SWAS031D June   2013  – February 2015 CC3100

PRODUCTION DATA.  

  1. 1Device Overview
    1. 1.1 Features
    2. 1.2 Applications
    3. 1.3 Description
    4. 1.4 Functional Block Diagram
  2. 2Revision History
  3. 3Terminal Configuration and Functions
    1. 3.1 Pin Attributes
  4. 4Specifications
    1. 4.1  Absolute Maximum Ratings
    2. 4.2  Handling Ratings
    3. 4.3  Power-On Hours
    4. 4.4  Recommended Operating Conditions
    5. 4.5  Brown-Out and Black-Out
    6. 4.6  Electrical Characteristics (3.3 V, 25°C)
    7. 4.7  WLAN Receiver Characteristics
    8. 4.8  WLAN Transmitter Characteristics
    9. 4.9  Current Consumption
    10. 4.10 Thermal Characteristics for RGC Package
    11. 4.11 Timing and Switching Characteristics
      1. 4.11.1 Power Supply Sequencing
      2. 4.11.2 Reset Timing
        1. 4.11.2.1 nRESET (32K XTAL)
        2. 4.11.2.2 nRESET (External 32K)
        3. 4.11.2.3 Wakeup from Hibernate
      3. 4.11.3 Clock Specifications
        1. 4.11.3.1 Slow Clock Using Internal Oscillator
        2. 4.11.3.2 Slow Clock Using an External Clock
        3. 4.11.3.3 Fast Clock (Fref) Using an External Crystal
        4. 4.11.3.4 Fast Clock (Fref) Using an External Oscillator
        5. 4.11.3.5 Input Clocks/Oscillators
        6. 4.11.3.6 WLAN Filter Requirements
      4. 4.11.4 Interfaces
        1. 4.11.4.1 Host SPI Interface Timing
        2. 4.11.4.2 Flash SPI Interface Timing
    12. 4.12 External Interfaces
      1. 4.12.1 SPI Flash Interface
      2. 4.12.2 SPI Host Interface
    13. 4.13 Host UART
      1. 4.13.1 5-Wire UART Topology
      2. 4.13.2 4-Wire UART Topology
      3. 4.13.3 3-Wire UART Topology
  5. 5Detailed Description
    1. 5.1 Overview
      1. 5.1.1 Device Features
        1. 5.1.1.1 WLAN
        2. 5.1.1.2 Network Stack
        3. 5.1.1.3 Host Interface and Driver
        4. 5.1.1.4 System
    2. 5.2 Functional Block Diagram
    3. 5.3 Wi-Fi Network Processor Subsystem
    4. 5.4 Power-Management Subsystem
      1. 5.4.1 VBAT Wide-Voltage Connection
      2. 5.4.2 Preregulated 1.85 V
    5. 5.5 Low-Power Operating Modes
      1. 5.5.1 Low-Power Deep Sleep
      2. 5.5.2 Hibernate
    6. 5.6 Memory
      1. 5.6.1 External Memory Requirements
  6. 6Applications and Implementation
    1. 6.1 Application Information
      1. 6.1.1 Typical Application - CC3100 Wide-Voltage Mode
      2. 6.1.2 Typical Application - CC3100 Preregulated 1.85-V Mode
  7. 7Device and Documentation Support
    1. 7.1 Device Support
      1. 7.1.1 Development Support
        1. 7.1.1.1 Radio Tool
        2. 7.1.1.2 Uniflash Flash Programmer
      2. 7.1.2 Device Nomenclature
    2. 7.2 Documentation Support
    3. 7.3 Community Resources
    4. 7.4 Trademarks
    5. 7.5 Electrostatic Discharge Caution
    6. 7.6 Glossary
  8. 8Mechanical Packaging and Orderable Information

Package Options

Mechanical Data (Package|Pins)
Thermal pad, mechanical data (Package|Pins)
Orderable Information

4 Specifications

All measurements are referenced at the device pins, unless otherwise indicated. All specifications are over process and voltage, unless otherwise indicated.

