TIDUFA8 November   2024

 

  1.   1
  2.   Description
  3.   Resources
  4.   Features
  5.   Applications
  6.   6
  7. 1System Description
    1. 1.1 Terminology
    2. 1.2 Key System Specifications
  8. 2System Overview
    1. 2.1 Block Diagram
    2. 2.2 Highlighted Products
      1. 2.2.1 IWRL6432
    3. 2.3 Design Considerations
      1. 2.3.1 Reference Design Features
    4. 2.4 IWRL6432 Reference Design Architecture
      1. 2.4.1 IWRL6432: BOM Optimized Design
        1. 2.4.1.1 Device Power Topology
      2. 2.4.2 Power Distribution Network
      3. 2.4.3 Internal LDOs
        1. 2.4.3.1 Enabling and Disabling Low Power Mode
        2. 2.4.3.2 1.4V Power Supplies: APLL and Synthesizer
          1. 2.4.3.2.1 APLL 1.4V
          2. 2.4.3.2.2 SYNTHESIZER 1.4V
        3. 2.4.3.3 1.2V Power Supplies
          1. 2.4.3.3.1 RF 1.2V Supply
        4. 2.4.3.4 RF 1.0V Power Supply
      4. 2.4.4 Component Selection
        1. 2.4.4.1 1.8V DC-DC Regulator
          1. 2.4.4.1.1 Need for Forced PWM Mode Switching
          2. 2.4.4.1.2 Importance of Spread Spectrum Clocking
        2. 2.4.4.2 3.3V Low Dropout Regulator
        3. 2.4.4.3 FLASH Memory
        4. 2.4.4.4 Crystal
  9. 3System Design Theory
    1. 3.1 Antenna Specification
      1. 3.1.1 Antenna Requirements
      2. 3.1.2 Antenna Orientation
      3. 3.1.3 Bandwidth and Return Loss
      4. 3.1.4 Antenna Gain Plots
    2. 3.2 Antenna Array
      1. 3.2.1 2D Antenna Array With 3D Detection Capability
      2. 3.2.2 1D Antenna Array With 2D Detection Capability
    3. 3.3 PCB
      1. 3.3.1 Via-in-Pad Elimination
      2. 3.3.2 Micro-Via Process Elimination
    4. 3.4 Configuration Parameters
      1. 3.4.1 Antenna Geometry
      2. 3.4.2 Range and Phase Compensation
      3. 3.4.3 Chirp Configuration
    5. 3.5 Schematic and Layout Design Conditions
      1. 3.5.1 Internal LDO Output Decoupling Capacitor and Layout Conditions for BOM Optimized Topology
        1. 3.5.1.1 Single-Capacitor Rail
          1. 3.5.1.1.1 1.2V Digital LDO
        2. 3.5.1.2 Two-Capacitor Rail
          1. 3.5.1.2.1 1.2V RF LDO
        3. 3.5.1.3 1.2V SRAM LDO
        4. 3.5.1.4 1.0V RF LDO
      2. 3.5.2 Best and non-Best Layout Practices
        1. 3.5.2.1 Decoupling Capacitor Placement
        2. 3.5.2.2 Ground Return Path
        3. 3.5.2.3 Trace Width of High Current Carrying Traces
        4. 3.5.2.4 Ground Plane Split
  10. 4Link Budget
  11. 5Hardware, Software, Testing Requirements and Test Results
    1. 5.1 Hardware Requirements
      1. 5.1.1 Connection to the USB to UART Bridges
      2. 5.1.2 USB Cable to Connect to Host PC
      3. 5.1.3 The Rx-Tx Attribution of RS232
    2. 5.2 Software Requirements
    3. 5.3 Test Scenarios
    4. 5.4 Test Results
      1. 5.4.1 Human Detection at 15 Meters in Boresight
      2. 5.4.2 Antenna Radiation Plots
      3. 5.4.3 Angle Estimation Accuracy in Azimuth Plane
      4. 5.4.4 Angle Resolution
  12. 6Design and Documentation Support
    1. 6.1 Design Files
      1. 6.1.1 Schematics
      2. 6.1.2 BOM
      3. 6.1.3 PCB Layout Recommendations
        1. 6.1.3.1 Layout Prints
    2. 6.2 Tools and Software
    3. 6.3 Documentation Support
    4. 6.4 Support Resources
    5. 6.5 Trademarks
  13. 7About the Authors

5.1 Hardware Requirements

This section discusses the procedure to connect the reference design with a host PC used to validate and test the reference design.

The reference design communicates to the outside world with UART, SPI, and I2C interfaces. A UART interface is used to establish communication between the reference design and a host PC. To do this, a USB to UART converter is required. The following are a few USB to UART converters that have been used for testing:

  1. MSP-EXP432E401Y - XDS110 based launchpad
  2. LP-XDS110ET - XDS110 based launchpad
  3. FT232RL - FTDI based USB to UART bridge

TIDEP-01033 Reference Design Connection to Host PC

Figure 5-2 Reference Design Connection to Host PC

Any of the three USB to UART converters can be used to establish communication between the reference design and a host PC.

The reference design uses 1.27mm pitch pins to reduce the form factor. However, 2.54mm pitch jumpers are needed to connect to most USB to UART adapters. Because of this, to connect with the USB bridges, a pitch converter DR127D254P20F has been used. Below image depicts the same:


TIDEP-01033 Use of Pitch Converter

Figure 5-3 Use of Pitch Converter

In this procedure, the reference design is mated to the pitch converter and 2.54mm pitch male headers from the other side of the pitch converter has been used to make the connection. Following are few cautionary items that have been taken care of while establishing the connection: