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The easy Radio Intelligent Controller (eRIC) radio transceiver module is based on the Texas Instruments CC430F5137 System-on-
Chip device to provide an intelligent radio sub-system that combines a
high performance RF transceiver, RF band pass filters (BPF), an MSP430
microcontroller, 32Kb flash memory, non-volatile flash storage,
temperature sensor, and a low drop voltage regulator. The device
operates on the International licence exempt Industrial, Scientific and
Medical (ISM) radio bands.
eRIC thus extends the proven easyRadio product line by offering a low
cost RF transceiver intended for high volume applications. The compact
form factor, surface mount packaging and external antenna connector
simplify product design and manufacture and provide for flexible
placement of the module within an end product.
Features Benefits
Default ‘easyRadio’ Protocol Embedded Simple serial data in/data out user interface and configuration
ISM Frequency Bands 433 & 868MHz (UK & Europe), 315 & 915MHz (USA)
Radio Compliance Meets ETSI (Europe) & FCC Certified (USA) requirements
Small 15x20x2.2mm Surface Mount Device (SMD) Simplifies product design and manufacture
Low power operation modes Battery powered applications
eROS Operating System & Application partitions Can eliminate need for external application processor
Configurable & programmable User I/O Minimises external hardware requirements for custom applications
AES 128 bit data encryption Secure communications
Built in Temperature Sensor Environment monitor
eRIC’s processor memory is partitioned and embedded with a protected version of the easyRadio Operating System (eROS) that
handles all the complex radio functions and thus eliminates the need for the user to program multiple control registers and
understand their interaction. The other partition provides an optional user accessible application code area.
Radio parameters such as frequency, channel, output power and data rate are passed by the application code and radio data is sent
and received in the background by simply calling predefined functions.
Also provided is a simple to use API that replaces low level chip specific code with intuitive pin commands that allow the multiple
general purpose I/O pins and internal function blocks to be configured and interfaced to external hardware. These built in functions
make customisation easy for the novice and powerful for advanced programmers. This architecture can eliminate the need for a
separate application microcontroller and thus minimises cost and power consumption for simple ‘sense and control’ RF nodes such
as might be employed within the ‘Internet of Things’.
By default (factory settings) the application code area is pre-programmed with a subset of the familiar easyRadio command and
communication software that allows key operating parameters such as operating frequency, RF power output and host
communication settings to be (optionally) pre-configured using the ‘easyRadio Companion’ software or to be dynamically changed
using simple serial commands sent from the host processor. This allows multiple eRIC devices to communicate free from
interference with each other and other local RF devices.
In the default application mode, data is sent to and received from host processors or devices using 3.3V logic level serial data
(inverted) with packet sizes up to 250 bytes.
Antenna 24 23 22 21 20
8 9 10 11 12
Pin/Pad Description
Notes
GPIO Pins/pads are configured (by default) on power up or Reset as Inputs with internal weak pull downs. Therefore, exercise
caution when connecting to any external circuitry.
Pins/pad 1-7 are physically (pin/pad sequence) and electrically compatible with easyRadio eRA400/900 Transceivers.
Interrupt function available on Pins/pad 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 22
Mappable functions are UART, SPI, I2C, TimerA, TimerB, Compare/Capture I/O.
See the eROS Developers Manual for further details and description of these functions.
Notes
When power is first applied to the module the processor retrieves ‘calibration’ data for the RF section that compensates for
temperature and power supply voltage variations. The transceiver will then be ready to transmit or receive (default) and would
normally be left in this state, ready to receive data.
The internal Vreg is not brought out to a specific pin/pad. Should there be need to connect external pull up resistors then
connection should be made to a spare GPIO pin/pad configured as a ‘High’ Output.
Power Supply
The supply used to power the transceiver should be ‘clean’ and free from ripple and noise (<20mV p-p total). It is suggested that
100nF ceramic capacitors be used to de-couple the supply close to the power pins of the transceiver. The use of ‘switch mode’
power supplies should generally be avoided as they can generate both conducted and radiated high frequency noise that can be very
difficult to eliminate. This noise may considerably reduce the performance of any radio device that is connected or adjacent to such
a supply.
Antennas
The eRIC transceiver can be used with the various common types of antenna that match the 50Ω RF Input/Output such as a
monopole (whip), a tuned helical antenna, a PCB loop antenna or a ceramic ‘chip’ antenna.
Monopole antennas are resonant with a length corresponding to one quarter of the electrical wavelength (Lambda/4). They are
very easy to implement and can simply be a ‘piece of wire’ or PCB track which at 434MHz should be 16.4cms in length. This should
be kept straight, in ‘free space’ and well away from all other circuitry, conducting objects and metalwork and should preferably be
connected directly to the Antenna pin (24) of the eRIC transceiver.
If the antenna needs to be remote it should be connected via a 50Ω coaxial feeder cable or transmission line. A 50Ω transmission
line can be constructed on FR4 board material by using a 3mm wide PCB track over a ground plane and this should be kept as
short as possible.
The eRIC transceiver is also fitted with UFL (U.FL) RF Connector wired in parallel with pin 23 (RF Gnd) and pin 24 (RF In/Out).
LPRS can supply suitable antennas fitted with matching connectors and low loss cable assemblies.
Helical antennas are also resonant and generally chosen for their more compact dimensions. They are more difficult to optimise
than monopole antennas and are critical with regard to any surrounding conducting objects that can easily ‘de-tune’ them. They
operate most efficiently when there is a substantial ground plane for them to radiate against.
PCB loop antennas are the most compact antennas but are less effective than the other types. They are also more difficult to design
and must be carefully ‘tuned’ for best performance.