4.1 Absolute Maximum Ratings

over operating free-air temperature range (unless otherwise noted)
PARAMETERS PINS MIN MAX UNIT
VBAT and VIO 37, 39, 44 –0.5 3.8 V
VIO-VBAT (differential) 10, 54 0.0 V
Digital inputs –0.5 VIO + 0.5 V
RF pins –0.5 2.1 V
Analog pins (XTAL) –0.5 2.1 V
Operating temperature range (TA ) –40 +85 °C

4.2 Handling Ratings

MIN MAX UNIT
Tstg Storage temperature range –55 +125 °C
VESD Electrostatic discharge Human body model (HBM), per ANSI/ESDA/JEDEC JS-001, all pins(1) –2000 +2000 V
Charged device model (CDM), per JEDEC specification JESD22-C101, all pins(2) –500 +500 V
(1) JEDEC document JEP155 states that 500-V HBM allows safe manufacturing with a standard ESD control process.
(2) JEDEC document JEP157 states that 250-V CDM allows safe manufacturing with a standard ESD control process.

4.3 Power-On Hours

CONDITIONS POH
TAmbient up to 85°C, assuming 20% active mode and 80% sleep mode 17,500(1)
(1) The CC3100 device can be operated reliably for 10 years.

4.4 Recommended Operating Conditions

over operating free-air temperature range (unless otherwise noted) (1)(4)
PARAMETERS PINS CONDITIONS(2)(3) MIN TYP MAX UNIT
VBAT, VIO (shorted to VBAT) 10, 37, 39, 44, 54 Direct battery connection 2.1 3.3 3.6 V
VBAT, VIO (shorted to VBAT) 10, 37, 39, 44, 54 Preregulated 1.85 V 1.76 1.85 1.9 V
Ambient thermal slew –20 20 °C/minute
(1) Operating temperature is limited by crystal frequency variation.
(2) To ensure WLAN performance, ripple on the 2.1- to 3.3-V supply must be less than ±300 mV.
(3) To ensure WLAN performance, ripple on the 1.85-V supply must be less than 2% (±40 mV).
(4) When operating at an ambient temperature of over 75°C, the transmit duty cycle must remain below 50% to avoid the auto-protect feature of the power amplifier. If the auto-protect feature triggers, the device takes a maximum of 60 seconds to restart the transmission.

4.5 Brown-Out and Black-Out

The device enters a brown-out condition whenever the input voltage dips below VBROWN (see Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2). This condition must be considered during design of the power supply routing, especially if operating from a battery. High-current operations (such as a TX packet) cause a dip in the supply voltage, potentially triggering a brown-out. The resistance includes the internal resistance of the battery, contact resistance of the battery holder (4 contacts for a 2 x AA battery) and the wiring and PCB routing resistance.

Black_Brownout_Levels1_swas031.gifFigure 4-1 Brown-Out and Black-Out Levels (1 of 2)
Black_Brownout_Levels2_swas031.gifFigure 4-2 Brown-Out and Black-Out Levels (2 of 2)

In the brown-out condition, all sections of the device shut down except for the Hibernate module (including the 32-kHz RTC clock), which remains on. The current in this state can reach approximately 400 µA.

The black-out condition is equivalent to a hardware reset event in which all states within the device are lost.

Table 4-1 lists the brown-out and black-out voltage levels.

Table 4-1 Brown-Out and Black-out Voltage Levels

CONDITION VOLTAGE LEVEL UNIT
Vbrownout 2.1 V
Vblackout 1.67 V

4.6 Electrical Characteristics (3.3 V, 25°C)

PARAMETER TEST CONDITIONS MIN NOM MAX UNIT
CIN Pin capacitance 4 pF
VIH High-level input voltage 0.65 × VDD VDD + 0.5 V V
VIL Low-level input voltage –0.5 0.35 × VDD V
IIH High-level input current 5 nA
IIL Low-level input current 5 nA
VOH High-level output voltage
(VDD = 3.0 V)
2.4 V
VOL Low-level output voltage
(VDD = 3.0 V)
0.4 V
IOH High-level source current, VOH = 2.4 6 mA
IOL Low-level sink current, VOH = 0.4 6 mA
Pin Internal Pullup and Pulldown (25°C)
PARAMETER TEST CONDITIONS MIN NOM MAX UNIT
IOH Pull-Up current, VOH = 2.4
(VDD = 3.0 V)
5 10 µA
IOL Pull-Down current, VOL = 0.4
(VDD = 3.0 V)
5 µA
VIL nRESET(1) 0.6 V
(1) The nRESET pin must be held below 0.6 V for the device to register a reset.

