CC33X1 BoosterPack Hardware User’s Guide¶
Overview¶
The SimpleLink ™ CC3351 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth ® Low Energy device enables affordable, reliable and secure connectivity in embedded applications with a processor host running Linux or an MCU host running RTOS. The CC33X1 BoosterPack ™ plug-in module is a test and development board that can be easily connected to TI LaunchPads or processor boards; thus enabling rapid software development. This document is intended to serve as a hardware user’s guide to explain the various hardware configurations and features of the BP-CC33X1. The CC33XX Radio Tool User’s Guide explains how to configure the hardware for use with Radio Tool for RF evaluation. Figure below shows an image of the BP-CC3351 BoosterPack ™ Rev. A.
Note
This guide may refer to a BP-CC33X1 BoosterPack ™ to mention either the BP-CC3301 or BP-CC3351, since both are functionally similar. The BP-CC3351 differs by the addition of Dual-Band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi 6 feature, as such the diplexer (U1) and the CC3351 companion device are populated.
- Device Part Numbers
- CC3300 - 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi 6
- CC3301 - 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth ® Low Energy
- CC3350 - 2.4/5Ghz (Dual-Band) Wi-Fi 6
- CC3351 - 2.4/5Ghz (Dual-Band) Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth ® Low Energy
Fig. 11 Top View of BP-CC33X1
This kit can be used in three configurations:
- RF-testing with PC tools: BP-CC33X1 + LP-XDS110ET (refer to Communication Setup for Radio Tool with LP-XDS110ET)
- MCU and RTOS evaluation: BP-CC33X1 + LaunchPad with the MCU running TCP/IP like the LP-AM243
- Proccessor and Linux evaluation: BP-CC33X1 + BP-CC33-BBB-ADAPT + BEAGL-BONE-BLACK
In addition, the BP-CC33X1 can also be wired to any other Linux or RTOS host board running TCP/IP stack.
BP-CC33X1 Hardware Features¶
The figures below show the overview and functional block diagram for the BP-CC33X1.
Fig. 12 BP-CC3351 Overview
Fig. 13 BP-CC3351 Block diagram
- CC3351 Dual-Band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth ® Low Energy combo device
- Two 20-pin stackable connectors (BoosterPack Standard)
- Onboard chip Dual-Band antenna
- SMA/U.FL connector for conducted RF testing
- Power from on board dual rail (3.3 V and 1.8 V) LDO using USB or LaunchPad ™
- 3 level shifters for voltage translation (3.3 V to 1.8 V)
- JTAG header pins for SWD interface with XDS110 or LP-XDS110ET
- Jumper for current measurement on both power supplies (3.3 V and 1.8 V) with provision to mount 0.1 ohm (0603) resistors for measurement with voltmeter
- 32 kHz oscillator for lower power evaluation
Connector and Jumper Descriptions¶
Jumper Settings¶
The table below lists the jumper settings. To reference the default jumper configurations, see Fig. 12.
| Reference | Usage | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| J1, J2 | RF Testing | SMA connector (J1) or U.FL connector (J2) for condcuted testing in the lab. See Performing Conducted Testing on BP-CC33X1 section. |
| J6,J8 | Power to board | Used to enable power to board for both supplies. Refer to the Power section. |
| J15, J16 | Current Measurment | Used to measure power to device only. See Measure the CC33X1 Current draw section. |
| J7 | USB Micro-B connector | For providing external power to the BoosterPack ™ |
| J10, J11 | JTAG connectors | Headers to interface with XDS110 debug probe. Refer to the JTAG Headers section. |
| J9 | 20-pin header (J11) 5V power | Enables 5V power supply to come from LP-XDS110ET. |
| J12, J13, J14 | Level shifter host voltage | Should be set to 3.3V or 1.8V for enabling relevant level shifters to translate to correct host voltage level. |
| P1, P2 | BoosterPack ™ header | 2x20 pin headers each connected to BoosterPack ™. See BoosterPack ™ Header Assignment section. |
BP-CC33X1 LED’s¶
The Table below lists the LED descriptions
| Reference | Color | Usage | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| D4 | Green | 3.3V power indication | On: 3.3V power rail is up,
Off: no 3.3V power supplied
|
| D6 | Red | 1.8V power indication | On: 1.8V power rail is up,
Off: no 1.8V power supplied
|
| D5 | Yellow | nReset | The LED indicates the state of the nReset pin. If that LED is on, the device is functional which means the nReset is high. |
The figure below shows the mentioned LEDs on the board.
