EZ430-RF2500-SEH

eZ430-RF2500-SEH Solar Energy Harvesting Development Tool User's Guide Literature Number: SLAU273D January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Contents ....................................................................................................................................... 4 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Overview ................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Solar Energy Harvesting ................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Kit Contents, eZ430-RF2500-SEH ........................................................................................ 6 1.3 Working With the eZ430-RF2500 ......................................................................................... 7 Getting Started ................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Prepare Solar Energy Harvester Module ................................................................................ 8 2.2 Install Sensor Monitor Application and Drivers .......................................................................... 8 2.3 Connect Hardware .......................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Install Code Composer Studio ............................................................................................ 9 2.5 Install the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor Firmware Source ................................................... 9 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) ............................................................................. 10 3.1 Functional Description .................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Figure and Description ................................................. 10 3.3 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Operating Characteristics .............................................. 12 3.4 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Circuit Schematic ....................................................... 12 3.5 Pulse Discharge Current for a Wireless End Device ................................................................. 13 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor ..................................................................................... 14 4.1 MSP430 Firmware ......................................................................................................... 14 4.1.1 Downloading Firmware to the MSP430 ........................................................................ 14 4.2 PC Sensor Monitor Application .......................................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Energy Awareness ............................................................................................... 15 4.2.2 Remaining Transmissions ....................................................................................... 15 4.2.3 Menu Bar .......................................................................................................... 15 4.2.4 PC Sensor Monitor Application Source Code ................................................................ 18 Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................... 19 A.1 FAQs ........................................................................................................................ 19 Preface 1 2 3 4 A 2 Contents SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated www.ti.com List of Figures 1-1. eZ430-RF2500-SEH ........................................................................................................ 6 1-2. eZ430-RF2500-SEH Development Tool Features ...................................................................... 7 3-1. Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Block Diagram ........................................................... 10 3-2. Solar Energy Harvester Module Connections 3-3. Solar Energy Harvester Module Schematic ............................................................................ 12 4-1. eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor ................................................................................... 15 4-2. Menu Bar ................................................................................................................... 16 4-3. Console Window ........................................................................................................... 16 4-4. Real-Time Node Data from the Graph Window ....................................................................... 17 4-5. Configurations Window ................................................................................................... 17 ......................................................................... 11 List of Tables 3-1. SEH-01 Operating Characteristics ...................................................................................... 