UM10472
OL2381 Demo kit
Rev. 1 — 14 December 2011

User manual

Document information
Info

Content

Keywords

OL2381, User manual, GUI

Abstract

This user manual describes the architecture and functionalities of theOL2381 Demo kit including the use of the Graphical User Interface GUI.

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OL2381 Demo kit

Revision history
Rev

Date

Description

v.1

20111214

initial version

Contact information
For more information, please visit: http://www.nxp.com
For sales office addresses, please send an email to: salesaddresses@nxp.com
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1. Introduction
This user manual describes the architecture and functionalities of the OL2381 demo kit.
The user manual also describes the hardware included in OL2381 demo kit andstep-by-step setup of the OL2381 in both the transmit and receive mode. It demonstrates
the OL2381 IC performance in an application-like environment. It is based on two boards:
a Control Board and an OL2381 RF board shown in Figure 1.
The Control Board contains an NXP P89LPC936 microcontroller and features:• A user interface comprising 4 DIP switches, 4 tactile switches, 2 LEDs and 1 buzzer.
• Two possibilities for power supply of the Control Board are a 3 V battery and an
external power supply.

• A serial interface (TXD, RXD) which allows in-system programming of the
microcontroller and the use of the HyperTerminal to control the microcontroller and/or
receive information from it.

• A GUI interface which allows a direct control of the registers with a transparent modeof the microcontroller.

• 1 MB EEPROM memory with an I2C interface.
• A full port OL2381 connection named RF interface. It comprises an SPI interface andthree additional lines (P10/DATA, P11/INT and P12/CLOCK) used for sending and/or
receiving data during TX and RX operation of OL2381.
The OL2381 RF Board contains an OL2381 and features:• An RF switch• A 50  connector to choose between an antenna printed on the PCB or an externalantenna. It allows the RF signal to be monitored using standard lab equipment.

control board

RS232
cable

OL2381 RF board

L type RF probe
019aac416

Fig 1.
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User manualComplete OL2381 demo kit hardware
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2. Hardware description
2.1 Deliverables
The OL2381 Demo Kit is delivered with the following hardware as shown in Figure 1:• A Control Board• An RF Board containing OL2381 IC (matched for frequency 315 MHz, 434 MHz or
868 MHz)• A 20 wire flat cable for connection between boards• An L-type RF probe with locking function from Murata
2.2 Control board description
2.2.1 On-board microcontroller
The serial flash In-System Programming (ISP) feature of the P89LPC936 microcontroller
allows coding while the device is connected with a computer via an RS-232 interface.

2.2.2 OL2381 RF board interface
The minimum connection between the microcontroller and OL2381 RF Board comprises
SPI lines SDIO, SCLK and SEN. The full four-line SPI mode can be configured using
jumper JP5. In this case, line SDIO serves as data input and line P13/SDO as data output.
The SPI lines can be configured for shared transmit/receive data and clock, together withSPI communication. Alternatively, the device can also be configured for separate SPI lines
and transmit/receive data (P10/Data) and Clock (P12/Clock).
Figure 2 presents the signal of the RF interface on the control board.

P_RXA_LOP
P_TXA_LOP
P_TXD_LOP
CLOCK_μC
INT_μCDATA_μC
SDO
SCLK
SDIO
SEN

1

11

2

12

3

13

4

14

5

15

6

16

7

17

8

18

9

19

10

20

VCC_LOP
VCC_LOP
VCC
VCC
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND

019aac417

Fig 2.

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RF Interface of the control board

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2.2.3 Jumpers
Several Jumpers are present on the control board to configure it and to observe somesignals from the OL2381 as shown in Table 3. Each jumper is described in Table 1:019aac418

Fig 3.

Control board jumper settings (default in RED)

Table 1.

List of jumpers and connectors

Designation

Description

JP1

Selects the control board input voltage, when using an external input voltage.
2.5 V/ 3.0 V /3.6 V Default = center position (3.0 V)

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User manual

JP2

Selects the supply for the control board. Connecting the two pins on the right,
selects the external input voltage as the control board power supply.
Connecting the two pins on the left, selects the battery as the control board
power supply.
Default = open

JP3

Enables a probe to be connected to the red LED voltage input.

JP4

Connects VCC_LOP and VCC to supply the RF board.
Default = connected

JP5

Connecting the two pins at the bottom takes the SPI output data from the
SDIO pin. Connecting the two pins on the top takes the output data from the
SDO pin. Default = SDIO

JP6

Enables a probe to be connected to the green LED voltage input.

BUZZER

Enables a probe to be connected to the BUZZER voltage input.

RS232

RS-232 interface connector. Enables the microcontroller to be programmed
and the hyper terminal interface to be used.

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2.2.4 P89LPC936 Pin configuration
Table 2 provides an overview of the pin assignment of the microcontroller P89LPC936.
Table 2.

