NFC Reader for FreeStyle Libre with BM019 - Unofficial board?

So, here's the problems I am having with interfacing by SPI to BM019.
Before I show the code and output here are some points of note;

1. The code is just for test to see if I can get consistent communications going.
   
2. I'm sending 0x55 (85) because the BM019 documentation says this should just echo back 0x55.
   
3. I have tried just about every permutation and combination I can think of in terms of pins high/low, implementing in different ways to make it faster etc. I've spend quite some hours on this so this is my last shot before I switch to Arduino.
   
4. I've checked my wiring loads of times and haven't spotted anything wrong there.
   
5. It seems odd that I sometimes get a 0x55 response, which is why I suspected a timing issue.
   
6. The BM019 documentation says I have to do a wake-up pulse so that' what I do first.
   
7. I am using software SPI here, but I find the same result on hardware SPI.
   
8. The output follows the code below. Note, inconsistency of output.
   
   

If anyone has any suggestions they will be most grateful received :-)

Here's the code...

print("Setting up SPI");
var spi=new SPI();

spi.setup(
  {
	sck:D19,
	miso:D22,
	mosi:D20,
	mode:0,
	order:'msb'
  }
);

var WAKEUP_PIN=D17;
var SS_PIN=D18;
var LOW=0;
var HIGH=1

var d=digitalWrite;
function echo(){
    "compiled";
    d(SS_PIN, LOW);
    r=spi.send(0x55,SS_PIN);
    d(SS_PIN, HIGH);
}

// Send wake upfirst after giving Espruino time to load code.
d(WAKEUP_PIN, HIGH);
setTimeout(function(){  
  setTimeout(function(){
    d(WAKEUP_PIN, LOW);
    setTimeout(function(){
      d(WAKEUP_PIN, HIGH);
      setTimeout(function(){
        setInterval(function(){
          echo();
        },1000);
      },1000);
    },10);
  },1000);
},2000);

Here's the output...

|  __|___ ___ ___ _ _|_|___ ___
|  __|_ -| . |  _| | | |   | . |
|____|___|  _|_| |___|_|_|_|___|
         |_| espruino.com
 2v01 (c) 2018 G.Williams
Espruino is Open Source. Our work is supported
only by sales of official boards and donations:
http://espruino.com/Donate
>Setting up SPI
echo response: 12
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 5
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 20
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 0
echo response: 1
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 85
echo response: 245
echo response: 255
echo response: 255
[etc. ...]