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Sequencing BLE Operations During Troubleshooting

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The app is dropping connections.

But when using a 3rd party app like LightBlue, connections are just fine.

If you find yourself in this situation, remember:

the sequence of BLE operations matters, especially during testing and debugging.

If you’re experiencing issues that only occur in your prototype app, one of the most common culprits is skipping or misordering critical steps during the connection process.

Tips for Proper BLE Sequencing

1. Wait for Connection and Pairing to Complete

  • Ensure the connection process has fully completed before proceeding to other operations.
  • If pairing or bonding is required, confirm it has successfully finished before attempting reads, writes, or enabling notifications.

2. Enable Notifications Before Testing Reads or Writes

  • If you’re using notifications, they must be fully enabled and acknowledged by the device before testing other operations. Skipping this step can lead to missing or delayed notifications.

3. Queue Operations on Android

  • Android does not handle concurrent BLE operations well. Always queue reads, writes, or other commands sequentially and wait for a response before issuing the next request.

4. Log Everything

  • Use detailed logs from both the app and the device to confirm each operation is completed in the correct sequence.

Testing Workflow

When troubleshooting, follow this sequence:

1. Connect: Wait for the connection to establish.

2. Pair (if required): Complete the pairing or bonding process.

3. Enable Notifications: Subscribe to notifications and confirm the device acknowledges them.

4. Test Reads/Writes: Perform reads and writes only after the above steps are completed.

Why This Matters

Skipping or reordering these steps can create hard-to-replicate issues, especially in apps. Tools like LightBlue or nRF Connect handle these steps automatically, but your app may require additional care—particularly on Android, where concurrent operations often fail. Following this workflow helps you isolate problems better and ensures your app interacts with the device as expected.