P89LPC936 pin assignment

Pin reference

Configuration

Description

P0.0

input only (high impedance)

DIP switch S1

P0.1

input only (high impedance)

DIP switch S2

P0.2

input only (high impedance)

DIP switch S3

P0.3

input only (high impedance)

DIP switch S4

P0.4

input only (high impedance)

tactile switch SW4

P0.5

input only (high impedance)

tactile switch SW5

P0.6

input only (high impedance)

tactile switch SW6

P0.7

input only (high impedance)

tactile switch SW7

P1.0

quasi-bidirectional

RS-232 output - TXD

P1.1

quasi-bidirectional

RS-232 input - RXD

P1.2

open drain

serial clock (EEPROM)

P1.3

open drain

serial clock (EEPROM)

P1.4

input only (high impedance)interface with OL2381 P11/INT/TEST5

P1.5

-

RESET

P1.6

quasi-bidirectional

configurable input/output P_TXD_LOP

P1.7

quasi-bidirectional

configurable input/output P_TXA_LOP

P2.0

quasi-bidirectional

configurable input/output P_RXA_LOP

P2.1

push-pullgreen LEDP2.2

input only OR Push-pullinterface to OL2381 SDIO

P2.3

input only (high impedance)interface to OL2381 SDIO or SDO

P2.4

push-pullinterface to OL2381 SEN

P2.5

input only OR push-pullinterface to OL2381 SCLK

P3.0

push-pull

red LED

P3.1

push-pullbuzzerVSS-

0 V reference

VDD-

power supply

2.3 RF board description
This section briefly describes the RF board. The two-layer RF board contains the OL2381
IC, printed antenna, important test pins, 16 MHz crystal, switch connector for RF probe
and transmit and receive matching components.

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2.3.1 RF board schematic

019aac419

Fig 4.

Schematic of OL2381 RF board

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2.3.2 RF board layout
The layout is realized using a 2-layer technique. The rear-side is mainly the ground layer.
The eagle files are available for customers.

019aac420

Fig 5.

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User manual

OL2381 RF board layout

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2.3.3 Power supply distribution
The supply voltage applied to the RF Board from the Control Board is split into several
paths. Each supply path is routed from the star connection to the different supply pins of
the OL2381. The supply voltage is the same as the supply voltage of the control board.
This jumper (JP2) is used for monitoring the current consumption of the OL2381 which isquick and reliable indication of the OL2381 operation mode. In the standard receive
configuration, current consumption is between 16 mA and 17 mA, and in the transmit
operation, between 15 mA and 22 mA.
Each supply path is routed to the individual functional blocks of the OL2381 and uses
separate bypass capacitors of 100 nF and 100 pF.
OL2381 has four built-in voltage regulators, which are required to stabilize and isolate thesupply of functional blocks such as the power amplifier, VCO, PLL, and digital circuitry.
Each regulator needs external bypassing capacitors for improved high frequency rejection
and to ensure stability.

2.3.4 Test pins
The RF board contains several test pins for important signals as described in Table 3 andshown in Figure 6:
Table 3.

P89LPC936 pin assignment

Test pins

Description

SPI SDO, SCLK, SDIO, SEN SPI communication pins, enabling communication between the
microcontroller (on control board) and OL2381 (on RF Board).
These pins can also be used to connect the RF board with anothercontrol board.

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User manual

P10/DATA, P11/INT,
P12/CLOCK

Enables a probe to be connected to the three outputs P10/DATA,
P11/INT, P12/CLOCK of OL2381. Allows internal digital signals tobe measured.

TEST1/TEST2

Allows internal analog signals of OL2381 to be measured.

VCC

Positive power supply for OL2381 and RF switch.

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019aac421

Fig 6.

OL2381 RF board test pins

2.3.5 Pin description
Table 4:

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User manual

OL2381 pin description

SymbolPin

Description

GND

1

groundVREG_VCO2

VCO regulator output voltage

VCC_IF3

IF power supply

TEST1

4

RX test I output

TEST2

5

RX test Q output

VCC_RF6

LNA power supply

RF_IN

7

receive RF signal input (antenna or RX connector)

GND

8groundGND

9groundRF_OUT

10transmitted RF signal output (antenna or TX connector)

VREG_PA11

PA regulator output voltage

VCC_PA

12

PA power supply.

