AN RFMD® REFERENCE MANUAL RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Used for the RF3858 with CC1100, CC1101, CC1110, CC1111, and CC430 Tranceivers RFMD Multi-Market Products Group RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 1 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design REVISION HISTORY Version Date Description of change(s) Author(s) 0.1 14-Jul-11 Review andRevision Eric Schonthal 0.0 07-Jul-11 Initial Draft Timothy peoples RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 2 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Absolute Maximum Ratings ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Electrical Specifications ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 4. SmartRF Studio and SmartRF04EB / TrxEB ....................................................................................................................................... 10 5. Reference Design Considerations ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 5.1 Power Decoupling ............................................................................................................................................................................ 10 5.2 Filtering ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 5.3 Bias Resistor ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 5.4 SAW Filter.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 5.5 Voltage Regulator ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 5.6 Switch ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 5.7 PCB Layout Considerations ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 5.8 Shielding ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 6. Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 7. References............................................................................................................................................................................................ 13 8. Appendix - Performance Verification ................................................................................................................................................... 14 8.1 Equipment ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 8.2 General Setup................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 8.3 Continuous Transmission ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 8.4 Packet Transmission........................................................................................................................................................................ 17 8.5 Reception - Practical Sensitivity Testing......................................................................................................................................... 18 8.6 PER Test Setup ................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 3 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design ABBREVIATIONS EB Evaluation Board EM Evaluation Module FCC Federal Communications Commission LNA Low Noise Amplifier PA Power Amplifier PCB Printed Circuit Board PER Packet Error Rate RX Receive, Receive Mode TrxEB SmartRF Transceiver EB TX Transmit, Transmit Mode RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 4 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 1. INTRODUCTION The CC1101 is a truly low-cost, highly integrated and very flexible RF transceiver. The CC1101 is primarily designed for use in low-power applications in the 315MHz, 433MHz, 868MHz, and 915MHz SRD/ISM bands. The RF3858 is a single-chip front end module that includes: a 1W power amplifier, a receive module with an impressive 21 dB of gain and a diversity transfer switch for applications in the 915MHz ISM band [2]. The RF3858 is packaged in a 32-pin 8.0mm x 8.0mm over-molded laminate package with backside ground, which greatly minimizes next level board space and allows for simplified integration. The RF3858 can be used as a range extender for the CC1101 in the 915MHz ISM