SparkFun NanoBeacon Board - IN100 Hookup Guide

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Contributors: El Duderino
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NanoBeacon Config Tool

InPlay's NanoBeacon Config Tool provides an easy, software-free GUI to configure and program the IN100. In this section we'll take a closer look at the features of the tool and a quick look at the basic set up required to have the beacon begin to advertise and transmit data packets.

This is just a quick overview of the Config Tool so for complete information on everything the tool offers, refer to InPlay's NanoBeacon Config Tool User Guide.

Important! When programming the IN100 with the InPlay NanoBeacon Config Tool, the "Burn/Program" option uploads the settings and locks the module. Before selecting this option make sure everything is set up and working as you intend as you cannot undo this step and it is possible to brick your IN100.

The Config Tool offers a testing "Run in RAM" mode for many settings but I2C is not available in the RAM testing mode. Users connecting I2C devices to the board should ensure their code works before clicking the "Burn/Program" button.

Download and Installation

You can get the Config Tool from InPlay's website:

If you want to use the InPlay scanner app on your phone, you can download it here as well. Depending on your operating system, you may need to install an unzipping tool. The Windows version is a 7-Zip file so users may need to install the 7-Zip Tool.

After downloading and uncompressing the files, navigate to the location you set, open the "NanoBeacon Tools" folder, and search for the "NanoBeaconConfigTool" application to open the program.

Config Tool GUI

With the Config Tool open, let's take a quick look at some of the features of the Config Tool:

Screenshot of the basic Config Tool GUI window.
Having trouble seeing the detail in this image? Click on it for a larger view.

The first thing you want to take note of is the UART box in the top-right of the GUI. This is where you'll select the Port your Serial Basic or other Serial-to-UART is connected to. Click the "Probe" button, select the correct port and click "Connect" (If you're not sure which port is correct, disconnect and reconnect the Serial Basic and check which port disappears/appears).

Screenshot showing successful connection in Config Tool.
Having trouble seeing the detail in this image? Click on it for a larger view.

From here you can configure all sorts of settings and enable different features in the tabs on the left labeled "Application Settings". For now, we're going to move on to a basic, "Hello World" functionality test to make sure the IN100 is working properly.

"Hello World" Test

As a simple functionality test, we'll perform a basic configuration of the IN100 to set it up as an Eddystone device we can scan for using the InPlay scanner app (or other scanner app such as nRF Connect).

For this test we're going to set up the IN100 to operate as a bare-bones Eddystone device but you can select a different option if you prefer. For this test, select the "Advertising" tab under "Application Settings" and click the "Edit" button for "Advertising Set #1". In the "Advertising Data" tab select "Eddystone" and then click "Ok". This default setting works fine for our quick functionality test but if you do use the NanoBeacon as an Eddystone device in a more permanent setting, make sure to follow their guidelines linked in the note below.

Screenshot of Eddystone settings selected for advertising data.
Having trouble seeing the detail in this image? Click on it for a larger view.

With the advertising settings confirmed, click the "Run in RAM" button and open the InPlay scanner app or your chosen alternate application and the NanoBeacon should show up as an Eddystone device with the name "N/A".

Note: Make sure to follow the guidelines and regulations for your selected mode when configuring the advertising data and settings to avoid using reserved UUIDs and other settings. Guidelines for Eddystone devices can be found here and iBeacon here. For the Custom mode, ensure you follow the related specifications and regulations. This page offers a good starting place for using the Custom mode.