STM32WB-WBA Connection Oriented Channel – COC

Revision as of 11:16, 27 November 2023 by Registered User (→‎STM32WB-WBA - Connection Oriented Channel)

1. STM32WB-WBA - Connection Oriented Channel

A Connection Oriented Channel - COC allows the exchange of Bluetooth® Low Energy data at L2CAP layer without GATT layer. There is no notion of client/server, only central and peripheral.
To set a COC logical link, it is necessary to establish first a Bluetooth® Low Energy link.
Over this Bluetooth® Low Energy link, one or several COC can be established.
The central or the peripheral may be COC initiator.


Bluetooth® LE architecture
connectivity layers.png


1.1. General L2CAP Terminology

Bluetooth® Low Energy General L2CAP Terminology


1.2. L2CAP Connection Oriented Channel Example

L2CAP COC example

1.3. L2CAP COC establishment

ACI_L2CAP_COC_CONNECT

L2CAP COC connect command

ACI_L2CAP_COC_CONNECT_CONFIRM

L2CAP COC connect confirm command


  • MTU frames are fragmented into K-frames of MPS size at application level on transmitter side.
  • MTU frames are reassembled at application level on receiver side.
  • Initial Credits are handled at application level once they have been exchanged through both previous commands.

1.4. L2CAP COC data exchange

ACI_L2CAP_COC_TX_DATA

L2CAP COC Tx Data command
  • This command sends a K-frame packet on the specified connection-oriented channel.
  • Note: for the first K-frame of the SDU, the Information data shall contain the MTU Length coded on two octets followed by the K-frame information payload. For the next K-frames of the SDU, the Information data shall only contain the K-frame information payload.
  • Application must handle MTU length, fragmentation in K-frame, length of current transmitted frame and credits number.

Reception of ACI_L2CAP_COC_RX_DATA_EVENT

L2CAP COC Rx Data event
  • Application must handle MTU length received in first K-frame, K-frame number, length of current received frame and credits number.

1.5. L2CAP COC flow control

ACI_L2CAP_COC_FLOW_CONTROL

L2CAP COC Flow Control command

ACI_L2CAP_COC_FLOW_CONTROL_EVENT

L2CAP COC Flow Control Event
  • Application must handle credits number on transmitter and receiver side.

1.6. Bluetooth® Low Energy connection and COC establishment initiated by the central

1.6.1. On central side

  • Initiate a Bluetooth® Low Energy link: send aci_gap_create_connection
  • Wait for HCI_LE_CONNECTION_COMPLETE_EVENT
  • Initiate a CoC connection: ACI_L2CAP_COC_CONNECT
  • Wait for ACI_L2CAP_COC_CONNECT_CONFIRM_EVENT (get channel_index_list)

Range of channel_index_list for the COC initiator: from 0 to 0x1F

1.6.2. On peripheral side

  • Start advertising: send aci_gap_set_discoverable
  • Wait for HCI_LE_CONNECTION_COMPLETE_EVENT
  • Wait for ACI_L2CAP_COC_CONNECT_EVENT
  • Send ACI_L2CAP_COC_CONNECT_CONFIRM
  • In hci_command_complete_event, get Channel_number and Channel_Index_List values

Range of channel_index_list for the COC peripheral: from 0x20 to 0x3F

1.7. COC data exchange

1.7.1. On sender side

Send ACI_L2CAP_COC_TX_DATA (Channel_Index, length, data)

1.7.2. On receiver side

Reception of ACI_L2CAP_COC_RX_DATA_EVENT

1.8. Example of Bluetooth® Low Energy connection, COC establishment and data exchange

Bluetooth® Low Energy and COC link establishment
Connectivity COC conn.png


L2CAP COC data exchange


1.9. Code Example

A STM32WB COC code example has been shared on STM32-Hotspot [1]
A STM32WBA COC code example is available with BLE_SerialCom application

1.10. References