5.2.1 Building and Running the Host Controller Application with ATA8510/15

Building the Application for a Specific Host Controller

Open the corresponding project file located at “apps\rf_transmit_receive\<board_name>”, as listed in the table below, to build the application for a specific host controller. This application demonstrates the RF transmission and reception capabilities.
Important: Ensure that the ATA8510/15 is programmed by completing the required steps provided in section Host EEPROM Program.

For more details on opening the project file in MPLAB® X IDE, refer to the Opening, Building and Programming the Existing Application .

Table 5-2. Example Applications
Host ControllerProject NameDescription
WBZ451Hwbz451hpe_curiosity.XMPLAB® X project for WBZ451HPE Curiosity Board and ATA8510 Curiosity Board
WBZ351wbz351_curiosity.XMPLAB® X project for WBZ351 Curiosity Board and ATA8510 Curiosity Board
SAMC21sam_c21_xpro.XMPLAB® X project for SAMC21 Xplained Pro and ATA8510 Curiosity Board
PIC32 WFI32pic32wfi32e_curiosity.XMPLAB® X project for PIC32 WFI32E Curiosity Board and ATA8510 Curiosity Board

Running the Application

Programming the Host Controller Board
  1. Connect the ATA8510 Curiosity Board to the host board using the mikroBUS™ header.
  2. Connect the USB port on the host controller board to the PC using a micro-USB cable.
    Figure 5-8. Programming the Host Controller Board
    Note: It is recommended using a 90-degree angled Type-C elbow cable for optimal RF performance, especially when the host board's power supply runs directly beneath the PCB antenna of the ATA8510 Curiosity Board, as illustrated in the above figure.
  3. Open the project and launch MCC Harmony 3.
  4. Generate the code as illustrated in the following figure.
    Figure 5-9. Generating the Code
  5. Build the project and program the code to the hardware using the MPLAB® X IDE.
    Figure 5-10. Programming the Board
Note: Before running the application, ensure that the ATA8510/15 EEPROM is programmed as described in section Host EEPROM Program.
Running the Application
Figure 5-11. RF Communication Setup
  1. Mount the ATA8510 Curiosity Board onto the selected host controller board. For details on board placement, refer to RF Transmitter and Receiver.
  2. Connect the USB port on the host controller board to the PC using a micro-USB cable
  3. Open a terminal application on the PC (for example, Tera Term/PuTTY).
  4. Connect to the COM Port and configure the serial settings as follows:
    • Baud Rate: 115200
    • Data Bits: 8
    • Parity: None
    • Stop Bits: 1
    • Flow Control: None
  5. Once the board boots up, the ROM version appears in the terminal, as illustrated in the following figure.
    Note:
    • Ensure the ROM version read from the device is 0x21.
    • If the ROM version is not 0x21, a communication issue may be present—often related to the SPI clock settings.
    • To resolve this, adjust the SPI clock settings in the MPLAB Harmony to ensure proper communication with the device.
    Figure 5-12. ROM Version
  6. Configuring the ATA8510/15 as a receiver via Serial Console Command
    1. To view available application commands and usage information, enter the following command in the serial console:
      rfdemo help
      Figure 5-13. rfdemo help command
    2. Select the application receiver mode by entering the following command in the serial console:
      rfdemo 2
      The following message confirms that the ATA8510 Curiosity Board is configured to receive RF messages:
      Figure 5-14. rfdemo 2 Command
    3. When an RF message is received from another host board configured as a transmitter, the following message is displayed:
      Figure 5-15. Receiving RF Messages
    4. When an RF message is received from the ATA8510 Curiosity Board Configured in Standalone Mode as a transmitter, the following message is displayed:
      Figure 5-16. RF Message from the ATA8510 Curiosity Board Configured in Standalone Mode
  7. Configure the ATA8510/15 as a transmitter via Serial Console Command
    1. To view available application commands and usage information, enter the following command in the serial console:
      rfdemo help
    2. On another host device, Select the application transmitter mode by entering the following command in the serial console:
      rfdemo 1
      The following message confirms that the ATA8510 Curiosity Board is configured to transmit RF messages:
      Figure 5-17. rfdemo help Command
    3. When a message is transmitted to another host board, the following message is printed to indicate the transmitted data
      Figure 5-18. Transmitting RF Messages
  8. To disable RF communication, use the appropriate command in the serial console
    1. To stop transmitting RF messages, enter: 
      rfdemo 3
      .
    2. To stop receiving RF messages, enter: 
      rfdemo 4
      .