Silicon Labs Proprietary Flex User Manual

Proprietary Flex SDK 3.1.2.0 GA

Gecko SDK Suite 3.1 April 7, 2021

The Proprietary Flex SDK is a complete software development suite for proprietary wireless applications. Per its namesake, Flex offers two implementation options.

The first uses Silicon Labs RAIL (Radio Abstraction Interface Layer ), an intuitive and easily-customizable radio interface layer designed to sup por t both pro priet ary and standards based wireless protocols.

The second uses Silicon Labs Connect, an IEEE 802.15.4-based networking stack designed for customizable broad-based proprietary wireless networking solutions that require low power consumption and operates in either the sub-GHz or 2.4 GHz frequency bands. The solution is targeted towards simple network topologies.

The Flex SDK is supplied with extensive documentation and sample applications. All examples are provided in source code within the Flex SDK sample applications.

These release notes cover SDK version(s):

3.1.2.0 released April 7, 2021

3.1.1.0 released January 27, 2021

3.1.0.0 released December 9, 2020

CONNECT APPS AND STACK KEY FEATURES

• EFR32xG21 and MGMx CONNECT GA support

• FreeRTOS Support for CONNECT

• Long Range PHY Support for CONNECT

• New example: ECDH key exchange

• Example ported from Flex 2.7: DMP

Light/Switc

upport for the RAIL-embedded IEEE

• S

802.15.4 PHY

RAIL APPS AND LIBRARY KEY FEATURES

• EFR32xG21 Flex Support

• Wi-SUN Profile and PHYs in Radi

onfigurator

• New example: SimpleTRX Standards for demonstrating 15.4/BLE usage

Compatibility and Use Notices

This Gecko SDK Suite release has a known security compatibility issue with one Gecko Platform component. For more infor-

mation about this, as well as other updates and notices, see the Security chapter of the Gecko Platform Release notes installed with this SDK or on the Silicon Labs R elease N otes page for up-to-date informati on. F or i nstructions, or if you are new to the Silicon Labs Flex SDK, see Using This Release.

Compatible Compilers:

Note: The supported compilers will be upgraded to ARM GCC-10-2020-q4-update and IAR 8.50.9 in the next major release. IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM (IAR-EWARM) version 8.30.1

• Using wine to build with the IarBuild.exe command line utility or IAR Embedded Workbench GUI on macOS or Linux could result i ncorrect files being used due to collisions in wine’s hashing algorithm for generating short file names.

• Customers on macOS or Linux are advised not to build with IAR outside of Simplicity Studio. Customers who do should carefully

verify that the correct files are being used.

GCC (The GNU Compiler Collection) version 7.2.1, provided with Simplicity Studio.

silabs.com | Buildin g a mor e co nnected w or l d. Proprietary Flex 3.1.2.0

. Silicon Labs also strongl y recommends that you subscribe to Security Advi sories

Contents

1 Connect Applications .................................................................................................................................................................. 1

1.1 New Items ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Improvements ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Fixed Issues ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1

1.4 Known Issues in the Current Release .................................................................................................................................. 1

1.5 Deprecated Items ................................................................................................................................................................ 2

1.6 Removed Items ................................................................................................................................................................... 2

2 Connect Stack ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3

2.1 New Items ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3

2.2 Improvements ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3

2.3 Fixed Issues ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3

2.4 Known Issues in the Current Release .................................................................................................................................. 3

2.5 Deprecated Items ................................................................................................................................................................ 3

2.6 Removed Items ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3 RAIL Applications ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4

3.1 New Items ........................................................................................................................................................................... 4

3.2 Improvements ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

3.3 Fixed Issues ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4

3.4 Known Issues in the Current Release .................................................................................................................................. 4

3.5 Deprecated Items ................................................................................................................................................................ 4

3.6 Removed Items ................................................................................................................................................................... 4

4 RAIL Library ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5

4.1 New Items ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5

4.2 Improvements ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5

4.3 Fixed Issues ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

4.4 Known Issues in the Current Release .................................................................................................................................. 7

4.5 Deprecated Items ................................................................................................................................................................ 7

4.6 Removed Items ................................................................................................................................................................... 7

5 Using This Release .................................................................................................................................................................... 8

5.1 Installation and Use ............................................................................................................................................................. 8

5.2 Security Information ............................................................................................................................................................ 8

5.3 Support ............................................................................................................................................................................... 9

6 Legal ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

6.1 Disclaimer ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10

6.2 Trademark Information ...................................................................................................................................................... 10

silabs.com | Buildin g a mor e co nnected w or l d. Proprietary Flex 3.1.2.0 | 2

ID #

Description

Workaround

Connect Sensor/Sink does not work correctly if range Connect NCP-Host applications are not supported.

Connect Applications

1 Connect Applications

1.1 New Items

Added in release 3.1.0.0

• New Applications

• Flex (Connect) - SoC ECDH Key Exchange

• Flex (Connect) - SoC Light Example DMP

• Flex (Connect) - SoC Switch Example

• Support for EFR32xG21 via Std IEEE 802.15.4 PHY – Each Application

• Support for MGMx modules via Std IEEE 802.15.4 PHY – Each Application

• FreeRTOS (besides baremetal and Micrium) support – Ea ch Appl ication

• Long Range PHY support – Each Application

1.2 Improvements

Changed in release 3.1.2.0

• BRD4183C support

Changed in release 3.1.0.0

• Application code structure is made simpler, app_callbacks.c is removed from each Application:

•

emberAfInitCallback() is moved to app_init.c

• the other application related callbacks are moved to app_process.c

• GBL generation support for each Application via script mechanism

• connect_create_gbl_image.bat

• connect_create_gbl_image.sh

• Remove unnecessary Zigbee-derived housekeeping at the following Applications:

• Flex (Connect) - SoC Sensor

• Flex (Connect) - SoC Sink

• Radio Configurator UI improvement: only the Application relevant Profiles are selectable

1.3 Fixed Issues

Fixed in release 3.1.2.0

678272

extender is involved

1.4 Known Issues in the Current Release

Issues in bold we re added since the p revious r el ease. If you have missed a releas e, re cent release notes are avail able on https://www.si-

labs.com/products/software.

ID # Description Workaround

silabs.com | Buildin g a mor e co nnected w or l d. Proprietary Flex 3.1.2.0 | 1

ID #

Description

Workaround

Connect Applications

652925

EFR32XG21 is not supported for “Flex (Connect) - SoC Light Example DMP” and “Flex (Connect) - SoC Switch Example”

1.5 Deprecated Items

None

1.6 Removed Items