VREG_DIG

13

digital regulator output voltage

VCC_DIG14

digital supply

P14/PIND

15

antenna switch control

GND

16

groundSEN

17

serial interface enable, connected to P2.4 of microcontroller

SDIO

18

serial interface input/output connected to P2.3 (MISO) and P2.4
(MOSI) of microcontroller

SCLK

19

serial interface clock, connected to P2.5 of microcontroller

P10/DATA/TEST4 20

TX data input/RX data output, connected to P2.6 of microcontroller

P11/INT/TEST5

21

interrupt line connected to pin P1.4/INT of microcontroller

P12/CLOCK22

TX/RX clock output connected to P2.7 of microcontroller

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Table 4:

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OL2381 pin description …continued

SymbolPin

Description

P13/SDO

23

serial interface data output connected to P2.3 (MISO) of
microcontroller when the 4-wire communication is selected

XTAL2

24

2-pin crystal oscillator

XTAL1

25

1-pin crystal oscillator

VCC_XO26

crystal oscillator supply

RSTDIS

27

reset disable, connected either to ground or to VCC depending on
the position of its dedicated jumper

TEN

28

test enable, set to groundP15/RSSI/TEST3

29

not connected

VREG_PLL30

PLL regulator output voltage

VCC_REG31

PLL, VCO regulators power supply

GND

32

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3. Demo kit setup
This chapter describes the step-by-step approach to set up the OL2381 for transmit andreceive operation using the demo kit and GUI. The description starts with demo kit
hardware connections followed by a brief discussion on GUI setup and GUI windows.

3.1 Hardware connections
The OL2381 demo kit includes the following items (shown in Figure 1):• Control board• OL2381 RF board, configurable to operate in one of three frequencies:– 315 MHz– 434 MHz– 868 MHz
The transceiver chip is almost the same. The RX path, TX path and antenna arematched differently to attain optimal performance at each frequency.

• A 20-pin flat cable connector• A coax antenna cable (L-type RF probe)
Perform the following actions:
1. Jumper setting on controller board:– make the default jumper setting on controller board as described in Section 2.2.2
on page 4.
Jumper number 4 is important. This jumper allows only the use of one supply for bothboards. For high performance measurements, see Section 6.1 on page 41.
2. Connections:– Connect PC and control board with RS-232 Cable (cable not included)– Connect control board and RF board with 20-pin flat cable connector– Connect RF board and RF-analyzer, or RF-generator with coax antenna cable
3. Power supply:– Connect +3 V as shown in Figure 7
An overview of all connections is provided in Figure 7.

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control board

RS232
to PC

+3 V
power supply
for bothboards

LED are on
if supplied

cable toRF board

OL2381 RF board
data signals
50 Ω
antenna cableL type Rf probe

cable tocontrolboard
PCB
antennadata signals

if connected, then the
PCB antenna is switched
019aac422

Fig 7.

UM10472

User manualControl board and RF board connections

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3.2 OL2381 Graphical User Interface (GUI)The OL2381 demo kit includes Graphical User Interface (GUI) which enables easy
real-time user access to the OL2381 registers for desired settings. The user can set
several transmitter and receiver parameters such as:• operating frequency• data rate
• data coding and decoding• modulation setting• baseband and channel filter settings• transmit and receive command settings together with enable or disable transmit
and/or receive operation

3.2.1 GUI installation
Install the OL2381 GUI as follows:
1. Copy the whole folder named "OL2381 SW Graphical User Interface GUI" to adesired location on a local PC.
2. Copy the contents of the folder Assemblies\WinSxS into the windir\WinSxS\ folder.
3. Select “Yes” when asked whether to overwrite the “Manifests” folder and select “No”
for all other overwrite questions.
4. In the folder "LoPSTerConfig", click the file name "LoPSTerConfig.exe" (see Figure 8)
and the OL2381_GUI with all three windows opens.

019aac423

Fig 8.

GUI start-up

3.2.2 RS-232 port configuration check
The GUI connection status with the control board and OL2381 RF board can check byclicking "Check now" button in OL2381 control window. The status message forconnection is displayed as shown in Figure 9.

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019aac424

Fig 9.

Communication status shown on Control GUI• “COMx connected to LoPSTer on Demoboard" reflects communication is made:– The GUI can communicate with the control board and with OL2381 RF board
Failure to communicate with the GUI could be due to problems with either the control
board or the RF board. The following cases provide quick checks to resolve potential
problems:• "Cannot communicate with demo board" reflects a control board failure.
Quick check:– RS-232 port configuration/selection– Jumper settings for power supply– Knob set to RUN position– If all above PASS, although unlikely, it is possible that one of the devices has failed.
If so, request a new board• "Cannot communicate with LoPster" reflects RF board failure.
Quick check:– Power supply check: pins VCC and Vreg
– SPI Check: probe SPI pins, write and read registers, SEN works accordingly– Crystal check for reference frequency, i.e. 16 MHz for OL2381– Check current consumption for: TX PA off, TX PA on and RX– RF switch set to in-line for TX and RX configuration

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3.2.3 GUI windows description
During start-up of OL2381, the GUI shows three different windows (see Figure 10)
entitled:• LoPSTer Control GUI• LoPSTer Register Control• LoPSTer Config GUI
These three windows are discussed in the following sections.