band. It increases the link budget by providing a power amplifier (PA) for increased output power up to 1 Watt, and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) with low noise figure for improved receiver sensitivity. In addition to these features it provides switches and integrated RF matching for design in high-performance wireless systems. This guide outlines the expected performance when using a RF3858CC1101 design under FCC Section 15.247 in the 902MHz to 928MHz frequency band. This reference guide assumes familiarity with the CC1101 [1] and FCC 15.247 regulatory limits [3]. This guide is also applicable for the CC1100, CC1110, CC1111, and CC430 when used with the RF3858 because these tranceivers use the same radio as the CC1101. For additional information or further questions please contact, RFMD Technical Support at [email protected]. Figure 1. RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 2. ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS The absolute maximum ratings and operating conditions listed in the CC1101 datasheet [1] and the RF3858 datasheet [2] must be followed at all times. Stress exceeding one or more of these limiting values may cause permanent damage to any of the devices. RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 5 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 3. ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS Parameter Specification Min. Typ. Max. Unit Condition Temp = 25°C, Frequency = 915MHz. All parameters are measured on the RF3858CC1101 reference design with a 50load Operating Conditions Operating Frequency 902 928 MHz Operating Supply Voltage for RF3858CC1101 3.0 3.6 V Operating Temperature -40 +85 °C Current Consumption at 3.6V Supply DC Supply Current, TX Mode 750 800 mA Quiescent Current (Idle) 125 150 mA RX Mode Supply Current, HGM 40 mA Transmit Current1, VDD = 3.0V 750 mA PATABLE = 0xC0 (+30.0dBm) 745 mA PATABLE = 0xC3 (+30.0dBm) 730 mA PATABLE = 0xCC (+29.9dBm) 715 mA PATABLE = 0x84 (+29.8dBm) 595 mA PATABLE = 0x8E (+28.1dBm) 410 mA PATABLE = 0x38 (+24.5dBm) 295 mA PATABLE = 0x27 (+21.3dBm) Current Consumption at 3.0V Supply DC Supply Current, TX Mode 585 600 mA Quiescent Current (Idle) 115 150 mA RX Mode Supply Current, HGM 30 mA Transmit Current1, VDD = 3.0V 600 mA PATABLE = 0xC0 (+28.3dBm) 595 mA PATABLE = 0xC3 (+28.2dBm) 585 mA PATABLE = 0xCC (+28.1dBm) 575 mA PATABLE = 0x84 (+28.0dBm) 515 mA PATABLE = 0x8E (+26.9dBm) 315 mA PATABLE = 0x38 (+22.3dBm) 230 mA PATABLE = 0x27 (+19.0dBm) RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 6 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Parameter Specification Min. Typ. Max. Unit Condition Transmit Parameters at 3.6V Supply Output Power (See Note) 30 dBm PATABLE = 0xC0 30 dBm PATABLE = 0xC3 29.9 dBm PATABLE = 0xCC 29.8 dBm PATABLE = 0x84 28 dBm PATABLE = 0x8E 24.5 dBm PATABLE = 0x38 PATABLE = 0x27 21 dBm Power Added Efficiency PATABLE = 0xC3 36.5 % Conducted 2nd Harmonic Level PATABLE = 0xC3 -40 dBm/MHz Conducted 3rd Harmonic Level PATABLE = 0xC3 -46 dBm/MHz Conducted 4th through 10th Harmonic Levels PATABLE = 0xC3 <-60 dBm/MHz +/-1.2 dB Output Power variation over temp. -40°C to +85°C PATABLE = 0xC3 Stability, Output VSWR 10:1 VDD = 3.6V VDD = 3.6V, PATABLE = 0xC3, All Phase Angles Note: The RF output power of the RF3858CC1101 is controlled by the 8-bit value in the CC1101 PATABLE register. The power settings are a small subset of all possible PATABLE register settings. RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 7 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Output Power(dBm) Output Power versus PATABLE (Over Temperature at 915MHz) V DD = 3.6V 35 35 33 33 31 31 29 29 27 27 25 25 23 23 -40°C 21 0°C 21 19 25°C 19 17 85°C 17 15 15 27 38 8E 84 CC C3 C0 PATABLE Setting Figure 2. Typical Output Power versus CC1101 PATABLE over Temperature Operating Current (mA) Operating Current versus PATABLE (Over Temperature at 915MHz) V DD = 3.6V 800 800 700 700 600 600 