Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:41:05 GMT

start_channel

Start channel for the sweep or the channel for the constant carrier (in MHz, as difference from 2400 MHz).

If you want to send on 2402MHz you would need to use channel 2.

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:19:22 GMT

Hi,

I'm not sure I follow, you would you measure on another channel then where you are sending?

I'm sending Tx from channel 37(which is 2402) and trying to measure from channel 37 itself, setting frequency as 2042.

But why you were saying I would've set channel to 2 in power meter.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 07:38:51 GMT

[quote user="arun12"]VDD and VDD_HV points to the ammeter[/quote]

Connect your current measurement to P22 as stated in the link I have given you. It might be that i misunderstood, but it sounds to be like you have 1 cable attached to p22 and one to P23. The device should not be in Hv mode so I see no reason to measure there

[quote user="arun12"]

channel 2 is frequency 2408 right? I'm the power meter to frequency 2402.

[/quote]

I'm not sure I follow, you would you measure on another channel then where you are sending?

[quote user="arun12"]

Can you please guide me configure the same?

[/quote]

instead of using the start_rx_sweep, use start_rx

[quote user="arun12"] Connecting the external antenna(J1) to the power meter.[/quote]

Could you name the instrument? We use network or spectrum analyser when we look at RF so I just want to be sure that is not something I have overlooked here. Especially since there might be signal loss depended on the connection between the DK and the measurement instrument

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 04:29:57 GMT

->I'm following this same method mentioned in the document in section "measure average current with ampere meter".

-----> You power meter is set to what would be channel 2 while you are sending at channel 37

channel 2 is frequency 2408 right? I'm the power meter to frequency 2402.

------>You are running a sweep over a single channel, I would rather use the constant carrier wave as you would with the current config only stay at channel 37 for 50ms

Can you please guide me configure the same?

---->Your test setup is still a mystery to me

I'm connecting the DK to my laptop through USB cable, flashing the "radio test" example, giving commands to the DK using Tera Term, like the log shared earlier. Connecting the external antenna(J1) to the power meter. VDD and VDD_HV points to the ammeter.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:25:54 GMT

[quote user="runsiv"]

I was supposed to write custom board. Since you are using the DK we have guide for current measurement here.

[/quote]

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:06:28 GMT

Hi Runar,

on one of your previous response, you've said

" Since the DK has a extra circuits outside the nrf5340 you need to have the correct setup so you don't measure the current draw of the whole DK."

what is the correct setup that I should follow to measure just the current drawn by nRF5340 on any state?

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:56:38 GMT

It looks to me like there is a few things here:

- You are running a sweep over a single channel, I would rather use the constant carrier wave as you would with the current config only stay at channel 37 for 50ms

- You power meter is set to what would be channel 2 while you are sending at channel 37

- I can't see that you have adjusted the output power

- Your test setup is still a mystery to me.

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:27:48 GMT

HI,

Flashing the example, I've set both start and end channel as 37 (2402mHz) so that the Tx sweep will happen only in channel 37.

But I'm not seeing any output power on my power meter which is also set in 2402mHz frequency.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 07:56:44 GMT

Could you describe your test setup?

When you use the radio_test example. Could you describe or post the log from the interaction with it? The output_power command is used to set output power, not to start the RX or TX transmission as seen in the user interface table.

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 04:52:16 GMT

Hi Runar,

coming back to the topic we were discussing,

I flashed "radio_test" example for testing RF on the board, but on issuing "output_power" command, I'm not seeing any power on measuring from the antenna, nor I'm seeing any increase in cureent numbers, the current profile also doesnt looks like that of tx.

How to execute RF measurements on the device?

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:47:34 GMT

As written in the link:

Optionally, you can use the Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2) for power profiling and optimizing your configuration. You can use also your proprietary solution for measuring the power consumption."

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:03:52 GMT

To use power profile, we need the power profile kit hardware right?

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:28:40 GMT

We don't have any list of which examples enters the different states. I would recommend to either use the mentioned sample as it is made for power profiling or create a sample that suits your needs. If I misunderstood you, please try to reword the question.

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 09:45:22 GMT

I'm not asking one example to execute all these states but all the examples that can put the device in these states.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:55:06 GMT

Good to hear that is fixed

I don't think we have a samples that covers all that you are asking for. But we do have a BLE power profiling sample

If you have more questions regarding optimizing for current I would suggest to create a new ticket as we try to keep it to one topic for each thread

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 04:24:07 GMT

Hi Runar,

Other than measuring the current consumption using Online power profile tool, is there anyway I can measure the current consumed by nRF5340 at these states?

The tool chain issue is solved on setting " set default toolchain".

can you also guide me in achieving the below states?

1, sleep

2, BLE Advertisement

3, BLE Scan

4,BLE Connected

5,active TX and RX

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:40:49 GMT

I'm a bit unsure of what you mean. if you want to measure the current draw of the DK you should follow the guide so your setup is correct. Since the DK has a extra circuits outside the nrf5340 you need to have the correct setup so you don't measure the current draw of the whole DK. As for numbers, you could for example compare your numbers to the online power profiler tool

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:33:13 GMT

That sounds very strange. You should be able to see multiple newer toolchain versions then 2.4.3, could you post the error message you get?

If you select the round arrow you do a pristine build and rebuild the entire project, however it is not worth doing until the toolchain and sdk version is aligned.

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:24:22 GMT

yes I'm trying to build peripheral_lbs sample.

there is no toolchain of v2.5.2 available, I tried downloading tool chain v2.4.3 but it is failing to update.

what do you mean by printine build?

to create the project again?

Reagrds,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:42:58 GMT

just so that we are on the same page. You are trying to build the peripheral_lbs sample now?

Could you update the toolchain so it aligns with the SDK version, do a pristine build and if it fails, post the log output. Just copy paste the log from the terminal and go back here, insert -> code and past it

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:39:45 GMT

Hi Runar,

Here the documentation is discussing on how to carry out the measurement right?

I'm asking you which number to be taken into consideration as the chips current consumption in these different states.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:01:24 GMT

Hi Runar,

I've updated the NCS version now but I'm facing these error on building an example,

this issue is facing in Both NCS versions, v2.3 and v2.5.2.

please help me resolve this.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:53:05 GMT

I was supposed to write custom board. Since you are using the DK we have guide for current measurement here.

I would also suggest to upgrade to a newer version of NCS for doing the radio test sample. I'm not sure what is going on v2.3 but I have tested a few newer versions and they all build.

Regards

Runar

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

arun12 — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:46:02 GMT

Hi Runar,

What did you mean by custom mode I'm using a nRF5340 DK and putting it into modes like advertisement using nRF connect in V S Code.

So my question here is at that time, which of these rails(VDD & VDD_HV) can give the chips current consumption at these modes.

Regards,

Arun

RE: Configuring nRF5340 for RF measurements

runsiv — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:59:16 GMT

Hi, As you can see here it does not make sense to measure both VDD_HV and VDD."

By default, the high voltage regulator is configured to source external components from the VDD pin. To save power this feature must be disabled. For details, see High voltage mode."
Is the device running in HV mode? Also, is this a custom board? I'm not sure that you would gain anything to measure the current consumption since if it is a custom boards you it can be hard to correlate power consumption with RX effect.

Regards

Runar