Texas Instruments BoosterPack IWR1642 User manual

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IWR1642 Evaluation Module (IWR1642BOOST) Single-Chip mmWave
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User's Guide
SWRU521C–May 2017–Revised May 2020
IWR1642 Evaluation Module (IWR1642BOOST)
Single-Chip mmWave Sensing Solution
The IWR1642 BoosterPack™ from Texas Instruments™ is an easy-to-use evaluation board for the
IWR1642 mmWave sensing device, with direct connectivity to the microcontroller (MCU) LaunchPad™
Development Kit. The BoosterPack contains everything required to start developing software for on-chip
C67x DSP core and low-power Arm®R4F controllers, including onboard emulation for programming and
debugging as well as onboard buttons and LEDs for quick integration of a simple user interface.
Contents
1 Getting Started............................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Key Features ....................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Kit Contents.......................................................................................................... 2
2 Hardware...................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Block Diagram....................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Power Connections................................................................................................. 6
2.3 Connectors .......................................................................................................... 6
2.4 PC Connection..................................................................................................... 10
2.5 Connecting the BoosterPack to the LaunchPad or the MMWAVE-DEVPACK............................ 11
2.6 Antenna............................................................................................................. 12
2.7 Jumpers, Switches, and LEDs................................................................................... 18
3 Design Files and Software Tools......................................................................................... 21
3.1 Hardware........................................................................................................... 21
3.2 Software, Development Tools, and Example Code........................................................... 21
4 Mechanical Mounting of PCB............................................................................................. 21
5 PCB Storage and Handling Recommendations........................................................................ 22
6 Regulatory Information .................................................................................................... 23
7 Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................ 23
8 References.................................................................................................................. 23
Trademarks
BoosterPack, Texas Instruments, LaunchPad, Code Composer Studio are trademarks of Texas
Instruments.
Arm is a registered trademark of Arm Limited.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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1 Getting Started
1.1 Introduction
The IWR1642 BoosterPack from Texas Instruments is an easy-to-use evaluation board for the IWR1642
mmWave sensing device, with direct connectivity to the microcontroller (MCU) LaunchPad Development
Kit. The BoosterPack contains everything required to start developing software for on-chip C67x DSP core
and low-power ARM R4F controllers, including onboard emulation for programming and debugging as well
as onboard buttons and LEDs for quick integration of a simple user interface.
The standard 20-pin BoosterPack headers make the device compatible with a wide variety of TI MCU
LaunchPads and enables easy prototyping.
1.2 Key Features
• Two 20-pin LaundPad connectors that leverages the ecosystem of the TI LaunchPad
• XDS110 based JTAG emulation with a serial port for onboard QSPI flash programming
• Back-channel UART through USB-to-PC for logging purposes
• Onboard antenna
• 60-pin, high-density (HD) connector for raw analog-to-digital converter (ADC) data over LVDS and
trace-data capability
• Onboard CAN transceiver
• One button and two LEDs for basic user interface
• 5-V power jack to power the board
1.3 Kit Contents
• IWR1642BOOST evaluation board
• Mounting brackets, screws, and nuts to place the printed-circuit board (PCB) vertical
• Micro USB cable to connect to PC
NOTE: A 5-V, > 2.5-A supply brick with a 2.1-mm barrel jack (center positive) is not included. TI
recommends using an external power supply that complies with applicable regional safety
standards, such as UL, CSA, VDE, CCC, PSE, and more. The length of the power cable
should be < 3 m.
1.3.1 mmWave Demo
TI provides sample demo codes to easily get started with the IWR1642 evaluation module (EVM) and to
experience the functionality of the IWR1642 radar sensor. For details on getting started with these demos,
see www.ti.com/tool/mmwave-sdk.

5-V Power
IWR1642
Flash
60-pin HD
Connector
Micro USB
Connector
SOP ControlsNRST_SWGPIO1_SW
Onboard Antenna
CAN-FD
Connector
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2 Hardware
Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the front and rear view of the EVM, respectively.
Figure 1. EVM (Front)

Micro USB
Connector
Heat Sink Area
20-SLQ/DXQFK3DGŒ
Connector (J6)
20-SLQ/DXQFK3DGŒ
Connector (J5)
XDS110
PMIC
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Figure 2. EVM (Rear)

