Silicon Labs EFR32MG13 User Manual

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm
Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

A Wireless Starter Kit with the BRD4175A Radio Board is an ex­cellent starting point to get familiar with the EFR32

™ Mighty
Gecko Wireless System-on-Chip. It also provides all necessary
tools for developing a Silicon Labs wireless application.

BRD4175A is a plug-in board for the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard. It is a complete ref­erence design for the EFR32MG13 Wireless SoC, with matching networks for 19 dBm
output power, a 2.4 GHz PCB antenna, and an SMA connector for the 434 MHz band.

The Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard contains an on-board J-Link debugger with a Packet
Trace Interface and a virtual COM port, enabling application development and debugging
of the attached radio board as well as external hardware. The mainboard also contains
sensors and peripherals for easy demonstration of some of the EFR32's many capabili­ties.

This document describes how to use the BRD4175A Radio Board together with a Wire­less Starter Kit Mainboard.

BRD4175A RADIO BOARD FEATURES

• EFR32MG13 Mighty Gecko Wireless SoC
with 512 kB Flash, and 64 kB RAM
(EFR32MG13P733F512GM48)

•

Dual band integrated radio transceiver

• 19 dBm output power

• Inverted-F PCB antenna (2.4 GHz)

• SMA antenna connector (434 MHz)

• 8 Mbit low-power serial flash for over-the­air upgrades.

WIRELESS STK MAINBOARD FEATURES

• Advanced Energy Monitor

•

Packet T

• Virtual COM port

• SEGGER J-Link on-board debugger

• External device debugging

• Ethernet and USB connectivity

• Silicon Labs Si7021 relative humidity and
temperature sensor

• Low power 128x128 pixel Memory LCD­TFT

• User LEDs / pushbuttons

• 20-pin 2.54 mm EXP header

• Breakout pads for Wireless SoC I/O

• CR2032 coin cell battery support

race Interface

SOFTWARE SUPPORT

• Simplicity Studio™

Energy Profiler

•

•

Network Analyzer

ORDERING INFORMATION

• SLWRB4175A

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction ................................

1.1 Radio Boards ..............................4

1.2 Ordering Information ...........................4

1.3 Getting Started .............................4

4

2. Hardware Overview .............................5

2.1 Hardware Layout .............................5

2.2 Block Diagram..............................6

3. Connectors ................................7

3.1 J-Link USB Connector ...........................7

3.2 Ethernet Connector ............................7

3.3 Breakout Pads .............................8

3.4 EXP Header ..............................9

3.4.1 EXP Header Pinout ..........................10

3.5 Debug Connector.............................11

3.6 Simplicity Connector............................12

3.7 Debug Adapter .............................13

4. Power Supply and Reset .......................... 14

4.1 Radio Board Power Selection ........................14

4.2 Board Controller Power...........................15

4.3 EFR32 Reset ..............................15

5. Peripherals ............................... 16

5.1 Push Buttons and LEDs ..........................16

5.2 Memory LCD-TFT Display..........................17

5.3 Serial Flash ..............................18

5.4 Si7021 Relative Humidity and Temperature Sensor .................19

5.5 Virtual COM Port .............................20

5.5.1 Host Interfaces ...........................21

5.5.2 Serial Configuration ..........................21

5.5.3 Hardware Handshake .........................22

6. Board Controller ............................. 23

6.1 Admin Console .............................23

6.1.1 Connecting .............................23

6.1.2 Built-in Help ............................23

6.1.3 Command Examples .........................24

6.2 Virtual UART ..............................24

7. Advanced Energy Monitor ......................... 25

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7.1 Introduction...............................25

7.2 Theory of Operation ............................25

7.3 AEM Accuracy and Performance .......................26

7.4 Usage ................................26

8. On-Board Debugger ............................ 27

8.1 Host Interfaces .............................27

8.1.1 USB Interface ............................27

8.1.2 Ethernet Interface ..........................27

8.1.3

Serial Number Identification .......................27

8.2 Debug Modes ..............................28

8.3 Debugging During Battery Operation ......................29

9. Kit Configuration and Upgrades ....................... 30

9.1 Firmware Upgrades ............................30

10. Schematics, Assembly Drawings, and BOM .................. 31

11. Kit Revision History ........................... 32

11.1 SLWRB4175A Revision history........................32

12. Document Revision History ........................ 33

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UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Introduction

1. Introduction

The EFR32MG13 Mighty Gecko Wireless SoC is featured on a radio board that plugs directly into a Wireless Starter Kit (WSTK) Main­board. The mainboard features several tools for easy evaluation and development of wireless applications. An on-board J-Link debug­ger enables programming and debugging on the target device over USB or Ethernet. The Advanced Energy Monitor (AEM) offers real­time current and voltage monitoring. A virtual COM port interface (VCOM) provides an easy-to-use serial port connection over USB or
Ethernet. The Packet Trace Interface (PTI) offers invaluable debug information about transmitted and received packets in wireless links.

