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Hugin NFC Application

Revisions​

DateAuthorChanges
2025-02-12Lars MatsInitial Revision

Introduction​

The Hugin NFC application is an optional complement to the VSM driven products from Sensative and their partners.

In order to operate the application you need to be registered with a username, password and a set of keys which you can obtain together with this application from Sensative.

The application requires an Android device with GPS and NFC functionality, and the application needs to have access granted to these devices. The GPS is for assignment of positioning metadata such as assistance position.

The application will log certain events with the Sensative server, such as which firmware was flashed or which configuration was applied to the device. Also, the application will collect statistics from the devices such as power consumption and diagnostics data. The data is connected to the identity of the device (i.e. its serial number).

By using the application you give your explicit consent to this logging. You can contact Sensative and request a data erase for data collected according to the stipulations of GDPR.

Installation and First Use​

Once you obtain the APK file (Android application) you need to install it in your phone. Depending on your Android version you will possibly have to allow installation of an application from an unknown source. Ensure that your phone is connected to the internet. Upon first starting the app, you will be shown a settings screen.

Figure: Settings screen upon successful connection to Sensatives server.

In this screen:

  1. Enter your username (typically email) and password as given by Sensative.
  2. Press the CHECK button
  3. The status should show as per the image, “Connected to Sensative AB” and one or several access keys. If no access keys are provided you will not be able to connect to the devices.

When you see this information the installation and startup procedure is completed.

Access Keys​

Access keys are assigned by Sensative according to the anticipated use of the application. Should your use cases extend beyond what you have available, please contact Sensative for a potential adjustment of your Access Keys.

The following Access Keys are available. The rights and information here are subject to change. Additional access keys and actions may be added at any time.

L - Allow basic actions

  • Read simplified device information.
  • Read and apply configuration from a set of predefined configuration profiles.
  • Update assistance position, device time, and GNSS almanac.

P - Production related actions

  • Read full device production information.
  • Flashing official firmware releases and applications.
  • Running the production test suite.
  • Assigning battery capacity and replacing battery.

H - Allow test-house radio verification and certification actions

  • Trigger various radio test modes required for FCC and other regulatory approvals.
  • Flashing official firmware releases and applications.

V - Allow general verification actions

  • Radio test modes and measurement.
  • Flash non-released firmware and applications.
  • Read out diagnostics data and detailed power consumption statistics.
  • Change inputs of an application without permanency.
  • Allow connection to Yggio for direct device lookups

D - Allow developer actions

  • Read out/set internal registers and other development related actions.
  • Develop and flash custom apps through the VSM programming environment.

Establishing a NFC Device Connection​

Different Android devices have different placements of the on-board NFC reader(s). Please consult the manual for your device should you now know the placement. It is common for it to be along the top edge of the backside of your device but placement may vary.

The placement of the NFC antenna on our devices are normally

  • Square product line: Lower left on the front of the device.
  • Puck products: Centered on the front.

An outline of the procedure to connect

  1. Ensure that NFC is enabled on your phone (search settings for NFC).
  2. Ensure that you have data communications available on the phone.

Figure: Home screen before connection to device.

  1. Start the NFC application and go to the Home screen.
  2. Touch the phone to the sensative product. Should nothing happen, try to move the phone slowly until the NFC antenna and the phone NFC reader are aligned.
  3. Once contact is achieved, the NFC application will do a remote authentication of the device towards the server in order to unlock the device for NFC communications. This process can take a few seconds.
  4. Once the device is connected and authenticated, you will be presented with a view similar to this picture.

Figure: Home screen once connected and authenticated with a device

In this screen you will find:

  • The devices unique Serial Number.
  • The devices Application and Version information.
  • The devices current State (Off, Unjoined, Joined, Joining, Streaming (waiting to transmit data), Active on Radio, etc.).
  • Battery and Link information.
  • The firmware version and region information.
  • The devices DevEUI.
  1. Depending on your access keys you may also get additional information in this screen, see the section on Access Keys above.

Actions​

The center low button will bring up the actions menu. In order to perform an action you need to be in contact with the device through NFC.

Figure - Actions Menu

Action: Device Info​

Read out information from the device and the server and display to the screen. Same as when first connecting the device.

Action: Configure​

The configure screen allows you to read configuration information from the device, and optionally select any one of the configuration profiles available in the Dots Config application and deploy them directly to the device (without sending it as a downlink, which is the recommended mode of configuration).

It shows which application and version the device is currently running, and which configuration profile is currently selected and its status.

The status can be one of

  • Default settings - no specific configuration was downloaded and application defaults are used..
  • Applied (unmodified) - a specific configuration was downloaded and is applied with no subsequent modifications.
  • Applied (modified) - a specific configuration was downloaded but settings were changed after this happened.
  • Error - a configuration is downloaded but it does not apply to the current application in the device. This likely means that the device was reflashed after being configured.

A drop-down menu holds all the predefined configuration profiles, and you can select a new one (if available) and write that configuration to the device.

When a new configuration is received, the device will restart using the newly selected profile.

After the restart you will have to wait a few seconds and then reconnect the NFC application to continue (the NFC session authentication keys are replaced during the restart).

Action: GPS Assist, Almanac & Device Time​

For devices which support assisted GNSS (GPS or Beidou), the device requires updated GNSS almanacs every 80 days or more often to conserve energy during the scanning process. They also need to have updated assistance information downloaded once they move beyond their current horizon (~100km/60miles), and updated device time (real time clock).

We recommend you manage this through our Munin MQTT client which will do this over the air at suitable intervals. However, it is also possible to update this information using NFC.

This process will acquire the position and time from the Android device and transfer the information plus optionally a new GNSS almanac into it.

The process takes several seconds, wait for the READY text to appear before disconnecting NFC.

Flashing​

If you have the required access keys for device flashing you have access to the Flash screen (center bottom).

When in this screen, the NFC application will download a list of software versions, regions, and applications applicable to your device.

Once a valid combination has been selected, the flash button will be enabled.

Press flash and maintain the connection to the device until the text “Flash Completed” is displayed. A progress bar will be visible while the flash process is in progress. The flashing of a new firmware takes around 1 minute. The flashing of a new application will take a few seconds.

Should the NFC connection be lost during flashing, the device will be locked in “Boot mode” and flashing needs to be resumed before the device will again be operational.

Flashing is incremental, so should it be resumed with the same firmware and application combination it will resume where it was should the connection have been lost. Consult with Sensative for the correct version, application, and firmware region. Not all combinations have been verified for all products. Using untested application and firmware combinations may cause unexpected behaviours or errors.

After flashing an application, you may have to apply a new configuration to the device since configurations are specific to their application and version.

When flashing is completed, the device will restart. After the restart you will have to wait a few seconds and then reconnect the NFC application to continue (the NFC session authentication keys are replaced during the restart).

NFC Application Updates​

The NFC application may be updated without notice by Sensative for security or other reasons. If you use it, you may be notified by your Sensative contact should an update be required.

If your user information for any reason is compromised, Sensative maintains the right to temporarily withdraw access keys to ensure security.