RabbitCore RCM4500W User's Manual

1. Introduction

The RCM4510W next-generation RabbitCore modules add ZigBee®/802.15.4 functionality to the existing Rabbit^® 4000 microprocessor features to allow you to create a low-cost, low-power, embedded wireless control and communications solution for your embedded control system. The Rabbit^® 4000 microprocessor features include hardware DMA, clock speeds of up to 60 MHz, I/O lines shared with up to six serial ports and four levels of alternate pin functions that include variable-phase PWM, auxiliary I/O, quadrature decoder, and input capture. Coupled with more than 500 new opcode instructions that help to reduce code size and improve processing speed, this equates to a core module that is fast, efficient, and the ideal solution for a wide range of wireless embedded applications.

The Development Kit has the essentials that you need to design your own wireless microprocessor-based system, and includes a complete Dynamic C software development system. This Development Kit also contains a Prototyping Board that will allow you to evaluate the RCM4510W modules and to prototype circuits that interface to the RCM4510W modules. You will also be able to write and test software for these modules.

In addition to onboard ZigBee/802.15.4 functionality, the RCM4510W model has a Rabbit 4000 microprocessor operating at 29.49 MHz, static RAM, flash memory, two clocks (main oscillator and timekeeping), and the circuitry necessary for reset and management of battery backup of the Rabbit 4000's internal real-time clock and the static RAM. One 50-pin header brings out the Rabbit 4000 I/O bus lines, parallel ports, and serial ports. A separate 14-pin auxiliary I/O header brings out up to nine additional I/O pins (up to four of which may be configured as analog inputs) made possible by the onboard ZigBee modem.

The RCM4510W receives its +3.3 V power from the customer-supplied motherboard on which it is mounted. The RCM4510W can interface with all kinds of CMOS-compatible digital devices through the motherboard.

1.1 RCM4510W Features

• Small size: 1.84" × 2.85" × 0.54"
  (47 mm × 72 mm × 14 mm)

• Microprocessor: Rabbit 4000 running at 29.49 MHz

• Up to 40 general-purpose I/O lines configurable with up to four alternate functions

• Up to 9 additional general-purpose I/O lines (up to four of which may be set up as analog inputs) available through the ZigBee modem

• 3.3 V I/O lines with low-power modes down to 2 kHz

• Six CMOS-compatible serial ports — four ports are configurable as a clocked serial port (SPI), and two ports are configurable as SDLC/HDLC serial ports.

• Alternate I/O bus can be configured for 8 data lines and 6 address lines (shared with parallel I/O lines), I/O read/write

• 512K flash memory, 512K data SRAM

• Real-time clock

• Watchdog supervisor

Currently there is one production model. Table 1 summarizes its main features.

Table 1. RCM4510W Features

Feature	RCM4510W
Microprocessor	Rabbit® 4000 at 29.49 MHz
Flash Memory	512K
Data SRAM	512K
Serial Ports	6 shared high-speed, CMOS-compatible ports: 6 are configurable as asynchronous serial ports; 4 are configurable as clocked serial ports (SPI); 2 are configurable as SDLC/HDLC serial ports; 1 asynchronous serial port is shared with the ZigBee modem 1 asynchronous serial port is used during programming
ZigBee Modem	MaxStream® XBee™ Series 2 (802.15.4 standard, ISM 2.4 GHz)

Figure 1. RCM4510W Versions

There are two versions of the RCM4510W model—the standard release, available after April, 2007, is identical in form and function to the preview version. The difference between them is that the ZigBee modem is made of discrete onboard components in the preview version, and is included in the pluggable MaxStream® XBee™ Series 2 RF module on the standard release. The height of the preview version is also about 0.01" (0.2 mm) less than that of the standard release; Rabbit Semiconductor recommends that you use the dimensions for the standard release specified in this manual in your design. The preview version has not undergone certification testing and is intended for development purposes only. The preview version will no longer be offered once the standard release is available.