Fig. 14 LEDs D4 & D6
BoosterPack ™ Header Assignment¶
The CC33X1 BoosterPack ™ has 2x20 pin connectors that provide access to many of the device pins and features. The signal assignment on these 2x20 pin connectors is shown in the figure below and described in the following tables.
Fig. 15 BP-CC33X1 BoosterPack ™ Header pinout
| Pin | Signal Name (in schematic) | Type/direction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1.1 | VCC_MCU_3V3 | Input | No functional purpose |
| P1.2 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.3 | UART_TX_3V3 (from CC33X1) | Output | The CC33X1 UART TX to host for BLE host controller interface |
| P1.4 | UART_RX_3V3 (to CC33X1) | Input | The CC33X1 UART RX to host for BLE host controller interface |
| P1.5 | LP_RESET | Input | Reset line for CC33X1 used to enabling/ disabling (active low). Driven by host through LaunchPad pins. |
| P1.6 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.7 | SDIO_CLK_3V3 | Input | SDIO clock or SPI clock. Must be driven by host |
| P1.8 | IRQ_WL_3V3 | Output | Interrupt request from CC33X1 to host for Wi-Fi ™ activity |
| P1.9 | COEX_GRANT_3V3 | Output | External coexistence interface - grant (reserved for future use) |
| P1.10 | ANT_SEL_3V3 | Output | Antenna select control |
| P1.21 | VCC_MCU_5V | Power | 5V supply to board |
| P1.22 | GND | GND | Board ground |
| P1.23 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.24 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.25 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.26 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.27 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.28 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P1.29 | COEX_REQ_3V3 | Input | External coexistence interface - request (reserved for future use) |
| P1.30 | COEX_PRIORITY_3V3 | Input | External coexistence interface - priority (reserved for future use) |
| Pin | Signal Name (in schematic) | Type/direction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| P2.11 | IRQ_BLE_3V3 | Output | Interrupt request from CC33X1 to host for BLE activity |
| P2.12 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.13 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.14 | SDIO_D0_3V3 (POCI) | Input/Output | SDIO data D0 or SPI POCI |
| P2.15 | SDIO_CMD_3V3 (PICO) | Input/Output | SDIO command or SPI PICO |
| P2.16 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.17 | FAST_CLK_REQ_3V3 | Output | Fast clock request from CC33X1 to host |
| P2.18 | SDIO_D3_3V3 (CS) | Input/Ouput | SDIO data D3 or SPI CS |
| P2.19 | SLOW_CLK_IN_3V3 | Input | Input for external RTC clock 32.768 kHz |
| P2.20 | GND | GND | Board ground |
| P2.31 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.32 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.33 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.34 | LOGGER_3V3 | Output | Tracer from CC33X1 (UART TX debug logger) |
| P2.35 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
| P2.36 | UART_RTS_3V3 (from CC33X1) | Output | UART RTS from CC33X1 to host for BLE HCI flow control |
| P2.37 | UART_CTS_3V3 (to CC33X1) | Input | UART CTS to CC33X1 from host for BLE HCI flow control |
| P2.38 | SDIO_D1_3V3 | Input/Output | SDIO data D1 |
| P2.39 | SDIO_D2_3V3 | Input/Output | SDIO data D2 |
| P2.40 | Reserved | N/A | N/A |
JTAG Headers¶
The BP-CC33X1 was designed with 2 JTAG headers (J10, J11) for SWD interface with the XDS110 debug probe. The signal assignment for these headers are described in the figures and tables below.