All debug functionality, including AEM, VCOM and PTI, can also be used towards external target hardware instead of the attached radio
board.

To further enhance its usability, the mainboard contains sensors and peripherals that demonstrates some of the many capabilities of the
EFR32MG13. A 20-pin expansion header (EXP header) is also provided that allows connection of expansion boards (EXP boards) to
the kit.

1.1 Radio Boards

A Wireless Starter Kit consists of one or more mainboards and radio boards that plug into the mainboard. Different radio boards are
available, each featuring different Silicon Labs devices with different operating frequency bands.

Since the mainboard is designed to work with all different radio boards, the actual pin mapping from a device pin to a mainboard feature
is done on the radio board. This means that each radio board has its own pin mapping to the Wireless Starter Kit features, such as
buttons, LEDs, the display, the EXP header and the breakout pads. Because this pin mapping is different for every radio board, it is
important that the correct document be consulted which shows the kit features in context of the radio board plugged in.

This document explains how to use the Wireless Starter Kit when the EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Radio Board (BRD4175A) is
combined with a Wireless STK Mainboard. The combination of these two boards is hereby referred to as a Wireless Starter Kit (Wire­less STK).

1.2 Ordering Information

BRD4175A can be obtained as a separate radio board, SLWRB4175A.

Table 1.1. Ordering Information

Part Number Description Contents

SLWRB4175A EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Ra-

dio Board

1.3 Getting Started

Detailed instructions for how to get started can be found on the Silicon Labs web pages:

http://www.silabs.com/start-efr32mg

1x BRD4175A EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm
Dual Band Radio Board

1x 434 MHz dipole antenna (Linx ANT-433-CW
SMA)

-QW-

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Ethernet / USB

J-Link debugger
Virtual COM port
Packet Trace
Advanced Energy Monitor

EFR32 GPIO
breakout pads

Plug-in radio board

Si7021 humidity and
temperature sensor

EXP header for
expansion boards

Debug connector

Cortex Debug+ETM (20-pin)
Debug in / debug out

Push buttons and LEDs

Battery or
USB power

Ultra-low power
128x128 pixel
Memory LCD-TFT

Simplicity connector

Virtual COM port
Packet Trace
Advanced Energy Monitor

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

2. Hardware Overview

2.1 Hardware Layout

The layout of the EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Wireless Starter Kit is shown in the figure below.

Hardware Overview

Figure 2.1. Kit Hardware Layout

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2.2 Block Diagram

Debug

USB Mini-B

Connector

UART

RJ-45 Ethernet

Connector

Packet Trace

AEM

Multiplexer

Debug

UART

ETM Trace

Packet Trace

AEM

Debug

UART

Packet Trace

AEM

Simplicity

Connector

Debug

Connector

Board

Controller

OUT

IN

MCU

SMA

Connector

EFR32MG13

Wireless SoC

ETM Trace

128 x 128 pixel

Memory LCD

I2C

Si7021

Temperature

& Humidity

Sensor

SPI

8 Mbit

MX25R

Serial Flash

GPI

O

EXP

Header

User Buttons

& LEDs

GPIO

SMA

Connector

SMA

Connector

434 MHz RF

2.4 GHz RF

Inverted-F

PCB Antenna

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Hardware Overview

An overview of the EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Wireless Starter Kit is shown in the figure below

.

Figure 2.2. Kit Block Diagram

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Simplicity
Connector

Debug
Connector

GND

GND

5V

5V

P25

P24

P27

P26

P29

P28

P31

P30

P33

P32

P35

P34

P37

P36

P39

P38

P41

P40

P43

P42

P45

P44

GND

GND

NC

NC

Radio Board

Connectors

EXP Header

GND

GND

VMCU

VMCU

P1

P0

P3

P2

P5

P4

P7

P6

P9

P8

P1

1

P10

P13

P12

P15

P14

P17

P16

P19

P18

P21

P20

GND

GND

P23

P22

VRF

VRF

3V3

3V3

Ethernet
Connector

J-Link USB
Connector

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Connectors

3. Connectors

This chapter gives you an overview of the Wireless STK Mainboard connectivity. The placement of the connectors are shown in the
figure below.

Figure 3.1. Mainboard Connector Layout

3.1 J-Link USB Connector

J-Link

The
supported through this USB interface when connected to a host computer, including:

• Debugging and programming of the target device using the on-board J-Link debugger

• Communication with the target device over the virtual COM port using USB-CDC

• Accurate current profiling using the AEM

In addition to providing access to development features of the kit, this USB connector is also the main power source for the kit. USB 5V
from this connector powers the board controller and the AEM. It is recommended that the USB host be able to supply at least 500 mA
to this connector, although the actual current required will vary depending on the application.

