Wizard Gecko WGM110 Wi-Fie Module

Testing Guide

This document describes how to set up the Silicon Labs Wizard Gecko WGM110
Wi-Fi Module into RF test mode.

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9

This information applies to a product under development. Its characteristics and specifications are subject to change without notice. Silicon Laboratories confidential.
Information herein is covered under non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

1 Introduction
The Silicon Labs Wizard Gecko WGM110 Wi-Fi Module is based on a chipset manufactured by Cambridge
Silicon Radio (CSR). The main means of accessing the test mode on these devices is through the module
debug SPI bus. This is a synchronous bus with the clocking provided by the SPI adapter and does not require
the module being tested to be initialized by the application host.

The test mode is accessed by uploading a test firmware to replace the one used for normal Wi-Fi operation.
Booting the device into test mode will cause it to become non-responsive to the application host, and the host
system should be prevented from resetting the device during the testing.

The test mode control is done through a software suite made by CSR called UnifiTools. For the RF tests a
UniTest-software inside the suite is used.

Step-by-step instructions on how to set up the test mode and how to set up the main settings are given in the
following sections.

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 2

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

2 Prerequisites
Before starting make sure you have the following hardware and software available.
2.1 Required hardware

1 x Application PCB with WGM110 Module and SPI connector (pin header or similar)
1 x SPI Adapter Cable e.g. DK-USB-SPI-10225-1A or similar CSR manufactured or CSR
compatible device (available for purchase online)
2.2 Required software

UniFi Tools Suite (available from CSR)

Test mode firmware for WGM110 Module (ptest_unifi_603x_1177.xbv) *
Settings file for WGM110 Module (WGM110_profile.txt) *

* Available from Silicon Labs Technical Support.

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 3

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

3 Setting up the system

Follow the steps below and refer to Figure 1 below:

1. Install SetupUniFiToolsicp_7_2_1_5.exe available from the CSR web page at www.csr.com.

2. Copy the test mode firmware file ptest_unifi_603x_1177.xbv and the settings file WGM110_profile.txt
to your PCs hard disk.
3. Open UniTest application.
4. From the Setup-tab, select Browse... to select the correct test firmware.
5. Select ptest_unifi_603x_1177.xbv from your PCs hard disk.

Figure 1 Selecting the Test Firmware

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 4

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

6. Now click the Profile button and choose the Import a profile option from the drop-down menu and
browse to select the WGM110_profile.txt file which you saved to your PCs hard disk earlier (see Step
2 on the previous page).

Figure 2 Importing a Profile

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 5

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

7. From the Board profile drop-down menu select the imported profile (WGM110).
8. From the Transport drop-down menu select option USB.

Figure 3 Selecting the Board Profile and Transport Option

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 6

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

4 Connecting the Module

Next your application PCB with the WGM110 Module and the SPI connector needs to be connected physically
to the PC which has the UniFi tools software installed.

Follow the steps listed below.

1. Attach the SPI Adapter Cable to the SPI connector you have provided on your application PCB.
2. Attache the other end of the SPI Adapter Cable to a free USB port on your PC which has the UniFi
software installed.

You only need to have the SPI bus available for connecting the WGM110 Module with the PC USB port and a
power supply to power up the WGM110 Module as you would normally do with your application.

The schematics for including the required SPI connector is shown in Figure 5 on next page.

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 7

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

Figure 4 Schematics for Including an SPI Bus Connected to WGM110 Wi-Fi Module

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 8

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

5 Initializing the Module

To initialize the WGM110 Module follow the steps below.

1. Select Quick Start and Setup button on the Setup-tab. The log window at the bottom of the window
should start to list succesful messages.
2. Check that the green button named Idle located at the bottom right corned of the window is shown. If
the button is red check all connections and that the Mainboard and Radio Board power supply voltage
is ok.

Figure 5 Selecting Quick Start and Setup and Log view

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 9

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

3. Select the Misc-tab.

4. From the Misc-tab window set the Crystal trim slide control to value 21 and click the Set button.

The Crystal trim value selected in Step 4 above is the crystal fine tune value which is chosen for
sufficient average crystal frequency accuracy. This value is not included in the profile file of the test
firmware but is written to the internal memory of the Module and used in normal operation.

