BLE Init stuck

[mitietoni]

My env: VS Code with platformio
My board ESP32-C6FH4 (QFN32) (revision v0.2)

Dependency Graph
|-- NimBLE-Arduino @ 2.5.0
|-- Preferences @ 3.3.7

Platoformio.ini
[env:seeed_xiao_esp32c6]
platform = espressif32
board = seeed_xiao_esp32c6
framework = arduino
board_build.f_cpu = 40000000L
lib_deps =
h2zero/NimBLE-Arduino @ ^2.2.0

CONFIGURATION: https://docs.platformio.org/page/boards/espressif32/seeed_xiao_esp32c6.html
PLATFORM: Espressif 32 (55.3.37) > Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C6
HARDWARE: ESP32C6 40MHz, 320KB RAM, 4MB Flash
DEBUG: Current (cmsis-dap) External (cmsis-dap, esp-bridge, esp-builtin, esp-prog, iot-bus-jtag, jlink, minimodule, olimex-arm-usb-ocd, olimex-arm-usb-ocd-h, olimex-arm-usb-tiny-h, olimex-jtag-tiny, tumpa)
PACKAGES:

• contrib-piohome @ 3.4.4
• framework-arduinoespressif32 @ 3.3.7
• framework-arduinoespressif32-libs @ 5.5.0+sha.87912cd291
• tool-esp-rom-elfs @ 2024.10.11
• tool-esptoolpy @ 5.1.2
• toolchain-riscv32-esp @ 14.2.0+20251107

Hi,
I have my function trying to initialize NimBLEDevice::init("NimBLE"); but it stuck after this and never succeed to initialize it (it reach "Initializing NimBLE..." but never "NimBLE initialized""

PARTIAL CODE

// ─── Globals ─────────────────────────────────
NimBLEServer* pServer = nullptr;
NimBLEAdvertising* pAdvertising = nullptr;
Preferences prefs;
//
........
........
//
// ─── BLE init ────────────────────────────────
void bleInit(bool pairingMode) {
logMsg("bleInit called with pairingMode = " + String(pairingMode ? "true" : "false"));
logMsg(" - Initializing NimBLE...");
delay(2000);
NimBLEDevice::init("NimBLE");
logMsg(" - NimBLE initialized");

I tried also the NimBLE-Arduino @ 2.4.0 but the same behaviour unfortunately

EDIT: the problem was the "board_build.f_cpu = 40000000L" in platformio.ini

[h2zero]

Hi @mitietoni, this should have been resolved, but I will check again.
In the mean time it looks like you are using an older arduino core please thy this:
platform = https://github.com/pioarduino/platform-espressif32/releases/download/stable/platform-espressif32.zip
and let me know if the issue is resolved.

[mitietoni]

Hi @h2zero ,
the problem was about "board_build.f_cpu = 40000000L" in platformio.ini . after it, the controller could complete initialization.

I used the platform suggested but I see all the versions are the same. It seems platformio took care of using the newest.

Now two new problems came out:

1. Crash after a while.
2. BLE Server is shown on NRF app, but not on bluetooth scanner.

Long story short: I want the board to act as advertising server, when the phone (bluetooth always active) find the board that paired with, it connects automatically, then the board execute an action.
Do you think it is something I can achieve with NimBLE or do you have any suggestion?
Let me know if it is okay to continue this thread or you prefer I open two different for the separate problems.

I attach the full main. Thanks you

main.cpp

[h2zero]

Can you show me a log of the crash, decoded preferably?
BLE devices are not shown in the bluetooth built-in list unless they are bonded.

[mitietoni]

To reproduce it:
esp32 starts, phone scan with nrf, bond, connect. while keep connected, the pairing window closes, then everything crash.

