features:
• nRF51822 flash based SoC solution
•Bluetooth low energy compatible
• 2.4 GHz compatible with nRF24L devices
• USB to UART bridge
• SEGGER J-Link OB programming and debugging capabilities
6.3.2 Hardware pictures
Figure 8 PCA10000 top side
Figure 9 PCA10000 bottom side

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6.3.3 Block diagram
Figure 10 PCA10000 block diagram
6.3.4 Multicolor LED
The Development Dongle (PCA10000) is equipped with a multicolor RGB LED. The LED is connected to
dedicated I/Os on the nRF51822 chip. The connections are shown in Table 4.
Table 4 LED connection
The LEDs are active low, meaning that writing a logical zero ‘0’ to the output pin will illuminate the LED.
Figure 11 LED configuration
Color GPIO
Red P0.21
Green P0.22
Blue P0.23
USB
Voltage regulator
Matching networknRF51822
Antenna
Segger OBVBUS
Data UART
SWD
VCC_nRF
Osc
32.768 kHz
Osc
16 MHz
RGB
LED










  

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6.3.5 UART configuration
The Development Dongle v2.0 UART lines are connected to pins P0.08 to P0.11 as shown in Table 5.
Table 5 nRF51822 Development Dongle UART configuration
Note: The UART signals are routed directly to the SEGGER chip. The pins should only be used for
UART. In order to use the USB to UART bridge, the software on the nRF51822 has to enable
flow control. For details on how to set up the UART with flow control, see the nRF51 Series
Reference Manual.
6.4 Schematics and PCB layouts
You can download nRF8001 Development Kit hardware schematics and PCB layout files from
www.nordicsemi.com.
nRF51822 SEGGER IC
GPIO UART UART
P0.08 RTS CTS
P0.09 TXD RXD
P0.10 CTS RTS
P0.11 RXD TXD

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7 Porting the SDK
The SDK is designed for easy porting to any application controller. This chapter gives more information
about how to do the porting and the minimum necessary steps.
7.1 Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) modules
To port the SDK to an application controller, you must re-implement the HAL modules you need for your
application. However, we recommend that you do not modify the API itself, but only re-implement the
functions that are already defined. This will avoid modifications to the application code.
The functionalities you need to port are:
• I/O configurations, in particular for the SPI lines, RDYN line, and REQN line.
• SPI master module: you need to configure this according to the Application Controller
Interface (ACI) specification, see the nRF8001 Product Specification, chapter 7.1. for a
description of this interface.
Note: Make sure that the connections are good if you are using the SCC module (nRF2740 and
nRF2741) with a third party application processor development kit.
7.1.1 hal_platform.h
This file gathers all includes and register access that are specific to the hardware. This file has to be re-
implemented for a new application controller using equivalent functionality on the new application
controller.
7.1.2 hal_aci_tl
To communicate with nRF8001 you need to re-implement at least the hal_aci_tl (ACI transport Layer). This
module implements the communication interface between the application processor and the nRF8001, the
ACI transport layer. To verify your implementation, you can use the ble_aci_transport_layer_verification
project which checks bi-directional data transfer and integrity of the data. See the aci_tl_demo project for
more information.
A more detailed porting guide for the SDK is available at https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/ble-sdk-
arduino/blob/master/documentation/libraries/BLE/nRF8001-Porting-ACI-Library.md.
7.2 Other modules
The ‘LIB’ modules are designed to be as portable as possible, so you should be able to use them as is. The
same is true for the ‘services’ modules.

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8 Troubleshooting
The nRF8001 on the SCC module (nRF2740 and nRF2741) does not respond when I try to contact it.
What has happened?
• Verify that the jumper nRF current measurement on the PCA64105 is connected.
The drop-down menu in the Master Control Panel displays no serial number. What has happened?
• Verify that the Master Control Panel software and the driver for the board have been
installed and that the nRF51822 Development Dongle (PCA10000) has been plugged into a
USB port on your computer.