Silicon Laboratories Alcom UG525 User manual

UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm
Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
A Wireless Pro Kit with the BRD4186C Radio Board is an excel-
lent starting point to get familiar with the EFR32™ Wireless Gecko
Wireless System-on-Chip. It also provides all necessary tools for
developing a Silicon Labs wireless application.
BRD4186C is a plug-in board for the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard (BRD4001A) and
the Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A). It is a complete reference design for the
EFR32xG24 Wireless SoC, with matching network and a PCB antenna for 10 dBm out-
put power in the 2.4 GHz band.
The mainboards contain an on-board J-Link debugger with a Packet Trace Interface and
a Virtual COM port, enabling application development and debugging of the attached ra-
dio board as well as external hardware. The mainboards also contain sensors and pe-
ripherals for easy demonstration of some of the EFR32's many capabilities.
This document describes how to use the BRD4186C Radio Board together with a Wire-
less Starter Kit Mainboard or a Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard.
BRD4186C RADIO BOARD FEATURES
• EFR32xG24 Wireless Gecko Wireless
SoC with 1536 kB Flash and 256 kB RAM
(EFR32MG24B210F1536IM48).
• Inverted-F PCB antenna (2.4 GHz band)
• 8 Mbit low-power serial flash for over-the-
air upgrades
MAINBOARD FEATURES
• Advanced Energy Monitor
• Packet Trace Interface
• Virtual COM port
• SEGGER J-Link on-board debugger
• External device debugging
• Ethernet and USB connectivity
• Silicon Labs Si7021 relative humidity and
temperature sensor
• Low-power 128x128 pixel Memory LCD-
TFT
• User LEDs / pushbuttons
• 20-pin 2.54 mm EXP header
• Breakout pads for Wireless SoC I/O
• CR2032 coin cell battery support
SOFTWARE SUPPORT
• Simplicity Studio™
• Energy Profiler
• Network Analyzer
ORDERING INFORMATION
• xG24-PK6009A
• xG24-RB4186C
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................
4
1.1 Radio Boards ..............................4
1.2 Mainboards ...............................4
1.3 Ordering Information ............................5
1.4 Getting Started ..............................5
2. Hardware Overview .............................6
2.1 Hardware Layout .............................6
2.2 Block Diagram ..............................7
3. Connectors ................................8
3.1 J-Link USB Connector ...........................8
3.2 Ethernet Connector ............................8
3.3 Breakout Pads ..............................9
3.4 EXP Header ...............................11
3.4.1 EXP Header Pinout ...........................12
3.5 Debug Connector .............................13
3.6 Simplicity Connector ............................14
3.7 Mini Simplicity Connector ..........................15
3.8 Debug Adapter ..............................16
4. Power Supply and Reset ..........................17
4.1 Radio Board Power Selection .........................17
4.2 Kit Power ................................18
4.2.1 Board Controller Power .........................18
4.2.2 AEM Power .............................18
4.3 EFR32 Reset ..............................18
5. Peripherals ...............................19
5.1 Push Buttons and LEDs ...........................19
5.2 Memory LCD-TFT Display ..........................20
5.3 Serial Flash ...............................21
5.4 Si7021 Relative Humidity and Temperature Sensor .................22
5.5 Virtual COM Port .............................23
5.5.1 Host Interfaces ............................24
5.5.2 Serial Configuration ...........................24
5.5.3 Hardware Handshake ..........................25
6. Board Controller .............................26
6.1 Introduction ...............................26
6.2 Admin Console ..............................26
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6.2.1 Connecting ..............................26
6.2.2 Built-in Help .............................27
6.2.3 Command Examples ..........................27
6.3 Virtual UART ..............................27
6.3.1 Target to Host .............................27
6.3.2 Host to Target .............................28
6.3.3 Limitations ..............................28
6.3.4 Troubleshooting ............................28
7. Advanced Energy Monitor .........................29
7.1 Introduction ...............................29
7.2 Code Correlation .............................29
7.3 AEM Circuit ...............................29
7.3.1 AEM Details .............................30
8. On-Board Debugger ............................31
8.1 Host Interfaces ..............................31
8.1.1 USB Interface .............................31
8.1.2 Ethernet Interface ...........................31
8.1.3 Serial Number Identification ........................31
8.2 Debug Modes ..............................32
8.3 Debugging During Battery Operation ......................33
9. Kit Configuration and Upgrades .......................34
9.1 Firmware Upgrades ............................34
10. Schematics, Assembly Drawings, and BOM ..................35
11. Kit Revision History ...........................36
11.1 xG24-RB4186C Revision History .......................36
11.2 xG24-PK6009A Revision History .......................36
12. Document Revision History ........................37
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1. Introduction
The EFR32xG24 Wireless Gecko Wireless SoC is featured on a radio board that plugs directly into a Wireless Starter Kit (Wireless
STK) Mainboard or a Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard. The mainboards feature several tools for easy evaluation and development of wire-
less applications. An on-board J-Link debugger enables programming and debugging on the target device over USB or Ethernet. The
Advanced Energy Monitor (AEM) offers real-time current and voltage monitoring. A virtual COM port interface (VCOM) provides an
easy-to-use serial port connection over USB or Ethernet. The Packet Trace Interface (PTI) offers invaluable debug information about
transmitted and received packets in wireless links. All debug functionality, including AEM, VCOM, and PTI, can also be used towards
external target hardware instead of the attached radio board.
