AWR2243: We have built multiple PCBs with the AWR2243P chips, but now moved over to the new generic AWR2243 chips that have cascade enabled

Just to clarify on my post above, the centre aligned text on the chips are all working as expected, the left align text is not working with error 282. These are all the same chip part number.

The mmwavelink header file reports below screen, so going to assume that not all AWR2243ABGABLQ1 are cascade enabled, same part number, same text on the chips, so how do we know which is which?

Is there a way to enable cascade without reworking the PCBs and buying the chips again and hope they're the right ones...

We have additional stock here of the chips, we need to know which can cascade and which cannot, is there a batch number printed on the chips that will help with this?

Do we need to send these PCBs back to our SMT assembler to re-work the chips and swap out with new AWR2243ABGABLQ1 chips bought from TI? How do we know the same issue won't happen again?

Hello Lukdar,

Please refer to this post: AWR2243: Device map 1 : Channel Config failed with error code 282 - Sensors forum - Sensors - TI E2E support forums

As described there, if you happened to receive early sample devices, then its possible they didn't support cascading.  All parts purchased from June 2022 and on should support cascade.

Regards,

James

Hi James,

Thanks for the reply. I checked back and found that these chips were purchased JUN 22, 2022 from Mouser and have the batch number 19ZDH59 silk screen on the chips. What's the mapping of the batch code to date?

Thanks, Luke

Hello Lukdar, I will check with my planning team.

Regards,

James

Great thanks James, it would be good to know before we send the boards back to be reworked with new chips, and good to know what the batch code should be, or if there is an indicator to what batch codes support cascading.

Regards, Luke

Hello Lukdar,

Please give a little while to find out what our planners say.  BTW, TI generally can't control what distributors do once they receive our material.  If you are getting material from Mouser, its probably also a good idea to check with them to ensure they only send you material that they received after June 2022.

Regards,

James

Thanks James,

We buy direct from TI since 2023 for most TI active components, if we had known this was a potential issue with AWR2243 we wouldn't have used the chips.

Regards, Luke

Hi Lukdar,

I understand that its a bit frustrating.  If you buy any new parts directly from TI now they should have cascade enabled.

Regards,

James

Thanks James, we have more of these parts in-house purchased over the past year, some from TI and some from Mouser. Is there a batch number guide to what supports cascading?

Regards, Luke

Also James, we have some chips bought direct from TI, can you explain the date logic here for Date Code, 2212+5, does that translate to 2022-Dec-05?

We cannot get a Certificate Of Conformance for the chips purchased from Digikey and Mouser, but would be good to understand what to check on TI.com purchased chips.

Thanks, Luke

Hello Lukdar,

this can be done with the package.  For example:

AWR2243
BG
19ZDHV9
583A ABL G1

the '19' is the date code.  1=2021; 9 = September.

AWR2243
BG
25ZCHC9
583A ABL G1

the '25' is the date code.  2=2022; 5 = May.   etc

Regards,

James

Ok, thanks James.

So a pack of 20 AWR2243 chips we purchased from TI.com in May 2024 as in the table above the chips would then be manufactured in March 2022 and May 2022, both before June 2022. So what year/month did TI being to support cascading on these chips, I need to know as we need to do a stock take of inventory in the office of what's for the trash and what we can use in future assemblies. All our designs use cascading AWR2243, prior to this build they all used the easy to identify AWR2243P chips.

Lot Trace Codes for chips bought direct from TI on May 13 2024: 23ZC4E9,25ZCG99,25ZCHC9,25ZC2C9,25ZC2D9,25ZC2F9,25ZC2L9,25ZC2M9,25ZC2Q9,25ZC2S9,25ZC2V9

It also opens the question, when the decision was made at TI that all AWR2243 chips would support cascading, surely TI should have adopted the AWR2243P as the product part number going forward, this would avoid all confusion. Having the same part number for two different functioning chips is incredibly frustrating.

James, I do appreciate the quick responses on this btw, as it had us stumped for two days here trying to get boards functionally tested after assembly.

Regards, Luke

Thanks James, below is the cert of conformance for the chips purchased from TI.com on 13 May 2024.

Regards, Luke

Thanks Luke, please allow me to follow up internally.

Regards,

James

Hi James any update on this, that we have some chips from March and May 2022 in that batch we purchased in May 2024 has us concerned and would be good to clarify the cut off date.

Regards, Luke

Hi Luke,

Someone from our team will follow up with you,

Regards,
Sami

Hello Lukdar, 

Sorry for the delay. I followed up internally and we will be able to ship new parts to you in replacement of the old parts directly purchased from TI. Please confirm the QTY purchased was 20. 

Regards,

Aydin

Hi Aydin, correct it was 20pcs purchased. Do I need to send a DM with more details, would be same details as on the conformance cert above.

Thanks again.

Regards, Luke

Hello Lukdar,

I will follow up with you over email. Could you send over the certificate of conformance @ a dash kiasat at ti dot com 

Regards,

Aydin