019aac425

Fig 10. GUI windows

3.2.3.1

LoPSTer control GUI
The LoPSTer control GUI, shown in Figure 11, enables the user to:• Check connection between the GUI and hardware (control board and RF board) byclicking the “Check now” button. This action displays the status message at thebottom of the window.

• Load and store OL2381 configuration files using “Store” and “Load” buttons, where:– Load writes configuration file values to the OL2381 registers– Store saves the OL2381 register values as the configuration file

• Switch between eight different stored configurations - Active register configuration
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OL2381 Demo kit

019aac426

Fig 11. GUI control window

3.2.3.2

LoPSTer register control GUI
The LoPSTer register control GUI, shown in Figure 12, enables the user to:• Read and write the OL2381 registers in real-time by clicking Read and Write buttons• Show complete register bits by name by clicking Show Bit names• Show each register with name, address and content in hexadecimal and decimal• Update registers with the parameter changes made in LoPSTer control GUI• Enable or disable auto read and write OL2381 registers

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OL2381 Demo kit

019aac427

Fig 12. GUI register window

3.2.3.3

LoPSTer Config GUI
The LoPSTer configuration GUI, shown in Figure 13, provides an easy-to-use real-time
interface. This interface enables the user to configure a wide range of transmit andreceive parameters. The LoPSTer config GUI contains the following three tabs:• General Settings• Digital I/O Port Control• Operational Settings

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General Settings (see 1 in Figure 13) - enables the user to:• Select LoPSTer version, an option for predecessor OL2380 that is no longer valid for
OL2381 as it supports all frequencies.

• Calibrate reference XTAL frequency (if necessary)• Select reset disable (RSTDIS) pin setting. For detailed information regarding RSTDIS,
refer to the Data sheet OL2381 or Application note AN11039 .

1

019aac428

Fig 13. Configuration window for general settings

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Digital I/O port control (see 2 in Figure 14) - allows the user to:• Control port connection• Configure either 3-wire or 4-wire SPI communication• Configure SPI or separate pins (P10/DATA, P12/CLOCK) for TX/RX data and clock• Scroll different options for pins Data, Clock and INT, i.e. TX/RX/chip/bit clock on
P12/Clock, LO_RDY/RX_RDY/PA_ON status on P11/INT• Configure P13/SDO and P14/PIND

2

019aac429

Fig 14. Configuration window for digital I/O port control

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Operational settings (see 3 inFigure 15):

• Separate section for transmitter parameter settings and receiver parameter settings
on left-hand side (LHS)• Separate section for transmit command and receive command settings on LHS• Common sections for RF center frequencies and device status and state control• A choice between four different channels for TX and RX operation with the help oftransmit channel and receive channel option block• Status for local oscillator, PLL, transmit state and receive state can be checked atanytime by clicking the appropriate status button

3

4019aac430

Fig 15. Configuration window for transmitter settings

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3.2.4 GUI transmitter and receiver parameters
3.2.4.1

Transmitter parameters
The transmitter parameters, indicated by 4 in Figure 15, are discussed briefly in thissection.

• Modulation Control section allows the user to:– Select Modulation type either ASK or FSK– Set output power AMH0/AMH1/AML for modulated signal– Set power amplifier output power (PAM), PAM0 is recommended setting• AM and FM blocks allows ASK and FSK settings– Amplitude modulation depth for ASK signal– Frequency deviation for FSK signal– Ramp control for soft ASK and FSK to achieve narrow signal bandwidth• Timing block allows the chip or bit clock to be selected for TX synchronization• Transmit Command block on right side allows the user to:– Select the desired Transmit Channel, i.e. Channel 0, 1, 2 or 3
– Configure the transmit command for PA control– Enable or disable Manchester coding for TX Data
– Select either ACON0 or ACON1 for output power and modulation selection.
– Enable or disable PA by clicking Activate or Deactivate buttons.
3.2.4.2

Receiver parameters
The receiver parameters, shown by 5 in Figure 16 and Figure 17, are discussed briefly inthis section.

• Gain Settings defines the front-end gain, LNA and IF filter, where high gain, shown in
Figure 16, is the recommended setting• Channel Filter defines demodulation type (ASK or FSK) applied on receive signal
and channel filter bandwidth.

• Baseband Filter defines the BBF corner frequency; the corner frequency must keep
close to the expected data rate.

