STM32WB Bluetooth® LE Mesh Lighting Application

1. Presentation

This page describes how to quickly handle Bluetooth^® LE-MeshLightingPRFNode example.
This project can be found on latest STM32CubeWB MCU Package, and generates a basic Node supporting Proxy-Relay-Friend features.
It is a good introduction to handle and have a first approach of ST Bluetooth^® LE-Mesh solution.

PRF Node project directory
File:PRF-directory.png

Some of the following information can be retrieved in the STM32WB Bluetooth^® LE-mesh hands-on video .

2. Functioning

Bluetooth^® LE-MeshLightingPRFNode project demonstrates STM32WB application capabilities using ST Bluetooth^® LE-Mesh with basic models.

PRF-Node project description
File:PRF-demo.png

3. Getting Started

Bluetooth^® LE-MeshLightingPRFNode project implement a Bluetooth^® LE-mesh Node supporting Proxy, Relay and Friend features, these features are sufficient to setup a first mesh Network, see Bluetooth^® LE mesh wiki page.

3.1. Requirements

Software and System requirements
Software and System requirements are listed in the ST Bluetooth^® LE-Mesh Application Note.

Hardware requirements
A Nucleo board is necessary to setup the demonstration.

STM32WB Nucleo board
File:nucleo-description.png

More details about the board and other hardware required are available in the Application Note, or in the online ST Bluetooth^® LE-Mesh MOOC.

3.2. UART Interface

The board is connected to a PC via a USB connection. Use any convenient software terminal to open the serial communication port of the PC to check the messages from the board. Select your Serial port and setup your connection as follow (example done with Tera Term software).

Set a new serial connection to the ST platform:

Tera Term setup (1/2)
File:tera-term-1-2.png

Setup your serial connection as below:

Tera Term setup (2/2)
File:tera-term-3-4.png

Once the board is connected and the terminal window setup, press the reset button of the board. The following messages are printed to the virtual COM window when the firmware starts successfully:

Terminal logs at startup
File:PRF-Demo-terminal.png

3.3. Build and install the application

Details about application build and installation are given into the Application Note.
However, some more details about the build process using STM32CubeIDE are available below.

Launch the Cube IDE .project of the demonstration, ensure your project is correctly visible into Project Explorer view.

CubeIDE: project file
File:PRF-Demo-CubeIDE-1.png

Build you project by reproducing the following steps:

CubeIDE: build project
File:PRF-Demo-CubeIDE-1-bis.png

Flash it on the board:

CubeIDE: flash project
File:PRF-Demo-CubeIDE-2.png

3.4. Install the application from Cube Programmer

It is either possible to flash the previously build binary using STM32CubeProgrammer software.

Select your device and connect to it:

CubeProgrammer: board connection
File:CubeProgrammer-1.png

Once connected, device information is displayed on Cube Programmer interface. Click on programming icon, in the left column, and select the project binary to flash (here BLE_MeshLightingPRFNode.hex). Then, click ok Start Programming button:

CubeProgrammer: flash project
File:CubeProgrammer-3.png

When the programming is complete the following logs are displayed:

CubeProgrammer: logs
File:CubeProgrammer-4.png

3.5. Application Handle

A full description of the smartphone applications can be found on the Android Application User Manual, and the iOS Application User Manual.

Ensure the board is un-provisioned by pressing RESET and SW1 buttons simultaneously, release RESET and keep SW1 pressed until the LED1 is blinking:

STM32WB Nucleo un-provisioning process
File:LightLC-demo20-bis.png

Launch the ST Bluetooth^® LE Mesh smartphone application, the illustrations below are based on the Android version of the application.

Provision the device:

Bluetooth® LE Mesh application: provisioning steps
File:1-Prov.png

Configure the device using Quick Configuration Button, select the App Key and set the publication and subscription addresses:

Bluetooth® LE Mesh application: configuration steps
File:2-Conf.png

The node is now provisioned. You can click on the first settings button to rename the node. The second button to access the elements and models setup. This allows to change the subscription and publication addresses for each model.

Bluetooth® LE Mesh application: node renaming
File:3-Settings.png

If an issue occurs during provisioning, for example the App Key binding failed for one or more models, you can bind the App Key from this interface, and change the publication/subscription addresses.

Bluetooth® LE Mesh application: address binding
File:4-Binding-Addr.png

From the Node interface, you can send a Generic OnOff command to pilot the board LED . You can also switch to the model interface, where you can select the model available on the nodes of your network. Generic Model interface allows to play with the Generic OnOff , Generic Level and Generic Power OnOff commands. Lighting Model interface allows to play with the Light Lightness Commands and .

Bluetooth® LE Mesh application: Generic and Lightness interfaces
File:5-Model-Interfaces.png

You can add several nodes to your network by repeating the provisioning process on other boards.

Bluetooth® LE Mesh application: nodes interface
File:6-Nodes.jpg

Information

You can find complementary information in the Hands-on video.