500 500 400 400 300 -40°C 0°C 200 300 200 25°C 100 85°C 0 100 0 27 38 8E 84 CC C3 C0 PATABLE Settting Figure 3. Typical Tx Current Consumption versus CC1101 PATABLE over Temperature RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 8 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Parameter Specification Min. Typ. Max. Unit Condition Transmit Parameters at 3.0V Supply Output Power (See Note) 28.2 dBm PATABLE = 0xC0 28.2 dBm PATABLE = 0xC3 28.1 dBm PATABLE = 0xCC 28.0 dBm PATABLE = 0x84 26.5 dBm PATABLE = 0x8E 23 dBm PATABLE = 0x38 PATABLE = 0x27 19.8 dBm Power Added Efficiency PATABLE = 0xC3 37 % Conducted 2nd Harmonic Level PATABLE = 0xC3 -40 dBm/MHz Conducted 3rd Harmonic Level PATABLE = 0xC3 -46 dBm/MHz Conducted 4th through 10th Harmonic Levels PATABLE = 0xC3 <-60 dBm/MHz +/-1.2 dB Output Power variation over temp. -40°C to +85°C PATABLE = 0xC3 Stability, Output VSWR 10:1 VDD = 3.0V, PATABLE = 0xC3, All Phase Angles Temp = 25°C, VDD = 3.6V, Frequency = 915MHz unless otherwise stated. All parameters are measured on the RF3858CC1101 reference design with a 50load Receive Parameters at 3.6V Operation Sensitivity GFSK, 1 % Packet Error Rate VDD = 3.0V -118 dBm 1.2kbps data rate, ±5.2kHz deviation, 58kHz RX filter BW -121 dBm 1.2kbps data rate, ±14.2kHz deviation, 58kHz RX filter BW -108 dBm 38.4kbps data rate, ±19kHz deviation, 100kHz RX filter BW -117 dBm 2.4kbps data rate, ±5.2kHz deviation, 58kHz RX filter BW -113 dBm 10kbps data rate, ±19kHz deviation, 100kHz RX filter BW -117 dBm 4.8kbps data rate, ±25.4kHz deviation, 100kHz RX filter BW -108 dBm 76.8kbps data rate, ±32kHz deviation, 232kHz RX filter BW -107 dBm 100kbps data rate, ±47kHz deviation, 325kHz RX filter BW -98 dBm 500kbps data rate, MSK, 812kHz RX filter BW Saturation -32 dBm Maximum input power level for 1 % PER, 1.2kbps data rate, ±5.2kHz deviation RSSI Offset Values 88 VDD = 3.6V Note: The RF output power of the RF3858CC1101 is controlled by the 8-bit value in the CC1101 PATABLE register. The power settings are a small subset of all possible PATABLE register settings. RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 9 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 4. SMARTRF STUDIO AND SMARTRF04EB / TRXEB The RF3858CC1101 together with SmartRF™ Studio 7 software [4] and SmartRF04EB or TrxEB can be used to evaluate performance and functionality. See Appendix - Performance verification for details on how to evaluate performance and functionality. The RF3858CC1101 can be configured using the SmartRF Studio 7 software. The SmartRF Studio software is highly recommended for obtaining optimum register settings. 5. REFERENCE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS The RF3858CC1101 reference design includes schematic [5], gerber [6] files, and a bill of materials [7]. Following the reference design is highly recommended for optimum performance. Figure 4 shows the RF3858CC1101 schematic. 5.1 POWER DECOUPLING Proper power supply decoupling must be used for optimum performance. The capacitor C14 must be optimized to prevent RF leakage into the VREG line of the RF3858 which may cause oscillations. 5.2 FILTERING The values of L5, C25, C23, C17, C15, C24, C26, L2, L3, and LF1 and LF2 are for harmonics filtering purposes only. These components assist in the required filtering of harmonics to pass FCC regulatory requirements. Figure 5 shows the RF3858CC1101 using Murata part number LFL21902MTC1A018 low pass filter as an alternate for the harmonics filtering circuit. 5.3 BIAS RESISTOR R171 is a bias resistor. The bias resistor is used to set an accurate bias current for internal use in the CC1101. 5.4 SAW FILTER A SAW is recommended for the RF3858CC1101 design to attenuate spurs below the carrier frequency that will otherwise violate spurious emission limits under Section 15.209 and 15.205. 