• Slicer and Coding defines the data slicer settings:– Implementation of edge or level slicer– **Recommendation: level slicer for ASK and edge slicer for FSK modulated signal– **Recommendation: edge slicer initial value as 70 % frequency deviation– **Recommendation: enable auto Initialization for edge Slicer• Receive Command on right side allows the user to:– Select different receive subcommand, i.e. CONT, WUPS, PRDA or DATA
– Select desire Receiver Channel, i.e. Channel 0, 1, 2 or 3
– Select LNA gain control in Gain Switch option– Enable user send/receive command by clicking Send Command button
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OL2381 Demo kit• The appropriate settings for signal monitor, wake-up, preambles, polling timer
together with data and clock sections are scrolled down sections as shown in
Figure 17. Examples of the types of data shown are:– Manchester decoding enable/disable in data and clock section– preambles definition in preamble settings– several signal monitors that can be enabled or disabled in the signal monitoring
sectionAny change performed in the LoPSTer config GUI is reflected in the corresponding
registers in the LoPSTer register GUI.
** Only for Initial start-up. For specific applications, the user performs final optimization.

5019aac431

Fig 16. Configuration window for receiver gain

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55019aac432

Fig 17. Configuration window for receiver settings

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4. RF measurements using the demo kit
This section describes how to measure certain OL2381 RF parameters such as RFtransmission power, receiver sensitivity, using a single demo kit set.

4.1 Transmission measurement
This section describes how to perform a transmission measurement. It uses the 868 MHz
configuration but measurements at other frequencies can be done in a similar way.
The software package included in the demo kit contains OL2381 transmission
configuration files for 315 MHz, 434 MHz and 868 MHz bands.
Click the “Load” button that appears in the OL2381 control GUI window. To configure
OL2381 for 868 MHz transmission, select and load the file named"Config_868Mhz_FSK.lrg" (see Figure 18).

019aac433

Fig 18. LoPSTer control GUI - loading a configuration file

The OL2381 register content is seen in the OL2381 register window. The register can beread and written at anytime.
The OL2381 configuration file is set up for a 868 MHz Continuous Wave (CW)transmission, i.e. an unmodulated carrier.

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A CW transmission can be set when frequency deviation (register Fdev) in FSK is 0 andthe transmitter parameters appear in the transmitter section of OL2381 Config GUI
window.

019aac435

Fig 19. LoPSTer control GUI - loading a configuration file

There are a number of important data captures shown in Figure 19 that have been circled
in red. These data captures are for OL2381 transmission and represent the following:• Channel frequency set to 868 MHz• Modulation type is FSK• Frequency deviation for FSK• Device mode is “Transmit”• “Activate” button sends TX command• Final status of transmission
4.1.1 Output power and harmonics
The L-type RF probe is connected between the RF board and spectrum analyzer todisplay the OL2381 output signal on the spectrum analyzer (see Figure 20).
Marker 1 points to the operating frequency, whereas marker 2 and marker 3 indicate theharmonics.
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Spectrum analyzer

019aac436

Fig 20. OL2381 spectrum analysis for 868 MHz transmission

The TX clock and data can also be observed with the help of data and clock pins on the
RF board.
Changes in output spectrum can be observed by changing the following TX parameters:• PAM setting• RF frequency• Data rate
• Modulation• Coding• Baud rate
Typical current consumption of RF board - 18 mA for an output power of 8 dBm.
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4.2 Reception measurement
This section provides an example explaining how to perform reception measurements.
In this example, the 868 MHz configuration is used, but the same procedure applies toother configuration files.
The software package included in the demo kit contains OL2381 reception files for
315 MHz, 434 MHz and 868 MHz bands.
To configure the OL2381 for 868 MHz reception, click the “Load” button in the OL2381
control GUI window, select the "Config_868Mhz_FSK.lrg" file and then open it(see Figure 21).

019aac437

Fig 21. Loading the 868 MHz configuration file

The receiver is activated by clicking the "Send command" button in the receive command
section of OL2381 Config GUI as shown in Figure 22.

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019aac438

Fig 22. LoPSTer Configuration GUI for 868 MHz receiver settings

There are a number of important data captures shown in Figure 22 that have been circled
in red. These data captures are for the OL2381 reception and represent the following:• Channel frequency• LNA gain setting• Channel and baseband filter bandwidth• Modulation type• Slicer setting• Device mode
• LO and PLL status• Device is in data reception mode after sending receive command
For detailed information regarding receiver parameters, refer to Data sheet OL2381 or
Application note AN11039.

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An R&S signal generator is used to generate the frequency of the expected signal, for thisexample, 868 MHz with:• Fdev = 15 kHz• Manchester coded data = 19200 chips/s• Data = ..,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,…
Using an L-type RF probe, establish a connection between the signal generator and RF
board and inject the RF signal from the signal generator to OL2381 on the RF board.
Using an oscilloscope, observe the data and clock pins on the RF board for received dataand clock (see Figure 23).

L type RF probe

RF Signal Generator

Oscilloscope

Clock
Freq = 19200 Hz

Data
Due toManchester off,
plain data isshown

019aac439

Fig 23.