To further enhance its usability, the mainboard contains sensors and peripherals that demonstrate some of the many capabilities of the
EFR32xG24. The mainboard also has a 20-pin EXP header which can be used for connecting EXP boards to the kit or for easy connec-
tion to I/Os on the radio board target IC.
1.1 Radio Boards
A Wireless Pro Kit consists of one or more mainboards and radio boards that plug into the mainboard. Different radio boards are availa-
ble, each featuring different Silicon Labs devices with different operating frequency bands. Because the mainboards are designed to
work with different radio boards, the actual pin mapping from a device pin to a mainboard feature is done on the radio board. This
means that each radio board has its own pin mapping to the Wireless Pro Kit features, such as buttons, LEDs, the display, the EXP
header and the breakout pads. Because this pin mapping is different for every radio board, it is important to consult the correct docu-
ment, which shows the kit features in context of the radio board plugged in.
1.2 Mainboards
The EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Radio Board (BRD4186C) can be used with either a Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard (BRD4001A) or
a Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A). The Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard is the successor to the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard,
which comes with some improvements and added features including increased AEM measurement range and sample rate, variable
VMCU voltage, joystick, and a Mini Simplicity Connector. Kit features, such as the Si7021 sensor and the EXP header, are available on
the same EFR32xG24 pins regardless of the mainboard being used, but the pinout to the breakout pads differs. The combination of the
EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Radio Board with either one of these mainboards is hereby referred to as a Wireless Pro Kit as the figure
below illustrates.
Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard (BRD4001A)
Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A)
1
1
Radio Board
(BRD4186C)
Wireless Pro Kit
+
+
=
=
Figure 1.1. Wireless Pro Kit Combinations
Note: This document explains how to use the Wireless Pro Kit when the EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Radio Board (BRD4186C) is
combined with either a Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard (BRD4001A) or a Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A). Since some of the
functionality of the kit depends on the type of mainboard used, it is important to consult the right information in the user guide whenever
there are discrepancies.
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Introduction
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1.3 Ordering Information
BRD4186C can be obtained as part of the xG24-PK6009A EFR32xG24 +10 dBm Pro Kit or as a separate radio board, xG24-RB4186C.
Table 1.1. Ordering Information
Part Number Description Contents
xG24-PK6009A EFR32xG24 +10 dBm Pro Kit 1x BRD4002A Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard
1x BRD4186C EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Radio Board
1x 2xAA battery holder
1x 10-pin 1.27 mm IDC debug cable
xG24-RB4186C EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Radio Board 1x BRD4186C EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Radio Board
1.4 Getting Started
Detailed instructions for how to get started can be found on the Silicon Labs web pages: http://www.silabs.com/dev-tools.
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Introduction
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2. Hardware Overview
2.1 Hardware Layout
The layout of the EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit when the radio board is combined with a Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard
(BRD4002A) or a Wireless STK Mainboard (BRD4001A) is shown below.
Radio Board Breakout Pads
Si7021 Humidity and
Temperature Sensor
ARM Coresight 19-pin
trace/debug header
Ultra-low power
128x128 pixel
memory LCD
Battery or
USB power Buttons
and LEDs
Joystick
(Not connected
to BRD4186C)
Mini Simplicity
Connector
Plug-in Radio Board
EXP-header for
expansion boards
Logic Analyzer
(Planned feature)
On-board USB and Ethernet
J-Link Debugger
- Virtual COM Port
- Packet-trace
- Advanced Energy
Monitoring
Simplicity Connector
Figure 2.1. Hardware Layout With A Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A)
Radio Board Breakout Pads Plug-in Radio Board
Si7021 Humidity and
Temperature Sensor
EXP-header for
expansion boards
ARM Coresight 19-pin
trace/debug header
Ultra-low power 128x128
pixel memory LCD,
buttons and LEDs
Battery or
USB power
On-board USB and Ethernet
J-Link Debugger
- Virtual COM Port
- Packet-trace
- Advanced Energy
Monitoring
Simplicity Connector
Figure 2.2. Hardware Layout With A Wireless STK Mainboard (BRD4001A)
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Hardware Overview
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2.2 Block Diagram
An overview of the EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit is shown in the figure below.
