This year, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted a session on Bluetooth® Mesh Provisioning and Interoperability at Bluetooth Asia 2019. Developers who attended the session were able to use their smartphones to provision and control a micro:bit board running a Zephyr solution.

For those developers who were not able to attend, this follow-up article shows you step by step how to build the firmware for micro:bit. 

Set Up the Dev Environment

To set up the development environment on your computer, perform the following steps.

  1. Set Up a Development System
  2. Get the Source code
  3. Install Python Dependencies
  4. Set Up a Toolchain
  5. Build and Run an Application

Build the Firmware

To build the firmware, do the following.

  • Open exe (Windows) or Terminal (macOS), navigate to the main project directory
  • Type below command, switch to tag v1.14.0.
    1.  

git checkout -b branch_v1.14 v1.14.0

  • Download source code here
  • Unzip source code file in the folder ./zephyr/samples/ like below

  • Depending on your computer OS, then:

# On Linux/macOS

cd samples/BluetoothAsia2019/Bluetooth_Mesh_Provisioning_Sample

mkdir build && cd build

 

# On Windows

cd samplesBluetoothAsia2019Bluetooth_Mesh_Provisioning_Sample

mkdir build & cd build

 

cmake -GNinja -DBOARD=bbc_microbit ..

ninja

The main build products are in samples/BluetoothAsia2019/Bluetooth_Mesh_Provisioning_Sample/build/zephyr. The final application binary in HEX format is named zephyr.hex by default.

Flash Firmware

For the flash firmware, follow the steps below.

  • Connect the micro:bit to your laptop by USB cable
  • Use one serial terminal software; use Tera Term or Putty on Windows or use this guide on macOS or Linux. The serial port setting is: 115200, 8-N-1
  • Copy zephyr.hex and paste it in the volume of the micro:bit on your computer
  • Information prints on the serial console

  • If you can see above screenshot, it means the build and flash firmware was successful. The Device Name varies, as it depends on the micro:bit factory unique identifier.

To learn more about developing with Bluetooth® Mesh and other Bluetooth technologies, visit the Bluetooth SIG resources page.

FEATURED DOWNLOAD

Bluetooth Mesh Developer Study Guide

The Bluetooth Mesh Developer Study Guide is a self-study educational resource which covers both the theory and practice of Bluetooth Mesh device firmware development.

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Robust Indoor Distance Estimation Algorithms for Bluetooth® Channel Sounding

Bluetooth Channel Sounding is a powerful feature setting a clear and solid foundation for…

What’s New with Bluetooth® Technology: Channel Sounding, Upcoming Features, and Key Technology Trends

With over 5 billion devices shipping each year, Bluetooth technology is the most widely…

Bluetooth® Core 6.0: What's New In The Latest Bluetooth Release?

Bluetooth technology is constantly growing, not only enhancing existing applications but also enabling entirely…

Bluetooth PAwR in a Large-Scale Test Network

In the ever-evolving, dynamic landscape of Bluetooth-connected smart devices, efficient interconnection and reliable communication…

Bluetooth Channel Sounding: How It Works and What It MeansBluetoothチャネルサウンディング:その仕組みと意義

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding is a new secure, fine-ranging capability that promises to enhance the…

Receiver Blocking Resilience Test Suite

This Test Suite tests the receiver blocking resilience of a Bluetooth implementation. It is…

Now Available: New Version of the Bluetooth® Core SpecificationBluetoothコア仕様の新バージョンがリリース

Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the Bluetooth community, Bluetooth® technology is…

Channel Sounding: Technical Overview (Pt 2)

In Part 1 we introduced the new Bluetooth distance measurement innovation known as Channel…

Unlocking Healthcare Potential: SPP and Bluetooth® LE for Medical Devices

The Serial Port Profile (SPP) has long been a well-known standard for wireless serial…

The Bluetooth Roadmap: Bluetooth Specifications in ProgressBluetoothのロードマップ:策定中のBluetooth仕様

Though not commonly known among many consumers, Bluetooth® technology is constantly and consistently advancing to…

Silvair Compliance Guide: Adhering to UK lighting and Energy Standards

Silvair compliance guide explores the most important lighting control regulations currently valid in the…

ABI Snapshot – Key Findings from the 2024 Bluetooth Market Update

In this ABI Snapshot, ABI Research’s Senior Director Andrew Zignani and Bluetooth SIG’s Market…

Bluetooth® Channel Sounding: A Technical Overview

This paper provides a detailed technical overview of Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, a secure fine ranging…

Bringing Wireless Controls To The Epicentre Of Connectivity

This year, the time came for the lighting infrastructure at the Bluetooth SIG headquarters…

Smart Lighting And Controls Halve Energy Consumption At Campus Pitzemburg

Campus Pitzemburg has cut its energy usage by 50% thanks to smart controlled energy…

Sylvania Lets Efficiency And Control Fly High At FLYINGGROUP Antwerp

FLYINGGROUP Antwerp was looking for a solution for their meeting rooms that were more…

Bluetooth® Technology for Linux Developers

Learn how to use the interprocess communication system D-Bus and the BlueZ APIs to create Bluetooth applications for Linux computers.

2021 Bluetooth® Market Update

Supported by updated forecasts from ABI Research and insights from several other analyst firms, the Bluetooth Market Update highlights the latest Bluetooth trends and forecasts.

Designing and Developing Bluetooth® Internet Gateways

Learn about Bluetooth® internet gateways, how to make them secure and scalable, and design and implement your own...

2020 Bluetooth® Market Update

Supported by updated forecasts from ABI Research and insights from several other analyst firms, the Bluetooth Market Update highlights the latest Bluetooth trends and forecasts.

The Bluetooth LE Security Study Guide

Learn about fundamental security concepts, the security features of Bluetooth Low Energy, and gain some hands-on experience using those features in device code.

2019 Bluetooth® Market Update

Supported by updated forecasts from ABI Research and insights from several other analyst firms, the Bluetooth Market Update highlights the latest Bluetooth trends and forecasts.

Lighting as a Platform

See how connected lighting systems are being used as a platform to enable advanced building services like wayfinding, asset tracking, and space utilization to improve the ROI of smart building investments.

Build a Smarter Building with Blue

See how Bluetooth increases reliability, reduces costs, and enhances your smart building ROI.

Overview – Bluetooth Mesh Networking

A quick overview outlining how Bluetooth mesh uniquely meets the reliability, scalability, and security requirements of commerical and industrial markets.

 Get Help