Sample description

The Wi-Fi Radio test sample demonstrates how to configure the Wi-Fi® radio in a specific mode and then test its performance. The sample provides a set of predefined commands that allow you to configure the radio in the following modes:

• Modulated carrier TX

• Modulated carrier RX

• Tone transmission

• IQ sample capture at ADC output

The sample also shows how to program the user region of FICR parameters on the development kit using a set of predefined commands.

Requirements

The sample supports the following development kits:

Hardware platforms	PCA	Board name	Board target	Shields
Thingy:53	PCA20053	thingy53	thingy53/nrf5340/cpuapp	nrf7002eb
nRF9160 DK	PCA10090	nrf9160dk	nrf9160dk/nrf9160/ns	nrf7002ek_nrf7000
nRF7002 DK (emulating nRF7001)	PCA10143	nrf7002dk	nrf7002dk/nrf5340/cpuapp/nrf7001
nRF7002 DK	PCA10143	nrf7002dk	nrf7002dk/nrf5340/cpuapp
nRF5340 DK	PCA10095	nrf5340dk	nrf5340dk/nrf5340/cpuapp	nrf7002ek_nrf7001 nrf7002ek
nRF52840 DK	PCA10056	nrf52840dk	nrf52840dk/nrf52840	nrf7002ek_nrf7001 nrf7002ek

Overview

To run the tests, connect to the development kit through the serial port and send shell commands. Zephyr’s Shell module is used to handle the commands.

You can start running wifi_radio_test subcommands to set up and control the radio. See Wi-Fi radio test subcommands for a list of available subcommands.

In the Modulated carrier RX mode, you can use the get_stats subcommand to display the statistics. See Wi-Fi radio test statistics for a list of available statistics.

You can use wifi_radio_ficr_prog subcommands to read or write OTP registers. See Wi-Fi radio FICR subcommands for a list of available subcommands.

Note

All the FICR registers are stored in the one-time programmable (OTP) memory. Consequently, the write commands are destructive. Once written, the contents of the OTP registers cannot be reprogrammed.

Building and running

This sample can be found under samples/wifi/radio_test in the nRF Connect SDK folder structure.

To build the sample, follow the instructions in Building an application for your preferred building environment. See also Programming an application for programming steps and Testing and optimization for general information about testing and debugging in the nRF Connect SDK.

Note

When building repository applications in the SDK repositories, building with sysbuild is enabled by default. If you work with out-of-tree freestanding applications, you need to manually pass the --sysbuild parameter to every build command or configure west to always use it.

Currently, the following configurations are supported:

• nRF7002 DK + QSPI

• nRF7002 EK + SPIM

To build for the nRF7002 DK, use the nrf7002dk/nrf5340/cpuapp board target. The following is an example of the CLI command:

west build -b nrf7002dk/nrf5340/cpuapp

To build for the nRF7002 EK and nRF5340 DK, use the nrf5340dk/nrf5340/cpuapp board target with the SHIELD CMake option set to nrf7002ek. The following is an example of the CLI command:

west build -b nrf5340dk/nrf5340/cpuapp -- -DSHIELD=nrf7002ek

See also Providing CMake options for instructions on how to provide CMake options.

Note

When using the nRF54H20 DK Engineering B (from v0.8.0 to 0.8.2), you must build samples and applications using the board revision 0.8.0 with the <board>@<revision> syntax. For example, nrf54h20dk@0.8.0/nrf54h20/cpuapp when building for the application core, or nrf54h20dk@0.8.0/nrf54h20/cpurad when building for the radio core.

Testing

After programming the sample to your development kit, complete the following steps to test it:

1. Connect the kit to the computer using a USB cable. The kit is assigned a COM port (Windows) or ttyACM device (Linux), which is visible in the Device Manager.

2. Connect to the kit with a terminal emulator (for example, nRF Connect Serial Terminal). See Testing and optimization for the required settings and steps.