[19:56:03][SG] xxxx allowed (AUTH OK)
[19:56:03][SG] Bonded: xxxx
[19:56:03][SG] RF sent 3 bytes
[19:56:03][SG] RF sent 3 bytes
[19:56:47][SG] Pairing window closed. Bonds: xxx
[19:56:47][SG] State: Advertising_
[19:56:47][SG] Advertising started successfully
[19:56:52][SG] Device xxx disconnected
[19:56:52]BLE assert: line 1679 in function r_ble_phy_disable, param: 0x0, 0x0
[19:56:52]assert failed: osi_assert_wrapper bt.c:603 (0)
[19:56:52]Core 0 register dump:
[19:56:52]MEPC : 0x4080d27e RA : 0x4080d242 SP : 0x40825080 GP : 0x40814d44
[19:56:52]TP : 0x408253a0 T0 : 0x37363534 T1 : 0x7271706f T2 : 0x33323130
[19:56:52]S0/FP : 0x00000001 S1 : 0x408251de A0 : 0x408250e4 A1 : 0x4081697d
[19:56:52]A2 : 0x00000001 A3 : 0x00000029 A4 : 0x00000001 A5 : 0x4081a000
[19:56:52]A6 : 0x0000000c A7 : 0x76757473 S2 : 0x00000099 S3 : 0x408250d8
[19:56:52]S4 : 0x408250d8 S5 : 0x408250e4 S6 : 0x00005000 S7 : 0x00000063
[19:56:52]S8 : 0x4081a000 S9 : 0x20040009 S10 : 0x00000000 S11 : 0x000fffff
[19:56:52]T3 : 0x6e6d6c6b T4 : 0x6a696867 T5 : 0x66656463 T6 : 0x62613938
[19:56:52]MSTATUS : 0x00001881 MTVEC : 0x40800001 MCAUSE : 0x00000002 MTVAL : 0x00000000
[19:56:52]MHARTID : 0x00000000
[19:56:52]
[19:56:52]Stack memory:
[19:56:52]40825080: 0x4081a000 0x00000005 0x420a0c9c 0x408122de 0x40819bc8 0x40821dd8 0x00000002 0x4081697c
[19:56:52]408250a0: 0x4082766c 0x40880000 0x40819db0 0x00333036 0x00000000 0x40816960 0x420a0c9c 0x40816970
[19:56:52]408250c0: 0x4209a37f 0x40816974 0x408250ac 0x40816978 0x4209ba64 0x4081697c 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]408250e0: 0x00000000 0x65737361 0x66207472 0x656c6961 0x6f203a64 0x615f6973 0x72657373 0x72775f74
[19:56:52]40825100: 0x65707061 0x74622072 0x363a632e 0x28203330 0x40002930 0x40880000 0x00000000 0x40022574
[19:56:52]40825120: 0x39370030 0x00000000 0x40827678 0x40022498 0x40819db0 0x00000124 0x40828760 0x40811e40
[19:56:52]40825140: 0x4081a000 0x00000003 0x4081a498 0x000fffff 0x00000000 0x20040009 0x4081a000 0x00000063
[19:56:52]40825160: 0x00005000 0x00000000 0x4081a000 0x420a2000 0x00010000 0x600a2000 0x00010000 0x400193a6
[19:56:52]40825180: 0x4081a000 0x000000d0 0x000000d0 0x00025898 0x40819bc8 0x40821e0c 0x000000cc 0x408251b4
[19:56:52]408251a0: 0x40819db0 0x408273e4 0x00000000 0xd9975d61 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x4081a000 0x420a2000
[19:56:52]408251c0: 0x00010000 0x600a2000 0x00010000 0x408020a6 0x00010000 0x600a2000 0x00010000 0x408062b8
[19:56:52]408251e0: 0x4081a000 0x00002000 0xfff00000 0x4081a000 0x40819bd4 0xfff00000 0x00000000 0x40821a08
[19:56:52]40825200: 0xffffffff 0x600a2000 0x40821a08 0x40803f14 0x2024001b 0xfff00000 0x40800000 0x20040013
[19:56:52]40825220: 0xffffffff 0x40821a08 0x40821a08 0x408040c6 0x00000003 0x40821e0c 0x4081f9b4 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825240: 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x408252ae 0x20040004 0x00000001 0x408273e4 0x40821a08 0x40800000
[19:56:52]40825260: 0x000fffff 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x4203592a 0x42039d8e 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825280: 0x40825314 0x40825313 0x4082396e 0x00000000 0x00000012 0x00000000 0x4081f9b4 0x42058cac
[19:56:52]408252a0: 0xffffffff 0x00000000 0x00000001 0x00030001 0x00000004 0x40818000 0x4082396e 0x00000000
[19:56:52]408252c0: 0x00000012 0x00000000 0x4081f9b4 0x42039dc6 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x4082396b
[19:56:52]408252e0: 0x00000001 0x0000200a 0x0000000a 0x42045dfe 0x00000000 0x4082396e 0x4082396b 0x0000000a
[19:56:52]40825300: 0x40819bf8 0x0000200a 0x40823968 0x420467a8 0x00819bf8 0x00000000 0x4081e294 0x4080248c
[19:56:52]40825320: 0x00000008 0x2004001c 0x4081a000 0xffffffff 0x40819bf8 0x00000000 0x420a1000 0x408023bc
[19:56:52]40825340: 0x40819bf8 0x4081a000 0x40820340 0x42036edc 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825360: 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x4080e53c 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825380: 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0xa5a5a5a5 0xa5a5a5a5 0xa5a5a5a5
[19:56:52]408253a0: 0xa5a5a5a5 0xa5a5a5a5 0xbaad5678 0x00000168 0xabba1234 0x0000015c 0x40825270 0x00000000
[19:56:52]408253c0: 0x408187c8 0x408187c8 0x408253b8 0x408187c0 0x00000002 0x40823b00 0x40823b00 0x408253b8
[19:56:52]408253e0: 0x00000000 0x00000017 0x40823fa8 0x5f656c62 0x745f6c6c 0x006b7361 0x00000000 0x408253a0
[19:56:52]40825400: 0x00000006 0x00000000 0x00000017 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x0002d296 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825420: 0x4081a7a0 0x4081a808 0x4081a870 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000001 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825440: 0x00000000 0x42025bae 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]40825460: 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x00000000
[19:56:52]
[19:56:52]
[19:56:52]
[19:56:52]ELF file SHA256: d1c2fcc8c
[19:56:52]
[19:56:52]Rebooting...
[19:56:52]ESP-ROM:esp32c6-20220919
[19:56:52]Build:Sep 19 2022

[h2zero]

Thank you @mitietoni, I was able to reproduce the issue and I found that the cause was the calls to setCpuFrequencyMhz. Once removed the crashes stopped, particularly after:

    if (usbPresent) {
        state_Pairing();  // Wait 60 seconds but keep BLE active
    }

Which then calls:

    // Go to advertising state
    state_Advertising();

where the cpu frequency is changed. If there is a current connection when the cpu frequency changes at this time then the crash is guaranteed.

[mitietoni]

Hi @h2zero , thanks, I do confirm removing it in any part of the code solved the crash. No chance it would work at 40mhz? Unfortunately, with the actual configuration it takes too much energy.

At this point maybe it is better to invert the logic, and make the esp32 be the scanner every 5 seconds and check the phone presence, with an automatic light sleep in the middle. Thank you for your help. I attached the current code with all correction if someone want to use.

main.cpp