EN300220 testing and sodaq explorer

ExpLoRer
#1

Hi,

  1. RF testing according to EN 300220 on the sodaq explorer board
    Would you have sample sketch to perform radiated testing on the different lorawan channels for conformance testing for these according to EN 300 220-2 ? i.e
  • continuous unmodulated carrrier fixed at a frequency (variable updatable in the sketch) for antenna radiated measurements
  • continuous modulated carrier with given lora modulation (variable : channel, SF, BW ) to measure radiated spurious emission, occupied bandwidth, out of band emission.

I have made sketch to communicate to the TTN network etc … but the requirements above are differents as this is to verify the RF parameters of the radio.
Even for semtech evaluation board like for example the SX1276RF1JAS, the sw has not been thought to support lorawan EU channels correctly for rf testing.

  1. current measurement on the sodaq explorer board
    I did not see much documentation or jumper regarding current measurement on the sodaq explorer board.
    what would be your recommandation there ?

I measured the current draw on the usb port which gives the plot below :

current_draw_for_sodaq_board2_with_sensors.jpg1526×1016 281 KB

BR
thomas

#2

Hi Thomas,

  1. The Sodaq_RN2483 library has a function sendCommand(…) which allows you to send direct commands to the RN2483 module and read the standard ‘OK’ or ‘ERROR’ response. This can be use after the module is initialised to send other specific configuration or test commands.You should be able to use one of the example sketches as a starting point and then set any additional settings you require.

The library can be found here: https://github.com/SodaqMoja/Sodaq_RN2483

  1. In the command manual for the RN2483 (https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/40001784B.pdf) there are some useful commands including: Page 39: “radio cw on” -> Sets the device to output a continuous unmodulated signal. Before that command you should set both the frequency and output power using the commands found on pages 40-41.

  2. I’m not sure what is possible here, but there are additional radio commands to control these parameters. I’m not sure if those settings are applied to the continuous wave output.

For details about the channel frequencies and other regional LoRaWAN parameters, please refer to:
https://lora-alliance.org/resource-hub/lorawantm-regional-parameters-v102rb

#3

Hi,
using the sketch “lora serial pass through” i have sent manually command to the lora module as shown below.
The cw command is only a unmodulated carrier.
modulated data can be sent using the “radio tx …” command but that command sets the carrier to 869.525 MHz and reset all parameter set otherwhise shortly after execution. Sometimes the data is sent at the frequency set by the cmd "radio set freq " as i can see using on a spectrum analyzer sniffing the signal next to the sodaq explorer but not frequently …

Default settings are 868,1 MHz / sf12 / power 1 dBm (after cw off … different after “radio tx …”) … pretty messy.
See log thereafter

12:31:31.678 -> radio set mod lora
12:31:32.696 -> ok
12:31:45.668 -> radio set freq 868100000
12:31:46.684 -> ok
12:32:16.693 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:32:17.676 -> ok
12:32:28.698 -> radio get freq
12:32:29.679 -> 869525000
12:32:43.694 -> radio set freq 868100000
12:32:44.677 -> ok
12:32:53.668 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:32:54.686 -> ok
12:33:07.686 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:33:08.705 -> ok
12:33:19.697 -> radio get freq
12:33:20.680 -> 869525000
12:34:01.680 -> radio set mod lora
12:34:02.698 -> ok
12:34:07.688 -> radio set freq 868100000
12:34:08.706 -> ok
12:34:13.695 -> radio set pwr 15
12:34:14.677 -> ok
12:34:48.685 -> radio set sf sf7
12:34:49.701 -> ok
12:34:56.694 -> radio set bw 250
12:34:57.676 -> ok
12:35:06.698 -> radio set cr 4/7
12:35:07.682 -> ok
12:35:22.682 -> radio get freq
12:35:23.706 -> 868100000
12:35:33.697 -> radio set wdt 0
12:35:34.714 -> ok
12:35:41.704 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:35:42.690 -> ok
12:35:55.717 -> radio get freq
12:35:56.710 -> 869525000
12:36:07.712 -> radio set freq 868100000
12:36:08.730 -> ok
12:36:15.723 -> radio get freq
12:36:16.706 -> 868100000
12:36:22.700 -> radio get sf
12:36:23.716 -> sf12
12:37:03.713 -> radio set sf sf7
12:37:04.729 -> ok
12:37:12.726 -> radio set bw 250
12:37:13.709 -> ok
12:37:24.712 -> radio get freq
12:37:25.731 -> 868100000
12:37:34.725 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:37:35.743 -> ok
12:37:46.734 -> radio get freq
12:37:47.719 -> 869525000
12:38:25.747 -> mac pause
12:38:26.731 -> 0
12:38:30.730 -> radio set freq 868100000
12:38:31.748 -> ok
12:38:44.732 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:38:45.750 -> ok
12:38:55.760 -> radio get freq
12:38:56.745 -> 869525000
12:39:13.766 -> radio set sf sf7
12:39:14.748 -> ok
12:39:19.739 -> radio set freq 868100000
12:39:20.758 -> ok
12:39:26.761 -> mac pause
12:39:27.766 -> 0
12:39:37.779 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:39:38.769 -> ok
12:39:49.763 -> radio get freq
12:39:50.780 -> 869525000
12:49:07.815 -> radio cw off
12:49:08.836 -> RN2483 1.0.4 Oct 12 2017 14:59:25
12:49:17.821 -> radio get freq
12:49:18.843 -> 868100000
12:50:09.900 -> radio tx 48656cc6F
12:50:10.917 -> ok
12:50:19.905 -> radio get freq
12:50:20.923 -> 869525000