Silicon Laboratories EFR32MG12 User manual

EFR32MG12 2400/434 MHz Dual Band
10 dBm Radio Board
BRD4173A Reference Manual
The BRD4173A Mighty Gecko Radio Board enables developers to develop Zigbee,
Thread, Bluetooth® Low Energy and proprietary wireless applications. The board con-
tains a dual-band Mighty Gecko Wireless System-on-Chip and it is optimized for operat-
ing at 10 dBm output power. For the 2.4 GHz band with the on-board printed antenna
and UFL connector, radiated and conducted testing is supported. For the 434 MHz
band, the on-board SMA connector enables conducted testing and attachment of exter-
nal whip antenna for radiated tests.
The BRD4173A Mighty Gecko Radio Board plugs into the Wireless Starter Kit Main-
board, which is included with the Mighty Gecko Starter Kit and gives access to display,
buttons, and additional features from Expansion Boards. With the supporting Simplicity
Studio suite of tools, developers can take advantage of graphical wireless application
development, mesh networking debug and packet trace, and visual energy profiling and
optimization. The board also serves as an RF reference design for applications targeting
2.4 GHz and 434 MHz dual band wireless operation with 10 dBm output power.
RADIO BOARD FEATURES
• Wireless SoC:
EFR32MG12P433F1024GM48
•CPU core: ARM Cortex®-M4 with FPU
• Flash memory: 1024 kB
•RAM: 256 kB
• Operation frequency: 2.4 GHz + 434 MHz
• Transmit power: 10 dBm
• 2.4 GHz: Integrated PCB antenna, UFL
connector (optional)
• 434 MHz: Single SMA connector both for
transmit and receive
• Crystals for LFXO and HFXO: 32.768 kHz
and 38.4 MHz
• 8 Mbit low-power serial flash for over-the-
air updates
This document contains a brief introduction and description of the BRD4173A Radio
Board features, focusing on the RF sections and performance.
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................
4
2. Radio Board Connector ...........................5
2.1 Introduction...............................5
2.2 Radio Board Connector Pin Associations.....................5
3. Radio Board Block Summary .........................6
3.1 Introduction...............................6
3.2 Radio Board Block Diagram .........................6
3.3 Radio Board Block Description ........................6
3.3.1 Wireless MCU............................6
3.3.2 LF Crystal Oscillator (LFXO) .......................6
3.3.3 HF Crystal Oscillator (HFXO).......................6
3.3.4 Matching Network for Sub-GHz ......................6
3.3.5 Matching Network for 2.4 GHz ......................7
3.3.6 SMA Connector ...........................7
3.3.7 UFL Connector ...........................7
3.3.8 Radio Board Connectors ........................7
3.3.9 Inverted-F Antenna ..........................7
3.3.10 Serial Flash ............................7
3.3.11 Serial EEPROM...........................7
4. RF Section ................................8
4.1 Introduction...............................8
4.2 Schematic of the RF Matching Network .....................8
4.2.1 Description of the Sub-GHz RF Matching ..................8
4.2.2 Description of the 2.4 GHz RF Matching ...................8
4.3 RF Section Power Supply ..........................8
4.4 Bill of Materials for the sub-GHz Matching ....................8
4.5 Bill of Materials for the 2.4 GHz Matching ....................9
4.6 Inverted-F Antenna ............................9
5. Mechanical Details .............................11
6. EMC Compliance ............................. 12
6.1 Introduction...............................12
6.2 EMC Regulations for 434 MHz ........................12
6.2.1 ETSI EN 300-200-1 Emission Limits for the 433.050-434.790 MHz Band ........12
6.3 ETSI EN 300-328 Emission Limits for the 2400-2483.5 MHz Band ............12
6.4 FCC15.247 Emission Limits for the 2400-2483.5 MHz Band ..............12
6.5 Applied Emission Limits for the 2.4 GHz Band ...................13
7. RF Performance ............................. 14
7.1 Conducted Power Measurements .......................14
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 2