Receiver signals without Manchester decoding

4.2.1 Sensitivity measurement
The receiver is set to Manchester decoding for sensitivity measurements. As a result, thedata output shows either constant "0" or constant "1" (see Figure 24) and the clock signal
is divided by two.
The signal power from the signal generator can now be gradually reduced until noise
replaces the data shown on the oscilloscope (see Figure 25).
This inserted power, is the minimum power the OL2381 receiver can receive and it
represents the sensitivity of the receiver. The exact RF frequency of the RF generator isimportant and it may be necessary to fine-tune it.
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Freq = 9600 Hz

Data is constant“1” or constant “0”due to received
decodedManchester signal019aac440

Fig 24.

Receiver signals with Manchester decoding

Freq = 9600 Hz

Manchester is On.
Signal should
show constant “1”or “0”.
Due to signal is
below sensitivity,
only noise isshown.

019aac441

Fig 25.

Receiver signals showing noise

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5. Configuration files
This section containsa brief description of OL2381 configuration files. It covers bothtransmission and reception at frequencies of 315 MHz, 434 MHz and 868 MHz. The same
configuration files are included in the software package supplied with the OL2381 demokit.
The following three configuration files are discussed briefly, together with GUI captures for
TX and RX.

• TX/RX configuration file 315 MHz (FSK transmission/FSK reception)• TX/RX configuration file 434 MHz (FSK transmission/FSK reception)• TX/RX configuration file 868 MHz (FSK transmission/FSK reception)
5.1 315 MHz TX/RX configuration file (FSK)
Table 5 is an extract from Data sheet OL2381 for the 315 MHz TX/RX FSK configuration
file.
Table 5.

Table extract

Symbol Parameter Conditions
SRX

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receiversensitivity

Min

Typ

Max

Unit

Manchester encoded data rate = 2.4 kbit/s;
109
deviation = 2.4 kHz; channel filter B = 50 kHz

112

-

dBm

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5.1.1 315 MHz transmission• Center frequency: 315 MHz• Data rate: 4.8 kbit/s Manchester coded (symbol rate = 9600 chips/s)• Modulation type: FSK• Frequency deviation: 4.8 kHz
Figure 26 is a compilation to enable all the relevant information to be visible on one page.

019aac442

Fig 26.

315 MHz FSK transmission settings

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5.1.2 315 MHz reception• Center frequency: 315 MHz• Data rate: 4.8 kbit/s Manchester coded (symbol rate = 9600 chips/s)• Modulation type: FSK• Frequency deviation: 4.8 kHz• OL2381 performed Manchester decoding
Figure 27 is a compilation to enable all the relevant information to be visible on one page.

019aac443

Fig 27.

315 MHz FSK reception settings

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5.2 434 MHz TX/RX configuration file (FSK)
Table 6 is an extract from Data sheet OL2381 for the 434 MHz TX/RX FSK configuration
file.
Table 6.

Table extract

Symbol Parameter Conditions
SRX

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receiversensitivity

Manchester encoded data rate = 9.6 kbit/s;
deviation = 15 kHz; channel filter B = 75 kHz

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Min

Typ

Max

Unit

106

109

-

dBm

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5.2.1 434 MHz transmission• Center frequency: 434 MHz• Data rate: 9.6 kbit/s Manchester coded (symbol rate = 19200 chips/s)• Modulation type: FSK• Frequency deviation: 15 kHz

019aac444

Fig 28.

315 MHz FSK transmission settings

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5.2.2 434 MHz reception• Center frequency: 434 MHz• Data rate: 9.6 kbit/s Manchester coded (symbol rate = 9600 chips/s)• Modulation type: FSK• Frequency deviation: 15 kHz• Channel filter bandwidth: 75 kHz• OL2381 performed Manchester decoding
Figure 29 is a compilation to enable all the relevant information to be visible on one page.

019aac445

Fig 29.

434 MHz FSK reception settings

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5.3 868 MHz TX/RX configuration file (ASK)
Table 7 is an extract from Data sheet OL2381 for the 868 MHz TX/RX ASK configuration
file.
Table 7.

Table extract for 868 MHz

Symbol Parameter Conditions
SRX

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receiversensitivity

Manchester encoded data rate = 4.8 kbit/s;channel filter B = 50 kHz.

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Min

Typ

Max

Unit

-

117

-

dBm

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OL2381 Demo kit

5.3.1 868 MHz transmission• Center frequency: 868 MHz• Data rate: 4.8 kbit/s Manchester coded (symbol rate = 9600 chips/s)• Modulation type: ASK• Modulation = 100 % (see AMH0 = 31 and AML = 0)
Figure 30 is a compilation to enable all the relevant information to be visible on one page.

019aac446

Fig 30.

868 MHz ASK transmission settings

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5.3.2 868 MHz reception• Center frequency: 868 MHz• Data rate: 4.8 kbit/s Manchester coded (symbol rate = 9600 chips/s)• Modulation type: ASK• Channel filter bandwidth: 50 kHz• OL2381 performed Manchester decoding
Figure 31 is a compilation to enable all the relevant information to be visible on one page.

