Texas Instruments IWR6843L EVM User manual

User’s Guide
IWR6843L EVM
Chethan Kumar Y.B.
ABSTRACT
The IWR6843LEVM from Texas Instruments is an easy-to-use low cost FR4-based evaluation board for the
XWR6843 mmWave sensing device, with direct connectivity to the MMWAVEICBOOST and DCA1000EVM
development kits. This EVM contains everything required to start developing software for on-chip C67x DSP
core and low power Arm® Cortex®-R4F controllers
Table of Contents
1 Getting Started........................................................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Key Features......................................................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Kit Contents........................................................................................................................................................................2
1.3 mmWave Out of Box Demo................................................................................................................................................2
2 Hardware................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 Block Diagram....................................................................................................................................................................5
3 PCB Storage and Handling Recommendations...................................................................................................................6
3.1 PCB Storage and Handling Recommendations................................................................................................................. 6
3.2 Higher Power Demanding Applications..............................................................................................................................6
4 IWR6843LEVM Antenna..........................................................................................................................................................6
4.1 Transmitter and Receiver Virtual Array.............................................................................................................................. 7
5 Hardware Details.....................................................................................................................................................................8
5.1 Switch Settings...................................................................................................................................................................8
5.2 LEDs...................................................................................................................................................................................9
5.3 Connectors.........................................................................................................................................................................9
5.4 USB Connector.................................................................................................................................................................. 9
5.5 DCA1000 HD Connector..................................................................................................................................................10
5.6 MMWAVEICBOOST HD Connector................................................................................................................................. 10
5.7 CANFD Connector........................................................................................................................................................... 10
5.8 I2C Connections...............................................................................................................................................................11
5.9 EEPROM..........................................................................................................................................................................11
5.10 Default I2C Address....................................................................................................................................................... 11
5.11 Modular Mode.................................................................................................................................................................11
5.12 Flashing the Board......................................................................................................................................................... 13
5.13 DCA1000EVM Mode......................................................................................................................................................13
5.14 MMWAVEICBOOST Mode.............................................................................................................................................14
5.15 Raw ADC Data Capture Using MMWAVEICBOOST and DCA1000 EVMs................................................................... 15
5.16 Muxing Scheme............................................................................................................................................................. 15
6 Software, Development Tools, and Example Code............................................................................................................15
7 TI E2E Community................................................................................................................................................................ 15
8 References............................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Trademarks
Arm® and Cortex® are registered trademarks of Arm Limited (or its subsidiaries) in the US and/or elsewhere.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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1 Getting Started
1.1 Key Features
• FR4-based PCB substrate
• Wide field of view antenna: Azimuth FOV 120°, Elevation FOV 80°
• Discrete DCDC power management solution
• Relaxed PCB rules: Lower manufacturing cost
– No micro vias, only through via
– No vias on the BGA pads
• Serial port for onboard QSPI flash programming
• 60-pin, high-density (HD) connectors for raw analog-to-digital converter (ADC) data over LVDS
• Onboard CAN-FD transceiver
• USB powered standalone mode of operation
1.2 Kit Contents
The following items are included in the IWR6843LEVM:
• IWR6843LEVM Evaluation board
• Micro USB
1.3 mmWave Out of Box Demo
TI provides sample demo codes to easily get started with the IWR6843LEVM evaluation module (EVM) and to
experience the functionality of the IWR6843 radar sensor. For details on getting started with these demos, see
www.ti.com/tool/mmwave-sdk.
CAUTION
• Caution Hot Surface
• Contact May Cause Burn
• Do Not Touch
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2 Hardware
The IWR6843LEVM includes four receivers and three transmitters wide field of antennas on the FR4 PCB
substrate.
The IWR6843 operates at a 4-GHz bandwidth from 60 to 64 GHz. The IWR6843LEVM has an antenna gain of
~5-6 dBi across different antenna pairs.
Figure 2-1. IWR6843LEVM Top View
Figure 2-2. IWR6843LEVM Bottom View
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Figure 2-3. Salient features of EVM (top side)
Figure 2-4. Salient features of EVM (bottom side)
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2.1 Block Diagram
Figure 2-5 shows the functional block diagram. The EVM contains the essential components for the TI mmWave
radar system, DCDC, SFLASH, SOP configuration, Filter, TI mmWave Radar chip, and a USB to universal
asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) converter, two 60-pin Samtec connectors for interfacing with the
DCA1000 and MMWAVEICBOOST.
