RabbitCore RCM4500W
User's Manual
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2. Getting Started

This chapter describes the RCM4510W hardware in more detail, and explains how to set up and use the accompanying Prototyping Board.

NOTE This chapter (and this manual) assume that you have the RCM4510W Development Kit. If you purchased an RCM4510W module by itself, you will have to adapt the information in this chapter and elsewhere to your test and development setup.

2.1 Install Dynamic C

To develop and debug programs for the RCM4510W modules (and for all other Rabbit Semiconductor hardware), you must install and use Dynamic C.

If you have not yet installed Dynamic C version 10.11 (or a later version), do so now by inserting the Dynamic C CD from the Development Kit in your PC's CD-ROM drive. If autorun is enabled, the CD installation will begin automatically.

If autorun is disabled or the installation does not start, use the Windows Start | Run menu or Windows Disk Explorer to launch setup.exe from the root folder of the CD-ROM.

The installation program will guide you through the installation process. Most steps of the process are self-explanatory.

Dynamic C uses a COM (serial) port to communicate with the target development system. The installation allows you to choose the COM port that will be used. The default selection is COM1. You may select any available port for Dynamic C's use. If you are not certain which port is available, select COM1. This selection can be changed later within Dynamic C.

NOTE The installation utility does not check the selected COM port in any way. Specifying a port in use by another device (mouse, modem, etc.) may lead to a message such as "could not open serial port" when Dynamic C is started.

Once your installation is complete, you will have up to three new icons on your PC desktop. One icon is for Dynamic C, another opens the documentation menu, and the third is for the Rabbit Field Utility, a tool used to download precompiled software to a target system.

If you have purchased any of the optional Dynamic C modules, install them after installing Dynamic C. The modules may be installed in any order. You must install the modules in the same directory where Dynamic C was installed.

2.2 Hardware Connections

There are three steps to connecting the Prototyping Board for use with Dynamic C and the sample programs:

  1. Prepare the Prototyping Board for Development.

  2. Attach the RCM4510W module to the Prototyping Board.

  3. Connect the programming cable between the RCM4510W and the PC.

  4. Connect the power supply to the Prototyping Board.

2.2.1 Step 1 — Prepare the Prototyping Board for Development

Snap in four of the plastic standoffs supplied in the bag of accessory parts from the Development Kit in the holes at the corners on the bottom side of the Prototyping Board as shown in Figure 3.

NOTE Pay attention to use the hole that is pointed out towards the bottom left of the Prototyping Board since the hole below it is used for a standoff when mounting the RCM4510W on the Prototyping Board.


Figure 3. Insert Standoffs

2.2.2 Step 2 — Attach Module to Prototyping Board

Turn the RCM4510W module so that the mounting holes line up with the corresponding holes on the Prototyping Board with the programming header at the top right. Insert the metal standoffs as shown in Figure 4, secure them from the bottom using the 4-40 screws and washers, then insert the module's header J1 on the bottom side into socket RCM1 on the Prototyping Board.


Figure 4. Install the Module on the Prototyping Board

NOTE It is important that you line up the pins on header J1 of the module exactly with socket RCM1 on the Prototyping Board. The header pins may become bent or damaged if the pin alignment is offset, and the module will not work. Permanent electrical damage to the module may also result if a misaligned module is powered up.

Press the module's pins gently into the Prototyping Board socket—press down in the area above the header pins. For additional integrity, you may secure the RCM4510W to the standoffs from the top using the remaining three 4-40 screws and washers.

NOTE If you are using the preview version of the RCM4510W, do not connect the programming cable to header J3 (shown below the programming header at right). Header J3 is used only by the factory.



2.2.3 Step 3 — Connect Programming Cable

The programming cable connects the module to the PC running Dynamic C to download programs and to monitor the module during debugging.

Connect the 10-pin connector of the programming cable labeled PROG to header J2 on the RCM4510W as shown in Figure 5. Be sure to orient the marked (usually red) edge of the cable towards pin 1 of the connector. (Do not use the DIAG connector, which is used for a standard serial connection.)


Figure 5. Connect Programming Cable and Power Supply

Connect the other end of the programming cable to an available USB port on your PC or workstation.

Your PC should recognize the new USB hardware, and the LEDs in the shrink-wrapped area of the USB programming cable will flash — if you get an error message, you will have to install USB drivers. Drivers for Windows XP are available in the Dynamic C Drivers\Rabbit USB Programming Cable\WinXP_2K folder — double-click DPInst.exe to install the USB drivers. Drivers for other operating systems are available online at www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm.

2.2.4 Step 4 — Connect Power

Once all the other connections have been made, you can connect power to the Prototyping Board.

First, prepare the AC adapter for the country where it will be used by selecting the appropriate plug. The RCM4510W Development Kit presently includes Canada/Japan/U.S., Australia/N.Z., U.K., and European style plugs. Snap in the top of the plug assembly into the slot at the top of the AC adapter as shown in Figure 5, then press down on the spring-loaded clip below the plug assembly to allow the plug assembly to click into place. Release the clip to secure the plug assembly in the AC adapter.

Connect the AC adapter to 3-pin header J1 on the Prototyping Board as shown in Figure 5. The connector may be attached either way as long as it is not offset to one side—the center pin of J1 is always connected to the positive terminal, and either edge pin is ground.

Plug in the AC adapter. The PWR LED on the Prototyping Board next to the power connector at J1 should light up. The RCM4510W and the Prototyping Board are now ready to be used.

NOTE A RESET button is provided on the Prototyping Board next to the battery holder to allow a hardware reset without disconnecting power.

