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HTTPS Client

Overview

The HTTPS Client sample demonstrates a minimal implementation of HTTP communication. It shows how to set up a TLS session towards an HTTPS server and how to send an HTTP request.

How it works

The sample first initializes the Modem library and AT communications. Next, it provisions a root CA certificate to the modem using the Modem key management library. The sample then establishes a connection to the network, sets up the necessary TLS socket options, and connects to an HTTPS server. It sends an HTTP HEAD request and prints the response code in the terminal.

The sample connects to example.com, which requires an X.509 certificate. This certificate is provided in the https_client/cert folder. The certificate is automatically converted to a HEX format in the CMakeLists.txt file. The generated .inc file is then included in the code, where it is provisioned to the modem.

Requirements

Before you start, check that you have the required hardware and software:

  • 1x nRF9151 Connect Kit
  • 1x nano-SIM card with LTE-M or NB-IoT support
  • 1x U.FL cabled LTE-M/NB-IoT/NR+ Flexible Antenna (included in the box)
  • 1x USB-C Cable
  • A computer running macOS, Ubuntu, or Windows 10 or newer

Set up your board

  1. Insert the nano-SIM card into the nano-SIM card slot.
  2. Attach the U.FL cabled LTE-M/NB-IoT/NR+ Flexible Antenna.
  3. Connect the nRF9151 Connect Kit to the computer with a USB-C cable.

Building the sample

To build the sample, follow the instructions in Getting Started Guide to set up your preferred building environment.

Use the following steps to build the HTTPS Client sample on the command line.

  1. Open a terminal window.

  2. Go to NCS-Project/nrf9151-connectkit repository cloned in the Getting Started Guide.

  3. Build the sample using the west build command, specifying the board (following the -b option) as nrf9151_connectkit/nrf9151/ns.

    west build -p always -b nrf9151_connectkit/nrf9151/ns samples/https_client

    The -p always option forces a pristine build, and is recommended for new users. Users may also use the -p auto option, which will use heuristics to determine if a pristine build is required, such as when building another sample.

    Note

    This sample has Cortex-M Security Extensions (CMSE) enabled and separates the firmware between Non-Secure Processing Environment (NSPE) and Secure Processing Environment (SPE). Because of this, it automatically includes the Trusted Firmware-M (TF-M).

  4. After building the sample successfully, the firmware with the name merged.hex can be found in the build directory.

Flashing the firmware

Set up your board before flashing the firmware. You can flash the sample using west flash:

west flash

Tip

In case you wonder, the west flash will execute the following command:

pyocd load --target nrf91 --frequency 4000000 build/merged.hex

Testing

After programming the sample, test it by performing the following steps:

  1. Open up a serial terminal, specifying the correct serial port that your computer uses to communicate with the nRF9151 SiP:

    1. Start PuTTY.

    2. Configure the correct serial port and click Open:

    Open up a terminal and run:

    screen <serial-port-name> 115200

    Open up a terminal and run:

    screen <serial-port-name> 115200

  2. Press the DFU/RST button to reset the nRF9151 SiP.

  3. Observe the output of the terminal. You should see the output, similar to what is shown in the following:

    Terminal
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    All pins have been configured as non-secure
Booting TF-M v2.1.0
[Sec Thread] Secure image initializing!
*** Booting nRF Connect SDK v2.9.99-98a5e50b9ac1 ***
*** Using Zephyr OS v3.7.99-693769a5c735 ***
HTTPS client sample started
Bringing network interface up
Provisioning certificate
Certificate mismatch
Provisioning certificate to the modem
Connecting to the network
+CGEV: EXCE STATUS 0
%MDMEV: SEARCH STATUS 1
+CEREG: 2,"1D23","0D70394D",9
%MDMEV: PRACH CE-LEVEL 0
+CSCON: 1
+CGEV: ME PDN ACT 0,0
+CNEC_ESM: 50,0
%MDMEV: SEARCH STATUS 2
+CEREG: 1,"1D23","0D70394D",9,,,"00100001","00000110"
Network connectivity established and IP address assigned
Looking up example.com
Resolved 23.215.0.136 (AF_INET)
Connecting to example.com:443
Sent 61 bytes
Received 345 bytes

>        HTTP/1.1 200 OK

Finished, closing socket.
+CEREG: 0
+CGEV: ME DETACH
+CSCON: 0
Network connectivity lost
Disconnected from the network