4.7 WLAN Receiver Characteristics

TA = +25°C, VBAT = 2.1 to 3.6 V. Parameters measured at SoC pin on channel 7 (2442 MHz)
Parameter Condition (Mbps) Min Typ Max Units
Sensitivity
(8% PER for 11b rates, 10% PER for 11g/11n rates)(10% PER)(2)
1 DSSS –95.7 dBm
2 DSSS –93.6
11 CCK –88.0
6 OFDM –90.0
9 OFDM –89.0
18 OFDM –86.0
36 OFDM –80.5
54 OFDM –74.0
MCS0 (GF)(1) –89.0
MCS7 (GF)(1) –71.0
Maximum input level
(10% PER)
802.11b –4.0
802.11g –10.0
(1) Sensitivity for mixed mode is 1-dB worse.
(2) Sensitivity is 1-dB worse on channel 13 (2472 MHz).

4.8 WLAN Transmitter Characteristics

TA = +25°C, VBAT = 2.1 to 3.6 V. Parameters measured at SoC pin on channel 7 (2442 MHz).(1)
Parameter Condition(2) Min Typ Max Units
Maximum RMS output power measured at 1 dB from IEEE spectral mask or EVM 1 DSSS 18.0 dBm
2 DSSS 18.0
11 CCK 18.3
6 OFDM 17.3
9 OFDM 17.3
18 OFDM 17.0
36 OFDM 16.0
54 OFDM 14.5
MCS7 (MM) 13.0
Transmit center frequency accuracy –25 25 ppm
(1) Channel-to-channel variation is up to 2 dB. The edge channels (2412 and 2472 MHz) have reduced TX power to meet FCC emission limits.
(2) In preregulated 1.85-V mode, maximum TX power is 0.25 to 0.75 dB lower for modulations higher than 18 OFDM.

4.9 Current Consumption

TA = +25°C, VBAT = 3.6 V
PARAMETER TEST CONDITIONS(1)(4) MIN TYP(5) MAX UNIT
TX 1 DSSS TX power level = 0 272 mA
TX power level = 4 188
6 OFDM TX power level = 0 248
TX power level = 4 179
54 OFDM TX power level = 0 223
TX power level = 4 160
RX(7) 1 DSSS 53
54 OFDM 53
Idle connected(2) 0.690
LPDS 0.115
Hibernate(6) 4 µA
Peak calibration current (3)(7) VBAT = 3.3 V 450 mA
VBAT = 2.1 V 670
VBAT = 1.85 V 700
(1) TX power level = 0 implies maximum power (see Figure 4-3 through Figure 4-5). TX power level = 4 implies output power backed off approximately 4 dB.
(2) DTIM = 1
(3) The complete calibration can take up to 17 mJ of energy from the battery over a time of 24 ms . Calibration is performed sparingly, typically when coming out of Hibernate and only if temperature has changed by more than 20°C or the time elapsed from prior calibration is greater than 24 hours.
(4) The CC3100 system is a constant power-source system. The active current numbers scale based on the VBAT voltage supplied.
(5) External serial-flash-current consumption is not included.
(6) For the 1.85-V mode, the Hibernate current is higher by 50 µA across all operating modes because of leakage into the PA and analog power inputs.
(7) The RX current is measured with a 1-Mbps throughput rate.
scr_chart1_of_3_swas032.gif
Note: The area enclosed in the circle represents a significant reduction in current when transitioning from TX power level 3 to 4. In the case of lower range requirements (14 dbm output power), TI recommends using TX power level 4 to reduce the current.
Figure 4-3 TX Power and IBAT vs TX Power Level Settings (1 DSSS)
scr_chart3_of_3_swas032.gifFigure 4-4 TX Power and IBAT vs TX Power Level Settings (6 OFDM)
scr_chart2_of_3_swas032.gifFigure 4-5 TX Power and IBAT vs TX Power Level Settings (54 OFDM)

4.10 Thermal Characteristics for RGC Package

AIR FLOW
PARAMETER 0 lfm (C/W) 150 lfm (C/W) 250 lfm (C/W) 500 lfm (C/W)
θja 23 14.6 12.4 10.8
Ψjt 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1
Ψjb 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4
θjc 6.3
θjb 2.4

4.11 Timing and Switching Characteristics

4.11.1 Power Supply Sequencing

For proper operation of the CC3100 device, perform the recommended power-up sequencing as follows:

  1. Tie VBAT (pins 37, 39, 44) and VIO (pins 54 and 10) together on the board.
  2. Hold the RESET pin low while the supplies are ramping up. TI recommends using a simple RC circuit (100K || 0.1 µF, RC = 10 ms).
  3. For an external RTC clock, ensure that the clock is stable before RESET is deasserted (high).

For timing diagrams, see Section 4.11.2, Reset Timing.