2 m

INA226
TEMP SENS
TMP112A
2 m

INA226
QSPI Flash
MX25R1635
2 m

2 m

INA226 EEPROM
CAT24C08
INA226
IWR6843
CHIP
60 PIN CONNECTOR
5 V
GPIO [2:0]
DP [7:0]
LVDS
SPI
JTAG
RS232
RESET
MISC
RX
TX
1.7 V
VPP
VOUT_PA
VOUT_SYNTH
VOUT_PLL
VBGAP
1.8 V
1.0V
1.2 V 1.8 V 1.0 V
OPTIONAL
XTAL
40 MHz
5V_IN
Max 5.5 V
I2C
3.3 V
3.3 V
1.8 V
1.2V
USB TO UART
(SIC2105)
Mux
A
A
UART
RS232TX/RX
BSOP2
SOP2
Mux SOP
Switch
B
MSS_logger
DCA1000
60 PIN CONNECTOR
Reset
Button
DCDC Buck
Converter
TPS628502HQDR
LRQ1
DCDC Buck
Converter
TPS6285020MQ
DRLRQ1
DCDC Buck
Converter
TPS6285018AQD
RLRQ1
DCDC Buck
Converter
TPS628503QDRL
RQ1
FR4 Based
Antenna
Figure 2-5. Functional Block Diagram
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3 PCB Storage and Handling Recommendations
This EVM contains components that can potentially be damaged by electrostatic discharge. Always transport
and store the EVM in its supplied ESD bag when not in use. Handle using an antistatic wristband. Operate on an
antistatic work surface. For more information on proper handling, see Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
3.1 PCB Storage and Handling Recommendations
The immersion silver finish of the PCB provides a better high-frequency performance, but is also prone to
oxidation in open environment. This oxidation causes the surface around the antenna region to blacken however
mmWave Radar performance would be intact. To avoid oxidation, the PCB should be stored in an ESD cover
and kept at a controlled room temperature with low humidity conditions. All ESD precautions must be taken while
using and handling the EVM.
3.2 Higher Power Demanding Applications
For higher power applications, which single USB-port cannot supply, for example simultaneous 3 Tx operation
MMWAVEICBOOST board could be used which has external power adapter to power the entire board.
4 IWR6843LEVM Antenna
The IWR6843LEVM includes four receivers and three transmitters FR4 based antennas on the PCB. Figure 4-1
shows the Antenna configuration.
Figure 4-1. TX and Rx Antennas of the EVM
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4.1 Transmitter and Receiver Virtual Array
The transmitter and receiver antenna's positions form a virtual array of 12 transmitter and receiver pairs (as
shown in Figure 4-2). This allows the object detections finer azimuthal angular resolution (15°) and coarse
elevation angular resolution (58°). Receiver antennas are spaced at distance D (Lambda/2) and Transmitter
antenna Tx1 and Tx2 spaced at 2D (lambda) in azimuthal plane and D (Lambda/2) in elevation plane. Tx2 and
Tx3 are placed at D (lambda/2) in the elevation and 2D (Lambda) in azimuth plane.
Figure 4-2. Virtual Antenna Array
Figure 4-3 shows the antenna radiation pattern with regard to azimuth. Figure 4-4 shows the antenna radiation
pattern with regard to elevation for TX1, TX2, and TX3. Both show the radiation pattern for TX1, TX2, and TX3
and RX1, RX2, RX3, and RX4 together. All of the measurements were done with a Tx and Rx combination
together. Thus, for the -6dB beam width, you must see a -12db (Tx (-6dB) + Rx(-6dB)) number from the
boresight.
Note
Wavelength (Lambda) is computed based on a 62 GHz frequency. Antenna placements are done
according to this frequency.
Figure 4-3. Azimuth Antenna Radiation Patterns
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Measured azimuthal radiation pattern for all Tx to Rx Pairs (Corner Reflector Placed at approximately 4 meters
with a 2- GHz Bandwidth Chirp starting at 62 GHz).
Figure 4-4. Elevation Antenna Radiation Patterns
Note
In accordance to the EN 62311 RF exposure test, a minimum separation distance of 20 centimeters
should be maintained between the user and the EVM during operation.
5 Hardware Details
5.1 Switch Settings
Figure 5-1 shows the part designators and positions of the switches on the IWR6843LEVM.
