CC3301: AM62x: Measure power consumption at different tx power

Gireesh Hiremath

Intellectual 395 points

Part Number: CC3301

Tool/software:

Hi,

Integrated the cc3301 module with our custom board based on the AM62x.

the default WiFi tx power is 20dBm and current consumption of overall board is around 124mA at 12v,

it may go up to 180mA while transferring the large file

user@user:~$ iw dev

phy#0

Interface wlan0

ifindex 3

wdev 0x1

addr aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff

ssid Prometheus

type AP

channel 1 (2412 MHz), width: 20 MHz (no HT), center1: 2412 MHz

txpower 20.00 dBm

multicast TXQ:

qsz-byt qsz-pkt flows drops marks overlmt hashcol tx-bytes tx-packets

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Reduced the txpower to 12dbm with below command

user@user:~$ sudo ifconfig wlan0 down

user@user:~$ sudo iw dev wlan0 set txpower fixed 1200

user@user:~$ sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

user@user:~$ iw dev

phy#0

Interface wlan0

ifindex 3

wdev 0x1

addr aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff

ssid Prometheus

type AP

channel 1 (2412 MHz), width: 20 MHz (no HT), center1: 2412 MHz

txpower 12.00 dBm

multicast TXQ:

qsz-byt qsz-pkt flows drops marks overlmt hashcol tx-bytes tx-packets

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

but current consumption is same as 20dBm ( ideal:124mA and transfer file 180mA), and even for 6 dBm tx power

so getting doubt about the commands effect on the module.

Please share the proper command to reduce tx power of the cc33xx.

Regards,

Gireesh Hiremath

9 months ago

0 Gireesh Hiremath 9 months ago

Intellectual 395 points

Hi, any update?

Regards,

Gireesh

0 Sabeeh Khan1 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

TI__Mastermind 31810 points

Hi Gireesh,

Sorry for the delay.

So yes, I am not aware of being able to configure the power through iw command.

In order to reduce the power of the cc33xx devices, you would have to modify the cc33xx-conf.bin that is used in /lib/firmware/ti-connectivity. We have a GUI wtihin SimpleLink WiFi Toolbox (https://www.ti.com/tool/download/SIMPLELINK-WIFI-TOOLBOX) called INI Composer. You can use the tool to generate the cc33xx-conf.bin Documentation of how to use the tool is also inside the toolbox install location in folder "docs".

You want to be looking for parameter "PowerLimitArray". The documentation explains this parameter in more detail.

0 Sabeeh Khan1 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

TI__Mastermind 31810 points

I'm sharing a screenshot of the relevant section in the documentation just to be specific and provide a pointer:

0 Dean Ramsier 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

Expert 1381 points

Hi Sabeeh,

The iw set txpower command allows for setting additional user power limits at runtime. Changes here will hit the driver in cc33xx_op_config() -> cc33xx_config_vif() -> cc33xx_acx_tx_power()

That looks like it is expecting to be able to handle power limits from upper layers. I've not confirmed that it actually does anything with a litepoint/spectrum analyzer, do you know if the firmware can handle power changes via this path? It should allow power to be reduced below the limits set in the conf file, but not exceed them.

Dean

0 Gireesh Hiremath 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

Intellectual 395 points

Hi Sabeeh,

It may help to set tx power at init time, how to handle at run time?

Regards,

Gireesh

0 Gireesh Hiremath 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

Intellectual 395 points

Hi Sabeeh,

Modified the parameter "PowerLimitArray" and generated cc33xx-conf.bin with the tool https://www.ti.com/tool/download/SIMPLELINK-WIFI-TOOLBOX, but getting below error