7.1.1 Conducted Measurements in the 434 MHz Band ................14
7.1.2 Conducted Measurements in the 2.4 GHz Band ................15
7.2 Radiated Power Measurements ........................16
7.2.1 Radiated Measurements in the 434 MHz Band .................17
7.2.2 Radiated Measurements in the 2.4 GHz Band .................17
8. EMC Compliance Recommendations ..................... 18
8.1 Recommendations for 434 MHz ETSI EN 300-220-1 Compliance ............18
8.2 Recommendations for 2.4 GHz ETSI EN 300-328 Compliance .............18
8.3 Recommendations for 2.4 GHz FCC 15.247 Compliance ...............18
9. Board Revision History .......................... 19
10. Errata................................. 20
11. Document Revision History ........................ 21
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 3

1. Introduction
The EFR32 Mighty Gecko Radio Boards provide a development platform (together with the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard) for the
Silicon Labs EFR32 Mighty Gecko Wireless System-on-Chips and serve as reference designs for the matching networks of the RF in-
terfaces.
The BRD4173A Radio Board supports dual-band operation with its integrated sub-GHz ISM band and 2.4 GHz band transceivers. The
sub-GHz section is designed to operate in the European ETSI 433.05-434.79 MHz band with an external whip antenna; the 2.4 GHz
section is designed to operate at the 2400-2483.5 MHz band with the on-board printed antenna. The matching networks are optimized
for operating at 10 dBm output power.
To develop and/or evaluate the EFR32 Mighty Gecko, the BRD4173A Radio Board can be connected to the Wireless Starter Kit Main-
board to get access to display, buttons, and additional features from Expansion Boards, and also to evaluate the performance of the RF
interfaces.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Introduction
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 4

2. Radio Board Connector
2.1 Introduction
The board-to-board connector scheme allows access to all EFR32MG12 GPIO pins as well as the RESETn signal. For more informa-
tion on the functions of the available pins, see the EFR32MG12 data sheet.
2.2 Radio Board Connector Pin Associations
The figure below shows the mapping between the connector and the EFR32MG12 pins and their function on the Wireless Starter Kit
Mainboard.
GND
F9 / PA3 / VCOM.#RTS_#CS
3v3
NC / P36
P200
Upper Row
NC / P38
NC / P40
NC / P42
NC / P44
DEBUG.TMS_SWDIO / PF1 / F0
DISP_ENABLE / SENSOR_ENABLE / PD15 / F14
UIF_BUTTON0 / PF6 / F12
UIF_LED0 / PF4 / F10
VCOM.#CTS_SCLK / PA2 / F8
DEBUG.RESET / RADIO_#RESET / F4
DEBUG.TDO_SWO / PF2 / F2
DISP_SI / PC6 / F16
VCOM.TX_MOSI / PA0 / F6
PTI.DATA / PB12 / F20
DISP_EXTCOMIN / PD13 / F18
USB_VBUS
5V
Board ID SCL
GND
Board ID SDA
USB_VREG
F7 / PA1 / VCOM.RX_MISO
F5 / PA5 / VCOM_ENABLE
F3 / PF3 / DEBUG.TDI
F1 / PF0 / DEBUG.TCK_SWCLK
P45 / NC
P43 / NC
P41 / NC
P39 / NC
P37 / PD15 / DISP_ENABLE / SENSOR_ENABLE
F11 / PF5 / UIF_LED1
F13 / PF7 / UIF_BUTTON1
F15 / PC8 / DISP_SCLK
F17 / PD14 / DISP_SCS
F19 / PB13 / PTI.SYNC
F21 / PB11 / PTI.CLK
GND VMCU_IN
VCOM.#CTS_SCLK / PA2 / P0
P201
Lower Row
VCOM.#RTS_#CS / PA3 / P2
UIF_BUTTON0 / PF6 / P4
UIF_BUTTON1 / PF7 / P6
GND VRF_IN
P35 / PD15 / DISP_ENABLE / SENSOR_ENABLE
P7 / PC9
P5 / PC8 / DISP_SCLK
P3 / PC7
P1 / PC6 / DISP_SI
P33 / PD14 / DISP_SCS
P31 / PD13 / DISP_EXTCOMIN
P29 / NC
P27 / NC
P25 / NC
P23 / NC
P21 / NC
P19 / NC
P17 / NC
P15 / NC
P13 / PC11
P11 / PA1 / VCOM.RX_MISO
P9 / PA0 / VCOM.TX_MOSI
NC / P34
UIF_LED1 / PF5 / P32
NC / P30
DEBUG.TDO_SWO / PF2 / P28
DEBUG.TMS_SWDIO / PF1 / P26
DEBUG.TCK_SWCLK / PF0 / P24
PTI.SYNC / PB13 / P22
PTI.DATA / PB12 / P20
PTI.CLK / PB11 / P18
VCOM_ENABLE / PA5 / P16
PA4 / P14
PC10 / P12
DEBUG.TDI / PF3 / P10
UIF_LED0 / PF4 / P8
Figure 2.1. BRD4173A Radio Board Connector Pin Mapping
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Radio Board Connector
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 5