Figure 5-1. Part Designators and Positions of the Switches on the IWR6843LEVM
Table 5-1. Switches, Buttons and Muxes
Reference Designator Switch On Switch Off
S1.1 SOP2 pulled up SOP2 pulled down
S1.2 SOP1 pulled up SOP1 pulled down
S1.3 SOP0 pulled up SOP0 pulled down
S1.4 Muxes to CAN connector J3, J4 Muxes to serial peripheral interface (SPI) on
60 pin connector, J1, J6
S1.5 Muxes USER UART to 60 pin header J1 Muxes USER UART to USB connector J5
S1.6 - -
S2 Reset switch
S3 GPIO1 toggle switch
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5.2 LEDs
Table 5-2 contains the list of LEDs on the IWR6843LEVM.
Table 5-2. List of LEDs
Reference Designator Color Usage Comment
D3 Orange Power good This LED is used to indicate the PGOOD. If this LED is
glowing, it means that all of the voltage rails are in limits.
D4 Green USB enumeration LED Turns on while enumerating the USB
D5 Green Reset Toggles when reset button is depressed
D6 Green 5 V indicator Indicates the application of 5 V power
D7 Green GPIO 2 Connected to GPIO2 can be used when GPIO is set as an
output.
5.3 Connectors
Higher current support: When using the EVM with the MMWAVEICBOOST, the 5-V supply is provided by the
MMWAVEICBOOST board, so power over the USB connector is not required.
Note
After the 5-V power supply is provided to the EVM, TI recommends pressing the NRST switch one
time to ensure a reliable boot-up state.
Note
All digital IO pins of the device (except NERROR IN, NERROR_OUT, and WARM_RESET) are
non-failsafe; hence, care needs to be taken that they are not driven externally without the VIO supply
being present to the device.
5.4 USB Connector
The USB connector provides a 5-V supply input to power the device; additionally, the PC interface is brought out
on this connector:
• UART 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)
Figure 5-2. USB Connector (J5)
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5.5 DCA1000 HD Connector
The 60-pin HD connector shown in Figure 5-3 provides the high-speed LVDS data, and controls signals (SPI,
UART, Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), NRST, NERROR, and SOPs) to the DCA1000.
Figure 5-3. DCA1000 HD Connector
5.6 MMWAVEICBOOST HD Connector
The 60-pin HD connector shown in Figure 5-4 provides the high-speed LVDS data, controls signals (SPI, UART,
I2C, NRST, NERR, and SOPs) and JTAG debug signals to the MMWAVEICBOOST. The Trace and DMM
interface lines are also available through this connector (not connected by default).
Figure 5-4. MMWAVEICBOOST HD Connector
5.7 CANFD Connector
The CAN connector provides access to the two CAN_FD interfaces (CAN_L and CAN_H signals) from the
onboard CAND-FD transceivers. These signals can be directly wired to the CAN bus.
Figure 5-5. CANFD Connector
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Table 5-3 shows the J3 and J4 connectors that provide the CAN_L and CAN_H signals from the 2 onboard
CAND-FD transceivers (TCAN1042HGVDRQ1). These signals are wired to the CAN bus after muxing with the
SPI interface signals; one of the two paths must be selected. Two CANs are selected by closing the switch S1.4
(1st position of switch to be ON).
Table 5-3. CAN Pin Assignment
Pin Description Device Interface Connector on Board
SPI_CS1 CAN2_TX J4.1 - CANL, J4.2 - GND, J4.3 - CANH
SPI_CLK1 CAN2_RX
MISO_1 CAN1_TX J3.1 - CANL, J3.2 - GND, J3.3 - CANH
MOSI_1 CAN1_RX
5.8 I2C Connections
The board features an EEPROM, current sensor, and temperature sensor for measuring on-board temperature.
These are connected to the I2C bus and can be isolated using the zero Ω provided on the hardware.
5.9 EEPROM
The board features an EEPROM for storing the board specific IDs (for the identification of the starter kit
connected to the MMWAVEICBOOST).
5.10 Default I2C Address
Table 5-4 provides the list of I2C devices and its address.
