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  • Debugging Communication Range

    • SWRA603A March   2018  – May 2019 CC1100 , CC1101 , CC110L , CC1120 , CC1121 , CC1125 , CC113L , CC1150 , CC115L , CC1175 , CC1190 , CC1200 , CC1201 , CC1310 , CC1312PSIP , CC1312R , CC1314R10 , CC1350 , CC1352R , CC2530 , CC2531 , CC2538 , CC2540 , CC2541 , CC2590 , CC2591 , CC2592 , CC2640 , CC2642R , CC2642R-Q1 , CC2650 , CC2650MODA , CC2652R , CC2652R7 , CC2652RB , CC2652RSIP

       

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  • Debugging Communication Range
  1.   Debugging Communication Range
  2.   Trademarks
  3. 1Calculate the Theoretical Range
  4. 2Determine Root Cause
  5. 3Measure the Conducted Sensitivity
  6. 4Measure the Conducted Output Power
  7. 5Antenna Measurements
  8. 6Still Issues?
  9. 7References
  10. 8Revision History
  11. IMPORTANT NOTICE
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APPLICATION NOTE

Debugging Communication Range

1 Debugging Communication Range

In a RF system having the best possible range is important in many cases. There are many factors that can cause poor range. This application report provides a step-by-step guide on which parts of the design could cause shorter range than desired.

Table 1-1 Definition of Terms
TermDefinition
ConductedThe DUT is connected via cable directly to the instrument.
RadiatedOver the air
CWCarrier Wave (tone)

Trademarks

SmartRF™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1 Calculate the Theoretical Range

  1. Read Achieving Optimum Radio Range. This document describes the fundamental equations used to estimate range and some of the most important factors that impact range.
  2. Calculate line-of-sight (LOS) range using this excel sheet with your radio settings. The excel sheet is described in Achieving Optimum Radio Range.
    1. Output power
    2. Chip and data rate used
    3. Heights of antennas above ground
    4. Operating frequency
  3. Are there any objects between the LOS of the transmitter and the receiver?
    1. If yes, add a suitable absorption material that can represent the object blocking the LOS.
  4. Choose an antenna gain that is realistic for your project.
    1. Achieving 100% efficiency is not possible. Example: Typical efficiency would be – 4 dBi for a good 433 MHz antenna for a handheld product.

2 Determine Root Cause

If the range is not meeting the expected distance based on the results in Section 1, the root cause needs to be determined:

Poor range could be caused by one or more of the following factors:

  • Poor sensitivity in the receiver
  • Poor TX output power
  • Poor antenna design (matching)
  • Not optimal settings

The measurement methods depend on what type of equipment you have available.

It is highly recommend for the measurements to use SmartRF™ Studio to control the DUT. If that is not possible, use unmodified settings and code from the software or unmodified code examples before testing with the settings that are used for the product. This is to ensure that the testing of the hardware is done with good known software.

 

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