Setting CC1101 Registers using SmartRF Studio 7

Hello,

Me too, I have many problems with this software... It is impossible to use it because of so many bugs.

I don't understand how Texas Instrument could made 7 versions of a such very bad software...

For example : I set the registers, open Firefox for instance, go back to SmartRF Studio 7, and the "Register View" have disappeared, and  when I click on "Register View", the values have changed !!!!! How can this be !!

I hope they will improve it one day... before I switch to other chips.

TDM,

If I understand it right, you are trying to use one of the standardized tests in smart rf studio. These tests have some default configurations which are over-written by the microcontroller and I believe cannot be changed. It is not a bug, but how the tests are defined. I have ran into this issue before and I wrote my code to write my own configuration settings to the module using MSP 430 on their ez430 target board.

You can also check out Anaren's Ez430 solution with Ti's CC1101 at

http://www.anaren.com/content/File/100909a-%20A1101R09A-EZ4x%20Prod%20Brief%20STD%20RES.pdf

-AIR Team at Anaren.

Please check out our Air Modules at http://www.anaren.com/content/File/AIR/AIRoverview.cfm

Anaren is a third party Developer Network Member for Low Power RF and MCUs.

Hi,

I can verify that the problem with fixed packet length is  like the AIR Line Pilot is describing. The test is depending on the FW on the microcontroller and this is not prepared for fixed packet lengths. I don't think we will change this in the near future, but what we can improve  is to outline this better in the help documentation.

Jerome,

I'm sorry to hear that you have such bad experience with SmartRF Studio. We would be very interested to get more details about the problem you see. For the example you are giving, we don't see this problem on the machines we use for testing of SmartRF Studio. It would be interesting to know the operating system that you are using. The version of Firefox would also be useful. I'm using Firefox myself, but I don't see this behaviour. And I agree, this is not how it should be.

Best regards,

Øyvind

Hello,

I'm glad you are interested in my commentaries. I'm using Windows Vista Home Premium 32bits. The web browsers installed are : IE7 (I never use it), Firefox 3.0.5, Chrome 8.

I use SmartRF Studio only to help me setting the register values for my own boards, so I don't use the "link functionnality" and the software is not connected to any board.

The behaviour I described in my previous post happens every time I minimize the SmartRF Studio.

If you have more questions I'll be glad to answer.

Jerome

Hi Jerome,

Thanks for the feedback. I think we have found the bug on the minimize/maximize event in SmartRF Studio 7 rev. 1.3.2. I was able to reproduce the problem and with a fix of the code, it seems to work on the test system I have. Hopefully this will also work on your machine when we have a new release ready. Until then it is best not to use the minimize option.

If you have any other comments, I will be happy to hear them.

Thanks!

Øyvind

Hello,

On the revision 1.4.9 the problem is solved. Thank you.

But the software is still difficult to use (I use it only to set the values of the registers) and is not much more help than the datasheet...

Jerome

Hello!

I have my own board with СС1101 chip and a CC-Debugger.

Can I use CC-Debugger to configure CC1101's registers thru the SPI interface using Smart RF Studio?

Lev.

Yes, given that you have connected everything correctly. On the SOC_BB (Battery board) the CC debugger is used to set up the registers in the chip connected to the EM contacts.