NOTE	At the present time the MaxStream® XBee™ Series 2 RF modules used with the RCM4510W are not compatible with other XBee™ and XBee PRO™ RF modules such as those used with Rabbit Semiconductor's ZigBee®/802.15.4 Application Kit

The RCM4510W is programmed over a standard PC serial port through a programming cable supplied with the Development Kit, and can also be programed through a USB port with an RS-232/USB converter (available from Rabbit Semiconductor).

NOTE	The RabbitLink cannot be used to program RabbitCore modules based on the Rabbit 4000 microprocessor.

Appendix A provides detailed specifications for the RCM4510W.

1.2 Advantages of the RCM4510W

• Fast time to market using a fully engineered, "ready-to-run/ready-to-program" microprocessor core.

• Competitive pricing when compared with the alternative of purchasing and assembling individual components.

• Easy C-language program development and debugging

• Rabbit Field Utility to download compiled Dynamic C .bin files, and cloning board options for rapid production loading of programs.

• Generous memory size allows large programs with tens of thousands of lines of code, and substantial data storage.

• Reference application uses a low-cost, low-power ZigBee/802.15.4 infrastructure to connect Rabbit-based devices

• Supports ZigBee/802.15.4 point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and mesh topologies

• Easily scalable for commercial deployment applications

• RCM4510W can function as a network coordinator, gateway, or end device

1.3 Development and Evaluation Tools

1.3.1 RCM4510W Development Kit

The RCM4510W Development Kit contains the hardware essentials you will need to use the RCM4510W module. The items in the Development Kit and their use are as follows.

• RCM4510W module.

• Prototyping Board.

• Universal AC adapter, 12 V DC, 1 A (includes Canada/Japan/U.S., Australia/N.Z., U.K., and European style plugs). Development Kits sold in North America may contain an AC adapter with only a North American style plug.

• USB programming cable with 10-pin header.

• 10-pin header to DB9 serial cable.

• 14-pin IDC socket connector with bare leads ribbon cable.

• Digi® XBee USB (used as ZigBee coordinator).

• Dynamic C^® CD-ROM, with complete product documentation on disk.

• Getting Started instructions.

• A bag of accessory parts for use on the Prototyping Board.

• Rabbit 4000 Processor Easy Reference poster.

• Registration card.

Figure 2. RCM4510W Development Kit

1.3.2 Software

The RCM4510W preview version is programmed using version 10.11 or later of Dynamic C, and the standard version requires version 10.21 or later. A compatible version is included on the Development Kit CD-ROM.

Rabbit Semiconductor also offers add-on Dynamic C modules containing the popular µC/OS-II real-time operating system, the FAT file system, as well as PPP, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and other select libraries. In addition to the Web-based technical support included at no extra charge, a one-year telephone-based technical support module is also available for purchase. Visit our Web site at www.rabbit.com or contact your Rabbit Semiconductor sales representative or authorized distributor for further information.

1.3.3 Additional RCM4510W RabbitCore Modules for Development

Rabbit Semiconductor also provides RCM4510W Add-On Kits with an RCM4510W RabbitCore module, Prototyping Board, power supply, accessory parts, and the 14-pin IDC socket connector with bare leads ribbon cable to allow you to develop your own ZigBee network. The instructions included with the sample programs explain how to set up additional RCM4510W modules as a ZigBee coordinator, as end devices, or as routers in a ZigBee network.

Contact your authorized Rabbit Semiconductor distributor or your sales representative for more information, or visit our Web site.

1.3.4 Online Documentation

The online documentation is installed along with Dynamic C, and an icon for the documentation menu is placed on the workstation's desktop. Double-click this icon to reach the menu. If the icon is missing, use your browser to find and load default.htm in the docs folder, found in the Dynamic C installation folder.

The latest versions of all documents are always available for free, unregistered download from our Web sites as well.