IWR1642
BP Connector
XDS110
SOP
PC Interface
Through USB
UART and JTAG
SPI, UART, I2C,
Rst, Nerrs,
SOPs, Loggers,
CAN, and GPIOs
60-pin HD
LVDS data and Clk
JTAG and trace
40-Mhz
XTAL
QSPI
Flash
Optional for 3.3-V
from MCU
LaunchPadTM
PMIC
LDO2
4 RX and 2 TX PCBs
LDO2
1.8 V
1.3 V
1.2 V
3.3 VIO
1.8 V
2.3 V
EN Control
From the MCU
PGOOD Signal to
MCU for Power
Sequencing
5-V input
from jack
and MCU
Power and 2 GPIO
LED indicators
Control Signals for
External MCU
Interface
Copyright © 2017, Texas Instruments Incorporated
Current
Measurement
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2.1 Block Diagram
Figure 3 shows the block diagram.
Figure 3. Block Diagram

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2.2 Power Connections
The BoosterPack is powered by the 5-V power jack (5-A current limit), shown in Figure 4. As soon as the
power is provided, the NRST and 5-V LEDs should glow, indicating that the board is powered on.
NOTE: After the 5-V power supply is provided to the EVM, it is recommended to press the NRST
switch (SW2) one time to ensure a reliable boot-up state.
Figure 4. Power Connector
2.3 Connectors
2.3.1 20-Pin BoosterPack Connectors
The BoosterPack has the standard LaunchPad connectors (J5 and J6, shown in Figure 5) that enable it to
be directly connected to all TI MCU LaunchPads. While connecting the BoosterPack to other LaunchPads,
ensure the pin-1 orientation is correct by matching the 3V3 and 5-V signal marking on the boards.
Figure 5. 20-Pin BoosterPack Connectors

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Table 1 and Table 2 provide the connector-pin information.
Table 1. J5 Connector Pin
Pin Number Description Pin Number Description
1 AR_NERR_OUT 2 GND
3 AR_NERRIN 4 DSS_LOGGER (AR_DP7)
5 AR_MCUCLKOUT 6 AR_CS1
7 NC 8 AR_GPIO_1
9 AR_MSS_LOGGER 10 AR_NRST_MCU
11 AR_WARMRST 12 AR_MOSI1
13 AR_BSS_LOGGER 14 AR_MISO1
15 MCU_SOP2 16 AR_HOSTINTR1
17 MCU_SOP1 18 AR_GPIO_2
19 MCU_SOP0 20 NC
(1) Voltage input to the GPADC available on the IWR1642.
(2) Indicates the state of the onboard VIO supply for the IWR device coming from the onboard PMIC. A HIGH on the PGOOD signal
(3.3 V) indicates the supply is stable. Because the I/Os are not failsafe, the MCU must not drive any I/O signals to the IWR
device before this I/O supply is stable to avoid leakage current into the I/Os.
(3) Controls the onboard PMIC enable. The MCU can use this to shut down the PMIC and IWR device during the periods it does not
use the IWR device and save power. The power up of the PMIC takes approximately 5 ms once the enable signal is made high.
Table 2. J6 Connector Pin
Pin Number Description Pin Number Description
1 3V3 2 MCU_5v (5V_IN)
3 NC 4 GND
5 AR_RS232TX 6 AR_ANATEST1(1)
7 AR_RS232RX 8 AR_ANATEST2(1)
9 AR_SYNC_IN 10 AR_ANATEST3(1)
11 NC 12 AR_ANATEST4(1)
13 AR_SPICLK1 14 PGOOD (onboard VIO)(2)
15 AR_GPIO_0 16 PMIC_EN1(3)
17 AR_SCL 18 AR_SYNC_OUT_SOP1
19 AR_SDA 20 AR_PMIC_CLKOUT_SOP2

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2.3.2 60-Pin HD Connector
The 60-pin HD connector provides the high speed LVDS data, control signals (SPI, UART, I2C, NRST,
NERR, SOPs) and JTAG debug signals. The connector can be connected to the MMWAVE-DEVPACK
board to further get to the standard TSW1400 EVM. Figure 6 shows the HD connector, and Table 3
provides the connector information.
Figure 6. HD Connector

