Silicon Labs Flex SDK User Manual
UG147: Flex SDK v2.x Range Test Demo
User's Guide
This user's guide provides an easy way to evaluate the link budget of the Wireless
Gecko EFR32 devices using Silicon Labs’ Radio Abstraction Interface Layer (RAIL) by
performing a range test between two nodes. Range Test is a standalone test application
that creates a radio link between two evaluation kits and sends predefined amount of
packets from the transmitter side to the receiver. The range test demo implements packet error rate (PER) measurement. PER is a commonly-used technique for measuring the
quality of RF links in wireless systems under particular conditions.
Proprietary is supported on all EFR32FG devices. For others, check the device's data
sheet under Ordering Information > Protocol Stack to see if Proprietary is supported. In
Proprietary SDK version 2.7.n, Connect is not supported on EFR32xG22.
KEY POINTS
• Evaluate the link budget of the Wireless
Gecko EFR32 devices.
• Range Test is a standalone test application
that creates a radio link between two
evaluation kits.
• PER is a commonly-used technique for
measuring the quality of RF links.
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 0.6
UG147: Flex SDK v2.x Range Test Demo User's Guide
Running Simplicity Studio
1. Running Simplicity Studio
For more information on Simplicity Studio, please refer to QSG138: Getting Started with the Silicon Labs Flex Software Development
Kit for the Wireless Gecko (EFR32™) Portfolio.
Before running the RAILtest, the WSTK base board must be configured according to the following instructions:
To start, you need to set up two EFR32 development kits (radio boards with mainboards). See figure below. Once you have installed all
the required software you can connect your EFR32 development kit hardware to your PC using a mini USB cable. Make sure the 3-way
power switch in the bottom left is set to AEM.
If you want to connect to your WSTK over Ethernet, you should plug in an Ethernet cable at this time. The IP address will be printed to
the LCD screen during startup of the WSTK but may be lost when the app starts. To see this again, reboot the WSTK and press the
reset button for several seconds to prevent the EFR32 from loading its application.
Figure 1.1. EFR32FG Radio Board with Main Board
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 0.6 | 2
UG147: Flex SDK v2.x Range Test Demo User's Guide
Running Simplicity Studio
1.1 Select Range Test Application
1. Once Simplicity Studio is running, under the Device tab select the USB serial number of your J-Link device. There should be only
one if you have connected only one EFR32 development kit. (After connecting the WSTK to the PC, the first screen on the LCD of
the mainboard is the Start Screen, which shows the serial number of your device.)
2. In the Launcher (default) window, click on the green [New Project] button.
Figure 1.2. Simplicity Studio's Launcher [Default] Perspective
3. In the New Project Setup dialog, first select the [Silicon Labs Flex SDK] and click next.
Figure 1.3. New Silicon Labs Example Project Window
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 0.6 | 3
4. Select the preferred SDK version and click [Next] .
UG147: Flex SDK v2.x Range Test Demo User's Guide
Running Simplicity Studio
Figure 1.4. Select Stack
5. From the list of sample applications available in the selected SDK, select the [RAIL: Range Test Sample Application] and click
[Next].
Figure 1.5. Select Application
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 0.6 | 4
UG147: Flex SDK v2.x Range Test Demo User's Guide
Running Simplicity Studio
6. Enter a name and location for your project and click [Next] .
Figure 1.6. Project Configuration
7. Select the board, part, and toolchain configuration and click [Finish]. By default, Simplicity Studio populates the Board and the Part
number fields with your connected starter kit. If these fields are not correct, you must change them manually.
Figure 1.7. Project Setup
Note: You must have a Toolchain and Build target selected and configured for the [Finish] button to enable. If you do not see the
[Finish] button enabled, check your Toolchains and Build targets by clicking on the links at the bottom of the dialog.
silabs.com | Building a more connected world. Rev. 0.6 | 5
Loading...