3. Radio Board Block Summary
3.1 Introduction
This section gives a short introduction to the blocks of the BRD4173A Radio Board.
3.2 Radio Board Block Diagram
The block diagram of the BRD4173A Radio Board is shown in the figure below.
EFR32
Inverted-F
PCB
Antenna
2.4 GHz RF
UFL
Connector
LF
Crystal
32.768k
HF
Crystal
38.4M
Radio
Board
Connectors
8 Mbit
MX25R
Serial Flash
I2C
24AA024
Serial EEPROM
Matching
Network &
Output
Selection
GPIO
UART
Debug
Packet Trace
AEM
I2C
SPI
SPI
2.4 GHz RF
2.4 GHz RF
SubGHz RF
Matching
Network &
DC Bias
SubGHz RF SMA
Connector
EFR32
EFR32
Wireless SoC
Figure 3.1. BRD4173A Block Diagram
3.3 Radio Board Block Description
3.3.1 Wireless MCU
The BRD4173A Mighty Gecko Radio Board incorporates an EFR32MG12P433F1024GM48 Wireless System-on-Chip featuring 32-bit
Cortex®-M4 with FPU core, 1024 kB of flash memory, 256 kB of RAM, an integrated 2.4 GHz band, and an integrated sub-GHz ISM
band transceiver with output power up to 19 dBm. For additional information on the EFR32MG12P433F1024GM48, refer to the
EFR32MG12 data sheet.
3.3.2 LF Crystal Oscillator (LFXO)
The BRD4173A Radio Board has a 32.768 kHz crystal mounted. For details regarding the crystal configuration, refer to Application
Note "AN0016.1: Oscillator Design Considerations".
3.3.3 HF Crystal Oscillator (HFXO)
The BRD4173A Radio Board has a 38.4 MHz crystal mounted. For details regarding the crystal configuration, refer to Application Note
"AN0016.1: Oscillator Design Considerations".
3.3.4 Matching Network for Sub-GHz
The BRD4173A Radio Board incorporates a sub-GHz matching network which connects both the sub-GHz TX and RX pins of the
EFR32MG12 to the SMA connector to be able to transmit and receive with one antenna. The component values have been optimized
for the 434 MHz band RF performance and current consumption with 10 dBm output power.
For a detailed description of the matching network see section 4.2.1 Description of the Sub-GHz RF Matching.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Radio Board Block Summary
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 6