019aac447

Fig 31.

868 MHz ASK reception settings

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6. Improving RF performance
6.1 Supply voltage noise
The control board of the demo kit board uses the Maxim MAX3221 IC to raise the RS-232
interface output signal voltage up to the required level. To raise the output signal voltage,
an internal charge pump working at a frequency of approximately 100 kHz, is used. The
100 kHz frequency is detectable on the board supply voltage.
In the default configuration, the control board supply voltage drives the OL2381. The
noise on the supply causes interference on the RF output signal of the power amplifier.
The signal shown in Figure 32 is the OL2381 CW output spectrum in the range of500 kHz.

Ref

20 dBm* Att* RBW 3 kHz
VBW 10 kHz
SWT 115 ms

30 dB

20

Marker 1 [T1 ]8.18 dBm
868.000000000 MHz

1

10
1 PK *
AVG

Delta 2 [T1 ]-38.78 dB
94.000000000 kHz

A

0

-10

Noise fromsupply

-20
2
-30
SWP

200 of

200

3DB

-40

-50

-60

-70
-80
Center 868 MHz

100 kHz/

Span 1 MHz

019aac448

Fig 32.

CW output spectrum of OL2381

The interference is visible at a distance from the carrier of n * 94 kHz with n = [4, 3, 2,
1, 1, 2, 3 and 4].
To avoid interference, and to make precise measurements, it is recommended that aseparate source supplies OL2381. To provide a separate supply, open jumper J4 on thecontrol board and connect a power supply to pins VCC and GND on the OL2381 RF
board. The adapted supply connections for OL2381 are illustrated in Figure 33.

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VCC_Lop

VCC+3V for
RF Board+2.8 V forController

open J4019aac449

Fig 33.

Changed supply connections for OL2381

Take care to avoid the supply from the ports being reversed when the OL2381 RF board is
supplied by a source other than the control board. For this purpose, VCC_Lop must be
greater or equal to VCC. In order to achieve the correct port input signal, VCC must be atleast 0.8 * VCC_Lop.
For example, if VCC of the control board is set to 2.5 V, the supply voltage of OL2381(VCC_Lop) must be between 2.5 V and 3.125 V.
Figure 34 depicts the CW output signal when OL2381 is supplied by an external source.

Ref

20 dBm* Att* RBW 3 kHz
VBW 10 kHz
SWT 115 ms

30 dB

20

Marker 1 [T1 ]8.15 dBm
868.000000000 MHz

1

10
1 PK *
AVG

Delta 2 [T1 ]-55.35 dB
94.000000000 kHz

A

0

-10

-20

-30
SWP

200 of

200

3DB

-40
2
-50

-60

-70
-80
Center 868 MHz

100 kHz/

Span 1 MHz

019aac450

Fig 34.

CW output spectrum. (OL2381 supplied externally)

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7. Legal information
7.1

Definitions

Draft — The document is a draft version only. The content is still underinternal review and subject to formal approval, which may result in
modifications or additions. NXP Semiconductors does not give any
representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of
information included herein and shall have no liability for the consequences ofuse of such information.

7.2

Export control — This document as well as the item(s) described herein
may be subject to export control regulations. Export might require a priorauthorization from competent authorities.

Disclaimers

Limited warranty and liability — Information in this document is believed tobe accurate and reliable. However, NXP Semiconductors does not give any
representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy orcompleteness of such information and shall have no liability for theconsequences of use of such information.
In no event shall NXP Semiconductors be liable for any indirect, incidental,
punitive, special or consequential damages (including - without limitation - lost
profits, lost savings, business interruption, costs related to the removal or
replacement of any products or rework charges) whether or not suchdamages are based on tort (including negligence), warranty, breach ofcontract or any other legal theory.
Notwithstanding any damages that customer might incur for any reason
whatsoever, NXP Semiconductors’ aggregate and cumulative liability towards
customer for the products described herein shall be limited in accordancewith the Terms and conditions of commercial sale of NXP Semiconductors.
Right to make changes — NXP Semiconductors reserves the right to makechanges to information published in this document, including without
limitation specifications and product descriptions, at any time and without
notice. This document supersedes and replaces all information supplied prior
to the publication hereof.
Suitability for use — NXP Semiconductors products are not designed,
authorized or warranted to be suitable for use in life support, life-critical orsafety-critical systems or equipment, nor in applications where failure or
malfunction of an NXP Semiconductors product can reasonably be expected
to result in personal injury, death or severe property or environmental
damage. NXP Semiconductors accepts no liability for inclusion and/or use of
NXP Semiconductors products in such equipment or applications andtherefore such inclusion and/or use is at the customer’s own risk.
Applications — Applications that are described herein for any of theseproducts are for illustrative purposes only. NXP Semiconductors makes norepresentation or warranty that such applications will be suitable for the
specified use without further testing or modification.
Customers are responsible for the design and operation of their applications
and products using NXP Semiconductors products, and NXP Semiconductors
accepts no liability for any assistance with applications or customer productdesign. It is customer’s sole responsibility to determine whether the NXP
Semiconductors product is suitable and fit for the customer’s applications andproducts planned, as well as for the planned application and use ofcustomer’s third party customer(s). Customers should provide appropriate
design and operating safeguards to minimize the risks associated with theirapplications and products.

