RN -17 4-DS
RN-174 WiFly Super Module
Features
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Evaluation board for the RN-171 module
Supports chip antenna (RN-174-C), PCB trace
antenna (RN-174-P), wire antenna (RN-174-W),
and U.FL connector for an external antenna
(RN-174-U)
Ultra-low power: 4-uA sleep, 30-mA Rx, 180-mA
Tx at 10 dBm
Configurable transmit power: 0 to +12 dBm
RS-232 and TTL UART hardware interfaces
Up to 1 Mbps data rate over UART
Through-hole board simplifies system integration
Powered by 3.3 to 16-V DC (input voltage can go
down to 2 V DC when using boost regulator)
Jumpers for setting ad hoc mode and enabling the
battery boost circuit
10 general-purpose digital I/O pins
8 analog sensor interfaces; configurable sensor
power outputs 0 to 3.3-V DC
Real-time clock for wakeup and time stamping
Complete TCP/IP networking stack
Wi-Fi Alliance certified for WPA2-PSK
FCC / CE/ ICS certified and RoHS compliant
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Description
The RN-174 evaluation board is a field-ready, Wi-Fi Alliance
certified, 802.11 b/g prototyping platform for the RN-171
module. The board has the flexibility to connect directly to
embedded processors via a standard RS-232 interface or
through the TTL UART interface. The RN-174 contains a
battery boost circuit, which makes it possible to power the
board using two AA batteries (the input voltage can go down to
down to 2.0 V DC when using the battery boost circuit). The
battery boost circuit makes the RN-174 perfect for battery-
powered applications such as sensors, data acquisition
systems, controllers, etc. The status LEDs and jumpers enable
rapid prototyping and integration into existing systems.
The RN-174 is based on the Roving Networks RN-171 module.
The RN-171 module incorporates a 2.4-GHz radio, processor,
full TCP/IP stack, real-time clock, and supports the FTP, DHCP,
DNS, and HTML client protocols. The RN-171 is the smallest,
lowest power 802.11 b/g module available. The module
supports ad hoc and infrastructure networking modes.
The analog sensor interface provides direct connections to send
temperature, acceleration, and other analog data without
requiring an external microprocessor. The RN-171 module is
programmed and controlled with a simple ASCII command
language. Once the configuration is set up, the module can
automatically scan to find an access point, associate,
authenticate, and connect over any Wi-Fi network. Additionally,
the module can automatically send data to a remote host and
go back to a low-power sleep state once the data transmission
completes.
Applications
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Wireless serial connections
Remote sensors
Telemetry
Security
Industrial sensors and controls
Home automation
www.rovingnetworks.com
Version 1.3r 4/9/2012
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RN -17 4-DS
OVERVIEW
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Host data rates up to 921 Kbps TX, 500 Kbps RX for UART
Intelligent, built-in power management with programmable wake-up events (timers and I/O)
Real-time clock for time stamping, auto-sleep, and auto-wakeup modes
Configuration over Wi-Fi or UART using simple ASCII commands
Over the air firmware upgrade via FTP
Secure Wi-Fi authentication: WEP-128, WPA-PSK (TKIP), and WPA2-PSK (AES)
Built-in networking applications: DHCP, DNS, ARP, ICMP UDP, Telnet, FTP, and HTML client
802.11 b/g power save and roaming functions
Supports WPS push-button mode for easy network configuration
The evaluation board’s size and weight are:
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Size—2”
x 1.1” x 0.45”
Weight—0.35
oz
Tables 1 through 5 provide detailed specifications for the evaluation board.
Table 1. Environmental Conditions
Parameter
Temperature range (operating)
Temperature range (storage)
Relative humidity (operating)
Relative humidity (storage)
o
Value
-45 C ~ 85 C
-45 C ~ 85 C
≤90%
≤90%
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Table 2. Electrical Characteristics
Supply Voltage,
Note (1)
Power connector (J7)
UART interface (J8)
RS-232 interface (J3)
Power
consumption
Sleep
Standby (doze)
Connected (idle, RX)
Connected (TX)
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4
15
40
180 at 10 dBm
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uA
mA
mA
mA
Min
2.0
(1)
3.0
5.0
Typ.
