CC3220SF: How to test and improve wifi quality

Hi,

CC3220 as any radio device is RF design crucial to provide expected performance. That means device need to be properly designed, antenna output properly calculated and tuned at real prototypes. Proper radio design affects many factors and they need to be taken in count. This TI video describes most important factors of RF design. This answer from Robert is extremely useful as well.

Unfortunately from your question is not clear what comparison was done. At first step your customer should contact TI for review of design here. Additional information how RF design was optimised can be useful as well (e.g. testing proper impedance matching of RF design at VNA). For testing of RF performance are commonly used radio tools software (for download at CC32xx SDK). Together with radio tools need to be used some other RF measurement equipment (spectrum analyser or wireless testers like devices from Litepoint, Keysight, R&S). Second important things is to have knowledge how this equipment can be used. If you customer does not have such equipment and knowledge how to use them, fastest and cheapest way may to be ask some 3rd party for help with RF design.

Jan

Hi Jan,

Thanks for your reply!

Jan D said:

At first step your customer should contact TI for review of design here. Additional information how RF design was optimised can be useful as well (e.g. testing proper impedance matching of RF design at VNA). For testing of RF performance are commonly used radio tools software (for download at CC32xx SDK). Together with radio tools need to be used some other RF measurement equipment (spectrum analyser or wireless testers like devices from Litepoint, Keysight, R&S).

The customer reviews the swru471b document, which describes how to use RADIO-TEST to evaluate RF performance, and now have 2 questions:

1. The customer's current plan is to transmit the WIFI signal directly through the Wi-Fi antenna chip, just like the development board, and does not intend to add an antenna.

The customer would like to know if this test can evaluate the wifi signal without antenna and the transmission rate of the Wi-Fi chip?

2. The document states that the Wi-Fi ® Radio Testing Tool needs to be downloaded, and the customer connects to the TI website based on the link to the document and finds that only the CC3100-CC3200-RADIO-TEST software is available for download.

However, after downloading, it was found that the CC3220SF is not supported on this device, while the CC3XXXRADIOTEST software is not available for download.

The customer would like to know how to download CC3XXXRADIOTEST software.

Thanks a lot!

Best Regards,

Cherry Zhou

Hi Dan,

Thanks for your reply!

The customer has updated the info as follows:

The customer uses the CC3220MOD module without antenna, which is based on the design of the development board on the antenna circuit, but does not match the RF path, impedance, etc.

The antenna chip is AH316M245001-T SMD chip, consistent with the development board.

May I know if there are manuals or articles that can guide the customer to correctly calculate the impedance of the antenna path and measure and adjust the antenna on the true prototype of the PCB?

Thanks again and expecting the updates!

Best Regards,

Cherry

Hi Cherry,

I am not aware about good materials related to this topic. There is many information related to this topic on the internet, but I am not able say which your customer should follow. For a proper RF design need are three things mandatory (knowledge, experiences with radio design, measurement equipment). That means this cannot be solved by reading some manual.

I think you should follow this steps:

1. Ask for design review. This allow to discover most obvious problems with design.
2. After will be design approved by TI engineer, your customer should ask 3rd party for help with RF design and validation antenna circuit at VNA.

Jan

Hi Jan,

Thanks for your reply and I have updated to my customer.

Thanks again!

Regards,

Cherry