5.5 VOLTAGE REGULATOR U5 the TPS727285DSER is a voltage regulator and used to set the VREG of the RF3858 to 2.85V. 5.6 SWITCH U3 the RF1126 is a SPDT Switch. The switch is used to control the traffic of the transmitted and received signals within the RF3858CC1101 between the CC1101 and the RF3858. 5.7 PCB LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS The top layer is used for components and signal routing. The areas under the two chips are used for grounding and must be well connected to the ground plane with multiple vias. Footprint recommendation for the RF3858 is given in the RF3858 datasheet. RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 10 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Layer two is a complete ground plane and is not used for any routing. This is done to ensure short return current paths. The low impedance of the ground plane prevents any unwanted signal coupling between any of the nodes that are decoupled to it. Layer three is a power plane. The power plane ensures low impedance traces at radio frequencies and prevents unwanted radiation from power traces. Layer four is used for routing. In layer one, open areas are filled with metallization connected to ground using several vias. 5.8 SHIELDING RF shielding is necessary to keep the radiated harmonics below the regulatory limits. RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 11 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Figure 4. RF3858CC1101 Schematic FM1 1 1 R1 FM FM2 0ohm Y1 EPCOS B3588 4 3 4 3 1 1 C27 GND BP 1 GNDGND BP 5 4 U4 1 100pF C20 DNI GND 2 5 1 6 U3 0ohm 6 915.00MHz C21 LNA_VREF DNI C129 DNI GND GND 0896BM15A0001 6 PA_VREG R3 5 GND GND 1 PA_IN 5 2 4 3 GND RF1126 GND GND GND 6 1 1 FM GND UP 3 2 GND 2 FM FM3 GND GND C12 1uF C2 62pF C24 VDDRF C141 VDD GND GND GND GND 100nF 27 28 GND LNA_VCC 30 31 29 GND LNA_OUT PA_IN GND PA_OUT PA_VREG PA_BIAS GND GND 25 GND C26 VRX1 J2 ANT2 0.2pF 23 22 21 VTX1 VTX2 GND 20 19 L3 C25 6.8nH 3.6pF C17 3.6pF GND C3 0.1uF 18 17 C4 10uF GND GND GND C5 1 3 2 1 2 3 4 6 GND 100nF 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 LNA_VREF VRX1 VTX2 HDR_2X10 6 5 4 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 0.1uF DNI GND GND VDDRF C13 1nF P2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 62pF GND C6 GND VDDRF GND P1 68pF C8 GND C14 1uF GND GDO0 VRX2 CSn SCLK SI SO HDR_2X10 GND GND Figure 5. RF3858CC1101 Schematic with Murata LFL21902MTC1A018 Low Pass Filter 8 VRX1 GND PA_IN GND NC GND GND GND GND 5 24 VTX2 8 GND OUT J2 ANT2 4 GND GND 3 GND 18 17 IN GND 20 19 FL2 LFL21902 GND VTX1 NC 21 GND 22 NC 23 GND GND 16 15 PA_OUT PA_BIAS GND GND 2 GND 1 PA_VCC1 GND PA_VREG PA_VCC2 11 10 VTX2 GND 14 9 DF GND GND 8 VTX1 13 7 ANT2 TX_SWITCH GND 6 RX_SWITCH GND 5 12 4 J1 ANT1 4 VRX2 7 ANT1 25 6 VRX1 26 5 OUT 2 VRX2 1 27 28 GND U2 RF3858 LNA_VCC 30 29 31 LNA_SEL LNA_OUT LNA_VREG GND 32 3 GND 2 LNA_IN GND 1 GND IN GND GND FL1 LFL21902 GND VDDRF GND GND GND NC C2 62pF GND C12 1uF GND 6 GND 3 GND 7 GND C4 10uF C3 0.1uF PA_IN GND GND GND GND GND GND RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. GND GND VDDRF 16 15 14 11 GND 24 PA_VREG U5 2.85V GND VRX2 PA_IN TPS727285DSE GND GND C7 0ohm GND GND GND GND GND R4 C22 DNI VTX1 PA_VCC1 3.6pF 3.6pF 26 GND VDD 1Kohms C1 1uF VTX2 GND PA_VCC2 12pFGND GND L1 VDDRF Ferrite Bead (Wuerth Elektronik) VTX1 DF C81 C51 GND 100nF ANT1 TX_SWITCH GND GND GDO0 VRX1 ANT2 GND GND GND 5 C41 9 10 GND SCLK SO LNA_SEL VDD 6.8nH C23 C15 U2 RF3858 VRX2 RX_SWITCH 13 11 14 12 RF_P AVDD X1 26.0MHz (NX3225GA) 8 C9 GND 68pF GND C10 0.1uF LNA_SEL 12 C11 10uF DNI GND C191 100nF CSn DCOUPL SCLK 1 6 GDO0(ATEST) DVDD SI GND U1 7 CSn 7 GND 15pFGND VDD 8 XOSC_Q1 GND 6 GND VDDRF C19 9 5 4.7nH (W/W Coilcraft 0402) C18 DNI 10 AVDD CC1101 DGUARD L5 0ohm 4 C16 1.5pF 5 20 SI RBIAS 4 GND RF_N 15 19 AVDD AVDD 18 GD02 56K VDD C181 100nF SO(GDO1) 17 R5 C101 XOSC_Q2 3 GND GND GND 2 R171 13 LNA_SEL GND LNA_VREG GND 32 3 LNA_IN GND 2 LNA_VREF GND 1 100nF GND GND 0ohm VDD C111 C151 VDD J1 ANT1 0.2pF L2 R2 GND 100nF 16 GND 12 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 6. DISCLAIMER The RF3858CC1101 