Frequently Asked Questions; Faqs - Texas Instruments MSP430 User Manual

Solar energy harvesting development tool

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Table of Contents

A.1

FAQs

1. My End Device doesn't join the network or it takes several tries to successfully join the

network?

The startup and network linking process is a very demanding from a power-consumption perspective,

because both the MSP430 and the CC2500 turn on in a full active mode at startup, which is a drain on

power when working with such a limited power budget. Also, linking to an RF network requires

scanning the area and exchanging packets between the ED and AP with the potential for

re-transmissions. High-current pulses, such as RF communication, are sourced from the 1000-mF

capacitor, and if all the energy is drained in a short period of time, it must be recharged prior by

holding the solar cell under a bright light prior to another attempt to join the network.

2. I've left the Solar Energy Harvesting Module under a bright light for three days, but it still

doesn't work in the dark?

The shunt on J8 must be removed to charge the EnerChip from the solar cell. With J8 in place, the

battery is isolated to prevent potential damage caused by it draining while in transport or storage.

3. Why does the Solar Energy Harvester Module use thin film rechargeable batteries instead of a

rechargeable AA, super cap, or other exotic storage solution?

Energy harvesting applications can also run from any other storage element. Thin film batteries have

the advantage of being easily recharged, have a small profile and, most importantly, have a negligible

self-discharge. Self discharge is the property of batteries or capacitors to lose charge over time;

however, thin film batteries lose only a small percentage of their charge over a long period of time.

4. Why is the battery pack included if the eZ430-RF2500T is intended to run from the Solar Energy

Harvester?

The battery pack is may be useful when trying to debug an application that has not been optimally

tuned to run in an efficient energy harvesting environment.

5. The reported temperature is incorrect, how can I calibrate the sensor?

A temperature offset is stored in Flash, which is calibrated at production. If the offset is erased or is

incorrect, it can be changed to an appropriate level for your application.

6. Where can I get the part number for the solar panel or the rest of build of material (BOM) for the

Solar Energy Harvesting module?

Please send all questions on the Solar Energy Harvesting Module to Cymbet (www.cymbet.com)

7. Where do I find more information on the eZ430-RF2500 wireless development tool?

The eZ430-RF2500 Development Tool User's Guide (SLAU227)

8. When I try to compile the source code with IAR Kickstart, I get the following error:

Fatal Error[e89]: Too much object code produced (more than 0x1000 bytes) for this package

IAR KickStart currently has a 4KB code size limitation, and the project being compiled is larger than

4KB. (0x1000 = 4096). To compile, a full license of IAR is required. A 30-day evaluation version of IAR

is available from http://supp.iar.com/Download/SW/?item=EW430-EVAL.

SLAU273C – January 2009 – Revised May 2010