12 SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated List of Figures 3 Preface SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Read This First If You Need Assistance If you have any feedback or questions, support for the MSP430 device and the eZ430-RF2500 is provided by the Texas Instruments Product Information Center (PIC) and the TI E2E Forum (http://e2e.ti.com). Contact information for the PIC can be found on the TI web site at http://support.ti.com. Additional devicespecific information can be found on the MSP430 web site http://www.ti.com/msp430. NOTE: Support for the Solar Energy Harvesting Module The Solar Energy Harvester module (SEH-01) is a product of Cymbet Corporation. For any questions specifically on the SEH-01 module, contact Cymbet at www.cymbet.com or +1763-633-1780. Related Documentation from Texas Instruments The primary sources of MSP430 information are the device-specific data sheets and user's guides. The most up-to-date versions of the user's guide documents available at the time of production have been provided on the CD-ROM included with this tool. However, the most current information is found at http://www.ti.com/msp430. Information specific to the eZ430-RF2500-SEH development tool can be found at http://www.ti.com/tool/ez430-rf2500-seh. MSP430 device user's guides and the FET user's guide (SLAU157) may be accessed on the included CDROM under the User's Guides section. The FET user's guide includes detailed information on setting up a project for the MSP430 using Code Composer Studio. SimpliciTI is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 4 Read This First SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Chapter 1 SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Overview 1.1 Solar Energy Harvesting The eZ430-RF2500-SEH is a complete Solar Energy Harvesting development kit to help create a perpetually powered wireless sensor network based on the ultra-low-power MSP430 microcontroller. The Solar Energy Harvesting module includes a high-efficiency solar (2.25 in x 2.25 in) panel optimized for operating indoors under low-intensity florescent lights, which provides enough power to run a wireless sensor application with no additional batteries. Inputs are also available for external energy harvesters such as thermal, piezoelectric, or another solar panel. The system also manages and stores additional energy in a pair of thin-film rechargeable EnerChips which are capable of delivering enough power for 400+ transmissions. The EnerChips act as an energy buffer that stores the energy while the application is sleeping and has light available to harvest. The batteries are environmentally friendly and can be recharged thousands of times. They also have a very low self discharge, which is vital for a no-power, energy harvesting system. The eZ430-RF2500 is used to run the energy harvesting application. It is a complete USB-based MSP430 wireless development tool and provides all the hardware and software necessary to use the MSP430F2274 microcontroller and CC2500 2.4-GHz wireless transceiver. It includes a USB debugging interface that allows for real-time, in-system debugging and programming for the MSP430, and it is also the interface to transfer data to a PC from the wireless system. The integrated temperature and RF signal strength indicators can be used to monitor the environment, and many external sensors can be used to collect additional data. eZ430-RF2500-SEH Features • Efficient solar energy harvesting module for the eZ430-RF2500 • Battery-less operation • Works in low ambient light • 400+ transmissions in dark • Adaptable to any RF network or sensor input • Inputs available for external harvesters (such as thermal or piezoelectric) • USB debugging and programming interface with an application backchannel to the PC • 18 available analog and communications input/output pins • Highly integrated, ultra-low-power MSP430 MCU with 16-MHz performance • Two green and red LEDs for visual feedback • Interruptible push button for user feedback SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated eZ430-RF2500-SEH Overview 5 Kit Contents, eZ430-RF2500-SEH www.ti.com Figure 1-1. eZ430-RF2500-SEH 1.2 Kit Contents, eZ430-RF2500-SEH • • • • • Two eZ430-RF2500T wireless target boards One eZ430-RF USB debugging interface One AAA battery pack with expansion board (batteries included) One SEH-01-DK Solar Energy Harvesting Board One MSP430 Development Tool CD containing documentation and development software – eZ430-RF2500-SEH Demo and Source Code (SLAC219) – eZ430-RF2500-SEH Development Tool User's Guide (SLAU273) – eZ430-RF2500 Development Tool User's Guide (SLAU227) – MSP430x2xx Family User's Guide (SLAU144) – Code Composer Studio v5.4 for MSP430 User's Guide (SLAU157) – Code Composer Studio v5.4 (CCSTUDIO) NOTE: For the latest software and documentation, go to http://www.ti.com/tool/ez430-rf2500-seh. 6 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Overview SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Working With the eZ430-RF2500 www.ti.com Figure 1-2. eZ430-RF2500-SEH Development Tool Features 1.3 Working With the eZ430-RF2500 For detailed information on the eZ430-RF2500 Wireless Development Tool, see its user's guide—the eZ430-RF2500 Development Tool User's Guide (SLAU227) includes the following information that is not covered in this document: • eZ430-RF2500T target board pinout • MSP430F2274 and CC2500 specifications • List of eZ430 emulator supported devices • MSP430 application UART description • Detailed eZ430-RF2500 hardware installation • eZ430-RF2500 FAQ • eZ430-RF2500 schematics and layout SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated eZ430-RF2500-SEH Overview 7 Chapter 2 SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Getting Started 2.1 Prepare Solar Energy Harvester Module 1. Remove the Battery Enable jumper, J8 (see Figure 1-2). 