3.3
3.3
Max.
16
(1)
3.6
16
Unit
V
V
V
Notes:
1.
Supply voltage range varies depending upon the header used. See “Design Concerns” on page 6 for more details.
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Version 1.3r 4/9/2012
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RN -17 4-DS
Table 3. Analog Sensor Inputs
Parameter
Sensor 0, 1, 2, and 3 wake-up detection threshold
AD sensor 0 - 7 measurement range
Precision
Accuracy
Minimum conversion time
Sensor power (pin 33) output resistance 3.3 V
500 mV
0 - 400 mV
14 bits = 12 uV
5% uncalibrated, .01% calibrated
35 uS (5 kHz over Wi-Fi )
10 ohms, maximim current = 50 mA
Value
Table 4. Radio Characteristics
Parameter
Frequency
Modulation
Channel intervals
Channels
Transmission rate (over the air)
Receive sensitivity
Output level (Class1)
2,402 ~ 2,480 MHz
802.11b compatibility: DSSS (CCK-11, CCK-5.5, DQPSK-2, and DBPSK-1)
802.11g: OFDM (default)
5 MHz
1 - 14
1 – 11 Mbps for 802.11b / 6 – 54 Mbps for 802.11g
-83 dBm typical
0 to +12 dBm (software configurable)
Specifications
Table 5. Transmit Power
Output Power
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
802.11 b (2 Mbps)
Current in mA
Note (1)
120
130
170
175
180
185
190
802.11 g (24 Mbps)
Current in mA
Note (1)
135
150
190
200
210
225
240
Notes:
1.
Measured at 3.3-V DC input. The power consumption is the average power, active during actual power consumption.
BOARD DESCRIPTION
Figure 1 describes the evaluation board’s connectors and interfaces. Table 6 describes the LED indicators.
www.rovingnetworks.com
Version 1.3r 4/9/2012
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RN -17 4-DS
Figure 1. RN-174 Evaluation Board (Part 1 of 2)
LED Indicators
Power Select
Jumper (J4)
Pull Up/
Down (J2)
Power
(J7)
Factory Reset/
Ad Hoc Mode (J6)
PCB Trace
Antenna
ISP Connector
(J5)
GPIO Interface
TTL Signals (J8)
Sensor
Interface (J1)
RS-232
Interface (J3)
Sensors (J1)
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
RS-232 Interface (J3)
5 4 3 2 1
GPIO Interface
TTL Signals (J8)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
10 9 8 7 6
RX - input to evaluation board
TX - output from evaluation board
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Description
No connect
RS-232 TX
RS-232 RX
No connect
GND
No connect
RS-232 RTS
RS-232 CTS
4 to 16 VDC input
No connect
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Description
Sensor PWR
Sensor 4 (3.3-V tolerant)
Sensor 5 (3.3-V tolerant)
Sensor 7 (1.2 V only)
Sensor 5 (1.2 V only)
Sensor 4 (1.2 V only)
Sensor 6 (1.2 V only)
Sensor 3 (1.2 V only)
GND
RX - input to evaluation board
TX - output from evaluation board
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Description
3.3 VDD
GND
UART RX
UART TX
GPIO4
GPIO5
GPIO6
GPIO7
GPIO8
GPIO9
UART CTS
UART RTS
RESET
WARNING: Voltage on pins marked
1.2 V
Only
should not exceed 1.2 V or permanent
damage will occur.
Power (J7)
2 1
Power Select Jumper (J4)
High-Voltage Mode (Default). The board is
powered by a source up to 16 V DC.
Pin
1
2
Description
5 to 12 VDC
GND
Low-Voltage Mode. The board is powered
by 2.0- to 3.3-V DC only.
Pull Up/Down (J2)
3 2 1
External Power Mode. Used when
powering the board with regulated 3.3-V
DC power.
Ad Hoc Mode/Factory Reset (J6)
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Version 1.3r 4/9/2012
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