BLE_Button is a BLE service template. It handles a read-only characteristic with a simple input (boolean values). The input's source is the button on the board itself - the characteristic's value changes when the button is pressed or released. The canonical source for this example lives at https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbed-os-example-ble/tree/master/BLE_Button

BLE_Button is a BLE service template. It handles a read-only characteristic with a simple input (boolean values). The input's source is the button on the board itself - the characteristic's value changes when the button is pressed or released.

The template covers:

  • Setting up advertising and connection modes.
  • Creating an input characteristic: read-only, boolean, with notifications.
  • Constructing a service class and adding it to the BLE stack.
  • Assigning UUIDs to the service and its characteristic.
  • Pushing notifications when the characteristic's value changes.

Running the application

Requirements

The sample application can be seen on any BLE scanner on a smartphone. If you don't have a scanner on your phone, please install :

- nRF Master Control Panel for Android.

- LightBlue for iPhone.

Hardware requirements are in the main readme.

Building instructions

Building with mbed CLI

If you'd like to use mbed CLI to build this, then you should refer to the main readme. The instructions here relate to using the developer.mbed.org Online Compiler

In order to build this example in the mbed Online Compiler, first import the example using the ‘Import’ button on the right hand side.

Next, select a platform to build for. This must either be a platform that supports BLE, for example the NRF51-DK, or one of the following:

List of platforms supporting Bluetooth Low Energy

Or you must also add a piece of hardware and the supporting library that includes a Bluetooth Low Energy driver for that hardware, for example the K64F or NUCLEO_F401RE with the X-NUCLEO-IDB05A1

List of components supporting Bluetooth Low Energy.

Once you have selected your platform, compile the example and drag and drop the resulting binary onto your board.

For general instructions on using the mbed Online Compiler, please see the mbed Handbook

Checking for success

Note: Screens captures depicted below show what is expected from this example if the scanner used is nRF Master Control Panel version 4.0.5. If you encounter any difficulties consider trying another scanner or another version of nRF Master Control Panel. Alternative scanners may require reference to their manuals.

  • Build the application and install it on your board as explained in the building instructions.
  • Open the BLE scanner on your phone.
  • Start a scan.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/start_scan.png

figure 1 How to start scan using nRF Master Control Panel 4.0.5

  • Find your device; it should appear with the name `Button` in the scanner.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/scan_results.png

figure 2 Scan results using nRF Master Control Panel 4.0.5

  • Establish a connection with the device.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/connection.png

figure 3 How to establish a connection using Master Control Panel 4.0.5

  • Discover the services and the characteristics on the device. The Button service has the UUID `0xA000` and includes the Button state characteristic which has the UUID `0xA001`. Depending on your scanner, non standard 16-bit UUID's can be displayed as 128-bit UUID's. If it is the case the following format will be used: `0000XXXX-0000-1000-8000-00805F9B34FB` where `XXXX` is the hexadecimal representation of the 16-bit UUID value.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/discovery.png

figure 4 Representation of the Button service using Master Control Panel 4.0.5

  • Register for the notifications sent by the button state characteristic then the scanner will automatically receive a notification containing the new state of the button every time the state of the button changes.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/register_to_notifications.png

figure 5 How to register to notifications using Master Control Panel 4.0.5

  • Pressing Button 1 on your board updates the state of the button and sends a notification to the scanner. The new state of the button characteristic value should be equal to 0x01.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/button_pressed.png

figure 6 Notification of button pressed using Master Control Panel 4.0.5

  • Releasing Button 1 on your board updates the state of the button and sends a notification to the scanner. The new state of the button characteristic value should be equal to 0x00.

https://developer.mbed.org/teams/mbed-os-examples/code/mbed-os-example-ble-Button/raw-file/3fe9d5124576/img/button_depressed.png

figure 7 Notification of button depressed using Master Control Panel 4.0.5

Committer:
Vincent Coubard
Date:
Tue Jul 26 14:37:15 2016 +0100
Revision:
0:3fe9d5124576
Update example at tag mbed-os-5.0.1-rc1

Who changed what in which revision?

UserRevisionLine numberNew contents of line
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 1 /* mbed Microcontroller Library
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 2 * Copyright (c) 2006-2013 ARM Limited
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 3 *
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 4 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 5 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 6 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 7 *
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 8 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 9 *
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 10 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 11 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 12 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 13 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 14 * limitations under the License.
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 15 */
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 16
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 17 #ifndef __BLE_BUTTON_SERVICE_H__
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 18 #define __BLE_BUTTON_SERVICE_H__
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 19
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 20 class ButtonService {
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 21 public:
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 22 const static uint16_t BUTTON_SERVICE_UUID = 0xA000;
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 23 const static uint16_t BUTTON_STATE_CHARACTERISTIC_UUID = 0xA001;
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 24
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 25 ButtonService(BLE &_ble, bool buttonPressedInitial) :
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 26 ble(_ble), buttonState(BUTTON_STATE_CHARACTERISTIC_UUID, &buttonPressedInitial, GattCharacteristic::BLE_GATT_CHAR_PROPERTIES_NOTIFY)
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 27 {
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 28 GattCharacteristic *charTable[] = {&buttonState};
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 29 GattService buttonService(ButtonService::BUTTON_SERVICE_UUID, charTable, sizeof(charTable) / sizeof(GattCharacteristic *));
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 30 ble.gattServer().addService(buttonService);
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 31 }
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 32
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 33 void updateButtonState(bool newState) {
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 34 ble.gattServer().write(buttonState.getValueHandle(), (uint8_t *)&newState, sizeof(bool));
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 35 }
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 36
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 37 private:
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 38 BLE &ble;
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 39 ReadOnlyGattCharacteristic<bool> buttonState;
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 40 };
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 41
Vincent Coubard 0:3fe9d5124576 42 #endif /* #ifndef __BLE_BUTTON_SERVICE_H__ */