reference board is intended for use for ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, OR EVALUATION PURPOSES ONLY and is not considered by TI or RFMD to be a finished end-product fit for general consumer use. Persons handling the product(s) must have electronics training and observe good engineering practice standards. As such, the goods being provided are not intended to be complete in terms of required design-, marketing-, and/or manufacturing -related protective considerations, including product safety and environmental measures typically found in end products that incorporate such semiconductor components or circuit boards. This evaluation board has been tested against FCC regulations, but there has been no formal compliance testing at an external test house. It is the end user's responsibility to ensure that their system complies with applicable regulations. For additional information or further questions please contact, RFMD Technical Support at [email protected]. 7. REFERENCES [1] CC1101 Datasheet (SWRS061.pdf) http://www.ti.com/lit/SWRS061 [2] RF3858 Datasheet (RF3858DS.pdf) http://www.rfmd.com/CS/Documents/RF3858DS.pdf [3] FCC rules (www.fcc.gov) http://www.fcc.gov/ [4] SmartRF™ Studio 7 (SWRC176.zip) http://www.ti.com/lit/zip/swrc176 [5] RF3858CC1101 Schematic (RF3858-401.pdf) [6] RF3858CC1101 Gerbers and Layout Files (3858-411-420.zip) [7] RF3858CC1101 Bill of Materials (3858-441.xls) RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 13 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 8. APPENDIX - PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION 8.1 EQUIPMENT 1. SmartRF Studio 7 v1.4.9 installed on each PC used. 2. An RF generator with packet option, or either a CC1101EM or RF3858CC1101 connected to a SmartRF04EB for packet transmission. Using the CC1101EM or RF3858CC1101 as an RF generator will require a PC. The RF generator must be configured for the selected RF frequency, modulation format, deviation, and data rate. 3. A RF3858CC1101 connected to a SmartRF04EB and a PC for packet reception. 4. Attenuators and cables. 5. A 3.6V DC supply and either a USB cable or a RS-232 cable. 8.2 GENERAL SETUP 1. The firmware revision for SmartRF Studio7 must first be downloaded onto the SmartRF04 Evaluation Board. 2. Place the RF3858CC1101 board onto the SmartRF04EB via the evaluation module connectors as shown in Figure 6. 3. Connect the USB or RS-232 cable from a PC to the SmartRF04EB. Note: If the SmartRF04EB is connected to a USB socket on a PC, it will draw power from the USB bus when the switch is in the 4V to 10V position. The onboard voltage regulator supplies 3.3V to the board, but has limited current source capability and cannot supply the RF3858CC1101. An external supply is therefore needed and shall be connected as shown in Figure 7. 4. Verify the supply selection switch is switched to the 3V position as shown in Figure 7. 5. Supply 3.6V DC to the SmartRF04EB via the power connector. 6. Switch the supply switch to the 4V to 10V position as shown in Figure 7. This will turn on the module. 7. The chip type will appear in the test box labeled "List of Connected Devices" at the bottom of the SmartRF Studio Interface. This should read "USB device ID = 3807, firmware (revision = 0044), CC1101". 8. Double click on the chip type in the device list to open up the SmartRF Studio7 device control panel for user interface. 9. Once the user interface is open find the "Range Extender" option, click on the arrow, scroll down to RF3858, and select it. Now the user is ready to evaluate the RF3858CC1101. RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 14 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design Figure 6. Smart RF04EB with RF3858CC1101 Figure 7. Connecting 3.6V Supply to the RF3858 RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 15 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 8.3 CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION 1. Complete steps 1 thru 9 of the General Setup procedure. 