RJ-45 Ethernet
Connector
USB
Connector
Simplicity
Connector
Debug
Connector
Mini Simplicity
Connector
Only on BRD4002A
Debug
UART
Packet Trace
AEM
Multiplexer
Debug
UART
Packet Trace
AEM
Debug
UART
Packet Trace
AEM
Board
Controller
OUT
IN
MCU
SMA
Connector
2.4 GHz RF
Inverted-F
PCB Antenna
EFR32xG24
Wireless SoC
128 x 128 pixel
Memory LCD
I2C
Si7021
Temperature
& Humidity
Sensor
SPI 8 Mbit
MX25R
Serial Flash
GPIO
EXP
Header
User Buttons
& LEDs
GPIO
ETM Trace
Figure 2.3. Kit Block Diagram
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Hardware Overview
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3. Connectors
This chapter gives you an overview of the mainboard connectivity. The placement of the connectors on the Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard
(BRD4002A) and the Wireless STK Mainboard (BRD4001A) is shown below.
1
P101
2
1
32
31
2
1
32
31
GND
GND
VMCU
VMCU
F1
F0
F3
F2
F5
F4
F7
F6
F9
F8
F11
F10
F13
F12
P15
P14
P17
P16
P19
P18
P21
P20
GND
GND
P23
P22
VRF
VRF
GND
GND
5V
5V
P25
P24
P27
P26
P29
P28
P31
P30
P33
P32
P35
P34
P37
P36
P39
P38
P41
P40
P43
P42
P45
P44
GND
GND
F20
F19
3V3
3V3
Ethernet
Connector
J-Link USB
Connector
Radio Board
Connectors
Logic Analyzer
Connector
(Planned Feature)
Mini Simplicty
Connector
Debug
Connector
Simplicity
Connector
EXP Header
Figure 3.1. Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A) Connector Layout
Simplicity
Connector
Debug
Connector
Radio Board
Connectors
EXP Header
GND
GND
VMCU
VMCU
P1
P0
P3
P2
P5
P4
P7
P6
P9
P8
P11
P10
P13
P12
P15
P14
P17
P16
P19
P18
P21
P20
GND
GND
P23
P22
VRF
VRF
GND
GND
5V
5V
P25
P24
P27
P26
P29
P28
P31
P30
P33
P32
P35
P34
P37
P36
P39
P38
P41
P40
P43
P42
P45
P44
GND
GND
NC
NC
3V3
3V3
Ethernet
Connector
J-Link USB
Connector
Figure 3.2. Wireless STK Mainboard (BRD4001A) Connector Layout
3.1 J-Link USB Connector
The J-Link USB connector is situated on the left side of the mainboard and provides access to the kit features described in Section
6. Board Controller through the USB interface. In addition to providing access to development features of the kit, this USB connector is
also the main power source for the kit powering both the board controller and the AEM as described in Section 4. Power Supply and
Reset.
3.2 Ethernet Connector
The Ethernet connector is situated on the left side of the mainboard and provides access to the kit features described in Section
6. Board Controller over TCP/IP. The J-Link USB connector must be connected while using this interface to provide power to the Wire-
less Pro Kit as power is not suppled over the Ethernet connector.
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Connectors
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3.3 Breakout Pads
Most of the EFR32 pins are routed from the radio board to breakout pads at the top and bottom edges of the mainboard. A 2.54 mm
pitch pin header can be soldered on for easy access to the pins. The figures below show how the pins of the EFR32 map to the pin
numbers printed on the breakout pads on the Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A) and the Wireless STK Mainboard (BRD4001A).
To see the available functions on each pin, refer to the data sheet for EFR32MG24B210F1536IM48.
Note: Pinout to the breakout pads depends on the mainboard being used.