Chip antennas are attractive as they are compact and if used in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications can provide very
good performance.
The Internet can provide much useful information on the design of Short Range Device (SRD) Antennas.
Please Note: To meet US FCC requirements the modules must be used with the specified antennas (TBA) that were used for
testing.
Mechanical
15.24 mm
24 23 22 21 20
1 19
2 RF 18
2.54 mm
3 17
20.32 mm
4 16
C/L
5 15
eRIC
6 14
7 13
8 9 10 11 12
12.90 mm
1.2 mm
0.8 mm
Pitch of the castellated connection pads is 2.54mm. Pads 4 & 16 and 10 & 22 are on centre line (C/L) of module
It is recommended that the module is mounted on a double sided PCB and that the area below the module be flooded with
additional copper ground plane. This should be connected to pad 23 (RF Ground) and pad 7 (Power Gnd).
The recommended pad layout is shown below. Pads should be solid with no hole.
eRIC is designed for reflow soldering. Please contact LPRS Technical Department for further details and the suggested thermal
profiles.
Interface to Microcontroller
+5V
eRIC
uController
VReg
3.3V
10k
Weak
RxD SDO Pull
-Up
TxD SDI
10k
Internal
Vcc Protection
Diodes
Gnd 0V
Gnd
0V
The transceiver module is powered internally by an on board 3.3V low drop voltage regulator. Any eRIC pin/pad configured as an
input should not be connected directly to a voltage greater than 3.3V or less than -0.3V otherwise damage may occur to the
module due to excess current flowing through the IC internal protection diodes. To prevent such damage this current should be
limited by the use of a suitable (10k typical) series resistor (as shown above).
eRIC output pins can only provide a maximum high voltage of 3.3V (Vreg) and whilst not strictly necessary to use a series resistor
in series with outputs it may afford protection under some fault conditions.
The serial data input (or any other pin) must NOT be directly connected to any RS232 level (±15V) devices.
Serial data is inverted i.e. Start Bit is logic low. This allows direct connection to a microcontroller UART (Inverted data) or to
RS232 devices via a voltage level translator device such as a Maxim MAX232, which invert the logic of the RS232 signals. Data is
sent and received in standard serial ‘RS232’ format (logic level only) and there is no restriction on the characters (Hex 00 – FF)
that may be sent or received.
The host should provide serial data input and output lines. The optional ‘handshaking’ lines can be used to control the flow of data
between the host and eRIC. If handshaking is not being used then Pin5 (Host Ready) should either be left floating (internal pull
down) or held low.
Notes
The serial data internal buffer size is limited to a maximum of 250 bytes. Data will be lost if more than 250 bytes are sent in any
one transmission. RF transmission begins automatically when the buffer is full or when ‘End of Data’ (no data for twice the
character time) is detected.
A. Host (A) sends serial data to eRIC (A). The data must be continuously streamed (no breaks) at the selected host baud
rate and is loaded into an internal transmit buffer.
B. After detecting either the ‘End of Data’ gap or the ‘Buffer Full’ condition the controller enables the RF transmitter
circuitry of the transceiver and sends the data within the buffer together with preamble and other internal data across the
RF link. Any eRIC transceiver operating in receive mode and within range that ‘hears’ the transmission will receive and
decode the data, check for data integrity and place it into their receive buffers.
C. Data within the receive buffer of eRIC (B) will be sent to Host (B) at the selected baud rate.
Host (A) must allow time for the complete ‘Over Air’ transmission and for the receiving Host (B) to unload (and process) the data
before sending new data. (See Figure 5). There is no automatic ‘RF handshaking’ provided by the eRIC transceivers. Radio
transmission and reception is bi-directional (half duplex) i.e. transmit OR receive (but not simultaneously) and there is no automatic
confirmation of the satisfactory reception of the data.
The user application should therefore, either send the data repetitively to provide some redundancy or devise a scheme of
acknowledgements (Acks) and re-tries to increase the security and reliability of the transmitted data should need be.
Key operating parameters of eRIC can be changed and configured by sending the ‘text’ (ASCII character) commands detailed
below. These commands can executed using ‘easyRadio Companion’ software, any ‘Terminal’ software operating on a PC or from
the host microcontroller.
The commands should be sent exactly as shown: i.e. case sensitive with no spaces between characters.
Commands are not executed until the Acknowledgement (ACK) sequence is sent to and processed by the module.
1. Send Command from host: e.g. ER_CMD#U5 (Set UART BAUD to 38400)
2. Wait for the completion of the echo of the Command from the module. e.g. ER_CMD#U5
3. Send the ACK command as the three upper case ASCII characters ‘A’ ‘C’ ‘K’ in sequence with no spaces
Notes
Document History
Copyright
The information contained in this data sheet is the property of Low Power Radio Solutions Ltd and copyright is vested in them with all rights
reserved. Under copyright law this documentation may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium
or machine readable form in whole or in part without the written consent of Low Power Radio Solutions Ltd.
The circuitry and design of the modules are also protected by copyright law.
Disclaimer
Low Power Radio Solutions Ltd has an on-going policy to improve the performance and reliability of their products; we therefore reserve the right
to make changes without notice. The information contained in this data sheet is believed to be accurate however we do not assume any
responsibility for errors or any liability arising from the application or use of any product or circuit described herein. This data sheet neither states
nor implies warranty of any kind, including fitness for any particular application.
easyRadio modules are a component part of an end system product and should be treated as such. Testing to fitness and field testing is the sole
responsibility of the manufacturer of the device into which easyRadio products are fitted. Any liability from defect or malfunction is limited to the
replacement of product ONLY, and does not include labour or other incurred corrective expenses. Using or continuing to use these devices
hereby binds the user to these terms.