[    8.334793] cc33xx_sdio mmc2:0001:2: Using SDIO in-band IRQ
[    8.443690] Bluetooth: [bt sdio] TI cc33xx BLE-over-SDIO driver is up and running!
[    8.888561] cc33xx_driver cc33xx.5.auto: firmware: direct-loading firmware ti-connectivity/cc33xx-nvs.bin
[    8.892258] cc33xx_driver cc33xx.5.auto: firmware: direct-loading firmware ti-connectivity/cc33xx-conf.bin
[    8.892483] cc33xx: ERROR ti-connectivity/cc33xx-conf.bin configuration binary size is wrong, expected 1353 got 1136
[    8.904197] cc33xx: WARNING falling back to default config
[    9.141567] cc33xx_driver cc33xx.5.auto: firmware: direct-loading firmware ti-connectivity/cc33xx_2nd_loader.bin
[    9.490788] cc33xx_driver cc33xx.5.auto: firmware: direct-loading firmware ti-connectivity/cc33xx_fw.bin
[   10.887042] cc33xx: ERROR FW is stuck, triggering recovery
[   12.893769] cc33xx: WARNING download INI params to FW command sending failed: -5
[   12.894282] cc33xx: ERROR FW download failed

and also there is the size difference between the tool generated binary file (1136) and binary in the git repo git.ti.com/.../ti-connectivity (1353)

please share the latest tar/bin configuration file to load and generate binary of size 1353 from the tool.

Regards,

Gireesh Hiremath

0 Dean Ramsier 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

Expert 1381 points

You need to be careful to use the tool that corresponds to the firmware version you are using.

In your case, the repo you got your firmware from is not up to date. Use the latest 1.0.0.8 SDK release with the latest WIFI Tool box. Make sure to update both the driver and the firmware; you can't change firmware or conf file only.

0 Gireesh Hiremath 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

Intellectual 395 points

Hi Sabeeh,

any update?

please share the config file which used to generate cc33xx-conf.bin in

git.ti.com/.../ti-connectivity of size 1353.

Regards.

Gireesh Hiremath

0 Gireesh Hiremath 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

Intellectual 395 points

Hi Sabeeh,

any update? please share config file generate cc33xx-conf.bin of size 1353.

Regards,

Gireesh Hiremath

0 Dean Ramsier 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

Expert 1381 points

You should use the latest release (1.0.0.8), and forget about that firmware repo.

0 Sabeeh Khan1 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

TI__Mastermind 31810 points

Hi Gireesh,

Just as Dean has mentioned, prefer you use the conf.bin from the CC33xx SDK. The firmware binaries and driver all have to match. Or you can generate your own from the INI Composer in Simplelink WiFi Toolbox as I mentioned earlier.

The one from the linux-firmware repo is a placeholder for the Processor SDK, which as you may recall from previous threads, is outdated. Once the driver is accepted into the mainline kernel, then the linux-firmware repo will also be updated with the latest. Same reason applies for those who use TI kernel 6.6, but require the latest CC33xx SDK driver. We provide patches for the kernel 6.6 to update it.

Users should always start with the CC33xx SDK, and then we can help port the respective to the intended kernel version. I am working on updating https://github.com/TexasInstruments-Sandbox/cc33xx-linux-mpu-ports/ to have kernel ports for TI kernel 6.6.

0 Gireesh Hiremath 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

Intellectual 395 points

Hi Sabeeh,

Thanks for the information, I will start form 1.0.0.8, but we already using the 6.6 kernel,

please provide patch for CC33xx SDK to support 6.6 kernel and

any method to control tx power at run time or after initialization?

(sudo iw dev wlan0 set txpower fixed 1200 not working as expected)

Regards,

Gireesh Hiremath

+1 Sabeeh Khan1 8 months ago in reply to Gireesh Hiremath

TI__Mastermind 31810 points

Hi Gireesh,

Understood. I am working on those patches now for 1.0.0.8 SDK. I will notify you when the patches are posted to the github mentioned above.

Gireesh Hiremath said:
any method to control tx power at run time or after initialization?

No, not aware.

0 Sabeeh Khan1 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

TI__Mastermind 31810 points

Hi Gireesh.

The Github repo above has been updated. Please apply the following patch and then use the cc33xx_fw.bin and default cc33xx-conf.bin provided from the CC33xx SDK 1.0.0.8:
https://github.com/TexasInstruments-Sandbox/cc33xx-linux-mpu-ports/tree/main/ti-linux-6.6.y

https://www.ti.com/tool/download/CC33XX-LINUX-MPU/1.0.0.8

0 Gireesh Hiremath 8 months ago in reply to Sabeeh Khan1

Intellectual 395 points

Hi Sabeeh,

Thanks for the patch, I will update.

Regards,

Gireesh Hiremath

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CC3301: AM62x: Measure power consumption at different tx power