3.3.5 Matching Network for 2.4 GHz
The BRD4173A Radio Board incorporates a 2.4 GHz matching network which connects the 2.4 GHz TRX pin of the EFR32MG12 to the
one on-board printed Inverted-F antenna. The component values were optimized for the 2.4 GHz band RF performace and current con-
sumption with 10 dBm output power.
For detailed description of the matching network see section 4.2.2 Description of the 2.4 GHz RF Matching.
3.3.6 SMA Connector
To be able to perform conducted measurements or mount external antenna for radiated measurements, range tests, etc., Silicon Labs
added an SMA connector to the Radio Board. The connector allows an external 50 Ohm cable or antenna to be connected during de-
sign verification or testing.
3.3.7 UFL Connector
To be able to perform conducted measurements, Silicon Labs added a UFL connector to the Radio Board. The connector allows an
external 50 Ohm cable or antenna to be connected during design verification or testing.
Note: By default, the output of the matching network is connected to the printed inverted-F antenna by a series component. It can be
connected to the UFL connector as well through a series 0 Ohm resistor, which is not mounted by default. For conducted measure-
ments through the UFL connector, the series component to the antenna should be removed and the 0 Ohm resistor should be mounted
(see section 4.2.2 Description of the 2.4 GHz RF Matching for further details).
3.3.8 Radio Board Connectors
Two dual-row, 0.05” pitch polarized connectors make up the BRD4173A Radio Board interface to the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard.
For more information on the pin mapping between the EFR32MG12P433F1024GM48 and the Radio Board Connector, refer to section
2.2 Radio Board Connector Pin Associations.
3.3.9 Inverted-F Antenna
The BRD4173A Radio Board includes a printed inverted-F antenna (IFA) tuned to have close to 50 Ohm impedance at the 2.4 GHz
band.
For detailed description of the antenna, see section 4.6 Inverted-F Antenna.
3.3.10 Serial Flash
The BRD4173A Radio Board is equipped with an 8 Mbit Macronix MX25R SPI flash that is connected directly to the EFR32MG12 to
support over-the-air (OTA) updates. For additional information on the pin mapping see the BRD4173A schematic.
3.3.11 Serial EEPROM
The BRD4173A Radio Board is equipped with a serial I2C EEPROM for board identification and to store additional board related infor-
mation.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Radio Board Block Summary
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 7

4. RF Section
4.1 Introduction
This section gives a short introduction to the RF section of the BRD4173A Radio Board.
4.2 Schematic of the RF Matching Network
The schematic of the RF section of the BRD4173A Radio Board is shown in the following figure.
GND
GND
GND
PAVDD
VDCDC
GND
GND
GND
GND
VBIAS
GNDGND
GND
GND
VBIAS
C1
C102
100P
L4 L5
C8
P2
U.FL
3
2
1
L7 C9
Ground
RF I/ORF Crystal
RF Analog Power
PA Power
U1B
EFR32
2G4RF_IOP 20
2G4RF_ION 19
RFVDD
9
HFXI
10
HFXO
11
PAVDD
21
RFVSS
17
PAVSS
18
SUBGRF_OP 13
SUBGRF_ON 14
SUBGRF_IP 15
SUBGRF_IN 16
C103
10P
TP1
L6
BAL1
ATB2012-50011
14
3 2
X1
38.400 MHz
31
2
4
P1
SMA
3
2
1
4
5
C7
C106
220N
R2
0R
NM
L8
C3
C107
10P
R1
0R
L9
C14
C4
C10
AT1
INVERTED_F
L102
BLM18AG601SN1
1 2
C11
L1
C6
C12
L103
BLM18AG601SN1
1 2 L3
C5
50R_R1
50R_UFL
50R_IFA
50R_SMA
Sub-GHz Matching Network
TRX Matching &
Filter
Inverted-F
Antenna
UFL
Connector
TRX Matching
2.4 GHz Matching Network Path Selection
Supply Filtering
High Frequency
Crystal Sub-GHz P
A
Power Supply
Filter
Discrete Balun
SMA
Connector
Figure 4.1. Schematic of the RF Section of the BRD4173A
4.2.1 Description of the Sub-GHz RF Matching
The sub-GHz matching network connects the differential TX outputs and RX inputs of the sub-GHz RF port to the SMA connector while
transforming the impedances to 50 Ohm. Careful design procedure was followed to ensure that the RX input circuitry does not load
down the TX output path while in TX mode and that the TX output circuitry does not degrade receive performance while in RX mode.
The matching includes a differential impedance matching circuitry, a discrete balanced-unbalanced transformer, and a filter section. The
targeted output power is 10 dBm at 434 MHz.
4.2.2 Description of the 2.4 GHz RF Matching
The 2.4 GHz matching connects the 2G4RF_IOP pin to the on-board printed Inverted-F Antenna. The 2G4RF_ION pin is connected to
ground. For lower output powers (under 13 dBm) additional harmonic filtering is not required as the harmonic levels are below the regu-
lation limits (see section 7.1 Conducted Power Measurements). Therefore, the matching network comprises only a two-element impe-
dance matching circuitry. The targeted output power is 10 dBm.
For conducted measurements the output of the matching network can also be connected to the UFL connector by relocating the series
R1 resistor to the R2 resistor position between the output of the matching and the UFL connector.
4.3 RF Section Power Supply
On the BRD4173A Radio Board the supply for the radio (RFVDD) and the sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz power amplifiers (SUBGRF_ON,
SUBGRF_OP and PAVDD pins) is connected to the on-chip DC-DC converter. This way, by default, the DC-DC converter provides
1.8 V for the entire RF section (for details, see the schematic of the BRD4173A).
4.4 Bill of Materials for the sub-GHz Matching
The Bill of Materials of the sub-GHz matching network of the BRD4173A Radio Board is shown in the following table.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Section
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 8

