Set Up Nordic nRF52840 DK for Matter over Thread with Raspberry Pi Border Router

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up a Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 Development Kit (DK) to communicate using Matter over Thread with a Raspberry Pi serving as a border router. By following the steps outlined below, you’ll be able to establish a connection between the two devices and facilitate seamless communication.

Prerequisites

• Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 DK
• Raspberry Pi (with Raspbian installed)
• USB cable for nRF52840 DK
• Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection for Raspberry Pi
• Development environment set up (e.g., VSCode, GCC toolchain)
• Python 3 installed on Raspberry Pi
• Thread and Matter SDK from Nordic Semiconductor

Parts/Tools

• Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 DK
• Raspberry Pi (any model with Thread support)
• USB-to-UART adapter (if needed)
• Additional peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse for Raspberry Pi)

Steps

1. Set Up the Raspberry Pi as a Border Router
   1. Install the required dependencies:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install git python3 python3-pip

   2. Clone the Thread Border Router repository:

   git clone https://github.com/project-chip/connectedhomeip.git
   cd connectedhomeip

   3. Build the Border Router:

   source scripts/bootstrap.sh
   source scripts/activate.sh
   ./scripts/build.sh

   4. Run the Border Router:

   ./out/BorderRouter/BorderRouter

2. Program the nRF52840 DK
   1. Set up the development environment by following the Nordic SDK Getting Started Guide.
   2. Clone the Matter SDK:

   git clone https://github.com/project-chip/connectedhomeip.git
   cd connectedhomeip

   3. Build the Matter example application:

   source scripts/bootstrap.sh
   source scripts/activate.sh
   ./scripts/build.sh examples/platform/nrf52840

   4. Flash the application to the nRF52840 DK:

   nrfjprog --program build/nrf52840/Debug/Example.hex --chiperase --reset

3. Configure Thread Network
   1. Use the Raspberry Pi to create a Thread network:

   sudo /usr/bin/ot-ctl thread start

   2. Set the PAN ID and channel:

   sudo /usr/bin/ot-ctl thread set panid 0x1234
   sudo /usr/bin/ot-ctl thread set channel 15

4. Connect nRF52840 DK to Thread Network
   1. On the nRF52840 DK, use the following command to join the Thread network:

   otThreadStart

   2. Set the same PAN ID and channel on the nRF52840 DK:

   otThreadSetPanId 0x1234
   otThreadSetChannel 15

5. Test the Connection
   1. On the Raspberry Pi, check the Thread network status:

   sudo /usr/bin/ot-ctl state

   2. Verify that the nRF52840 DK is listed as a connected device:

   sudo /usr/bin/ot-ctl neighbor

Troubleshooting

• If the nRF52840 DK does not connect to the Thread network:
  • Ensure that the PAN ID and channel match on both devices.
  • Check the firmware version on the nRF52840 DK.
• If the Raspberry Pi does not recognize the nRF52840 DK:
  • Verify USB connections and ensure drivers are installed.
  • Check that the Border Router is running correctly.
• If there are issues with building the SDK:
  • Ensure all dependencies are installed and updated.
  • Consult the documentation for specific build errors.

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you have successfully set up the Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 DK for Matter over Thread communication with a Raspberry Pi functioning as a border router. This foundational setup allows for further exploration of IoT applications using Matter and Thread protocols. Happy coding!