In order to use SmartRF Studio for testing, the board needs a connector that enables a debugger to be connected directly to the RF chip:
- For the CC13xx and CC26xx, an XDS100v3, XDS110 or XDS200 should be used.
The required pins in cJTAG-mode are VDDS, GND, RESET, TCK and TMS.
- Connect a debugger to the board. Open SmartRF Studio and verify that the device is visible in the list of connected devices.
- Place two good known boards with 2m distance. In this context “good known
boards“ are EM’s or LaunchPads from TI. Use a predefined PHY setting in SmartRF
Studio that is a closest match to the PHY that will be used in the final
product
- Set one board to PacketRX and the other to PacketTX and transmit 100 packets. Confirm that the packets are received and note the RSSI for the received packets.
- Replace the board used in TX with the device under test (DUT). Repeat the test described in 3.
- Replace the board used in RX with the DUT. Replace the board used in TX with a good known board. Repeat the test described in 3.
- If possible, the measurements should be done with a good known antenna first and then repeated with the antenna that is going to be used in the final design later. A poorly tuned antenna could cause a significant loss in sensitivity/output power.
- If the results are satisfactory, change the settings from the predefined setting to the RF settings planned to be used in the final product. Repeat the tests described in 3 to 5 with the wanted RF settings.
If the RSSI deviates from the reference, the schematic and layout should be reviewed. Note that if the network between the RF ports and the antenna on the customer board is different from the TI evaluation board, the losses due to SAW filters and switches must be to be taken into consideration.