3. Test the sample either by configuring the Wi-Fi radio or by programming the FICR parameters:

   Configuring the Wi-Fi radioFICR/OTP programming

   • To display the current configuration, use the following command:

     wifi_radio_test show_config
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     ************* Configured Parameters ***********
     
     tx_pkt_tput_mode = 0
     tx_pkt_sgi = 0
     tx_pkt_preamble = 0
     tx_pkt_mcs = 0
     tx_pkt_rate = 6
     tx_pkt_gap = 0
     phy_calib_rxdc = 1
     phy_calib_txdc = 1
     phy_calib_txpow = 0
     phy_calib_rxiq = 1
     phy_calib_txiq = 1
     tx_pkt_num = -1
     tx_pkt_len = 1400
     tx_power = 30
     he_ltf = 2
     he_gi = 2
     xo_val = 42
     init = 1
     tx = 0
     rx = 0
     tx_tone_freq = 0
     rx_lna_gain = 0
     rx_bb_gain = 0
     rx_capture_length = 0
     wlan_ant_switch_ctrl = 0
     tx_pkt_cw = 15
     reg_domain = 00
     bypass_reg_domain = 0
     ru_tone = 26
     ru_index = 1
     

   • To run a continuous Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) TX traffic sequence with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 11

     • Frame duration: 2708 µs

     • Inter-frame gap: 4200 µs

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 11
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_rate 12
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_len 4000
     wifi_radio_test tx_power 4
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_gap 4200
     wifi_radio_test tx 1
     

   • To run a continuous OFDM TX traffic sequence with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 1

     • Frame duration: 2708 µs

     • Inter-frame gap: 4200 µs

     • Edge backoff: 3 dB

     • Antenna gain: 2 dB

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 1
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_rate 12
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_len 4000
     wifi_radio_test tx_power 10
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_gap 4200
     wifi_radio_test set_edge_bo 3
     wifi_radio_test set_ant_gain 2
     wifi_radio_test tx 1
     

   Note

   Edge backoff and antenna gain are configured in the Kconfig file. To overwrite these backoffs with user-specified backoffs, use the set_edge_bo and set_ant_gain commands. These backoffs are applied only when the bypass_reg_domain is set to 0.

   • To run a continuous Direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) TX traffic sequence with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 14

     • Frame duration: 8500 µs

     • Inter-frame gap: 8600 µs

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 14
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_preamble 0
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_rate 1
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_len 1024
     wifi_radio_test tx_power 10
     wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_gap 8600
     wifi_radio_test tx 1
     

   See Wi-Fi radio test subcommands for a list of available subcommands.

   Note

   • For regulatory certification, it is advisable to run the TX streams in Legacy OFDM or DSSS modes only (wifi_radio_test tx_pkt_tput_mode 0).

   • The frame duration can be calculated using the formula:

     \[D = ((L * 8) / R ) + P\]

     where the following parameters are used:

     • D - Frame duration (µs)

     • L - Frame length (bytes)

     • R - Data rate (Mbps)

     • P - PHY overhead duration (µs) (values: 20 µs - Legacy OFDM, 192 µs - DSSS)

   • To run a RX test with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 11

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 11
     wifi_radio_test rx 1
     

   Note

   After executing the above command sequence, start sending packets from a signal generator.

   • To stop receiving packets, use the following command:

     wifi_radio_test rx 0
     

   Note

   The above command should be executed only after the signal generator has completed transmitting packets.

   • To get rx stats, use the following command:

     wifi_radio_test get_stats
     

     The sample below shows the output obtained after feeding 1000 DSSS packets:

     ************* PHY STATS ***********
     rssi_avg = -45 dBm
     ofdm_crc32_pass_cnt=0
     ofdm_crc32_fail_cnt=0
     dsss_crc32_pass_cnt=1000
     dsss_crc32_fail_cnt=0
     

     The sample below shows the output obtained after feeding 1000 OFDM packets:

     ************* PHY STATS ***********
     rssi_avg = -47 dBm
     ofdm_crc32_pass_cnt=1000
     ofdm_crc32_fail_cnt=0
     dsss_crc32_pass_cnt=0
     dsss_crc32_fail_cnt=0
     

   • To transmit a continuous tone with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 144

     • TX power: 10 dBm

     • Tone frequency: 2 MHz

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 144
     wifi_radio_test tx_power 10
     wifi_radio_test tx_tone_freq 2
     wifi_radio_test tx_tone 1
     

   • To stop ongoing transmission of a continuous tone, use the following command:

     wifi_radio_test tx_tone 0
     

     Note

     Use wifi_radio_test tx_tone 0 only if the command issued before this is wifi_radio_test tx_tone 1.

   • To enable DPD hardware block, use the following command:

     wifi_radio_test dpd 1
     

   • To disable DPD hardware block, use the following command:

     wifi_radio_test dpd 0
     

   Note

   DPD command can be used only during tone transmission. For TX packet transmission, control of DPD hardware is taken care by firmware.