Table 4.1. Bill of Materials for the BRD4173A Sub-GHz RF Matching Network
Component Name Value Manufacturer Part Number
L3 75 nH Murata LQW18AN75NG00D
L4 470 nH Murata LQW18CNR47J00D
L5 470 nH Murata LQW18CNR47J00D
L6 18 nH Murata LQW15AN18NG00D
L7 18 nH Murata LQW15AN18NG00D
L8 24 nH Murata LQW15AN24NG00D
L9 24 nH Murata LQW15AN24NG00D
C3 1.6 pF Murata GRM1555C1H1R6WA01D
C4 1.6 pF Murata GRM1555C1H1R6WA01D
C5 Not Mounted - -
C6 Not Mounted - -
C7 4.7 pF Murata GRM1555C1H4R7WA01D
C8 270 pF Murata GRM1555C1H271FA01D
C9 270 pF Murata GRM1555C1H271FA01D
C10 6.2 pF Murata GRM1555C1H6R2BA01D
C11 11 pF Murata GRM1555C1H110GA01D
C12 5.6 pF Murata GRM1555C1H5R6WA01D
C14 270 pF Murata GRM1555C1H271FA01D
4.5 Bill of Materials for the 2.4 GHz Matching
The Bill of Materials of the 2.4 GHz matching network of the BRD4173A Radio Board is shown in the following table.
Table 4.2. Bill of Materials for the BRD4173A 2.4GHz RF Matching Network
Component Name Value Manufacturer Part Number
L1 1.9 nH Murata LQP15MN1N9W02D
C1 1.5 pF Murata GRM1555C1H1R5WA01D
4.6 Inverted-F Antenna
The BRD4173A Radio Board includes an on-board printed inverted-F antenna tuned for the 2.4 GHz band. Due to the design restric-
tions of the Radio Board, the input of the antenna and the output of the matching network can't be placed directly next to each other.
Therefore, a 50 Ohm transmission line was necessary to connect them. The resulting impedance and reflection measured at the output
of the matcing network are shown in the following figure. As it can be observed, the impedance is close to 50 Ohm (the reflection is
around or better than -10 dB) for the entire 2.4 GHz band.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Section
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 9

Figure 4.2. Impedance and Reflection of the Inverted-F Antenna of the BRD4173A Board Measured from the Matching Output
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Section
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 10

5. Mechanical Details
The BRD4173A Radio Board is illustrated in the figures below.
SMA Connector
LFXTAL
EFR32xx
HFXTAL
UFL
Connector
Printed
Inverted-F
Antenna
Sub-GHz
Matching
and Filter
Frame of
the
Optional
Shielding
Can
45 mm
30 mm
38.6 mm
4.4 mm
2.4 GHz Path
Selection
DC-DC
&
Supply
Filter
Caps.
Serial
Flash
DC-DC
Inductor
2.4 GHz
Matching
0
Figure 5.1. BRD4173A Top View
24 mm
27.3 mm
28.6 mm
5 mm
Interface
Connector
Interface
Connector
15 mm
Board
Identification
PAVDD
Supply
Selection
Display
Enable
Selection
WSTK
Sensor
Enable
Selection
Figure 5.2. BRD4173A Bottom View
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Mechanical Details
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 11