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(1) Indicates the state of the onboard VIO supply for the IWR device coming from the onboard PMIC. A HIGH on the PGOOD signal (3.3 V)
indicates the supply is stable. Because the I/Os are not failsafe, the MCU must not drive any I/O signals to the IWR device before this I/O
supply is stable to avoid leakage current into the I/Os.
Table 3. J1 Connector Pin
Pin Number Description Pin Number Description
1 5V 2 5V_IN
3 5V 4 AR_TDO_SOP0
5 AR_TDI 6 AR_TCK
7 AR_CS1 8 AR_TMS
9 AR_SPICLK1 10 AR_HOSTINTR1
11 AR_MOSI1 12 AR_MISO1
13 PGOOD (onboard VIO)(1) 14 AR_NERR_OUT
15 AR_DMM_CLK 16 AR_SYNC_IN
17 AR_DMM_SYNC 18 GND
19 AR_DP0 20 NC
21 AR_DP1 22 NC
23 AR_DP2 24 GND
25 AR_DP3 26 AR_LVDS_FRCLKP
27 AR_DP4 28 AR_LCDS_FRCLKM
29 AR_DP5 30 GND
31 AR_DP6 32 NC
33 AR_DP7 34 NC
35 AR_DP8 36 GND
37 AR_DP9 38 NC
39 AR_DP10 40 NC
41 AR_DP11 42 GND
43 AR_DP12 44 AR_LVDS_CLKP
45 AR_DP13 46 AR_LVDS_CLKM
47 AR_DP14 48 GND
49 AR_DP15 50 AR_LVDS_1P
51 AR_SDA 52 AR_LVDS_1M
53 AR_SCL 54 GND
55 AR_RS232RX 56 AR_LVDS_0P
57 AR_RS232TX 58 AR_LVDS_0M
59 AR_NRST_MCU 60 GND

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2.3.3 CAN Interface Connector
The J3 connector provides the CAN_L and CAN_H signals from the onboard CAND transceiver
(TCAN1042HGVDRQ1). These signals can be directly wired to the CAN bus.
Because the digital CAN signals (Tx and Rx) are muxed with the SPI interface signals on the IWR device,
one of the two paths must be selected. In the Rev A of the board, to enable the CAN interface, R11 and
R12 resisters must be populated with 0 Ω; R4, R6, R28, and R63 resistors must be removed to disconnect
the SPI path. In the Rev B board, this is done by placing the switch S2 on the "CAN" position.
NOTE: For CAN use, a modification is needed along with the S2 position:
• Remove R11
• Connect U3-1 to U14-12 CAN_Tx
• Remove R12
• Connect U3-4 to U14-9 CAN_Rx
Figure 7 shows the CAN connector.
Figure 7. CAN Connector
2.4 PC Connection
The connectivity is provided through the micro USB connector over the onboard XDS110
(TM4C1294NCPDT) emulator. This connection provides the following interfaces to the PC:
• JTAG for Code Composer Studio™ (CCS) connectivity
• UART1 for flashing the onboard serial flash, downloading FW through Radar Studio, and getting
application data sent through the UART
• MSS logger UART (can be used to get MSS code logs on the PC)
When the USB is connected to the PC, the device manager should recognize the following COM ports,
shown in Figure 8:
• XDS110 Class Application/User UART – UART1 port
• XDS110 Class Auxiliary Data Port – MSS logger port
Figure 8. COM Ports

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If Windows®is unable to recognize the COM ports, users must install the EMU pack available at XDS
Emulation Software Package.
2.5 Connecting the BoosterPack to the LaunchPad or the MMWAVE-DEVPACK
The development pack may be required with the BoosterPack for the following use cases:
• Connecting to Radar Studio
Radar Studio TSW1400+Devpack, mmwave Studio TSW1400+Devpack/DCA1000 tool is a tool that
provides capability to configure the mmWave front end from the PC. This tool is available in the DFP
package and refers to single dfp landing page for both pieces of software.
• Capturing high-speed LVDS data using the TSW1400 or DCA1000 FPGA platform from TI (see High
Speed Data Capture and Pattern Generation Platform).
The TSW1400 EVM and Devpack or DCA1000 EVM platform allows users to capture the raw ADC
data over the high-speed debug interface and post process it in the PC.
• Getting DSP trace data through the MIPI 60-pin interface
• Use the DMM interface
This BoosterPack can be stacked on top of the Launchpad or the MMWAVE-DEVPACK by using the two
20-pin connectors. The connectors do not have a key to prevent the misalignment of the pins or reverse
connection. Hence, care must be taken to ensure reverse mounting does not take place.
On the IWR1642 BoosterPack, TI has provided 3V3 markings near pin 1, shown in Figure 9. The same
marking is provided on compatible LaunchPads (must be aligned before powering up the boards).
Figure 9. 3V3 and 5V Marking on BoosterPack
For details on these use cases, see the MMWAVE-DEVPACK User's Guide.
NOTE: The DCA1000 EVM has internal DEVPACK functionality. For more information, see the
DCA1000EVM Data Capture Card User's Guide.