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NXP Semiconductors does not accept any liability related to any default,
damage, costs or problem which is based on any weakness or default in thecustomer’s applications or products, or the application or use by customer’s
third party customer(s). Customer is responsible for doing all necessary
testing for the customer’s applications and products using NXP
Semiconductors products in order to avoid a default of the applications andthe products or of the application or use by customer’s third party
customer(s). NXP does not accept any liability in this respect.

Evaluation products — This product is provided on an “as is” and “with all
faults” basis for evaluation purposes only. NXP Semiconductors, its affiliates
and their suppliers expressly disclaim all warranties, whether express, impliedor statutory, including but not limited to the implied warranties of
non-infringement, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The
entire risk as to the quality, or arising out of the use or performance, of thisproduct remains with customer.
In no event shall NXP Semiconductors, its affiliates or their suppliers be liable
to customer for any special, indirect, consequential, punitive or incidental
damages (including without limitation damages for loss of business, businessinterruption, loss of use, loss of data or information, and the like) arising out
the use of or inability to use the product, whether or not based on tort(including negligence), strict liability, breach of contract, breach of warranty or
any other theory, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
Notwithstanding any damages that customer might incur for any reason
whatsoever (including without limitation, all damages referenced above andall direct or general damages), the entire liability of NXP Semiconductors, itsaffiliates and their suppliers and customer’s exclusive remedy for all of theforegoing shall be limited to actual damages incurred by customer based onreasonable reliance up to the greater of the amount actually paid by customer
for the product or five dollars (US$5.00). The foregoing limitations, exclusions
and disclaimers shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicablelaw, even if any remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Safety of high-voltage evaluation products — The non-insulated highvoltages that are present when operating this product, constitute a risk ofelectric shock, personal injury, death and/or ignition of fire. This product is
intended for evaluation purposes only. It shall be operated in a designatedtest area by personnel that is qualified according to local requirements andlabor laws to work with non-insulated mains voltages and high-voltage
circuits.
The product does not comply with IEC 60950 based national or regionalsafety standards. NXP Semiconductors does not accept any liability fordamages incurred due to inappropriate use of this product or related to
non-insulated high voltages. Any use of this product is at customer’s own risk
and liability. The customer shall fully indemnify and hold harmless NXP
Semiconductors from any liability, damages and claims resulting from the useof the product.

7.3

Trademarks

Notice: All referenced brands, product names, service names and trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.

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8. Contents
1
2
2.1
2.2
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
3
3.1
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.3.1
3.2.3.2
3.2.3.3
3.2.4
3.2.4.1
3.2.4.2
4
4.1
4.1.1
4.2
4.2.1
5
5.1
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.2
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.3
5.3.1
5.3.2
6
6.1
7
7.1
7.2

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Hardware description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Deliverables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Control board description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
On-board microcontroller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
OL2381 RF board interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Jumpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
P89LPC936 Pin configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
RF board description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
RF board schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
RF board layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Power supply distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Test pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Demo kit setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hardware connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
OL2381 Graphical User Interface (GUI) . . . . . 14
GUI installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
RS-232 port configuration check . . . . . . . . . . 14
GUI windows description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
LoPSTer control GUI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
LoPSTer register control GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
LoPSTer Config GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
GUI transmitter and receiver parameters . . . . 22
Transmitter parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Receiver parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
RF measurements using the demo kit . . . . . . 25
Transmission measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Output power and harmonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Reception measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Sensitivity measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Configuration files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
315 MHz TX/RX configuration file (FSK) . . . . 32
315 MHz transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
315 MHz reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
434 MHz TX/RX configuration file (FSK) . . . . 35
434 MHz transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
434 MHz reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
868 MHz TX/RX configuration file (ASK) . . . . 38
868 MHz transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
868 MHz reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Improving RF performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Supply voltage noise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Legal information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Disclaimers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

7.3
8

Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Please be aware that important notices concerning this document and the product(s)described herein, have been included in section ‘Legal information’.

© NXP B.V. 2011.

All rights reserved.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nxp.com
For sales office addresses, please send an email to: salesaddresses@nxp.com
Date of release: 14 December 2011
Document identifier: UM10472