How to get started with CC2530, Home Automation, ...

Hello Amit

I took the freedom to split your posting from an existing thread and started a new one for you.

In order to get started with your development (based on the SoC CC2530 with ZigBee Home Automation) you should try to follow the following steps:

1. Get your self a CC2530 development kit (www.ti.com/cc2530dk or www.ti.com/cc2530zdk) and try out the perprogrammed SW by following the Quick Start Guide.
2. Install the Z-Stack with Application Examples for the CC2530 on your PC (www.ti.com/z-stack): swrc126.zip (56.9MB) - contains ZStack-CC2530-2.2.0-1.3.0.exe
3. Install the correct IAR version for the CC2530 on your PC: IAR EW8051 7.51A - www.iar.com/ew8051  - http://www.iar.com/ti_zigbee
4. Read the kit's User's Guide that you can get from the kit pages: www.ti.com/cc2530dk or www.ti.com/cc2530zdk
5. Read the Z-Stack documentation: C:\Texas Instruments\ZStack-CC2530-2.2.0-1.3.0\Documents
   1. C:\Texas Instruments\ZStack-CC2530-2.2.0-1.3.0\Getting Started Guide - CC2530.pdf
   2. C:\Texas Instruments\ZStack-CC2530-2.2.0-1.3.0\Documents\Z-Stack Developer's Guide.pdf
   3. ...
6. Try out the Home Automation Sample Application (C:\Texas Instruments\ZStack-CC2530-2.2.0-1.3.0\Projects\zstack\HomeAutomation), which is describes in the C:\Texas Instruments\ZStack-CC2530-2.2.0-1.3.0\Documents\Z-Stack Sample Applications.pdf

When following these steps you have an SoC programmed with a HA sample application, which you can modify as you like by using the corresponding project file and the IAR EW. 

Best regards,

Kite

The previous response covers all of the technical steps you should pursue.

I will just add the following.  You mentioned GCC -- it is not at all possible to use Z-stack with GCC or with any other 8051 microcontroller type of C compiler that exists -- not KEIL, not Rowley, not SDCC, not GCC, nor any other.  The TI libraries for Z-stack and all of the example code and all of the support resources are purely for IAR Embedded Workbench 8051 v7.51 tool use at the present time.  So you must accept getting that product in order to successfully develop with CC2530 and Z-stack.

To sell a product based on Zigbee with Z-stack you must also pay to join the Zigbee organization as an adopter level member at the very least.  You would also need to pay to get the final product tested according to Zigbee compatibility standards via an independent testing organization.  It is likely that you would also need to submit your product for certification testing relevant to agencies like the FCC and UL in the USA or CE / ETSI for parts of Europe or other bodies in other regions.

Also you probably must exactly follow the TI suggested reference design for the printed circuit board which the CC2530 is attached to since it is difficult to know how to make a properly working CC2530 hardware PCB in any other fashion given the information available from TI.

And just to be clear, Z-stack is not embedded in the CC2530, though the code for it can certainly be embedded into it by your choice of compiling Z-stack into your application.  The Z-stack may take most of 128KBytes of flash memory space in the CC2530, so if you will have a complex application in addition to Z-stack you will likely need to use the 256KByte flash size CC2530 to permit enough room for the programs.

Hello C.Hayes

You are absolutely right that one has to also consider other aspects like the ZigBee Alliance membership and RF Regulations when making a product.

I just focused on the getting started part.

Thanks for completing the thread as I am sure it will be helpful for many.

Best regards,

Kite

Hello C.Hayes,

I see in your post that you mentionned the impossibility to use any other compiler than IAR and I do agree, for having used TI's Zigbee solutions and notably for having tried in vain to port the Z-Stack (the MSP430F2618 version used with cc2520) to compile with Code Composer (Ti's Compiler !), I can tell that it is not possible (or not easily at all !).

Anyway, in his document (http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/lit/getliterature.tsp?literatureNumber=swru208a&fileType=pdf) which is the CC2530 dev kit's user guide, in the FAQ section, question 4 :

"Can I use another compiler than IAR to develop software for CC2530?"

the answer is :

"Yes, there are several tools available that can be used for CC2530. Any 8051 compiler (e.g. Keil, GCC, and SDCC) can, in theory, be used. Note that these tools may have limited debugging support for CC2530."

So I wonder if something has changed or if it's a mistake in the document.

Hi,

It is none of both. This answer only refers to the possibility to develope proprietory code with several compilers. This is possible, but it is not possible to use the Z-Stack with any other compiler...

Regards,

Tobias