SLOS743M August 2011 – March 2020 TRF7970A
PRODUCTION DATA.
Each receiver path has its own RSSI block to measure the envelope of the demodulated RF signal (subcarrier). Internal Main RSSI and Internal Auxiliary RSSI are identical however connected to different RF input pins. The Internal RSSI is intended for diagnostic purposes to set the correct RX path conditions.
The internal RSSI values can be used to adjust the RX gain settings or determine which RX path (main or auxiliary) provides the greater amplitude and, hence, to determine if the MUX may need to be reprogrammed to swap the RX input signal. The measuring system latches the peak value, so the RSSI level can be read after the end of each receive packet. The RSSI register values are reset with every transmission (TX) by the reader. This ensures an updated RSSI measurement for each new tag response.
The Internal RSSI has 7 steps (3 bit) with a typical increment of approximately 4 dB. The operating range is between 600 mVPP and 4.2 VPP with a typical step size of approximately 600 mV. Both Internal Main and Internal Auxiliary RSSI values are stored in the RSSI Levels and Oscillator Status register (0x0F). The nominal relationship between the input RF peak level and the RSSI value is shown in Figure 6-5.
This RSSI measurement is done during the communication to the Tag; this means the TX must be on. Bit 1 in the Chip Status Control register (0x00) defines if Internal RSSI or the External RSSI value is stored in the RSSI Levels and Oscillator Status register (0x0F). Direct command 0x18 is used to trigger an Internal RSSI measurement.