2. Place the solar module in a well lit location for at least a few minutes prior to use. In average indoor lighting, it may take up to one hour to fully charge the system. However, approximately five minutes should be sufficient for initial startup. 2.2 Install Sensor Monitor Application and Drivers 1. Download the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Demo and Source Code (SLAC219) from the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Development Tool web page or from the included CD. 2. Unzip the archive and run SEH-demo-setup-vx.x.exe. 3. Respond to the prompts to install the application. 4. Open the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor program. A shortcut is available on the Desktop and in the Start Menu under Programs > Texas Instruments > eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor. 2.3 Connect Hardware 1. Insert the eZ430-RF2500 into a USB port on the PC. This acts as the Access Point. If prompted for the driver for the MSP430 Application UART, allow Windows to 'Install the software automatically'. This is only possible if the Sensor Monitor has already been installed. For more information, see Section 14, Detailed Hardware Installation Guide in the eZ430-RF2500 user's guide (SLAU227). The Sensor Monitor PC application should now detect the MSP430 Application UART on the appropriate COM port, and the center bubble in the program blinks once per second. 2. Attach the second eZ430-RF2500T target board to the Solar Energy Harvesting Module (SEH-01) on connector J1. All components on the boards should be face up. A second bubble should appear in the Sensor Monitor window representing the End Device. If the second bubble does not appear, place the SEH-01 directly under a bright light for a few seconds and try again. Also try using the battery pack to make sure the hardware is programmed properly. 3. By default, the End Device transmits every 10 seconds. Push the button on the End Device to change the transmission duty cycle in the following intervals: 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 40 seconds, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 5 seconds. 4. Cover the solar panel to force the system run from the stored energy. The number of remaining transmissions is displayed. 5. When finished, remove the eZ430-RF2500T End Device from the SEH-01 module, replace jumper on J8, and close any open programs. For troubleshooting tips, see Frequently Asked Questions. 8 Getting Started SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Install Code Composer Studio www.ti.com 2.4 Install Code Composer Studio To 1. 2. 3. edit and download code to the MSP430, Code Composer Studio v5.4 or higher must be installed. Download Code Composer Studio from http://www.ti.com/tool/ccstudio or from the included CD. Extract the zip file and run the installation program. Respond to the prompts to install the IDE. NOTE: IDE Selection The eZ430-RF2500-SEH firmware is provided for both Code Composer Studio and IAR Embedded Workbench, and the user has the option to select the IDE of their choice. However, the firmware is larger than IAR KickStart's 4KB limit, so a full license of IAR Workbench is required to compile the application using IAR. An evaluation version of IAR is available from http://supp.iar.com/Download/SW/?item=EW430-EVAL. This document describes working with only Code Composer Studio. 2.5 Install the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor Firmware Source To edit the original energy harvesting project, the source code must be installed. 1. Download the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Demo and Source Code (SLAC219) from the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Development Tool web page or from the included CD. 2. Unzip the archive and run SEH-firmware-install-vx.x.exe. 3. Respond to the prompts to install the application. 