2.3 Run a Sample Program

If you already have Dynamic C installed, you are now ready to test your programming connections by running a sample program. Start Dynamic C by double-clicking on the Dynamic C icon on your desktop or in your Start menu.

Determine which COM port was assigned to the USB programming cable on your PC. Open Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > Ports and identify which COM port is used for the USB connection. In Dynamic C, select Options > Project Options, then select this COM port on the Communications tab. You may type the COM port number followed by Enter on your computer keyboard if the COM port number is outside the range on the dropdown menu. Then check "Use USB to Serial Converter" in "Serial Options." Click OK to save the settings.

Find the file PONG.C, which is in the Dynamic C SAMPLES folder. To run the program, open it with the File menu, then compile and run it by pressing F9. The STDIO window will open on your PC and will display a small square bouncing around in a box.

2.3.1 Troubleshooting

If you receive the message Could Not Open Serial Port, check that the COM port assigned to the USB programming cable was identified and set up in Dynamic C as described in the preceding section.

If you receive the message No Rabbit Processor Detected, the programming cable may be connected to the wrong COM port, a connection may be faulty, or the target system may not be powered up. First, check to see that the power LED on the Prototyping Board is lit. If the LED is lit, check both ends of the programming cable to ensure that it is firmly plugged into the PC and the programming port on the Prototyping Board. Ensure that the module is firmly and correctly installed in its connectors on the Prototyping Board.

If Dynamic C appears to compile the BIOS successfully, but you then receive a communication error message when you compile and load a sample program, it is possible that your PC cannot handle the higher program-loading baud rate. Try changing the maximum download rate to a slower baud rate as follows.

If a program compiles and loads, but then loses target communication before you can begin debugging, it is possible that your PC cannot handle the default debugging baud rate. Try lowering the debugging baud rate as follows.

Press <Ctrl-Y> to force Dynamic C to recompile the BIOS. You should receive a Bios compiled successfully message once this step is completed successfully.

2.3.2 Run a ZigBee Sample Program

This section explains how to run a sample program in which the RCM4510W is used in its default setup as an end device and the Digi® XBee USB is used as the ZigBee coordinator.

  1. Find the file API_TEST.C, which is in the Dynamic C SAMPLES\RCM4500W folder. To run the program, open it with the File menu, then compile and run it by pressing F9. The Dynamic C STDIO window will open to display a menu to access the RCM4510W features.

  1. Connect the Digi® XBee USB acting as a ZigBee coordinator to an available USB port on your PC or workstation. Your PC should recognize the new USB hardware — if you get an error message, you will have to install USB drivers. Drivers for Windows XP are available in the Dynamic C Utilities\USB Drivers folder — double-click CDM_Setup.exe to install the USB drivers. Drivers for other operating systems are available online at www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm.

  2. Open the ZigBee Utility by double-clicking ZB_Demo1.exe in the Dynamic C Utilities\ZB_Demo1 folder — if you have problems launching the ZigBee Utility, install a .Net Framework by double-clicking dotnetfx.exe in the Dynamic C Utilities\dotnetfx folder. You may add a shortcut to the ZigBee Utility on your desktop.

  3. Confirm the following hardware setup is displayed on the "PC Settings" tab.

  • 9600 baud

  • No flow control

  • 8 data bits

  • No parity

  • 1 stop bit

Now select the COM port the Digi® XBee USB is connected to, and click the "Open Com Port" button. The message "Radio Found" is displayed to indicate that you selected the correct COM port. The ZigBee parameters (firmware version, operating channel, PAN ID) for the Digi® XBee USB will be displayed in the "Radio Parameters" box. Go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > Ports on your PC if you need help in identifying the USB COM port.

  1. Select the "Command Window" tab on the ZigBee Utility, and click the "Send Discovery Cmd" button. Any ZigBee devices discovered will be displayed in the "Devices Discovered" window to the right.

    If "Send Discovery Cmd" times out and no ZigBee devices are displayed, you will have to reconfigure the Digi® XBee USB and recompile the sample program. This situation may arise if you are doing development simultaneously with more than one ZigBee coordinator. Appendix D explains the steps to reconfigure the Digi® XBee USB.

  2. Select a device with your mouse pointer and click the "Select Device" button to select that device. This device will now be displayed in the "Selected Device" area.

  3. You are now ready to interface with the RCM4510W module via the ZigBee protocol. Try pinging the selected device by clicking the "Ping Selected Device" button.

  4. Uncheck the "DS2 LED Control" box and click the "Send DS2 Cmd" button. You will notice that LED DS2 on the Prototyping Board either stops blinking or turns on steadily. You may get it blinking again by checking the "DS2 LED Control" box and clicking the "Send DS2 Cmd" button.

    The response for LED DS3 is similar.

  5. The "Button Status" will display how many times you press switch S2 or S3 on the Prototyping Board.

Appendix D, "Additional Configuration Instructions," provides additional configuration information if you experience conflicts while doing development simultaneously with more than one ZigBee coordinator, or if you wish to upload new firmware.

2.4 Where Do I Go From Here?

If the sample program ran fine, you are now ready to go on to the sample programs in Chapter 3 and to develop your own applications. The sample programs can be easily modified for your own use. The user's manual also provides complete hardware reference information and software function calls for the RCM4510W series of modules and the Prototyping Board.

For advanced development topics, refer to the Dynamic C User's Manual, also in the online documentation set. An Introduction to ZigBee provides background information on the ZigBee protocol, and is available on the CD and on our Web site.

2.4.1 Technical Support

NOTE If you purchased your RCM4510W through a distributor or through a Rabbit Semiconductor partner, contact the distributor or partner first for technical support.

If there are any problems at this point:

Rabbit Semiconductor
www.rabbit.com
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