Nordic Smart Remote 3 User manual

Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 2017-07-04
Smart Remote 3 for nRF52
User Guide
v1.1

Contents
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 2
Contents
Revision history.................................................................................................................... 4
Chapter1:Introduction...................................................................................5
1.1 Smart Remote 3 DK add-on..................................................................................................................................5
1.2 Smart Remote 3 nRF52 product example....................................................................................................... 5
Chapter2:Kit content..................................................................................... 7
2.1 Hardware content.....................................................................................................................................................7
2.2 Downloadable content........................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter3:Quick start..................................................................................... 9
3.1 Assemble Smart Remote 3 hardware................................................................................................................9
3.2 Power up....................................................................................................................................................................10
3.3 Program DK with Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 firmware........................................................................... 11
3.4 Turn on and pair with Windows.......................................................................................................................11
3.5 Ubuntu setup........................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.6 Turn on and pair with Ubuntu.......................................................................................................................... 13
3.7 Configure audio input.......................................................................................................................................... 16
3.7.1 Test voice recognition......................................................................................................................... 17
3.7.2 Listening to audio quality.................................................................................................................. 18
Chapter4:System overview......................................................................... 19
4.1 Remote control........................................................................................................................................................19
4.1.1 Pairing........................................................................................................................................................ 19
4.1.2 Trackpad....................................................................................................................................................20
4.1.3 Accelerometer.........................................................................................................................................21
4.1.4 Free-space navigation..........................................................................................................................22
4.1.5 Intelligent power saving.....................................................................................................................24
4.1.6 Keypad....................................................................................................................................................... 24
4.1.7 Infrared LED and infrared learning feature..................................................................................25
4.1.8 NFC..............................................................................................................................................................26
Chapter5:Hardware description: Smart Remote 3 DK add-on.................27
5.1 Hardware figures: Smart Remote 3 DK add-on........................................................................................... 28
5.2 Block diagram.......................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.3 Design description................................................................................................................................................. 30
5.3.1 Trackpad....................................................................................................................................................30
5.3.2 Keypad matrix.........................................................................................................................................31
5.3.3 Low-power accelerometer circuit................................................................................................... 33
5.3.4 Motion tracking device....................................................................................................................... 34
5.3.5 Power supply...........................................................................................................................................35
5.3.6 Infrared LED and driver.......................................................................................................................36
5.3.7 Codec......................................................................................................................................................... 36
5.3.8 Digital microphones (only for use with nRF52 DK)...................................................................37
5.3.9 nRF51 DK interface............................................................................................................................... 37

Contents
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 3
5.3.10 nRF52 DK interface.............................................................................................................................39
5.3.11 Current measurement....................................................................................................................... 41
5.3.12 I2C bus connector............................................................................................................................... 42
5.3.13 Schematics, bill of materials, PCB layout files, production files......................................... 42
Chapter6:Hardware description: Smart Remote 3 nRF52 product
example...................................................................................................... 43
6.1 Hardware figures: SR 3 product example......................................................................................................43
6.2 Block diagram.......................................................................................................................................................... 44
6.3 Design description................................................................................................................................................. 45
6.3.1 I/O usage...................................................................................................................................................45
6.3.2 Keypad matrix.........................................................................................................................................46
6.3.3 Low-power accelerometer circuit................................................................................................... 47
6.3.4 Motion tracking device....................................................................................................................... 48
6.3.5 Power supply...........................................................................................................................................49
6.3.6 Programming interface....................................................................................................................... 50
6.3.7 Digital microphones............................................................................................................................. 51
6.3.8 Matching network.................................................................................................................................52
6.3.9 Antenna.....................................................................................................................................................52
6.3.10 NFC........................................................................................................................................................... 52
6.3.11 Infrared emitter/receiver.................................................................................................................. 53
6.3.12 Buzzer...................................................................................................................................................... 53
6.3.13 Schematics, bill of materials, PCB layout files, production files......................................... 54
6.4 Power consumption performance................................................................................................................... 54
Chapter7:Firmware update of Smart Remote 3........................................ 56
7.1 Connect product example to nRF52 DK........................................................................................................ 56
7.2 Selecting a board to program........................................................................................................................... 57
7.3 Identifying the nRF52 chip and chip content..............................................................................................57
7.4 Erase all.......................................................................................................................................................................57
7.5 Programming with Nordic firmware............................................................................................................... 57
Legal notices....................................................................................................................... 59

Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 4
Revision history
Date Version Description
July 2017 1.1 • Updated schematics in Current measurement on page 41
• Added Power consumption performance on page 54
• Updated Firmware update of Smart Remote 3 on page 56
September 2016 1.0 First release

Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 5
Chapter 1
Introduction
The nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 reference design (nRF6939) is a high-performance development
platform providing a quick and easy starting point for TV remote control used with Internet-enabled TVs,
set-top boxes, and media players. Providing a single chip solution that is easily implemented, this kit comes
complete with source code and documentation for Bluetooth® low energy applications.
This reference design contains two remote controls, one for development and another for demo purposes.
1.1 Smart Remote 3 DK add-on
The Smart Remote 3 DK add-on (nRF6932) is a board that allows you to connect to the nRF52 Development Kit
(nRF52 DK, not included in this kit). Plugging the DK add-on onto the nRF52 DK gives you access to the radio
components for developing your remote control design.
Based on the nRF52832 multiprotocol System on Chip (SoC), it is optimized for low-power high performance
applications and leverages both Bluetooth® low energy and 2.4 GHz proprietary protocols.
Important: The Smart Remote 3 DK add-on rev 1.2 and later is compatible with both nRF51 and nRF52
development kits.
Features:
• Standard remote control keypad
• Motion wakeup detection using low-power accelerometer
• 3D motion tracking using gyroscope and InvenSense® motion library
• Multi-touch trackpad (supports up to five points of contact)
• Voice input using an analog electrostatic microphone (only nRF51)
• Voice input using two digital PDM microphones (only nRF52)
• Infrared LED for legacy support (only nRF52)
• Arduino standard interface for connection to the nRF5x Development Kit
• Optimized power management for low power consumption
1.2 Smart Remote 3 nRF52 product example
The Smart Remote 3 nRF52 product example (nRF6937) is a fully-designed remote control with audio input,
air mouse functionality, infrared LED, NFC tag, and buzzer. It features a subset of the functionality of the Smart
Remote 3 DK add-on, allowing the board to nicely fit into an almost finished remote control plastic housing.
Features:
• Standard remote control form factor

1 Introduction
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 6
• Standard remote control keypad
• nRF52832 QFAA SoC from Nordic
• Voice input using up to two digital PDM microphones, which enable the use of (optional) active noise
reduction algorithms
• 3D motion tracking using gyroscope and InvenSense® motion library
• Motion wakeup detection using low-power accelerometer
• Infrared LED 1
• NFC tag for tap to pair2
• Buzzer for the Find Me service
• Device firmware update (DFU)
• Preprogrammed, can be used out of the box
• Powered by two AA batteries
• SWD interface connector for programming and debugging
• Optimized power management for low power consumption
1Output is not supported in rev 1.0 of the reference firmware.
2Support starts from reference firmware rev 1.1.

Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 7
Chapter 2
Kit content
The nRFready Smart Remote 3 reference design consists of hardware and access to software components,
reference design files, and documentation.
2.1 Hardware content
nRFready Smart Remote 3 reference design hardware consists of the DK add-on, product example, batteries
and a Bluetooth® dongle.
Figure 1: nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 Series hardware content