4. Follow the steps described in Section 4.1.1 to download the firmware to the MSP430. SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Getting Started 9 Chapter 3 SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) 3.1 Functional Description The core technology behind the Solar Energy Harvesting module is the photovoltaic or solar cell that converts ambient light into electrical energy. The energy from the solar cell must be converted, managed and stored. This process is handled by the EnerChip EH CBC5300, the small DIP mounted board on the Solar Energy Harvesting Module (SEH-01). A boost converter is used to increase the voltage from the solar cell to a sufficient level to charge the thin-film battery and run the rest of the system. The Charge Control block continuously monitors the output of the boost converter. If the output of the boost converter falls below the voltage needed to charge the EnerChip, the charge controller disconnects the boost converter from the system to prevent back powering the boost converter in low light conditions. The Power Management block prevents the EnerChip from discharging too deeply in low-light conditions or under abnormally high current loads. It also ensures that the load is powered up with a smooth poweron transition. The Power Management block has a control line, CHARGE, which indicates to the MSP430 that the solar energy harvester is actively charging the EnerChip. The control line input, BATOFF, is available for the MSP430 to isolate itself from the EnerChip to conserve battery life in prolonged low-light conditions. The Solar Energy Harvesting Module features two EnerChip batteries mounted on the board with a 100µAhr capacity and a 1000-µF capacitor for high-current pulses during wireless transmissions. Using the power management status and control signals on the SEH-01, the firmware on the MSP430 has been written to make the application 'Energy Aware' to maximize the overall lifetime of the system. Control Lines VOUT Photovoltaic Cell Connector Boost Converter Power Management Charge Control (2) EnerChip CBC050 Figure 3-1. Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Block Diagram 3.2 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Figure and Description Figure 3-2 shows the connections to the Solar Energy Harvester module. 10 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Figure and Description www.ti.com PT1 J7 J8 1 Solar Panel EH Module J1 Connector for TI ED J5 J1 1 J7 Connector J5 Connector for User Pin Number(s) Description Pin Number(s) Description 1 BATOFF 1 Charge 2 GND 2 BATOFF 3 Not Connected 3 VBAT 4 Not Connected 4 GND 5 VOUT2 5 VOUT2 6 Charge Pin Number(s) Description 1 Cut trace to use external source Connector Type: Trace J8 Connector Connector Type: Upright SIP Pin Number(s) Description 1 Positive input 2 GND Connector Type: Rt Angle SIP PT1 Connector Pin Number(s) Description 1 Piezo input 1 2 Piezo input 2 Connector Type: Trace Vias Connector Type: Trace Vias Figure 3-2. Solar Energy Harvester Module Connections J1 Connector: Connection to the eZ430-RF2500T target board. J5 Connector: Alternate connection point to power an external device or for measuring SEH-01 output levels. J7 Connector: Trace to cut if an alternate solar panel is connected to J8. J8 Jumper: Battery enable jumper—the shunt must be removed before the module is charged. This connector can also be used to connect an alternate solar panel to the SEH-01. PT1 Connector: An alternate piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer can be connected. It can be connected in parallel with the SEH-01 solar panel by leaving J7 intact or the piezoelectric transducer can be used standalone by cutting the J7 trace. CAUTION The EnerChip EH CBC5300 module is mounted on a DIP socket that is removable from the Solar Energy Harvesting (SEH-01) board. The pins on the CBC5300 are fragile and care must be taken when removing the module. SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated 11 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Operating Characteristics 3.3 www.ti.com Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Operating Characteristics Table 3-1 shows the operating characteristics of the Solar Energy Harvester Module. Table 3-1. SEH-01 Operating Characteristics PARAMETER CONDITION Input luminous intensity (1) Parasitic load current MIN MAX UNIT 200 lux Full charge rate 700 lux Boost converter off 800 nA Boost converter on 20 µA Average output power (measured at VOUT2 pin) 1000 lux (FL), battery not charging 350 µW 200 lux (FL), Battery not charging 80 µW Output voltage, VOUT2 2-µA load, Battery charged 3.5 VBAT charging voltage 3.55 3 3.3 Pulse discharge current 20 ms 30 Self discharge rate (non-recoverable average) 25°C, Per year 2.5 Operating temperature 0 10% depth-of-discharge 5000 50% depth-of-discharge 1000 10% depth-of-discharge 2500 50% depth-of-discharge 500 Recharge time (to 80% of rated capacity) 4.1-V constant voltage 500 Capacity 8-µA discharge; 25°C 25°C Recharge cycles (to 80% of rated capacity, 4.1-V charge voltage) (1) 3.6 4.06 Battery cutoff voltage 3.4 TYP Minimum operating lux 40°C 25 V V 3.6 V mA % 70 °C min 100 µAh Fluorescent (FL) light conditions specifications subject to change without notice. Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Circuit Schematic Figure 3-3 shows a schematic of the Solar Energy Harvester module. Figure 3-3. Solar Energy Harvester Module Schematic 12 Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Pulse Discharge Current for a Wireless End Device www.ti.com 3.5 Pulse Discharge Current for a Wireless End Device High current pulses place special demands on batteries. Repeated delivery of pulse currents exceeding the recommended load current of a given chemistry diminishes the useful life of the cell. The effects can be severe, depending on the amplitude of the current and the particular cell chemistry and construction. Pulse currents of tens of milliamperes are common in wireless sensor systems during transmit and receive modes. Moreover, the internal impedance of the cell often results in an internal voltage drop that precludes the cell from delivering the pulse current at the voltage necessary to operate the external circuit. One method of mitigating such effects is to place a low equivalent series resistance (ESR) capacitor across the battery. The battery charges the capacitor between discharge pulses, and the capacitor delivers the pulse current to the load. Specifying the capacitance for a given battery in an application is a straightforward procedure once a few key parameters are known. The key parameters are: • Battery impedance (at temperature and state-of-charge) • Battery voltage (as a function of state-of-charge) • Operating temperatures • Pulse current amplitude • Pulse current duration • Allowable voltage drop during pulse discharge Two equations are used to calculate two unknown parameters: • The output capacitance needed to deliver the specified pulse current of a known duration • The latency time that must be imposed between pulses to allow the capacitor to be recharged by the battery Both formulas assume that the capacitor ESR is sufficiently low to result in negligible internal voltage drop while delivering the specified pulse current; consequently, only the battery resistance is considered in the formula used to compute capacitor charging time, and only the load resistance is considered when computing the capacitance needed to deliver the discharge current. The first step in creating a battery-capacitor couple for pulse-current applications is to size the capacitance using the following formula: Discharge formula: C = t / R × [–ln (Vmin / Vmax)] Where: C = output capacitance in parallel with battery t = pulse duration R = load resistance = VOUT(average) / Ipulse Vmin and Vmax are determined by the combination of the battery voltage at a given state-of-charge and the operating voltage requirement of the external circuit. Once the capacitance has been determined, the capacitor charging time can be calculated using the following formula: Charge formula: t = R × C × [–ln (1 – Vmin / Vmax)] Where: t = capacitor charging time from Vmin to Vmax R = battery resistance C = output capacitance in parallel with battery Again, Vmin and Vmax are functions of the battery voltage and the circuit operating specifications. Battery resistance varies according to temperature and state-of-charge as described above. Worst-case conditions are often applied to the calculations to ensure proper system operation over temperature extremes, battery condition, capacitance tolerance, etc. SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Solar Energy Harvester Module (SEH-01) Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated 13 Chapter 4 SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor The eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor is a full demonstration application that includes both the firmware for the MSP430 that takes into consideration the constraints of running in an energy harvesting environment as well as a PC application that can display all connected wireless nodes and the data that they are reporting. Both the MSP430 firmware and the PC application (both binary and full source) are included in SLAC219. 4.1 MSP430 Firmware The eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor firmware is preloaded on the MSP430 devices and consists of a wireless temperature sensor network and may be reprogrammed at any time. The network consists of an Access Point that measures its own temperature and also receives data from End Devices. End Devices measure their own temperature periodically and then enter low-power mode to reduce energy consumption. The Access Point receives the information and transmits it to the PC through USB. SimpliciTI™ is the RF network protocol used to establish the network. For more information on SimpliciTI, visit www.ti.com/simpliciti. 4.1.1 Downloading Firmware to the MSP430 The firmware comes preloaded onto the MSP430 devices; however, it can be restored with the following steps. The source code will be installed on the PC with the setup program included in SLAC219. 1. Open Code Composer Studio. 2. Open any available Workspace. 3. Import the project to the Workspace. (a) Click Project > Open Existing Project > Browse. (b) Navigate to the source code location. The default location is C:\Texas Instruments\eZ430-RF2500-SEH_Sensor_Monitor-v2.0\CCS_Source. (c) Ensure "SEH Sensor Monitor" is selected under Projects. (d) Click Finish. 