3.2 Ethernet Connector

The Ethernet connector provides access to all of the Wireless Starter Kit's development features over TCP/IP. The Ethernet interface
provides some additional development features to the user. Supported features include:

• Debugging and programming of the target device using the on-board J-Link debugger

• Communication with the target device over the virtual COM port using TCP/IP socket 4901

• "VUART" communication with the target device over the debug SWD/SWO interface using TCP/IP socket 4900

• Accurate current profiling using the AEM

• Real-time radio packet and network analysis using the Packet Trace Interface

• Access to advanced configuration options using the admin console over TCP/IP socket 4902

Note that the Wireless Starter Kit cannot be powered using the Ethernet connector, so in order to use this interface, the USB connector
must be used to provide power to the board.

USB connector is situated on the left side of the Wireless Starter Kit Mainboard. Most of the kit's development features are

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3.3 Breakout Pads

GND

VMCU

P23 / NC

P21 / NC

P19 / NC

P17 / NC

GND

P15 / NC

P13 / PC11 / EXP16 / I2C_SDA

P11 / PA1 / EXP14 / VCOM_RX

P9 / PA0 / EXP12 / VCOM_TX

P7 / PC9 / EXP10

P5 / PC8 / EXP8 / FLASH_SCLK / DISP_SCLK

P3 / PC7 / EXP6 / FLASH_MISO

P1 / PC6 / EXP4 / FLASH_MOSI / DISP_SI

VRF

GND

VMCU

PTI_SYNC / PB13 / P22

PTI_DATA / PB12 / P20

PTI_CLK / PB11 / P18

VCOM_ENABLE / PA5 / P16

GND

FLASH_SCS / PA4 / P14

I2C_SCL / EXP15 / PC10 / P12

DBG_TDI / EXP13 / PF3 / P10

LED0 / EXP11 / PF4 / P8

BTN1 / EXP9 / PF7 / P6

BTN0 / EXP7 / PF6 / P4

VCOM_RTS / EXP5 / PA3 / P2

VCOM_CTS / EXP3 / PA2 / P0

VRF

J101

GNDGND

5V5V

NCNC

P45 / NCNC / P44

P43 / NCNC / P42

P41 / NCNC / P40

3V33V3

P39 / NCNC / P38

P37 / PD15 / DISP_ENABLE / SENSOR_ENABLENC / P36

P35 / PD15 / DISP_ENABLE / SENSOR_ENABLENC / P34

P33 / PD14 / DISP_SCSLED1 / PF5 / P32

P31 / PD13 / DISP_EXTCOMINNC / P30

P29 / NCDBG_TDO_SWO / PF2 / P28

P27 / NCDBG_TMS_SWDIO / PF1 / P26

P25 / NCDBG_TCK_SWCLK / PF0 / P24

GNDGND

J102

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Connectors

Most pins

of the EFR32 are routed from the radio board to breakout pads at the top and bottom edges of the Wireless STK Mainboard.
A 2.54 mm pitch pin header can be soldered on for easy access to the pins. The figure below shows you how the pins of the EFR32
map to the pin numbers printed on the breakout pads. To see the available functions on each, refer to the data sheet for
EFR32MG13P733F512GM48.

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Figure 3.2. Breakout Pad Pin Mapping

3.4 EXP Header

12

4

8
6

10

3

5

9
7

12

13

14

11

1516

17

18

20 19

VMCU

SPI_MOSI / PC6

SPI_MISO / PC7

SPI_CLK / PC8

SPI_CS / PC9

UART_TX / PA0

UART_RX / PA1

I2C_SDA / PC11

5V

3V3

GND

P

A2 / GPIO

PA3 / GPIO

PF6 / GPIO

PF7 / GPIO

PF4 / GPIO

PF3 / GPIO

PC10 / I2C_SCL

BOARD_ID_SDA
BOARD_ID_SCL

Reserved (Board Identification)

EFR32 I/O Pin

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Connectors

The EXP

header is an angled 20-pin expansion header provided to allow connection of peripherals or plugin boards to the kit. It is loca­ted on the right-hand side of the mainboard, and it contains a number of I/O pins that can be used with most of the EFR32 Mighty
Gecko's features. Additionally, the VMCU, 3V3, and 5V power rails are also exported.

The connector follows a standard which ensures that commonly used peripherals, such as an SPI, a UART, and an I2C bus, are availa­ble on fixed locations in the connector. The rest of the pins are used for general purpose IO. This allows the definition of expansion
boards (EXP boards) that can plug into a number of different Silicon Labs Starter Kits.