6. EMC Compliance
6.1 Introduction
Compliance of the fundamental and harmonic levels of the BRD4173A Radio Board is tested against the following standards:
• 434 MHz:
• ETSI EN 300-220-1
• 2.4 GHz:
• ETSI EN 300-328
• FCC 15.247
6.2 EMC Regulations for 434 MHz
6.2.1 ETSI EN 300-200-1 Emission Limits for the 433.050-434.790 MHz Band
Based on ETSI EN 300-220-1 the allowed maximum fundamental power for the 433.050-434.790 MHz band is 10 mW (+10 dBm) e.r.p.
both for conducted and radiated measurements.
Note: Further in this document EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) will be used instead of e.r.p. (Effective Radiated Power) for
the comparison of the limits and measurement results. The 10 mW e.r.p radiated limit is equivalent to 12.1 dBm EIRP.
For the unwanted emission limits see the table below.
Table 6.1. ETSI EN 300-220-1 Spurious Domain Emission Limits in e.r.p. (and EIRP)
Frequency
47 MHz to 74 MHz
87.5 MHz to 118 MHz
174 MHz to 230 MHz
470 MHz to 862 MHz
Other frequencies
below 1000 MHz
Frequencies
above 1000 MHz
Operating 4 nW (-54 dBm e.r.p. = -51.8 dBm
EIRP)
250 nW (-36 dBm e.r.p. = -33.9 dBm
EIRP)
1 uW (-30 dBm e.r.p. = -27.9 dBm
EIRP)
Standby 2 nW (-57 dBm e.r.p. = -54.8 dBm
EIRP)
2 nW (-57 dBm e.r.p. = -54.8 dBm
EIRP)
20 nW (-47 dBm e.r.p. = -44.8 dBm
EIRP)
The above ETSI limits are also applied both for conducted and radiated measurements.
6.3 ETSI EN 300-328 Emission Limits for the 2400-2483.5 MHz Band
Based on ETSI EN 300-328, the allowed maximum fundamental power for the 2400-2483.5 MHz band is 20 dBm EIRP. For the unwan-
ted emissions in the 1 GHz to 12.75 GHz domain, the specific limit is -30 dBm EIRP.
6.4 FCC15.247 Emission Limits for the 2400-2483.5 MHz Band
FCC 15.247 allows conducted output power up to 1 Watt (30 dBm) in the 2400-2483.5 MHz band. For spurious emissions the limit is
-20 dBc based on either conducted or radiated measurement, if the emission is not in a restricted band. The restricted bands are speci-
fied in FCC 15.205. In these bands the spurious emission levels must meet the levels set out in FCC 15.209. In the range from
960 MHz to the frequency of the 5th harmonic, it is defined as 0.5 mV/m at 3 m distance which equals to -41.2 dBm in EIRP.
Additionally, for spurious frequencies above 1 GHz, FCC 15.35 allows duty-cycle relaxation to the regulatory limits. For the EmberZNet
PRO the relaxation is 3.6 dB. Therefore, the -41.2 dBm limit can be modified to -37.6 dBm.
If operating in the 2400-2483.5 MHz band, the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th harmonics can fall into restricted bands. As a result, for those harmon-
ics the -37.6 dBm limit should be applied. For the 4th harmonic the -20 dBc limit should be applied.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
EMC Compliance
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 12

6.5 Applied Emission Limits for the 2.4 GHz Band
The above ETSI limits are applied both for conducted and radiated measurements.
The FCC restricted band limits are radiated limits only. In addition, Silicon Labs applies the same restrictions to the conducted spec-
trum. By doing so, compliance with the radiated limits can be estimated based on the conducted measurement, by assuming the use of
an antenna with 0 dB gain at the fundamental and the harmonic frequencies.
The overall applied limits are shown in the table below.
Table 6.2. Applied Limits for Spurious Emissions for the 2.4 GHz Band
Harmonic Frequency Limit
2nd 4800~4967 MHz -37.6 dBm
3rd 7200~7450.5 MHz -37.6 dBm
4th 9600~9934 MHz -30 dBm
5th 12000~12417.5 MHz -37.6 dBm
BRD4173A Reference Manual
EMC Compliance
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 13