4. Connect one of the eZ430-RF2500T target boards to the eZ430 Emulator and plug it into a USB port on the computer. 5. Right-click the project name "SEH Sensor Monitor" in the Project Explorer panel and click Build Configurations > Set Active > End Device - Debug. 6. Click Project > Clean... 7. Click Run > Debug Active Project. 8. Click the Terminate button (red square in the top left 'Debug' view) to terminate the debugging session. 9. Remove the eZ430-RF2500T target board from the emulator. It has now been programmed as the End Device. 10. Connect the second eZ430-RF2500T target board to the eZ430 Emulator and plug it into a USB port on the computer. 11. If not already in the CCS Edit perspective, return to it by clicking the CCS Edit button at the top right corner of the screen. Click the >> arrows if the button has moved off-screen. 12. Right-click the "SEH Sensor Monitor" project name in the Project Explorer panel and click Build Configurations > Set Active > Access Point - Debug. 13. Click Project > Clean... 14 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated PC Sensor Monitor Application www.ti.com 14. Click Run > Debug Active Project and click the green Run arrow button. 15. Connect the first eZ430-RF2500T (End Device) target board to the battery pack or the Solar Energy Harvesting board. 16. Open the eZ430-RF2500 Sensor Monitor PC program installed on the PC to watch the network form or receive data from the wireless node. 4.2 PC Sensor Monitor Application The Sensor Monitor PC application is a graphical representation of the star network and displays the sampled data from each wireless device. The center node is the Access Point and the attached nodes are the End Devices, which display their temperature, voltage, and their transmission frequency. The physical distance of the End Device from the Access Point is simulated on-screen by measuring the signal strength (RSSI) of the received signal. The number of End Devices can be expanded by adding more wireless nodes to the network as shown in Figure 4-1. Figure 4-1. eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor 4.2.1 Energy Awareness Because the End Devices are 'Energy Aware', they dynamically switch power sources from the solar cell to the EnerChip if sufficient ambient light is not available to run the system. The node's color on the PC Sensor Monitor window also displays its current power source. The node is yellow when powered from the solar panel or the traditional battery back and is blue when running from the EnerChip. 4.2.2 Remaining Transmissions When running from the EnerChip, the application also display the number of transmissions left before the stored energy is depleted. On average, ~400 transmissions are possible before the system needs to be recharged. 4.2.3 Menu Bar Figure 4-2 describes the eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor menu bar. SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor 15 PC Sensor Monitor Application Play www.ti.com Stop Pause COM Port Selection About Console Configurations Graph node data User's guide Figure 4-2. Menu Bar 4.2.3.1 Action Toolbar: Play, Pause, Stop By default, the Sensor Monitor scans all available COM ports until it finds an MSP430 Application UART and begins receiving data. The Play, Pause, and Stop controls are available to control the connection with the COM port. Play — Opens the MSP430 application UART COM port and resumes receiving data. Pause — Closes the COM port, which stops the application from receiving data. Stop — Closes the COM port, which stops the application from receiving data and clears the nodes from the window. 4.2.3.2 Console Window The console window (see Figure 4-3) is used to view a real-time output of all node data in text format. Individual nodes, including the access point, can be removed from the console if necessary. This can be useful when looking for a specific node's information. It is also possible to save the data in the console to a text file for further analysis and processing. Figure 4-3. Console Window 4.2.3.3 Graph Window Temperature data and RF signal strength (RSSI) for all nodes can be plotted in a graph (see Figure 4-4). The signal strength is displayed as a percentage. The last 60 transmissions are stored and displayed. Only 24 hours worth of data can be displayed. 16 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated PC Sensor Monitor Application www.ti.com Figure 4-4. Real-Time Node Data from the Graph Window 4.2.3.4 COM Port Selection By default, the application selects and opens the first available MSP430 Application UART and refreshes the drop down whenever a new COM port is available. This means it is rarely necessary to use the COM port selection list unless multiple MSP430 Applications UARTs are available on the PC. 4.2.3.5 Configurations Settings for the Sensor Monitor application can be changed in the configurations window. The default temperature unit can be modified as well as the time required before a node is removed if a packet has not been received in a while. Figure 4-5. Configurations Window SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor 17 PC Sensor Monitor Application www.ti.com 4.2.4 PC Sensor Monitor Application Source Code The eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor application is open source and is licensed under GNU General Public License v2. The source code is included in SLAC219. It was developed using the open source Qt cross-platform applications framework (QWT) and compiled using Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition, which are freely available. For detailed instructions on how to setup the environment to edit the project, see the README.txt in the source code directory. 