The main JTAG interface for the BP-CC33X1 is via the LP-XDS110ET that will be connected to the 20pin header (J11).
Fig. 16 20-pin header(J11) for connecting LP-XDS110ET
| Pin | Signal Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| J11.6 | SWCLK | Serial wire clock |
| J11.8 | SWDIO | Serial wire data in/out |
| J11.10 | RESET_1V8 | nReset (Enable line for the CC33X1) |
| J11.12 | UART_TX_1V8 | The CC33X1 UART TX to host for BLE host controller interface |
| J11.14 | UART_RX_1V8 | The CC33X1 UART RX from host for BLE host controller interface |
| J11.16 | VCC_BRD_1V8 | 1.8V supply for reference voltage to connector |
| J11.18 | VCC_BRD_5V | 5V supply to BP-CC33X1 from LP-XDS110ET |
| J11.1, J11.7, J11.13, J11.19, J11.20 | GND | Board ground |
To use the ARM 10-pin header (J10) it must be aquired separately and soldered on the board, and aquire a 10-pin JTAG cable . In the figure below you can see this component populated on the BP-CC33X1 and its pinout.
Fig. 17 ARM 10 pin JTAG connector (J10)
| Pin | Signal Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| J10.1 | VCC_BRD_1V8 | 1.8V supply for reference voltage to XDS110 |
| J10.2 | SWDIO | Serial wire data in/out |
| J10.4 | SWCLK | Serial wire clock |
| J10.10 | RESET_1V8 | nReset (Enable line for the CC33X1) |
| J10.3, J10.5, J10.7, J10.9 | GND | Board ground |
Power¶
The board is designed to accept power from a connected LaunchPad ™ kit. Some LaunchPad kits cannot source the peak current requirements for Wi-Fi ™ , which could be as high as 500 mA. In such cases, the USB connector (J7) on the BP-CC33X1 can be used to aid in extra current. The use of Schottky diodes ensure that load sharing occurs between the USB connectors on the LaunchPad kit and the BoosterPack ™ module without any board modifications. The jumpers labeled J6 (1.8v) and J8 (3.3v) can be used to measure the total current consumption of the board from the onboard LDO.
Measure the CC33X1 Current Draw¶
Low Current Measurement (LPDS)¶
To measure the current draw of the CC33X1 device for both power supplies (3.3v or 1.8v), a jumper labeled J16 (for 3.3v supply) and a jumper labeled J15 (for 1.8v supply) is provided on the board. By removing J16, users can place an ammeter into this path to observe the current on the 3.3 V supply (see left side of Fig. 18 ) . The same process can be used for observing the current on the 1.8v supply with J15 (see right side of Fig. 18 ) . TI recommends this method for measuring the LPDS.
Fig. 18 Low Current measurement
Active Current Measurement¶
To measure active current in a profile form, TI recommends using a 0.1 ohm 1% 0603 resistor on the board, and measuring the differential voltage across the resistor. This measurement can be done using a voltmeter or an oscilloscope for measuring the current profile for both power supplies (3.3 V or 1.8 V). Jumper J15 is removed and a 0.01 resistor is populated in parallel to measure the active currents on the 1.8V supply (see left side of Fig. 19) . Similar operation with J16 and 3.3V supply (see right side of Fig. 19).
Fig. 19 Active Current Measurement
Clocking¶
The BP-CC33X1 provides two clock inputs to the CC33X1 device:
- Y1 is a 40 MHz crystal for fast clock input
- Y2 is a 32.768 kHz oscillator for slow clock input
If the user desires to provide their own external slow clock through the Slow Clock Input pin (refer to P2.19 seen on Fig. 15) some re-work must be performed. The 32.768 kHz oscillator (Y2) component should be removed, and a 0201 sized 0 ohm resistor should be populated on the footprint for R29, refer to Fig. 20 below.