7. RF Performance
7.1 Conducted Power Measurements
During measurements, the BRD4173A Radio Board was attached to a Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard which was supplied by USB. The
voltage supply for the Radio Board was 3.3 V.
7.1.1 Conducted Measurements in the 434 MHz Band
The BRD4173A Radio Board was connected directly to a Spectrum Analyzer through its SMA connector. The supply for the RF section
(RFVDD) and the sub-GHz power amplifier (SUBGRF_ON, SUBGRF_OP) was 1.8 V provided by the on-chip DCDC converter (for the
sub-GHz PA it was provided as VBIAS through the discrete balun); for details, see the schematic of the BRD4173A. The transceiver
was operated in continuous carrier transmission mode. The output power of the radio was set to 10 dBm.
The typical output spectrum is shown in the following figure.
Figure 7.1. Typical Output Spectrum of the BRD4173A
As shown in the figure, the fundamental is slightly above 10 dBm but still compliant with the 12.1 dBm fundamental limit. The unwanted
emissions are under -60 dBm, so the conducted spectrum is compliant with the regulation limits.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Performance
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 14

7.1.2 Conducted Measurements in the 2.4 GHz Band
The BRD4173A Radio Board was connected directly to a Spectrum Analyzer through its UFL connector (the R1 resistor was removed
and a 0 Ohm resistor was soldered to the R2 resistor position). The supply for the RF section (RFVDD) and the 2.4 GHz power amplifi-
er (PAVDD) was 1.8 V provided by the on-chip DC-DC converter; for details, see the schematic of the BRD4173A. The transceiver was
operated in continuous carrier transmission mode. The output power of the radio was set to 10 dBm.
The typical output spectrum is shown in the following figure.
Figure 7.2. Typical Output Spectrum of the BRD4173A
As shown in the figure, the fundamental is very close to 10 dBm and all of the unwanted emissions are under the -37.6 dBm applied
limit.
Note: The conducted measurement is performed by connecting the on-board UFL connector to a Spectrum Analyzer through an SMA
Conversion Adapter (P/N: HRMJ-U.FLP(40)). This connection itself introduces approximately 0.3 dB insertion loss.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Performance
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 15

7.2 Radiated Power Measurements
During measurements, the BRD4173A Radio Board was attached to a Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard which was supplied by USB. The
voltage supply for the Radio Board was 3.3 V. The radiated power was measured in an antenna chamber by rotating the board 360 de-
grees with horizontal and vertical reference antenna polarizations in the XY, XZ, and YZ cuts. The measurement planes are illustrated
in the figure below.
Figure 7.3. Illustration of Reference Planes with a Radio Board Plugged into the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard
Note: The radiated measurement results presented in this document were recorded in an unlicensed antenna chamber. Also, the radi-
ated power levels may change depending on the actual application (PCB size, used antenna, and so on). Therefore, the absolute levels
and margins of the final application are recommended to be verified in a licensed EMC testhouse.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Performance
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 16

