DKSB1009A

TechForum · April 7, 2021, 9:22pm

Created by BenH, last modified on Feb 13, 2021

DKSB1009A CC430 Wireless Sensor Board with Solar Panel and LCD

Features

Texas Instruments CC430F6137 sub-1GHz RF microcontroller
Solar panel for remote/unwired testing
Temperature, pressure, humidity, and light sensors
Cymbet Enerchip IC power storage and integrated management system
Easy testing for ultra low power wireless projects
Jumpers and test points for easy test and measurement
LCD for data display locally or every I/O broken out with LCD removed
JTAG for programming and debugging
SMA connector for antenna

Functional Description

The DKSB1009A is a low power energy harvesting evaluation platform utilizing the Texas Instruments CC430 in a 100-pin TQFP package. This board offers developers access to a high pin count, small package part, while maintaining maximum flexibility. Every I/O is accessible via headers located on the board. The platform also offers an opportunity to evaluate Cymbet’s Enerchip thin film battery solution. When combined with the ultra low power CC430 and a solar cell, the platform offers a full solution for a maintenance-free, perpetually powered wireless sensor platform.

Power

A Sanyo AM-1815CA solar panel supplies enough power to run and charge the demonstration platform in normal office lighting conditions (300+ lux). The solar panel runs in parallel with a 5.6V zener over-voltage protection diode directly into the Cymbet CBC3150 power management IC. The CBC3150 outputs into a startup delay circuit to allow time for the solar panel to begin the charging process of an empty battery. The low quiescent current TPS78033 regulator keeps the voltage passed from the solar panel in the CC430’s operating voltage range.

Sensors

There are a variety of on-board sensors utilized to demonstrate a typical wireless sensing platform. A Bosch BMP085 senses the temperature and pressure. The Honeywell HIH-5030 is used for sensing humidity. An Intersil ISL29009 is used to take ambient light readings that can be used to adjust properties of platform operation.

LCD

A Varitronix VI-322 3.5 digit LCD is used for local display of data. As an alternative, the LCD can be removed to expand the number of free I/O for prototyping.

Clocking

The microcontroller runs on the internal clocking options of the CC430, but the radio still requires a 26Mhz crystal to operate. An optional external low power crystal placement is provided for applications that require precision low power clocking.

Programming and Debugging

The board employs a standard JTAG socket for programming and debugging with the MSP-FET430UIF or compatible devices. J2 can be populated with an appropriate header to make the development platform compatible with MSP-eZ430U (black PCB) programmer included in the ez430 Chronos Development Tool Kit.

Getting Started

Requirements

Software

Code Composer Studio 4.1.x.x (CCS) or later is needed to run this demo. Please download the latest version from the Texas Instruments website.

Download the latest version of the demonstration code here DKSB1009Av9-20-11.zip. All demonstrations will compile and run using the free code limited version of CCS.

Hardware

The MSP-FET430UIF is needed to load and debug a project. Populating the J2 header with the appropriate female connector will also make this board compatible with the black MSP-ez430U programmer/debuggers included in the ez430 Chronos Development Tool Kit.

Quick Start

Unzip the DKSB1009.zip to any desired directory. In this example the path will be “C:\some_place”.
Open CCS and point the workspace path to the root of the unzipped folder. Click OK.

In the menu bar, choose the “Project” menu, and select “Import Existing CCS/CCE Project.” Make sure “Copy projects into workspace” is unchecked, and click “Finish” to complete the import.
Go to the “Window” menu and choose “Preferences,” expand “General,” expand “Workspaces,” and click on “Preferences.”

Add or Edit the “DEV_ROOT” variable, and set the location to the root path by clicking the Folder button and navigating to the unzipped project folder. Click OK a few times to get back to the workspace.

If a single board is being evaluated, the CC430F6137-StandAlone build profile should be activated by clicking on the “Projects” menu in the toolbar and choosing “Active Build Configuration > CC430F6137-StandAlone”. Alternatively, right-clicking on the “Project” folder in the C/C++ Projects window will offer the same options.

Proceed with a build by clicking on the “Project” menu in the toolbar and choosing “Rebuild All.”
Make sure the header J3 pins 1 and 2 are shorted by a shunt and header J5 is populated by a shunt.

image2270×1732 2.02 MB
If MSP-FET430UIF is not yet connected to the computer, please connect to computer via USB, then connect the JTAG ribbon cable to the header on the development board. Connect power (3 to 5V) to the Vin and GND test point loops on the DKSB1009, and wait approximately 1 minute for the board to power up.
In CCS, click “Target” in the toolbar menu, and choose “Debug Active Project.” It will execute to the beginning of main and halt. Run the program by using the “Target” menu or clicking the Run button
on the top of the debug window.
The demonstration program starts up in sleep mode (LPM3) and waits for a SW2 button press. The program then autonomously reads and updates the LCD with the reading approximately every 60 seconds while sleeping in between.

Software Summary

There are three build configurations in the demonstration project.

The Stand Alone code starts up, displays AP on the LCD, and waits for a SW2 button press to release from sleep. After the initial button press the MCU will then wake up every minute and display a new light reading on the LCD. The code to utilize the rest of the sensors is included, but is not used in the default setting. If desired, the UART can be enabled to output the data from all the sensors. The two pins on J4 have been set up for UART communication and with the aid of a USB to Serial device such as the FTDI UM232R the data can be displayed in any terminal program (9600, 8, n, 1, n).

The Access Point needs a second board to be an End Device. The AP will start up and wait for a connection from an end device. An AP is an always powered device which will receive messages from the ED and display the light reading data received from the ED on the AP’s LCD. SW2 on the AP can be pressed to scroll through the other sensor data on the LCD. By default, the UART is enabled to output all the received data over this channel. The two pins on J4 have been set up for UART communication and with the aid of a USB to Serial device such as the FTDI UM232R the data can be displayed in any terminal program (9600, 8, n, 1, n).

The End Device needs a second board to be an Access Point. Upon start-up the ED initialize and wait for a SW2 button press to release it from sleep. After the initial button press the MCU will then wake up every minute, collect data from all of its sensors and transmit the data to the AP. Subsequent SW2 button presses will effect an on-demand wake-up and transmit.