Table 5-4. List of I2C Device and Addresses
Sensor Type Designator Part Number Slave Address
Temperature sensor U3 TMP112AQDRLRQ1 100 1011
EEPROM J11 CAT24C08W1-GT3 101 00XX (1)
Current sensor 1 U6 INA226AIDGST 100 0000
Current sensor 2 U7 INA226AIDGST 100 0101
Current sensor 3 U8 INA226AIDGST 100 0001
Current sensor 4 U10 INA226AIDGST 100 0100
PMIC U4 LP87702DRHBRQ1 110 0000
1. XX means 00,01,10,11
5.11 Modular Mode
When used in modular mode as shown in Figure 5-7, the power is supplied through a single USB connector;
the same USB connector J5 is also used for data transfer through the CP2015 USB to UART converter. When
enumerated correctly, the 2 UART ports are displayed on the device manager as a Virtual COM Port, similar to
that shown in Figure 5-6.
Figure 5-6. Virtual COM Port
The SICP2105 drivers must be installed to access the UART port. Download and install the drivers here.
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Figure 5-7. EVM in Functional Mode Using Standalone Operation
Figure 5-8. EVM in Flashing Mode Using Standalone Operation
The enhanced COM port is the application/user UART and the standard COM port is the data port.
The S1 switch setting for functional and flashing mode is shown in Table 5-5.
Table 5-5. S1 Swtch Setting for Functional and Flashing Mode
S1.1 S1.2 S1.3 S1.4 S1.5 S1.6
Flashing On Off On On Off -
Functional Off Off On On Off -
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5.12 Flashing the Board
1. Ensure the drivers have been successfully installed and COM ports enumerated.
2. Configure the SOP to flashing mode.
3. Run the UniFlash tool.
4. Press the reset switch to ensure that the board boots up in the right mode.
5. Enter the Enhanced COM Port in UniFlash interface.
6. Load image to serial flash. For running out of box demos, see the mmWave SDK for the flash binary.
For running the demo applications please refer training videos from training.ti.com link provided below:
•Hardware Setup for IWR6843ISK and IWR6843ISK-ODS | TI.com Video
•Hardware Setup for MMWAVEICBOOST and antenna module | TI.com Video
5.13 DCA1000EVM Mode
The setup for raw data capture using DCA1000EVM is shown in Figure 5-9.
Figure 5-9. DCA1000EVM Mode
S1 switch settings for this mode is shown in Table 5-6.
Table 5-6. S1 Configuration for DCA1000EVM Mode
S1.1 S1.2 S1.3 S1.4 S1.5 S1.6
DCA1000EMV
mode
Off On On Off Off -
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5.14 MMWAVEICBOOST Mode
In this mode the boards are setup as shown in Figure 5-10, UART is routed to the 60 pin connector to the
XDS110 USB. This mode enables access to debugging tools available on the MMWAVEICBOOST such as the
JTAG, RAW ADC capture through MMWAVEICBOOST camera-mount option, CAN, Launchpad connector, and
so forth.
Note
In MMWAVEICBOOST mode, the IWR6843LEVM is mounted on the MMWAVEICBOOST and the
SOP mode is set by the MMWAVEICBOOST.
More on the mmWAVEICBOOST, setup and features it provides can be found in the MMWAVEICBOOST section
of MMWAVEICBOOST EVM userguide.
Figure 5-10. MMWAVEICBOOST Mode
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5.15 Raw ADC Data Capture Using MMWAVEICBOOST and DCA1000 EVMs
This mode enables raw data capture using the DCA1000 EVM via MMWAVEICBOOST. MMWAVEICBOOST
supports higher current and camera mount options.
Figure 5-11. mmWAVEICBOOST With DCA1000 Mode
5.16 Muxing Scheme
The IWR6843LEVM UART RX/TX can be routed to the Samtec 60-pin connector, USB to UART (SICP2105)
using S1.5 switch.
6 Software, Development Tools, and Example Code
To enable quick development of end applications on the C67x DSP and Arm Cortex R4F core in the IWR6843, TI
provides a software development kit (SDK) that includes demo codes, software drivers, emulation packages for
debug, and more. These can be found at mmwave-sdk.
You can also visit the TI resource explorer for the mmWave product from here. You will find Toolbox for mmWave
Sensors, experiments, labs, and various demo examples.
7 TI E2E Community
Search the forums at e2e.ti.com. If you cannot find your answer, post your question to the community.
8 References
• Texas Instruments: DCA1000EVM Data Capture Card User’s Guide
• Texas Instruments: MMWAVEICBOOST & 60GHz EVM User’s Guide
•Hardware Setup for IWR6843ISK and IWR6843ISK-ODS | TI.com Video
•Hardware Setup for MMWAVEICBOOST and antenna module | TI.com Video
•mmwave-sdk
•USB to UART Drivers for the CP2105
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