2 Kit content
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 8
2.2 Downloadable content
The nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 Series reference design includes firmware source code,
documentation, hardware schematics, and layout files.
To access these files, go to the Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 web page and follow the instructions.
Firmware package
• Application firmware for nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52
• Precompiled HEX files
• Source code
• nRF5x SDK v11.0.0-SR3
• S132 SoftDevice
• Nordic Voice System (NVS) package version 5.1 (requires Ubuntu 16.04 LTS)
• Firmware Documentation (will be available in a folder on your computer after you have run the installer
file)
Important: Refer to firmware documentation for details regarding SDK, Softdevice and compiler
options.
Schematics, Bill of Materials, PCB layout files, and production files
The ZIP file and its subdirectories contain the hardware design files for the nRFready Smart Remote 3 for
nRF52 Series reference design.
• Altium Designer files
• Schematics
• PCB layout files
• Production files
• Drill files
• Assembly drawings
• Gerber files
• Pick and Place files
• Bill of Materials
Other relevant nRF52832 documentation
•nRF52832 Product Specification
•S132 SoftDevice Specification
•nRF52832 Errata
•nRF5 SDK

Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 9
Chapter 3
Quick start
Setting up the nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 reference design requires only a few steps. Example
applications help you start programming your device.
Hardware requirements
Additional hardware needed to use the Smart Remote 3 DK add-on:
•nRF52 Development Kit (sold separately)
Operating system requirements
The nRFready Smart Remote 3 complies with the HID-over-GATT profile. The following is needed to set up a
computer as the Bluetooth® low energy host.
• Basic use:
• Windows 8 or Windows 10 for HID-over-GATT standard functions
• Linux with Bluetooth® 4.0 support (for example BlueZ 5.0 or later)
• Use with audio:
• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS with Nordic Voice System (NVS) package. See Ubuntu setup on page 133
The Product example comes with pre-installed firmware. For a quick start with this device, just put batteries in,
and continue reading in Turn on and pair with Windows on page 11 or Turn on and pair with Ubuntu on
page 13
3.1 Assemble Smart Remote 3 hardware
Unpack the kit and connect the DK add-on to the nRF52 DK.
1. Unpack your nRFready Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 reference design.
2. Plug the nRF52 DK (sold separately) carefully on the backside of the Smart Remote 3 DK add-on as shown
in the figure.

3NVS for Linux is part of the software package for Smart Remote 3 for nRF52. It comes as Linux .DEB install
files, as well as a Linux LiveCD image for test with or without install.

3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 10

3.2 Power up
The Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 product example will be on as soon as the batteries are inserted. The DK add-
on can be powered either from the USB or from the batteries.
Follow the steps below to power up the DK add-on:
1. Plug in the USB cable or insert batteries into the battery compartment.


2. If powered from the USB, turn on the power with the power switch. If powered from the batteries, it will be
on as soon as the batteries are inserted.


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 11

3.3 Program DK with Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 firmware
To use the DK add-on, the nRF52 DK must first be programmed with the firmware. The product example is
preprogrammed and does not need any programming to get started.
1. Connect the nRF52 DK with DK add-on attached to a computer with a USB cable.
2. See Firmware update of Smart Remote 3 on page 56 for details on firmware update.
3.4 Turn on and pair with Windows
The Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 can be connected to a host system with Bluetooth® low energy.
nRFready Smart Remote will only pair and work with Bluetooth® 4.0 and HID over GATT compliant host
systems. The nRFready Smart Remote 3 functionality will vary depending on the supported features in these
platforms.
1. If your computer is not Bluetooth® 4.0 hardware enabled, insert the Bluetooth® dongle (supplied) into your
computer and wait until the dongle is recognized and the drivers installed properly.
2. Power up the board either by inserting batteries into the battery compartment or by sliding the Power
Switch on the DK to ON position (DK add-on only).
3. Pairing mode is automatically selected if the Smart Remote 3 wasn't bound to a previous host. To delete
existing bonds and enter into pairing mode, power up the Smart Remote 3 while pressing the orange
button between Ch+ and Vol Up buttons.


4. On your computer, navigate to the Bluetooth menu (press Windows key or open the Start menu and type
Bluetooth).


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 12

5. When discovered, you will see Smart Remote 3 in the list over Bluetooth® devices. Select it and click Pair to
begin pairing.


