The document provides general frequently asked questions and answers about the Indy ITK Release and the Indy SiPs. For more information about the Indy SiPs, see their Datasheets and Hardware User’s Guides, which are included in the Release package under .\Documentation\ , or on the web here (for RS500).
The primary differences between ITK-C and ITK-LT-C are that the ITK-C implements more of the Indy SiP’s functionality, at the cost of more program memory (ROM/FLASH) and RAM consumption. The ITK-LT-C may allow implementation of the Indy SiP interface on microcontrollers and microprocessors with memory. ITK-C’s library implements the full capabilities of the Indy SiP’s built in firmware, including operations like bulk set and get, and bootloading. ITK-LT-C’s library only implements a limited subset of Indy SiP’s built in firmware. ITK-C consumes between 9 and 16 kB of ROM, and ITK-LT-C consumes between 1 and 3 kB of ROM. For more details on the code consumption of each of the libraries, see ITK-C Memory Usage and ITK-LT-C Memory Usage. For more details on the limitations of ITK-LT-C, see the Limitations section of the ITK-LT-C API guide.
ITK-LT-C should only be used if the the standard ITK-C can not be used due to host memory constraints. The ITK-C is extensible, has broader capabilities, and enables future advanced features.
Setting a key value will persist until the value is changed again or the device is reset.
Caution should be used when setting one of the various ENABLE keys. This is particularly important when using keys which control the RFID protocol enabling (eg. Select and Tag Access). If one of these modes are enabled (eg. via E_IPJ_KEY_SELECT_ENABLE or E_IPJ_KEY_TAG_OPERATION_ENABLE), they must be set to disabled if they are not desired on next command.
Stored settings can be used to configure the power on default values of writeable key. So for persistent values across reset, please see Stored Settings.
When installing the image updates for the Application for the first time or when attempting to recover a Indy SiP, it is sometimes necessary to force the Indy SiP into recovery mode manually. This can be done by jumpering the WKUP pin high and resetting the board.
The HEALTH pin indicates whether the Indy SiP is operating in its normal mode, or if some other condition exists. The pin is cycled high and low in specific patterns to indicate the state of the Indy SiP. Those patterns are as follows:
Boot:
Idle:
Active:
Watchdog reset has occurred:
Recovery mode:
The STATUS pin indicates whether the Indy SiP is operating in its active mode, or if some other condition exists. The pin is cycled high and low in specific patterns to indicate the state of the Indy SiP. Those patterns are as follows:
Boot:
Idle:
Active:
Watchdog reset has occurred:
Recovery mode:
The software power management modes available are standard idle, low latency idle, standby and sleep. For more information please see the Power Management example program.
The RS2000 SiP also has a “shutdown” mode, which is a hardware power mode that can be entered by applying 0 V to the Enable pin. In this mode, the regulators in the RS2000 SiP are disabled.
Set WKUP pin high to wake up the Indy SiP. Set WKUP low to continue with normal operation. Customers can leave WKUP disconnected if they do not intend on using sleep mode. The WKUP pin can also be used to wake from from standby.
Yes the Baud Rate can be changed. Please see the IRI_Change_Baudrate Example.
The reader measures the backscatter power from the tag. The measured power is referenced to the reader RF port. The units are in centi-dB-mW (cdBm), and the value is signed.
The default RF Parameters are described in the following table.
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Tari | 25.0 us |
RTCal | 62.5 us |
TRCal | 85.3 us |
Tari | 25.0 us |
Divide Ratio | 64/3 |
M | Miller 4 |
BLF | 250 kHz |
Tpri | 4 us |
BLF | 250 kHz |
Note
RF Profile subject to change
Please see RF Mode for all available modes.
When selecting a host processor, we recommend the following set of guidelines:
Please note that these are not minimums, but will ensure your ability to exercise 100% of the Indy SiPs’ capabilities.
Please contact us at support.impinj.com for assistance if you have a host processor with capabilities lower than the recommended guidelines.
The identifier printed on the label of the device is a combination of the SKU, Lot Date Code, and Serial Number from a lot.
SERIAL #: XXZZWWYYAAAA
Each individual value can be retrieved via the following keys:
Alternatively, the combined unique identifier can be retrieved via the following key (which has 2 32-bit values):
For example, with a SERIAL #: 010151130247
The ITK-C is compatible with a wide variety of linux distributions. It has been tested with Ubuntu 14.04 and Centos 6. Any distribution with support for the termios serial port API should be compatible.
The table below is provided for reference. For detailed electical specs, see the Indy RS500 Datasheet, which is included in the RS500 Release package under .\Documentation\ , or on the web here.
Mode | Current (+/- 10%) |
---|---|
Active | 510 mA (GX), 580 mA (EU) |
Low Latency Idle | 50 mA |
Standard Idle | 15 mA |
Standby | 1 mA |
Sleep | 100 uA |
The details below are provided for reference. For more details on RS500 pin recommendations, see the Indy RS500 Hardware User’s Guide, which is included in the Release package under .\Documentation\ , or on the web here (for RS500).
Required connections:
Recommended connections:
Optional connections:
No connect:
The GPIO pins can sink and source 8 mA at 3.3V.
For detailed electrical specs and GPIO behaviour, see the Indy RS500 Datasheet and Indy RS500 Hardware User’s Guide, which are included in the Release package under .\Documentation\ , or on the web here (for RS500).
If an RS500 has firmware from a release older than v0.8.1.0, it cannot be upgraded using this release. To get help updating an RS500 with firmware from a release older than v0.8.1.0, please submit a support ticket at support.impinj.com.
Mode | Latency Time |
---|---|
Hard Reset | 200 ms |
Soft Reset | 200 ms |
Standby | 50 ms |
Sleep | 200 ms |
The nRST pin must be held low for a minimum of 25 us to reset the device.
The following are estimates of typical RS500 inventory rates given certain population estimates and tags present. Actual inventory rates will vary depending on a number of factors.
Tags in Field | Initial Population Estimate | Inventory Rate (tags/sec) |
---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 130 |
1 | 16 | 35 |
16 | 16 | 50 |
Customers must not apply a strong high voltage source to the NRST pin. The RS500 must be able to pull NRST low in order to reset itself. Customers can connect an open-drain source and drive the pin strong low in order to reset the RS500. Customers can leave the NRST pin disconnected if they do not need to reset the RS500.
RS2000’s antenna switching is configured using the E_IPJ_KEY_ANTENNA_SEQUENCE key.
For more details, see the configuration example Antenna Switching.
RS2000, with its 31.5 dBm maximum power output, can easily self-heat above its maximum operating temperature under certain thermal conditions. It may be necessary to monitor and control operating parameters to ensure reliable operation.
There is an example on how to read RS2000’s internal temperatures in the configuration example Get Temperature.
RS2000’s firmware monitors the power amplifier (PA) temperature, and automatically stops RFID operations if it exceeds 85 degrees Celsius. When this occurs, a stop report is sent with error code E_IPJ_ERROR_LIMIT_PA_TEMPERATURE_MAX which indicates that the PA has exceeded this temperature. Start commands may be sent again immediately, but may be stopped automatically by subsequent over-temperature conditions. It is advisable to monitor for over-temperature events, and add some activity hold-off or decrease in self-heating via transmit power reduction.
Future versions of RS2000 firmware will include an on-board control system that will automatically keep the device operating at decreased activity or power levels.