21

Figure 6 Adjusting the Crystal Trim Value

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 10

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

6 Generating an Umodulated Carrier Signal

To generate an unmodulated carrier signal follow the steps below.

NOTE! The unmodulated carrier does not follow the preconfigured power level settings and does not apply
the thermal and supply voltage compensation schemes.

1. Select the Carrier wave tab.

2. Select DC for an unmodulated carrier.
3. Set the the amplitude to the lower end of the adjustment range using the Amplitude slide control.
4. Click the Start button.
5. To stop click the Stop button.

Figure 7 Generating an Unmodulated Carrier Wave

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 11

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

7 Generating a Modulated IEEE 802.11 Signal

To generate a modulated IEEE 802.11 signal follow the steps below.

1. Select the Transmittab.

2. Select the Frequency selection option as Automatic and check that the Frequency is 2.4 GHz.
3. Select the desired Channel.
4. Set the Power level slide control to maximum value (slider all the way to the right).
5. Set Data rate to desired value.

NOTE: 1 Mbps and 11 Mbps (CCK modulation) options have the highest harmonics.54 Mbps and
72.2 Mbps (OFDM modulation) options have the highest band edge emissions.

6. Set the Transmit a frame every N seconds value to a small value to maximize transmit duty cycle.
7. Set the Payload length setting to maximum value to maximize transmit duty cycle.
8. Apply settings by selecting the Set transmission parameters button.
9. Start transmission by clicking the Start button.
10. To end transmission click the Stop button.

NOTE: The output power level should always be verified. The test software is prone to occasional
errors when using power compensation.

See next page for a screeshot related to the above steps.

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 12

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

Figure 8 Generating a modulated IEEE 802.11 Signal

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 13

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

8 Thermal Compensation
When starting transmission and when the ambient temperature changes, the user should wait a minute
or two for the board temperature to stabilize and then click the Set transmission parameters button
again so that the module will apply the thermal compensation values for the new temperature. In normal
use the software will do this automatically, but when using Unitest this has to be done manually.

The compensation system adjusts transmit power and crystal frequency according to the module
temperature by measuring the modules temperature with an internal temperature sensor.

There is also a periodic automated compensation possibility under the Power/temp/vbatt-tab, but when
used may pause transmission briefly periodically to perform the compensation.

It should be noted that in constant transmit mode, the module will dissipate quite a lot of power and will
heat significantly. When the automatic recalibration mode is on, the UniTest software will show the
temperature reading of the chipset internal thermal sensor.

Figure 9 Using the Automatic Periodic Compensation Option

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 14

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

9 Setting the Module into Receive Mode

To set the module into receive mode follow the steps below.

1. If the module is still transmitting click the Stop button in the Transmt-tab.
2. Select the Receive-tab.
3. Select the Channel (if necessary).
4. Click the Start button.
5. To stop the Receive Mode click the Stop button.

Figure 10 Setting the Module into Receive Mode

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 15

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

10 Revision history
10.1 Revision 0.9
Apr 29th, 2016 - First draft

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 16

 Wizard Gecko WGM-110 Wi-Fi Testing Guide

Table of Contents

1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
2 Prerequisites................................................................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 Required hardware ................................................................................................................................................... 3
2.2 Required software .................................................................................................................................................... 3
3 Setting up the system ................................................................................................................................................... 4
4 Connecting the Module ................................................................................................................................................. 7
5 Initializing the Module ................................................................................................................................................... 9
6 Generating an Umodulated Carrier Signal .................................................................................................................. 11
7 Generating a Modulated IEEE 802.11 Signal ............................................................................................................. 12
8 Thermal Compensation .............................................................................................................................................. 14
9 Setting the Module into Receive Mode ....................................................................................................................... 15
10 Revision history .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
10.1 Revision 0.9 ....................................................................................................................................................... 16
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 17

silabs.com | Smart. Connected. Energy-friendly Rev. 0.9 17