SDBC-DK3 UG
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1. Introduction
The Silicon Labs Wireless Product Software Development Board, MSC-DBSB8, is designed to help engineers
develop code for the Silicon Lab's EZRadio® and EZRadioPRO™ wireless products using the Silicon Labs
C8051F9xx microcontroller platform.
The C8051F9xx Wireless Software Development Board (MSC-DBSB8) is designed for code development. A
second platform, the WDS Loadboard, may also be purchased allowing for exhaustive RF lab based testing. The
Loadboard can be bought under the part number MSC-DKLB2 but also within the ISM-DK3 kit.
Figure 1. MSC-DBSB8
Software Development Board (SDB)
Figure 2. MSC-DBLB2 (Not Included)
Testing Platform for controlled Lab Tests
(Loadboard)
Both boards come with the Silicon Labs standard 40-pin socket for connecting standard EZRadio® and
EZRadioPRO™ evaluation testcards such as the Si4432-DKDB1. The onboard C8051F930 comes preloaded with
sample firmware to demonstrate a packet-based wireless link between two systems.
The MSC-DBSB8 C8051F9xx software development board includes:
One 40-pin socket for EZRadio and EZRadioPRO testcards
C8051F930 microcontroller preloaded with demonstration software
Standard debug connector for Silicon Labs C8051 programming and debugging
4 buttons and 4 LEDs for custom purposes
LCD display for setup parameters and information display
RS232 interface via a 9-pin DSUB male connector
USB type B connector with Silicon Labs CP2102 USB > Serial Converter onboard
On board 3.3 V PSU
5 x 19 through hole breadboard area for customer's application
Rev. 0.4 8/09
Copyright © 2009 by Silicon Laboratories
SDBC-DK3 UG
SDBC-DK3 UG
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Rev. 0.4
SDBC-DK3 UG
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Section
OF
C
ONTENTS
Page
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
2. Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
2.1. On Board PSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
2.2. External PSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
2.3. Powered by USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
3. System Introduction: MSC-DBSB8 ICD Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
4. System Introduction: Schematic (MSC-DBSB8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
5. Typical Testboard Schematic (Si443x Testcard) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6. Using the SDB with a Standard Testcard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
7. Radio Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7.1. Demonstration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
7.1.1. Packet Error Rates (PER) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7.1.2. Screen 2: Setting Up the RF Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.1.3. Screen 3: Setting up Further RF Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.1.4. Understanding Antenna Diversity and Where to Use It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.1.5. Packet Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7.1.6. Max Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
7.1.7. Screen 5: The Ready Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
7.1.8. Running the Demonstration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7.2. Lab Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
7.2.1. Transmitter Evaluation Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
7.2.2. Receiver Evaluation Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.2.3. Transmitter Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.2.4. Results (CW Tests) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
7.2.5. PN9 Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7.2.6. Results (PN9 Tests) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
7.2.7. Receiver Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
7.2.8. Results (BER Test) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
7.2.9. Packet Error Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
7.2.10. Results (PER Test) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
7.3. Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7.3.1. USB Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7.3.2. Packet Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
8. Custom Software Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.1. Program Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.1.1. Basic Code Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
8.2. Basic Hardware Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9. Main . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1. Flow Chart Main ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.2. Main Source File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
10. Si4432 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Rev. 0.4
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SDBC-DK3 UG
10.1. Flow Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
10.1.1. RF Packet Received( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
10.1.2. RFTransmit( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
10.2. Si4432 Header File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
10.3. Si4432 Source File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
11. C8051 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
11.1. C8051 Header File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
11.2. C8051 Source File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
12. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Document Change List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
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Rev. 0.4
SDBC-DK3 UG
2. Power Supply
The board has three power options. The user can select between these options by the supply source selector
switch (SW1).
2.1. On Board PSU
The on board PSU supplies 3.3 VDC. In this mode, the board should be powered by a standard 9 V ac or 9–12 V
dc adapter.
2.2. External PSU
In this mode, the board can be powered via the direct dc supply connector by an external PSU. Any supply voltage
can be used in the 3.3–4 V range. Polarity is marked on the PCB.
2.3. Powered by USB Port
In this mode, the board can be powered via the USB connector.
Note:
When using the white LED Flash option, it is recommend to use an alternative power supply.
Rev. 0.4
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