Project Introduction
I have started a personal project to implementing a simple Bluetooth Mesh client using the Nordic nRF52832 microcontroller with C++.
Why the nRF52832?
The Nordic nRF52832 is a very popular, multi-protocol wireless MCU. I want to get some experience with this device so I can be confident in my use of it on work projects.
Why Bluetooth Mesh?
Bluetooth Mesh is a relatively new wireless mesh protocol. Others, like Zigbee, Thread, and Z-Wave have been in the market for much longer. I have completed a number of designs with Zigbee and overall, I have been unsatisfied with the implementations I’ve worked with. I think that the Zigbee 3.0 specification is a step in the right direction, however. The research I have done on Bluetooth Mesh has excited me that, perhaps, someone has created a protocol that learned from the mistakes of the others. In addition, the ability to start using a Bluetooth Mesh device straight out of the box with a smartphone or other “Classic Bluetooth” device is very helpful.
Why C++?
In the beginning of my career, I wrote assembly. It was quite satisfying at first. I was able to define the exact behavior of the processor. Eventually, as the problems got more complex, I did move to C. While using C, I often thought, “Why did I ever program in assembly?”. As problems have wont to do, they continue to get more and more complex. In response, I began investigating C++. I now use C++ exclusively if at all possible. Again, I look back at my years with C and often think, “Why did I ever program in C?”.
There are a few key reasons I can point to for my current attitude:
- low-cost, zero-cost, and negative-cost abstractions - Abstractions make code easier to read, maintain, and test. Without abstractions, you have spaghetti code in which dependencies are tangled and diffused throughout your application code. C++ allows development of “business logic” at a high level (even using a DSL) while still allowing “opening the hood”, as they say, to optimize the details.
- strong typing - Strong types make your code safer and more expressive. Consider the example
void setDuration(int duration)vsvoid setDuration(Seconds duration).
Project Goals
- Gain familiarity with the Nordic nRF52832 platform and software utilities.
- Exercise design best practices including appropriate documentation, defining system architecture(s), and VCS usage.
- Exercise code best practices including appropriate TDD, abstractions, and modern language features.
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