Fig. 20 Rework for use of external slow clock
Hint
The slow clock can also be generated internally from the device, thus reducing system cost by removing the oscillator (Y2). The tradeoff of not having the oscillator is a degradation in power consumption when connected to an AccessPoint.
CC33X1 BoosterPack ™ Hardware Setup¶
Performing Conducted Testing on BP-CC33X1¶
As seen in the figure below, the BP-CC33X1 has an onboard SMA connector and chip antenna. The SMA connector (J1) provides a way for testing conducted measurements. Alternately, a trackpad for an UF.L connector (J2) is provided to replace the SMA connector and provide a second option for testing in the lab with a compatible cable (see right side of figure below).
Fig. 21 RF Path on BP-CC33X1
Rework may be needed before using the connector on J1/J2. This involves swapping the position of the existing 3.9 pF capacitor to lead the transmission line to the desired connection (see figure above).
Communication Setup for Radio Tool with LP-XDS110ET¶
The LP-XDS110ET enables direct communication to the CC33X1 device via the SWD interface. This allows external tools, such as Radio Tool from the SimpleLink ™ Wi-Fi Toolbox (refer to SimpleLink Wi-Fi Toolbox Startup Guide), to send commands directly to the device without the use of an embedded host.
To use the LP-XDS110ET with the BP-CC33X1 connect the 20-pin connector (J11) on the BP-CC33X1 to the corresponding connector on the LP-XDS110ET (see figure below). Make sure that the jumper on the LP-XDS110 (labeled TGT VDD) is in the EXT. configuration, shown in the figure below. This verifies that the target voltage for the JTAG signals are sourced from the BP-CC33X1 (which is 1.8V) instead of the default LP-XDS110 target voltage (3.3V).
Warning
Power supply for the BP-CC33X1 comes from the LP-XDS110ET, but there can be usage scenarios where additional current is needed from the USB connection (J7). As such we recommend to provide external power from the USB connection (J7) for peak performance.
Fig. 22 BP-CC33X1 connected to LP-XDS110ET
Hint
If there are problems with the computer recognizing the XDS110 Debug Probe, download and install the “XDS110 Support Utilities package” (currently on release 7.0.100.1) at XDS Emulation Software (EMUPack) Download .
Alternatively installing or updating Code Composer Studio™ (IDE) may also add the necessary drivers.
Setup for BP-CC33X1 with MCU platform¶
The BP-CC33X1 can be used with a MCU running TCP/IP, like the LP-AM243 . and can easily integrate with the LaunchPad by stacking the 40 pin headers, as shown in Fig. 23 below .
Fig. 23 BP-CC33X1 stacked with LP-AM243
Setup for BP-CC33X1 with MPU platform¶
The BP-CC33X1 can integrate with a host platform running Linux OS, like the BeagleBone Black (BBB). The BeagleBone Black is a low-cost, community-supported development platform as shown below.
To interface with the BP-CC33X1 with the BeagleBone Black, the user also needs the BP-CC33X1 to BBB Adapter Board
Fig. 24 Adapter board for the BeagleBone Black
Fig. 25 Top view of BP-CC33X1 + BBB with adapter board
If having issues with BeagleBoneBlack and BP-CC33X1 make sure all boards are firmly pressed together to have best pin contact.
Fig. 26 Side view of BP-CC33X1 and BBB with adapter board
To make sure the BeagleBone Black (BBB) boots up from the SD card TI recommends performing the following soldering re-work:
Fig. 27 Bottom View of modified BBB
Fig. 28 Top View of modified BBB
Lastly, adding a right angle header on the bottom of the BBB to easily connect the FTDI cable is optional. When the adapter board is attached to the BBB, the FTDI cable can get pinched between the BBB and adapter board, which can cause communication problems. (see figure below).
Hint
Alternatively, the user can press and hold the SW2 button on the BeagleBone board during power up if the hardware modifications were not made.
For more resources on software setup go to CC33XX software page.