CC1352P: Issue enabling the High PA 20dbm on ebyte E79-900DM2005S module

Hi Alejandro, 

Have you tested your 20dBm enabled code on a Launchpad? If yes, did you get the same error? 

When you get the error, can you reset your board and restart the debug session and see if you can start the application? 

Did you follow the HW design and PCB considerations guide when designing your board?

Thanks, 
Elin 

If you select the "High PA" in syscfg the required PA tables and overrides for the 20 dBm PA will be included in ti_radio_config.c. Hence you don't need to add anything from the EByte manual. The only thing you have to do is to ensure that the Cap Array Delta is set according to the manual. 

"Have you tested your 20dBm enabled code on a Launchpad? If yes, did you get the same error?" 

Yeah, and the LaunchPad works great as usual, no errors. In the ebyte module, the Sub-1Ghz is separated from the 2.4Ghz, hence the RF switch is just for switching between the Sub-1Ghz and the High PA and I programed that accordingly.

Again, in the Smart RF Studio It works great with the High PA enable, but not in the CCS :(.

"When you get the error, can you reset your board and restart the debug session and see if you can start the application?" 

Yeah, I did that several times, but it seems the device resets itself every time It tries to transmit. 

When I disable the High PA and enable the normal max power to transmit (14dbm) It works great tho :/.

"Did you follow the HW design and PCB considerations guide when designing your board?"

Yeah, I followed that excessively, but again I'm using the module from E79-900DM2005S so most of the RF circuitry should been taken care of I think :/.

Could you guys Test the ebyte modules and see If it gives you the same error? I can send you some If you want.

Thanks for the response.

Yeah and I changed the Cap Array Delta from 0xFF to 0xFA as the ebyte manual says using the syscfg.

Could you guys test the ebyte module E79-900DM2005S and see If you get the same error? I can send you some If you want.

Or I can send you my design files or programming to see If I did something wrong.

Thanks for the response.

Alejandro Diaz Olea said:

"Have you tested your 20dBm enabled code on a Launchpad? If yes, did you get the same error?" 

This means that you have tested the exact same code on the EByte module and the Launchpad?

Have you checked with EByte? Since they have developed the module they should be primary support here. 

We don't have this module in the office and we have limited bandwidth meaning that for us to do some testing it require a good business case.  

I also have problems with these modules when working at 20dbm.
What I managed to find out:
1) the 48 MHz quartz resonator does not start on some modules, after removing the metal shield and cleaning the board, the quartz starts up better. Sometimes it is necessary to solder 7pf capacitors around 48MHz crystal, they are not installed by default.
 Can you check from the program that the 48 MHz crystal has started?

2) Those modules that were able to start at 20 dbm, are periodically rebooted for some unknown reason during transmission.

I have stopped using these modules for now. Tech support from EBYTE is also not responding.
module photo here: /resized-image/__size/472x727/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/156/8030.Capture.JPG

Looking at the picture the RF layout of this module is not optimal. 

"Sometimes it is necessary to solder 7pf capacitors around 48MHz crystal, they are not installed by default".

I'm not so sure how things work with the crystal exactly but maybe that's why the ebyte module manual it says to change the CAP Array Delta to 0xFA no? But I will definitely check it out and try to solder the 7pF capacitors If they are missing and see if it works better.

"Can you check from the program that the 48 MHz crystal has started?"

The program starts normally as you expect until It transmits at 20dbm, It reboots as you said for some reason :/.

The thing is not enabling the High PA transmitting at 14dbm works ok, and in the Smart RF Studio works great at 20dbm :/.

Thank you for your insides, I will have to order those capacitors online and solder them when I get them. I will update here If that resolves the problem.

Indeed, It doesn't look optimal at all, I will have to make custom hardware myself but It will increase the cost significantly

I selected that module because in my application I want to enable the Sub-1Ghz and the 2.4Ghz band at the same time and not needing to switch it between the two.

Is it possible just to just switch between the Sub-1ghz band and the High PA and leaving the 2.4Ghz independent?

Hi Alejandro, 

Are you planning to use two different chips, one running the sub-1 application and the other one running the 2.4 GHz application? Or what do you mean by enabling sub1 and 2.4 GHz at the same time and not switching between the two? 

Thanks, 
Elin 

I want to use 1 chip but unlike in the Launchpad, I want to receive/transmit packages in the 2.4Ghz band without having it to switch between the 2.4ghz/Sub1Ghz with the SKY13317-373 RF switch.

I want to use the 2.4ghz band independently and just use the High PA on the Sub1Ghz.

The high PA path is TX only meaning that you have to have a switch if you also want to be able to receive. 

Yeah I know, I want to use the RF Switch only for the High PA and the Sub-1Ghz, and the 2.4Ghz independent.

Yeah, that's basically why I bought the E79-900DM2005S module.

But I will try to design my own custom board since Ebyte didn't give me proper technical support sadly