6. After successfully pairing, the device will show up as connected in the list of Bluetooth® devices.


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 13

3.5 Ubuntu setup
The software package comes with a Ubuntu LiveCD integrating the NVS package. You can run or install this
LiveCD directly.
If you have a computer already operating with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, you will need to install just the NVS package.
1. Download the NVS package nvs-5.1.tgz from the Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 start page.
2. Open a terminal (CTRL + ALT + T).
3. Navigate to the folder where nvs-5.1.tgz is located.
4. Unpack the nvs-5.1.tgz file by typing tar -xf nvs-5.1.tgz.
5. Open the file nvs-5.1/binaries/HOWTO-install.txt and follow the steps there to complete the
installation.
3.6 Turn on and pair with Ubuntu
The Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 can be connected with Bluetooth® to a host system using Ubuntu.
Make sure that you have set up Ubuntu as described in Ubuntu setup on page 13 before you start.
1. If your computer is not Bluetooth® 4.0 enabled, insert the Bluetooth® dongle (supplied) into your computer
and wait until the dongle is recognized and the drivers installed properly.
2. Power up the board, either by inserting batteries into the battery compartment, or by sliding the power
switch on the DK to ON position (DK add-on only).
3. Pairing mode is automatically selected if the Smart Remote 3 was not bound to a previous host. To delete
existing bonds and enter pairing mode, power up the Smart Remote 3 while pressing the orange button
between between the Channel + and Volume + buttons.


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 14

4. On your computer, navigate to the Bluetooth icon and select Bluetooth Settings.


5. To search for a new device, click the + button in the Bluetooth window.


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 15

6. When discovered, you will see Smart Remote 3 in the Device list. Select it and click Continue to begin
pairing.


7. After successfully pairing, the device will show up connected in the Devices list.


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 16

3.7 Configure audio input
The Ubuntu audio settings need to be configured before voice recognition will work.
Before you start, make sure that you have set up Ubuntu as described in Ubuntu setup on page 13.
1. Under All Settings, select Sound and then select the Input tab.
2. Select the NVS device from the list of input sources.
Input level should now indicate that it is receiving input.


3. To stop streaming, select All Settings or close the window.

3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 17
3.7.1 Test voice recognition
To test the voice recognition feature, you can download and install Google Chrome.
1. Open up Chrome. Select Dash Home and type Google Chrome. Click the Google Chrome icon that is
displayed.


2. Go to google.com. If you are redirected to a local Google version, click Google.com in the lower-right
corner of the webpage.
Important: On the SmartRemote 3 for nRF52 product example, press the button marked in the
figure below to automatically invoke Chrome audio input. The Smart Remote 3 for nRF52 sends
the Google Voice Search shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+.). If the Google Chrome is in focus and voice input is
possible on the given page, voice input will be activated without clicking the microphone icon.


3. Click the microphone icon. Chrome will stop recording automatically when you stop talking. If you do not
see the microphone icon, the GVoice application might not be installed. Go to the Google Chrome Web
Store to download and install GVoice.


3 Quick start
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 18



3.7.2 Listening to audio quality
Audio quality can be verified by looping the sound directly from the Ubuntu input source (Voice Input
Module) to the output (speakers).
1. To enable loopback, open a terminal (CTRL + ALT + T).
2. In the terminal window, type the following command:
pactl load-module module-loopback latency_msec=20
(The command latency_msec=20 is optional. It helps to minimize the acoustic feedback. Some
machines do not accept the command and may return error codes. In that case, just invoke module-
loopback without specifying latency.)
3. If successful, this command returns a handle number. Invoking this command multiple times generates
multiple loopback instances with independent handles.
4. To disable the loopback, type the following command in the terminal window:
pactl unload-module x
Where x is the handle module number returned when enabling the loopback. If the Smart Remote 3 is not
connected and selected as the audio input source, sound will be streamed from the computer microphone
to the computer speakers causing acoustic feedback.

Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 19
Chapter 4
System overview
This chapter describes the functionality of the remote controls including how they can be used for
development purposes.
There are two main hardware components in the reference design:
• nRFready Smart Remote 3 DK add-on (nRF6932)
• nRFready Smart Remote 3 nRF52 product example (nRF6937)
See Assemble Smart Remote 3 hardware on page 9 for assembly instructions for the Smart Remote 3 DK add-
on.
Communication in the system is digital and packet-based, which means that data between the remote control
and the host is exchanged as discrete packets of information. The nRF device checks the status of the trackpad
and the keypad matrix before sending this information to the host. The driver on the computer decodes the
packages allowing you to use the remote control as both a pointing device and keypad.
Important: The term host refers to a Bluetooth® Smart Ready compliant device which supports the
HID over GATT profile. Windows 10, for instance, natively supports the HID over GATT profile provided
there is Bluetooth® Smart Ready hardware connected to the system. A computer with Ubuntu 16.04
LTS, NVS package and Bluetooth® 4.0 dual-mode (Smart Ready) hardware can also be a host.
For further details on the software and firmware included, consult the firmware documentation, code API, or
the code itself.
4.1 Remote control
The flexibility of the remote control allows you to experiment with your own firmware and functionality. After
pairing, the trackpad, accelerometer, and free-space navigation can be enabled and calibrated.
Important: Gyroscope calibration is performed automatically the first time the firmware is run on the
hardware.
4.1.1 Pairing
When the remote control is turned on, it will attempt to connect to a bonded Bluetooth® Smart Ready
compatible master if bonds are available. Otherwise it will be in pairing mode and will wait for connection
from host.
The Smart Remote 3 features the HID over GATT profile and can connect to any Bluetooth® Smart Ready host
system supporting this profile. The HID over GATT profile is a direct mapping from the USB HID standard. In
addition to controlling how the HID data is transferred through the wireless link, the profile requires the use
of Bluetooth® device security. Security and data encryption are handled by the Bluetooth® Security Manager,
which is a Bluetooth® Protocol Layer handled by nRF52832. On the master side of the Bluetooth® link, the
Security Manager is handled in the Bluetooth® driver stack.
If no bonds are stored in flash, the remote control will start to advertise to Smart Ready devices for pairing
when it is turned on. When Smart Remote 3 is in this advertising state, the Bluetooth® Host platform should
be instructed to start scanning for and then to connect to it. During this initial connection an encrypted link is
configured by nRF52832 and the host transmits HID commands to the Smart Remote 3 according to the HID
over GATT profile.
The remote control will stay in bond mode for 180 seconds waiting for a Bluetooth® connection. If no
connection is established, the remote control will enter deep sleep. Bonding mode will be resumed upon user
activity.

4 System overview
Doc. ID 4374_139 v1.1 Page 20
Although the specifics of the pairing process may differ between platforms, the main steps remain the same.
1. Scan for the Smart Remote 3.
2. Connect to the Smart Remote 3.
3. Bond/pair with the Smart Remote 3.
Read more about Bluetooth® low energy and HID over GATT at developer.bluetooth.org.
4.1.2 Trackpad
The trackpad has five-point multi-touch functionality and advanced gesture recognition, making it a versatile
interface device for the remote control.
The trackpad is a Synaptics® ClickPad and is identified as a standard mouse by your computer. It does not
require any special software application to work.
Basic use
To use the trackpad, place one of your fingers on the surface of the pad as shown in Figure 2: One-finger
movement on page 20. As you move your finger along the trackpad surface, you should see the mouse
cursor on your computer screen moving according to the movement of your finger.
Figure 2: One-finger movement
To perform the equivalent to a left-click on your mouse, you can either press down the left side of the trackpad
until you feel a button-like click, or tap the surface of the trackpad anywhere with your finger.
Common gestures
Figure 3: Two-finger horizontal scroll on page 21 and Figure 4: Two-finger vertical scroll on page 21
depict trackpad gestures that can be performed.