4.11.2 Reset Timing

4.11.2.1 nRESET (32K XTAL)

Figure 4-6 shows the reset timing diagram for the 32K XTAL first-time power-up and reset removal.

3100_nRESET_32K_XTAL.gifFigure 4-6 First-Time Power-Up and Reset Removal Timing Diagram (32K XTAL)

Table 4-2 describes the timing requirements for the 32K XTAL first-time power-up and reset removal.

Table 4-2 First-Time Power-Up and Reset Removal Timing Requirements (32K XTAL)

Item Name Description Min Typ Max
T1 Supply settling time Depends on application board power supply, decap, and so on 3 ms
T2 Hardware wakeup time 25 ms
T3 Initialization time 32-kHz XTAL settling + firmware initialization time + radio calibration 1.35 s

4.11.2.2 nRESET (External 32K)

Figure 4-7 shows the reset timing diagram for the external 32K first-time power-up and reset removal.

3100_nRESET_Ext_32K.gifFigure 4-7 First-Time Power-Up and Reset Removal Timing Diagram (External 32K)

Table 4-3 describes the timing requirements for the external 32K first-time power-up and reset removal.

Table 4-3 First-Time Power-Up and Reset Removal Timing Requirements (External 32K)

Item Name Description Min Typ Max
T1 Supply settling time Depends on application board power supply, decap, and so on 3 ms
T2 Hardware wakeup time 25 ms
T3 Initialization time Firmware initialization time + radio calibration 250 ms

4.11.2.3 Wakeup from Hibernate

Figure 4-8 shows the timing diagram for wakeup from the hibernate state.

3100_nHIB.gifFigure 4-8 nHIB Timing Diagram

NOTE

The 32.768-kHz XTAL is kept enabled by default when the chip goes to hibernate in response to nHIB being pulled low.

Table 4-4 describes the timing requirements for nHIB.

Table 4-4 nHIB Timing Requirements

Item Name Description Min Typ Max
Thib_min Minimum hibernate time Minimum pulse width of nHIB being low(2) 10 ms
Twake_from_hib Hardware wakeup time plus firmware initialization time See (1). 50 ms
(1) If temperature changes by more than 20°C, initialization time from HIB can increase by 200 ms due to radio calibration.
(2) Ensure that the nHIB pulse width is kept above the minimum requirement under all conditions (such as power up, MCU reset, and so on).

4.11.3 Clock Specifications

The CC3100 device requires two separate clocks for its operation:

  • A slow clock running at 32.768 kHz is used for the RTC.
  • A fast clock running at 40 MHz is used by the device for the internal processor and the WLAN subsystem.

The device features internal oscillators that enable the use of cheaper crystals rather than dedicated TCXOs for these clocks. The RTC can also be fed externally to provide reuse of an existing clock on the system and reduce overall cost.

4.11.3.1 Slow Clock Using Internal Oscillator

The RTC crystal connected on the device supplies the free-running slow clock. The accuracy of the slow clock frequency must be 32.768 kHz ±150 ppm. In this mode of operation, the crystal is tied between RTC_XTAL_P (pin 51) and RTC_XTAL_N (pin 52) with a suitable load capacitance.

Figure 4-9 shows the crystal connections for the slow clock.

SWAS031_028.gifFigure 4-9 RTC Crystal Connections

4.11.3.2 Slow Clock Using an External Clock

When an RTC clock oscillator is present in the system, the CC3100 device can accept this clock directly as an input. The clock is fed on the RTC_XTAL_P line and the RTC_XTAL_N line is held to VIO. The clock must be a CMOS-level clock compatible with VIO fed to the device.

Figure 4-10 shows the external RTC clock input connection.

SWAS031_029.gifFigure 4-10 External RTC Clock Input

4.11.3.3 Fast Clock (Fref) Using an External Crystal

The CC3100 device also incorporates an internal crystal oscillator to support a crystal-based fast clock. The XTAL is fed directly between WLAN_XTAL_P (pin 23) and WLAN_XTAL_N (pin 22) with suitable loading capacitors.

Figure 4-11 shows the crystal connections for the fast clock.

SWAS031_030.gifFigure 4-11 Fast Clock Crystal Connections

4.11.3.4 Fast Clock (Fref) Using an External Oscillator

The CC3100 device can accept an external TCXO/XO for the 40-MHz clock. In this mode of operation, the clock is connected to WLAN_XTAL_P (pin 23). WLAN_XTAL_N (pin 22) is connected to GND. The external TCXO/XO can be enabled by TCXO_EN (pin 21) from the device to optimize the power consumption of the system.