RX1 RX2 RX3 RX4 TX1 TX2
RX Antennas TX Antennas
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2.6 Antenna
The BoosterPack includes onboard-etched antennas for the four receivers and two transmitters that
enable tracking multiple objects with their distance and angle information. This antenna design enables
estimation of distance and elevation angle that enables object detection in a two-dimensional plane.
Figure 10 shows the PCB antennas.
Figure 10. RX and TX Antennas
The antenna peak gain is > 9 dBi across the operating frequency band of 76 to 81 GHz. The peak output
power with the antenna gain is < 55 dBm EIRP, as required by the European regulations. The radiation
pattern of the antenna in the horizontal plane (H-plane Phi = 0 degrees) and elevation plane (E-plane Phi
= 90 degrees) is shown by Figure 10.

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Figure 11. Antenna Pattern

TX1 to RX4
TX1 to RX3
TX1 to RX1
TX1 to RX2
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Azimuth Antenna Pattern TX1

TX2 to RX3
TX2 to RX4
TX2 to RX1
TX2 to RX2
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Azimuth Antenna Pattern TX2

TX1 to RX3
TX1 to RX4
TX1 to RX1
TX1 to RX2
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Elevation Antenna Pattern TX1

TX2 to RX4
TX2 to RX3
TX2 to RX2
TX2 to RX1
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Elevation Antenna Pattern TX2

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2.7 Jumpers, Switches, and LEDs
2.7.1 Sense-on-Power (SOP) Jumpers
The IWR1642 device can be set to operate in three different modes based on the state of the SOP lines.
These lines are sensed only during boot up of the IWR device. The state of the device is detailed by
Table 4.
A closed jumpers refers to a 1, and an open jumper refers to a 0 state of the SOP signal going to the IWR
device.
Table 4. SOP Jumper Information
Reference Usage Comments
P3 SOP 2
SOP[2:0]
101 (SOP mode 5) = flash
programming
P2 SOP 1 001 (SOP mode 4) =
functional mode
P4 SOP 0 011 (SOP mode 2) =
debug mode
Figure 12 shows the SOP jumpers.
Figure 12. SOP Jumpers

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2.7.2 Current Measurement
The P5 jumper enables the measurement of the current being consumed by the reference design (IWR
device, PMIC, and LDOs) at a 5-V level.
To measure the current, resistor R118 must be removed and a series ammeter can be put across the P5
pins (shown in Figure 13).
Figure 13. P5 Pins
2.7.3 Push Buttons and LEDs
Table 5 provides the switch and LED information.
Table 5. Switch and LED Information
Reference Usage Comments
SW2 RESET
Used to RESET the IWR1642 device. This
signal is also brought out on the 20-pin
connector and 60-pin HD connector so an
external processor can control the IWR
device. The onboard XDS110 can also
use this reset.
SW1 GPIO_1 When pushed, the GPIO_1 is pulled to
VCC.
DS2 5-V supply indication This LED indicates the presence of the 5-
V supply.
DS4 nRESET This LED is used to indicate the state of
nRESET pin. If this LED is glowing, the
device is out of reset. This LED will glow
only after the 5-V supply is provided.
DS1 Nerr_OUT Glows if there is any HW error in the IWR
device
DS3 GPIO_1 Glows when the GPIO is logic-1

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Figure 14 through Figure 19 show the location of switches and LEDs.
Figure 14. SW1 Figure 15. SW2 Figure 16. DS2
Figure 17. DS4 Figure 18. DS1 Figure 19. DS3
2.7.4 Selection Between SPI and CAN Interface
The SPI and CAN interface are muxed on the same lines on the IWR1642 device. Based on the
configuration, the user can select if the pins E14 and D13 must be connected to the 20-pin/BP/LP
connectors to provide the SPI interface OR to the onboard CANFD PHY (U3). This selection is done by
the S2 switch. This switch is available on the board from Rev B onwards.
Figure 20. S2 Switch to Select Between SPI or CAN Interface