18 eZ430-RF2500-SEH Sensor Monitor SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Appendix A SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Frequently Asked Questions A.1 FAQs 1. My End Device doesn't join the network or it takes several tries to successfully join the network? The startup and network linking process is a very demanding from a power-consumption perspective, because both the MSP430 and the CC2500 turn on in a full active mode at startup, which is a drain on power when working with such a limited power budget. Also, linking to an RF network requires scanning the area and exchanging packets between the ED and AP with the potential for retransmissions. High-current pulses, such as RF communication, are sourced from the 1000-µF capacitor, and if all the energy is drained in a short period of time, it must be recharged prior by holding the solar cell under a bright light prior to another attempt to join the network. 2. I've left the Solar Energy Harvesting Module under a bright light for three days, but it still doesn't work in the dark? The shunt on J8 must be removed to charge the EnerChip from the solar cell. With J8 in place, the battery is isolated to prevent potential damage caused by it draining while in transport or storage. 3. Why does the Solar Energy Harvester Module use thin film rechargeable batteries instead of a rechargeable AA, super cap, or other exotic storage solution? Energy harvesting applications can also run from any other storage element. Thin film batteries have the advantage of being easily recharged, have a small profile and, most importantly, have a negligible self-discharge. Self discharge is the property of batteries or capacitors to lose charge over time; however, thin film batteries lose only a small percentage of their charge over a long period of time. 4. Why is the battery pack included if the eZ430-RF2500T is intended to run from the Solar Energy Harvester? The battery pack is may be useful when trying to debug an application that has not been optimally tuned to run in an efficient energy harvesting environment. 5. The reported temperature is incorrect, how can I calibrate the sensor? A temperature offset is stored in Flash, which is calibrated at production. If the offset is erased or is incorrect, it can be changed to an appropriate level for your application. 6. Where can I get the part number for the solar panel or the rest of build of material (BOM) for the Solar Energy Harvesting module? Please send all questions on the Solar Energy Harvesting Module to Cymbet (www.cymbet.com) 7. Where do I find more information on the eZ430-RF2500 wireless development tool? The eZ430-RF2500 Development Tool User's Guide (SLAU227) 8. When I try to compile the source code with IAR Kickstart, I get the following error: Fatal Error[e89]: Too much object code produced (more than 0x1000 bytes) for this package IAR KickStart currently has a 4KB code size limitation, and the project being compiled is larger than 4KB. (0x1000 = 4096). To compile, a full license of IAR is required. A 30-day evaluation version of IAR is available from http://supp.iar.com/Download/SW/?item=EW430-EVAL. SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated Frequently Asked Questions 19 FAQs www.ti.com 9. Why is the solar panel on the energy harvesting board so large when my TI-36X works fine with a tiny solar panel? The current required to run a calculator and LCD is relatively small. Running a wireless sensor network, however, consumes approximately 10 mA to 25 mA when trying to simultaneously sample sensors and transmit data wirelessly. This current might be 100 to 1000 times more than a calculator application. A larger solar panel allows collection of more solar energy to keep up with the real-time demands of a wireless system with a high duty cycle. The design could be optimized with a smaller solar cell, but the frequency of RF transmissions would have to be reduced. 20 Frequently Asked Questions SLAU273D – January 2009 – Revised July 2013 Submit Documentation Feedback Copyright © 2009–2013, Texas Instruments Incorporated EVALUATION BOARD/KIT/MODULE (EVM) ADDITIONAL TERMS Texas Instruments (TI) provides the enclosed Evaluation Board/Kit/Module (EVM) under the following conditions: The user assumes all responsibility and liability for proper and safe handling of the goods. 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