If the TCXO does not have an enable input, an external LDO with an enable function can be used. Using the LDO improves noise on the TCXO power supply.

Figure 4-12 shows the connection.

SWAS031-087.gifFigure 4-12 External TCXO Input

Table 4-5 lists the external Fref clock requirements.

Table 4-5 External Fref Clock Requirements (–40°C to +85°C)

Characteristics Condition Sym Min Typ Max Unit
Frequency 40.00 MHz
Frequency accuracy (Initial + temp + aging) ±25 ppm
Frequency input duty cycle 45 50 55 %
Clock voltage limits Sine or clipped sine wave, AC coupled Vpp 0.7 1.2 Vpp
Phase noise @ 40 MHz @ 1 kHz –125 dBc/Hz
@ 10 kHz –138.5 dBc/Hz
@ 100 kHz –143 dBc/Hz
Input impedance Resistance 12
Capacitance 7 pF

4.11.3.5 Input Clocks/Oscillators

Table 4-6 lists the RTC crystal requirements.

Table 4-6 RTC Crystal Requirements

CHARACTERISTICS CONDITION SYM MIN TYP MAX UNIT
Frequency 32.768 kHz
Frequency accuracy Initial + temp + aging ±150 ppm
Crystal ESR 32.768 kHz, C1 = C2 = 10 pF 70

Table 4-7 lists the external RTC digital clock requirements.

Table 4-7 External RTC Digital Clock Requirements

CHARACTERISTICS CONDITION SYM MIN TYP MAX UNIT
Frequency 32768 Hz
Frequency accuracy ±150 ppm
(Initial + temp + aging)
Input transition time tr/tf (10% to 90%) tr/tf 100 ns
Frequency input duty cycle 20 50 80 %
Slow clock input voltage limits Square wave, DC coupled Vih 0.65 × VIO VIO V
Vil 0 0.35 × VIO V peak
Input impedance 1
5 pF

Table 4-8 lists the WLAN fast-clock crystal requirements.

Table 4-8 WLAN Fast-Clock Crystal Requirements

CHARACTERISTICS CONDITION SYM MIN TYP MAX UNIT
Frequency 40 MHz
Frequency accuracy Initial + temp + aging ±25 ppm
Crystal ESR 40 MHz, C1 = C2 = 6.2 pF 40 50 60 Ohm

4.11.3.6 WLAN Filter Requirements

The device requires an external bandpass filter to meet the various emission standards, including FCC. Table 4-9 presents the attenuation requirements for the bandpass filter. TI recommends using the same filter used in the reference design to ease the process of certification.

Table 4-9 WLAN Filter Requirements

Parameter Frequency (MHz) Requirements
Min Typ Max Units
Return loss 2412 to 2484 10 dB
Insertion loss(1) 2412 to 2484 1 1.5 dB
Attenuation 800 to 830 30 45 dB
1600 to 1670 20 25
3200 to 3300 30 48
4000 to 4150 45 50
4800 to 5000 20 25
5600 to 5800 20 25
6400 to 6600 20 35
7200 to 7500 35 45
7500 to 10000 20 25
Reference Impendence 2412 to 2484 50 Ω
Filter type Bandpass
(1) Insertion loss directly impacts output power and sensitivity. At customer discretion, insertion loss can be relaxed to meet attenuation requirements.

4.11.4 Interfaces

This section describes the interfaces that are supported by the CC3100 device:

  • Host SPI
  • Flash SPI
  • Host UART

4.11.4.1 Host SPI Interface Timing

SWAS032_017.gifFigure 4-13 Host SPI Interface Timing

Table 4-10 Host SPI Interface Timing Parameters

Parameter Number Parameter(1) Parameter Name Min Max Unit
I1 F Clock frequency @ VBAT = 3.3 V 20 MHz
Clock frequency @ VBAT ≤ 2.1 V 12
I2 tclk(2) Clock period 50 ns
I3 tLP Clock low period 25 ns
I4 tHT Clock high period 25 ns
I5 D Duty cycle 45 55 %
I6 tIS RX data setup time 4 ns
I7 tIH RX data hold time 4 ns
I8 tOD TX data output delay 20
I9 tOH TX data hold time 24 ns
(1) The timing parameter has a maximum load of 20 pf at 3.3 V.
(2) Ensure that nCS (active-low signa)l is asserted 10 ns before the clock is toggled. nCS can be deasserted 10 ns after the clock edge.

