RF430F5978EVM

The RF430F5978EVM, including the user software SLRC001, is a complete evaluation platform to evaluate the key features of the RF430F5978 transponder:

• Sub 1-GHz Transceiver
• 3D LF long range trigger/wake up function
• Passive, batteryless transponder communication
• Contactless LF 3D Antenna Resonant trimming

In a typical sequence, the MRD2EVM LF Transmitter sends a 64-Bit wake pattern. and As soon as the RF430F5978EVM board is within the supply range (typically ~ 2m with this set up, but it can reach up to 10m with an LF power transmitter) and detects a valid wake pattern, the microcontroller is activated.

The microcontroller will then measure the RSSI (Receive Signal Strength) of all 3 axes on the 3D LF antenna, interpret the orientation and distance of the device, measure the temperatufre, as well as the battery/system voltage, and send the information back via the onboard UHF Transceiver to the AP434R01 Access Point. The returned data will be visualized by the user software SLRC001, showing the signal strength on all 3 axes as well as temperature and supply voltage logging data.

A typical task for the RF430F5978EVM is to capture data from different sensors over time and, triggered by an LF wake up, transmit the stored data via the RF transceiver to an AP434 access point. The standard wake up/trigger function of the RF430F5978 is carried out by an LF signal which is generated by the microreader board MRD2EVM.

Depending on the LF antenna type/size and LF output power, the distance between the LF reader and the RF430F5978EVM can be up to 4m (13.12 feet). The RF430F5978 combines a CC430F6137 ultra-low-power microcontroller system-on-chip with an integrated 434 MHz transceiver and an LF 134 kHz front end. The devices features different peripherals targeted for a wide range of applications. The architecture is optimized to achieve extended battery life in portable measurement applications through its 5 low-power modes.

The CC430 family features an ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontroller with an integrated radio core, an optional 96-segment LCD controller, 12-bit ADC, comparator, universal serial interface (supports UART, SPI and I2C), 32KB flash memory, and 4KB RAM memory. Free software development tools are also available, such as TI’s Eclipse-based Code Composer Studio™ IDE and IAR Embedded Workbench.