WICEDSense - Android connection issues and buzzer beeps

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Anonymous
Not applicable

If you have trouble to connect WICEDSense, it does not connect, here a suggestion:

  • go on Android phone, via Settings, to the Bluetooth (really via Settings, not just swiping down the connection menu).
  • If you tap on Bluetooth it tells you which devices where seen (during last weeks), and esp. which were "Paired" (paired or bonded - seems to be a similar acronym).
  • Let your WICEDSense "forget": there is a small icon, right next to the device name, the same icon as the "Setting" icon (the gear-wheel) : click on it. You can now select "Unpair": Do it (if you see more then one WICEDSense - "forget" all of them).

Why does it might help:?

  • The Android BT, BLE, stack can remember paired devices. It will store device address and shortcut connection establishment next time.
  • The FW has to store also the paired master and recognize if same master tries to connect again.
  • BUT:
    The FW tries to store the master device address in function "wiced_sense_smp_bond_result", in NVRAM via "bleprofile_WriteNVRAM".
    I do not see any read, never used again after storing. So, master assumed a paired device, but evice does not handle (assuming it should read back known device addresses, compare and realize "master shortcuts the connection establishment" due to "paired/bonded" relationship.

If still trouble with connections: let the smartphone "forget" the "paired" devices.

Meaning of buzzer beeps

I have digested source code in order to understand the buzzer Beeps the WICEDSense telling us. It might be helpful to know for connections issues. Here what I have understood:

  • WICED_SENSE_BUZZER_LOW:
    low frequency generated when connection is up, "wiced_sense_connection_up"
  • WICED_SENSE_BUZZER_MID:
    generated when the connection is down, "wiced_sense_connection_down"
  • WICED_SENSE_BUZZER_HIGH:
    this should be the final buzzer beep: it tells you: devices tried to "bond", in "wiced_sense_smp_bond_result".
    But: the beep is generated independently if successful or not, tells you just if bonding process has finished, not if OK.
    Also the write of master address address to NVRAM happens later without any check if successful.

So, if you hear just one beep - not successful. You should hear LOW and HIGH. When MID in between the connection was lost.

You also hear "MID" and "LOW" but connection is lost.

BTW:

If you do not close App and you try to connect with another WICEDSense device - it does not work (sure, same device address assumed as before, not a new device realized without scan). Often it helps to close App, to reboot device (remove battery and plug it back) and to clean the BT history (toggle BT, clear paired devices if serious trouble).

1 Solution
Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi tjaekel

thanks for sharing, that confirmed my worries and frustration.

in my case, it always connects, but after 2 to 3 retries and at a very specific moment apparently, it has to be as soon as the device starts advertising that the phone should ask for connection, otherwise it would never be obtained.

My phone is Galaxy S5.

Even if this is not a development pack, at least it should work properly by default. I started doubting about bluetooth technology, until I tried other devices that have painless connection process to figure out it is an issue with the Broadcom wiced sense.

I hope the issue is just with the application and not with the BLE stack or the BLE HW, or a bad compatibility with android or Galaxy S5.

Wassim

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1 Reply
Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi tjaekel

thanks for sharing, that confirmed my worries and frustration.

in my case, it always connects, but after 2 to 3 retries and at a very specific moment apparently, it has to be as soon as the device starts advertising that the phone should ask for connection, otherwise it would never be obtained.

My phone is Galaxy S5.

Even if this is not a development pack, at least it should work properly by default. I started doubting about bluetooth technology, until I tried other devices that have painless connection process to figure out it is an issue with the Broadcom wiced sense.

I hope the issue is just with the application and not with the BLE stack or the BLE HW, or a bad compatibility with android or Galaxy S5.

Wassim

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