   • To read chip temperature in degree Celsius, execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test get_temperature
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     wifi_nrf: Temperature reading success:
     wifi_nrf: The temperature is = 21 degree Celsius
     

   • To measure RF RSSI status with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 144

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 144
     wifi_radio_test get_rf_rssi
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     wifi_nrf: RF RSSI value is = 0
     

   Note

   RF RSSI Status is a 3-bit indicator. The higher the value of RF RSSI is, the higher is the level of saturation (non-linearity) at the LNA output.

   • To compute the optimal XO value with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 64

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 64
     wifi_radio_test compute_optimal_xo_val
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     wifi_nrf: Best XO value is = 43
     

   Note

   • This test requires a DUT to be connected with VSG using cabled setup. VSG should be continuously generating 0.5 MHz tone.

   • For channel 64, set the VSG frequency to 5320.5 MHz. Set the signal power level between -40 dBm and -50 dBm.

   • To capture ADC samples with fixed RX gain with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 144

     • LNA gain: 2

     • BB gain: 10

     • Capture length: 64

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 144
     wifi_radio_test rx_lna_gain 2
     wifi_radio_test rx_bb_gain 10
     wifi_radio_test rx_capture_length 64
     wifi_radio_test rx_cap 0
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     ************* RX capture data ***********
     E84FE4
     EC4F74
     F34F24
     FBCF04
     ......
     ......
     ......
     F6C1B4
     EEC178
     E94114
     

   Note

   • This test requires a DUT to be connected with VSG using cabled setup. VSG should be continuously transmitting a tone or packets.

   • Set the signal power level between -35 dBm and -45 dBm to get non saturated samples. In the example, capture is taken for 64 samples. Each complex sample is of 24 bits.

   • The captured samples will vary from run to run.

   • To capture baseband samples with fixed RX gain with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 144

     • LNA gain: 2

     • BB gain: 10

     • Capture length: 64

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 144
     wifi_radio_test rx_lna_gain 2
     wifi_radio_test rx_bb_gain 10
     wifi_radio_test rx_capture_length 64
     wifi_radio_test rx_cap 1
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     ************* RX capture data ***********
     E940F0
     E8EFE7
     F3FF29
     03CF27
     ......
     ......
     ......
     0DAF9B
     115097
     08A178
     

   Note

   • This test requires a DUT to be connected with VSG using cabled setup. VSG should be continuously transmitting a tone or packets.

   • Set the signal power level between -35 dBm and -45 dBm to get non saturated samples.

   • In the example, capture is taken for 64 samples. Each complex sample is of 24 bits.

   • The captured samples will vary from run to run.

   • To capture AGC adjusted baseband samples after WLAN packet detection with the following configuration:

     • Channel: 144

     • Capture length: 64

     Execute the following sequence of commands:

     wifi_radio_test init 144
     wifi_radio_test rx_capture_length 64
     wifi_radio_test rx_capture_timeout 10
     wifi_radio_test rx_cap 2
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     ************* RX capture data ***********
     062058
     F8A31F
     E9A05D
     E800B9
     ......
     ......
     ......
     EA5FE4
     FDDF45
     07CF3D
     

     Packet detection does not take place in a clean RF environment, producing the following output:

     ************* Packet detection failed ***********
     

   Note

   • This test requires a DUT to be connected with VSG using cabled setup. VSG should be continuously transmitting WLAN packets.

   • Set the desired signal power.

   • The capture is taken for 64 samples. Each complex sample is of 24 bits. The captured samples will vary from run to run.

   • The capture is taken after WLAN packet detection, so it will not have the first few samples in the first WLAN packet.

   • Smaller packets should be used so that multiple packets can be seen in the capture.

   • Packet detection does not take place in a clean RF environment.

   • The command will timeout if no packets are detected within set timeout period.

   • To set a regulatory domain with the following configuration:

     • Regulatory domain: US

     Execute the following command:

     wifi_radio_test reg_domain US
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     wifi_radio_test show_config
     reg_domain = US
     

   Note

   The default regulatory domain is 00 (world regulatory).

   • To bypass regulatory domain, set bypass_reg_domain to 1 using the following command:

     wifi_radio_test bypass_reg_domain 1
     

     The sample shows the following output:

     wifi_radio_test show_config
     reg_domain = US
     bypass_reg_domain = 1
     

   Note

   Bypass regulatory domain is false by default.

   If bypass_reg_domain is 0, then TX power of the channel will be configured to the minimum value of the user configured TX power value and maximum power supported in the configured regulatory domain.

   If bypass_reg_domain is 1, then user configured TX power value will be set overriding current configured regulatory domain maximum TX power for the channel.

Dependencies

This sample uses the following Zephyr library:

• Shell:

  • include/shell/shell.h