RFStorm nRF24LU1+ Research Firmware

Firmware and research tools for Nordic Semiconductor nRF24LU1+ based USB dongles and breakout boards.

Requirements

• SDCC (minimum version 3.1.0)
• GNU Binutils
• Python
• PyUSB
• platformio

Install dependencies on Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install sdcc binutils python python-pip
sudo pip install -U pip
sudo pip install -U -I pyusb
sudo pip install -U platformio

Supported Hardware

The following hardware has been tested and is known to work.

• CrazyRadio PA USB dongle
• SparkFun nRF24LU1+ breakout board
• Logitech Unifying dongle (model C-U0007, Nordic Semiconductor based)

Build the firmware

make

Flash over USB

nRF24LU1+ chips come with a factory programmed bootloader occupying the topmost 2KB of flash memory. The CrazyRadio firmware and RFStorm research firmware support USB commands to enter the Nordic bootloader.

Dongles and breakout boards can be programmed over USB if they are running one of the following firmwares:

• Nordic Semiconductor Bootloader
• CrazyRadio Firmware
• RFStorm Research Firmware

To flash the firmware over USB:

sudo make install

Flash a Logitech Unifying dongle

The most common Unifying dongles are based on the nRF24LU1+, but some use chips from Texas Instruments. This firmware is only supported on the nRF24LU1+ variants, which have a model number of C-U0007. The flashing script will automatically detect which type of dongle is plugged in, and will only attempt to flash the nRF24LU1+ variants.

To flash the firmware over USB onto a Logitech Unifying dongle:

sudo make logitech_install

Flash a Logitech Unifying dongle back to the original firmware

Download and extract the Logitech firmware image, which will be named RQR_012_005_00028.hex or similar. Then, run the following command to flash the Logitech firmware onto the dongle:

sudo ./prog/usb-flasher/logitech-usb-restore.py [path-to-firmware.hex]

Flash over SPI using a Teensy

If your dongle or breakout board is bricked, you can alternatively program it over SPI using a Teensy.

This has only been tested with a Teensy 3.1/3.2, but is likely to work with other Arduino variants as well.

Build and Upload the Teensy Flasher

platformio run --project-dir teensy-flasher --target upload

Connect the Teensy to the nRF24LU1+

Flash the nRF24LU1+

sudo make spi_install

Python Scripts

scanner

Pseudo-promiscuous mode device discovery tool, which sweeps a list of channels and prints out decoded Enhanced Shockburst packets.

usage: ./nrf24-scanner.py [-h] [-c N [N ...]] [-v] [-l] [-p PREFIX] [-d DWELL]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help                          show this help message and exit
  -c N [N ...], --channels N [N ...]  RF channels
  -v, --verbose                       Enable verbose output
  -l, --lna                           Enable the LNA (for CrazyRadio PA dongles)
  -p PREFIX, --prefix PREFIX          Promiscuous mode address prefix
  -d DWELL, --dwell DWELL             Dwell time per channel, in milliseconds

Scan for devices on channels 1-5

./nrf24-scanner.py -c {1..5}

Scan for devices with an address starting in 0xA9 on all channels

./nrf24-scanner.py -p A9

sniffer

Device following sniffer, which follows a specific nRF24 device as it hops, and prints out decoded Enhanced Shockburst packets from the device.

usage: ./nrf24-sniffer.py [-h] [-c N [N ...]] [-v] [-l] -a ADDRESS [-t TIMEOUT] [-k ACK_TIMEOUT] [-r RETRIES]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help                                 show this help message and exit
  -c N [N ...], --channels N [N ...]         RF channels
  -v, --verbose                              Enable verbose output
  -l, --lna                                  Enable the LNA (for CrazyRadio PA dongles)
  -a ADDRESS, --address ADDRESS              Address to sniff, following as it changes channels
  -t TIMEOUT, --timeout TIMEOUT              Channel timeout, in milliseconds
  -k ACK_TIMEOUT, --ack_timeout ACK_TIMEOUT  ACK timeout in microseconds, accepts [250,4000], step 250
  -r RETRIES, --retries RETRIES              Auto retry limit, accepts [0,15]

Sniff packets from address 61:49:66:82:03 on all channels

./nrf24-sniffer.py -a 61:49:66:82:03

network mapper

Star network mapper, which attempts to discover the active addresses in a star network by changing the last byte in the given address, and pinging each of 256 possible addresses on each channel in the channel list.

usage: ./nrf24-network-mapper.py [-h] [-c N [N ...]] [-v] [-l] -a ADDRESS [-p PASSES] [-k ACK_TIMEOUT] [-r RETRIES]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help                                 show this help message and exit
  -c N [N ...], --channels N [N ...]         RF channels
  -v, --verbose                              Enable verbose output
  -l, --lna                                  Enable the LNA (for CrazyRadio PA dongles)
  -a ADDRESS, --address ADDRESS              Known address
  -p PASSES, --passes PASSES                 Number of passes (default 2)
  -k ACK_TIMEOUT, --ack_timeout ACK_TIMEOUT  ACK timeout in microseconds, accepts [250,4000], step 250
  -r RETRIES, --retries RETRIES              Auto retry limit, accepts [0,15]

Map the star network that address 61:49:66:82:03 belongs to

./nrf24-network-mapper.py -a 61:49:66:82:03

continuous tone test

The nRF24LU1+ chips include a test mechanism to transmit a continuous tone, the frequency of which can be verified if you have access to an SDR. There is the potential for frequency offsets between devices to cause unexpected behavior. For instance, one of the SparkFun breakout boards that was tested had a frequency offset of ~300kHz, which caused it to receive packets on two adjacent channels.

This script will cause the transceiver to transmit a tone on the first channel that is passed in.

usage: ./nrf24-continuous-tone-test.py [-h] [-c N [N ...]] [-v] [-l]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help                          show this help message and exit
  -c N [N ...], --channels N [N ...]  RF channels
  -v, --verbose                       Enable verbose output
  -l, --lna                           Enable the LNA (for CrazyRadio PA dongles)

Transmit a continuous tone at 2405MHz

./nrf24-continuous-tone-test.py -c 5