The figure below shows the pin assignment of the EXP header. Because of limitations in the number of available GPIO pins, some of
the EXP header pins are shared with kit features.

Figure 3.3. EXP Header

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3.4.1 EXP Header Pinout

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Connectors

The pin-routing

on the EFR32 is very flexible, so most peripherals can be routed to any pin. However, many pins are shared between
the EXP header and other functions on the Wireless STK Mainboard. The table below includes an overview of the mainboard features
that share pins with the EXP header.

Table 3.1. EXP Header Pinout

Pin Connection EXP Header Function Shared Feature Peripheral Mapping

20 3V3 Board controller supply

18 5V Board USB voltage

16 PC11 I2C_SDA SENSOR_I2C_SDA I2C0_SDA #16

14 PA1 UART_RX VCOM_RX USART0_RX #0

12 PA0 UART_TX VCOM_TX USART0_TX #0

10 PC9 SPI_CS - USART1_CS #11

8 PC8 SPI_SCLK FLASH_SCLK, DISP_SCLK USART1_CLK #11

6 PC7 SPI_MISO FLASH_MISO USART1_RX #11

4 PC6 SPI_MOSI FLASH_MOSI, DISP_SI USART1_TX #11

2 VMCU EFR32 voltage domain, included in AEM measurements.

19 BOARD_ID_SDA Connected to board controller for identification of add-on boards.

17 BOARD_ID_SCL Connected to board controller for identification of add-on boards.

15 PC10 I2C_SCL SENSOR_I2C_SCL I2C0_SCL #14

13 PF3 GPIO DBG_TDI

11 PF4 GPIO LED0

9 PF7 GPIO BTN1

7 PF6 GPIO BTN0

5 PA3 GPIO VCOM_RTS

3 PA2 GPIO VCOM_CTS

1 GND Ground

Note: Pin PF3 is used for DBG_TDI in JTAG mode only. When the Serial Wire Debugging interface (SWD) is used, PF3 can be used
for other purposes.

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3.5 Debug Connector

1 2

4

8

6

10

5

9

12

13 14

11

15 16

17 18

20

19

TMS / SWDIO / C2D
TCK / SWCLK / C2CK
TDO / SWO
TDI / C2Dps

TRACECLK
TRACED0
TRACED1
TRACED2
TRACED3

RESET / C2CKps

GND

NC

NC

GND

GND

GND

7

GND

VTARGET

Cable Detect

NC

3

UG359: EFR32MG13 2400/434 MHz 10 dBm Dual Band Radio Board User's Guide

Connectors

The debug
the debug mode is set to "Debug IN", the debug connector can be used to connect an external debugger to the EFR32 on the radio
board. When set to "Debug OUT", this connector allows the kit to be used as a debugger towards an external target. When set to "De­bug MCU" (default), the connector is isolated from both the on-board debugger and the radio board target device.

Because this connector is electronically switched between the different operating modes, it can only be used when the board controller
is powered (i.e. J-Link USB cable connected). If debug access to the target device is required when the board controller is unpowered,
connect directly to the appropriate breakout pins.

The pinout of the connector follows that of the standard ARM Cortex Debug+ETM 19-pin connector. The pinout is described in detail
below. Even though the connector has support for both JTAG and ETM Trace, it does not necessarily mean that the kit or the on-board
target device supports this.

Note: The pinout matches the pinout of an ARM Cortex Debug+ETM connector, but these are not fully compatible as pin 7 is physically
removed
present. If this is the case, remove the plug, or use a standard 2x10 1.27 mm straight cable instead.

connector serves multiple purposes based on the "debug mode" setting which can be configured in Simplicity Studio. When

Figure 3.4. Debug Connector

from the Cortex Debug+ETM connector. Some cables have a small plug that prevent them from being used when this pin is

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Table 3.2. Debug Connector Pin Descriptions

Pin Number(s) Function Description

1 VTARGET Target reference voltage. Used for shifting logical signal levels between target and

debugger.

2 TMS / SDWIO / C2D JTAG test mode select, Serial Wire data, or C2 data

4 TCK / SWCLK / C2CK JTAG test clock, Serial Wire clock, or C2 clock

6 TDO/SWO JTAG test data out or Serial Wire Output

8 TDI / C2Dps JTAG test data in or C2D "pin sharing" function

10 RESET / C2CKps Target device reset or C2CK "pin sharing" function

12 TRACECLK Not connected

14 TRACED0 Not connected

16 TRACED1 Not connected

18 TRACED2 Not connected

20 TRACED3 Not connected

9 Cable detect Connect to ground

11, 13 NC Not connected

3, 5, 15, 17, 19 GND Ground