4.11.4.2 Flash SPI Interface Timing

SWAS032_017.gifFigure 4-14 Flash SPI Interface Timing

Table 4-11 Flash SPI Interface Timing Parameters

Parameter Number Parameter Parameter Name Min Max Unit
I1 F Clock frequency 20 MHz
I2 tclk Clock period 50 ns
I3 tLP Clock low period 25 ns
I4 tHT Clock high period 25 ns
I5 D Duty cycle 45 55 %
I6 tIS RX data setup time 1 ns
I7 tIH RX data hold time 2 ns
I8 tOD TX data output delay 8.5 ns
I9 tOH TX data hold time 8 ns

4.12 External Interfaces

4.12.1 SPI Flash Interface

The external serial flash stores the user profiles and firmware patch updates. The CC3100 device acts as a master in this case; the SPI serial flash acts as the slave device. This interface can work up to a speed of 20 MHz.

Figure 4-15 shows the SPI flash interface.

SWAS031_026.gifFigure 4-15 SPI Flash Interface

Table 4-12 lists the SPI flash interface pins.

Table 4-12 SPI Flash Interface

Pin Name Description
FLASH_SPI_CLK Clock (up to 20 MHz) CC3100 device to serial flash
FLASH_SPI_CS CS (active low) signal from CC3100 device to serial flash
FLASH_SPI_MISO Data from serial flash to CC3100 device
FLASH_SPI_MOSI Data from CC3100 device to serial flash

4.12.2 SPI Host Interface

The device interfaces to an external host using the SPI interface. The CC3100 device can interrupt the host using the HOST_INTR line to initiate the data transfer over the interface. The SPI host interface can work up to a speed of 20 MHz.

Figure 4-16 shows the SPI host interface.

SWAS031_027.gifFigure 4-16 SPI Host Interface

Table 4-13 lists the SPI host interface pins.

Table 4-13 SPI Host Interface

Pin Name Description
HOST_SPI_CLK Clock (up to 20 MHz) from MCU host to CC3100 device
HOST_SPI_nCS CS (active low) signal from MCU host to CC3100 device
HOST_SPI_MOSI Data from MCU host to CC3100 device
HOST_INTR Interrupt from CC3100 device to MCU host
HOST_SPI_MISO Data from CC3100 device to MCU host
nHIB Active-low signal that commands the CC3100 device to enter hibernate mode (lowest power state)

4.13 Host UART

The SimpleLink device requires the UART configuration described in Table 4-14.

Table 4-14 SimpleLink UART Configuration

Property Supported CC3100 Configuration
Baud rate 115200 bps, no auto-baud rate detection, can be changed by the host up to 3 Mbps using a special command
Data bits 8 bits
Flow control CTS/RTS
Parity None
Stop bits 1
Bit order LSBit first
Host interrupt polarity Active high
Host interrupt mode Rising edge or level 1
Endianness Little-endian only(1)
(1) The SimpleLink device does not support automatic detection of the host length while using the UART interface.

4.13.1 5-Wire UART Topology

Figure 4-17 shows the typical 5-wire UART topology comprised of 4 standard UART lines plus one IRQ line from the device to the host controller to allow efficient low power mode.

SWAS031-088.gifFigure 4-17 Typical 5-Wire UART Topology

This is the typical and recommended UART topology because it offers the maximum communication reliability and flexibility between the host and the SimpleLink device.

4.13.2 4-Wire UART Topology

The 4-wire UART topology eliminates the host IRQ line (see Figure 4-18). Using this topology requires one of the following conditions to be met:

  • Host is always awake or active.
  • Host goes to sleep but the UART module has receiver start-edge detection for auto wakeup and does not lose data.
SWAS031-089.gifFigure 4-18 4-Wire UART Configuration

4.13.3 3-Wire UART Topology

The 3-wire UART topology requires only the following lines (see Figure 4-19):

  • RX
  • TX
  • CTS
SWAS031-090.gifFigure 4-19 3-Wire UART Topology

Using this topology requires one of the following conditions to be met:

  • Host always stays awake or active.
  • Host goes to sleep but the UART module has receiver start-edge detection for auto wakeup and does not lose data.
  • Host can always receive any amount of data transmitted by the SimpleLink device because there is no flow control in this direction.

Because there is no full flow control, the host cannot stop the SimpleLink device to send its data; thus, the following parameters must be carefully considered:

  • Max baud rate
  • RX character interrupt latency and low-level driver jitter buffer
  • Time consumed by the user's application