7.2.1 Radiated Measurements in the 434 MHz Band
For the 434 MHz radiated power measurements, an external whip antenna (P/N: ANT-433-CW-QW-SMA) was used as a transmitter
antenna. It was connected to the SMA connector of the BRD4173A Radio Board. The supply for the RF section (RFVDD) and the sub-
GHz power amplifier (SUBGRF_ON, SUBGRF_OP) was 1.8 V provided by the on-chip DCDC converter (for the sub-GHz PA it was
provided as VBIAS through the discrete balun); for details, see the schematic of the BRD4173A. The transceiver was operated in con-
tinuous carrier transmission mode. The output power of the radio was set to 10 dBm.
The measured radiated powers are shown in the table below.
Table 7.1. Maximums of the Measured Radiated Powers in EIRP [dBm]
Frequency EIRP [dBm] Orientation Margin [dB] Limit in EIRP [dBm]
Fund 9.6 XY/V 2.5 12.1
2nd -58.2 YZ/H 24.3 -33.9
3rd -59.2 XZ/H 31.3 -27.9
4th -50.6 YZ/V 22.7 -27.9
5th -61.4 XZ/H 33.5 -27.9
6th -45.2 XZ/H 17.3 -27.9
7th <-50*-/- >10 -27.9
8th -48.5 XZ/V 20.6 -27.9
9th <-50*-/- >10 -27.9
10th -57.3 XZ/V 29.4 -27.9
* Signal level is below the Spectrum Analyzer noise floor.
As shown in the table, the fundamental is below the regulation limit by 2.5 dB, the harmonic levels are also compliant with large mar-
gins.
7.2.2 Radiated Measurements in the 2.4 GHz Band
For the transmitter antenna, the on-board printed inverted-F antenna of the BRD4173A Radio Board was used (the R1 resistor was
mounted). The supply for the RF section (RFVDD) and the 2.4 GHz power amplifier (PAVDD) was 1.8 V provided by the on-chip DC-DC
converter; for details, see the schematic of the BRD4173A. The transceiver was operated in continuous carrier transmission mode. The
output power of the radio was set to 10 dBm based on the conducted measurement.
The results are shown in the table below.
Table 7.2. Maximums of the Measured Radiated Powers in EIRP [dBm]
Frequency EIRP [dBm] Orientation Margin [dB] Limit in EIRP [dBm]
Fund 11.8 XZ/H 18.2 30
2nd -51.2 XZ/H 13.6 -37.6
3rd -45.3 YZ/H 7.7 -37.6
4th -50.7 YZ/V 20.7 -30
5th <-50*-/- >10 -37.6
* Signal level is below the Spectrum Analyzer noise floor.
As shown in the table, due to the high gain of the inverted-F antenna, the level of the fundamental is higher than 10 dBm. The harmon-
ics are compliant with the applied limits with large margins.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
RF Performance
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 17

8. EMC Compliance Recommendations
8.1 Recommendations for 434 MHz ETSI EN 300-220-1 Compliance
As shown in the previous section, the BRD4173A Mighty Gecko Radio Board with 10 dBm output power is compliant with the emission
limits of the ETSI EN 300-220-1 regulation. Although the BRD4173A Radio Board has an option for mounting a shielding can, it is not
required for the compliance.
8.2 Recommendations for 2.4 GHz ETSI EN 300-328 Compliance
As shown in the previous section, the power of the fundamental of the BRD4173A Mighty Gecko Radio Board with 10 dBm output is
compliant with the 20 dBm limit of the ETSI EN 300-328 regulation in both the conducted and radiated measurements. The harmonic
emissions are under the -30 dBm limit with a large margin. Although the BRD4173A Radio Board has an option for mounting a shielding
can, it is not required for the compliance.
8.3 Recommendations for 2.4 GHz FCC 15.247 Compliance
As shown in the previous section, the power of the fundamental of the BRD4173A Mighty Gecko Radio Board with 10 dBm output is
compliant with the 30 dBm limit of the FCC 15.247 regulation. The harmonic emissions are under the -37.6 dBm applied limit with mar-
gin. Although the BRD4173A Radio Board has an option for mounting a shielding can, it is not required for the compliance.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
EMC Compliance Recommendations
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 18

9. Board Revision History
Table 9.1. BRD4173A Radio Board Revisions
Radio Board Revision Description
A00 Initial revision.
Note: The silkscreen marking on the board (e.g. PCBxxxx A00) denotes the revision of the PCB. The revision of the actual Radio Board
is laser printed in the "Board Info" field on the PCB. Also, it can be read from the on-board EEPROM.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Board Revision History
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 19

10. Errata
There are no known errata at present.
BRD4173A Reference Manual
Errata
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 1.00 | 20