GND
VMCU
P23 / NC
P21 / PB03 / UIF_BUTTON1
P19 / PB02 / UIF_LED0
P17 / PB01 / UIF_BUTTON0
GND
P15 / PB00 / VCOM_ENABLE
F13 / PB03 / UIF_BUTTON1
F11 / PB04 / UIF_LED1
F9 / PA00 / VCOM_RTS / EXP5
F7 / PA09 / VCOM_RX / EXP14
F5 / PB00 / VCOM_ENABLE
F3 / PA04 / DBG_TDI / DBG_TRACECLK
F1 / PA01 / DBG_TCK_SWCLK
VRF
GND
VMCU
NC / P22
DBG_TCK_SWCLK / PA01 / P20
DBG_TMS_SWDIO / PA02 / P18
DBG_TRACED0 / DBG_TDO_SWO / PA03 / P16
GND
DBG_TRACECLK / DBG_TDI / PA04 / P14
UIF_BUTTON0 / PB01 / F12
UIF_LED0 / PB02 / F10
EXP3 / VCOM_CTS / PB05 / F8
EXP12 / VCOM_TX / PA08 / F6
DBG_RESET / RESETn / F4
DBG_TRACED0 / DBG_TDO_SWO / PA03 / F2
DBG_TMS_SWDIO / PA02 / F0
VRF
BOTTOM EDGE
GNDGND
5V5V
F20 / PD04 / PTI0_DATAPTI0_SYNC / PD05 / F19
P45 / PA07 / DBG_TRACED3 / EXP13EXP11 / DBG_TRACED2 / PA06 / P44
P43 / PA05 / DBG_TRACED1 / EXP7DBG_TRACED0 / DBG_TDO_SWO / PA03 / P42
P41 / PA04 / DBG_TDI / DBG_TRACECLKNC / P40
3V33V3
P39 / NCNC / P38
P37 / PD03 / SENSOR_ENABLENC / P36
P35 / PC04 / FLASH_CSNC / P34
P33 / PC06 / DISP_EXTCOMINNC / P32
P31 / PC08 / DISP_SCSNC / P30
P29 / PC09 / DISP_ENABLENC / P28
P27 / NCUIF_LED1 / PB04 / P26
P25 / PD04 / PTI0_DATAPTI0_SYNC / PD05 / P24
GNDGND
TOP EDGE
Figure 3.3. Wireless Pro Kit Mainboard (BRD4002A) Breakout Pad Pin Mapping
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Connectors
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GND
VMCU
P23 / NC
P21 / PB03 / BTN1
P19 / PB02 / LED0
P17 / PB01 / BTN0
GND
P15 / PB00 / VCOM_ENABLE
P13 / PC07 / EXP16 / I2C_SDA
P11 / PA09 / EXP14 / VCOM_RX
P9 / PA08 / EXP12 / VCOM_TX
P7 / PC00 / EXP10
P5 / PC03 / EXP8 / FLASH_SCLK / DISP_SCLK
P3 / PC02 / EXP6 / FLASH_MISO
P1 / PC01 / EXP4 / FLASH_MOSI / DISP_SI
VRF
GND
VMCU
NC / P22
DBG_TCK_SWCLK / PA01 / P20
DBG_TMS_SWDIO / PA02 / P18
DBG_TMS_SWO / PA03 / P16
GND
DBG_TDI / PA04 / P14
I2C_SCL / EXP15 / PC05 / P12
EXP13 / PA07 / P10
EXP11 / PA06 / P8
EXP9 / PD02 / P6
EXP7 / PA05 / P4
VCOM_RTS / EXP5 / PA00 / P2
VCOM_CTS / EXP3 / PB05 / P0
VRF
BOTTOM EDGE
GNDGND
5V5V
NCNC
P45 / PA07 / TRACED3PA06 / TRACED2 / P44
P43 / PA05 / TRACED1PA03 / TRACED0 / P42
P41 / PA04 / TRACECLKNC / P40
3V33V3
P39 / NCNC / P38
P37 / PD03 / SENSOR_ENABLEJOYSTICK / PD02 / P36
P35 / PC04 / FLASH_SCSNC / P34
P33 / PC06 / DISP_EXTCOMINNC / P32
P31 / PC08 / DISP_SCSNC / P30
P29 / DISP_ENABLE / PC09NC / P28
P27 / NCLED1 / PB04 / P26
P25 / PD04 / PTI_DATAPTI_SYNC / PD05 / P24
GNDGND
TOP EDGE
Figure 3.4. Wireless STK Mainboard (BRD4001A) Breakout Pad Pin Mapping
UG525: EFR32xG24 2.4 GHz 10 dBm Wireless Pro Kit User's Guide
Connectors
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