2. Find the Continuous TX mode tab and select it as shown in Figure 8. 3. Adjust for desired Tx power settings for the CC1101 using the "TX Power" box in the RF Parameters section or by modifying the PA_TABLE0 register value in the Register View. 4. Select between modulated and un-modulated and the modulated signal's data format in the Continuous TX tab. 5. Select the frequency band to be used. Verify that this is in accordance with the reference design module placed in the SmartRF04EB (915MHz for the RF3858CC1101). 6. Select the correct antenna path, "Ant. Path" on the interface. 7. Click the Start button on the interface to begin frequency transmission. Click the Stop button on the interface to end frequency transmission. RF Parameters Continuous Tx Mode Figure 8. Continuous Transmission Tab and RF Parameters Section RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 16 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 8.4 PACKET TRANSMISSION 1. Complete steps 1 thru 9 of the General Setup procedure. This setup is primarily used for Packet Error Rate (PER) test. 2. Select the Packet TX mode tab as shown in Figure 9. 3. Set the number of packets to transmit. 4. Adjust for desired TX power level settings for the RF3858CC1101 using the "TX Power" box in the RF Parameters section or by modifying the PA_TABLE0 register value in the Register View. 5. Select the correct antenna path, "Ant. Path" on the interface. 6. Verify the base frequency matches the frequency of the board that will be receiving the packets. Note: SmartRF Studio will recommend GFSK for the CC1101. 7. Click the Start button on the interface to begin transmitting packets. Click the Stop button to end packet transmission. 8. The packet transmission will continue until the number of packets programmed has been reached, or until 100 consecutive packets have been lost. Packet TX Mode Figure 9. Packet Transmission Tab RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 17 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 8.5 RECEPTION - PRACTICAL SENSITIVITY TESTING Note: To properly evaluate the receiver performance of the RF3858CC1101 reference design, it is necessary to find the sensitivity threshold, which is the lowest input signal the receiver can decode with acceptable signal quality. This guide describes how to test the sensitivity using a PER test. For testing sensitivity with SmartRF Studio please visit http://focus.ti.com/lit/an/swra097/swra097.pdf. Packet Rx Mode Figure 10. Packet Reception Tab RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 18 of 19 RF3858CC1101 Reference Design 8.6 PER TEST SETUP 1. Setup the equipment as shown in the block diagram in Figure 11. 2. Complete steps 1 thru 9 of the General Setup procedure. 3. If using a CC1101EM or the RF3858CC1101 as the packet transmitter, use the Packet Transmission section in this guide to setup the module that will transmit packets. Otherwise, setup the RF Generator and configure it for the selected RF frequency, modulation format, deviation, and data rate. 4. Select the Packet Rx mode tab as shown in Figure 10. 5. Set the number of packets expected to receive. 6. Verify the antenna is correct on the interface and the base frequency matches the frequency of the board or RF generator that will be transmitting the packets. 7. Set attenuation level near the expected result. 8. Press Start to begin listening for packets before transmitting packets. 9. Adjust the attenuation level until a 1% PER is achieved. 10. The Packet RX will continue until the number of packets programmed has been reached, or until 100 consecutive packets have been lost. Figure 11. Block Diagram of PER Test Setup RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011, RF Micro Devices, Inc. 110705 7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421.·For sales or technical support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or [email protected]. 19 of 19