CSE 466 Lab 3: Chronos Data Logging and Wireless Updating

Objectives

In this lab, you will explore the capabilities of the Chronos watch, and you'll write a brief program for it. You'll implement a data logging session and use the watch to plot the elevation of the Allen Center.

Suggested Reading and Resources

• eZ430-Chronos User Guide (SLAU292): Start here - Technical details and instructions for Chronos
• CC430 User Guide: Technical user manual for using the CC430, the MCU in Chronos
• CC430F613x Datasheet: Electrical specifications for the CC430F613x

Helpful Hints

• As usual, read all of the directions before proceeding. Often, the next part of the lab reveals why something is important.
• Practice incremental design and debugging strategies. You're going to be working with programs that require careful timing and have limited resources available to debug. Test things as you work on them and verify that each part works as you add it.

Suggested Steps

1. Become familiar with your Chronos watch. Work through the instructions in chapter 2 of the eZ430-Chronos Development Tool User's Guide. You should be able to set the time and date, and and understand how to navigate through the menus as shown in section 2.1.3.
   
   
2. Get Chronos running with the Chronos Control Center software, as discussed in Section 2.3. The software is already installed on the lab PCs. Demonstrate the accelerometer data on your PC, and then try the PC Mouse Control demo 2.3.1.1. Chapter 3 describes the Chronos software in more detail. Note specifically the temperature, altimeter and Battery Voltage modes of the watch. Also understand the Sync mode, which allows controlling watch settings from the Control Center software over the air: Section 3.3.3.
   
   
3. Next we'll build and wirelessly load the data logger. For this section start CCS, and under Project, select CCS Example Projects.
4. Scroll down to eZ430-Chronos, and select Chronos Data Logger. Import the example projct into CCS.
5. Under Project>Build Configuration>Set Active, select 915 Mhz Unrestricted CCS Platform. You should execute a "build all" command to make the project in your workspace.
6. The Chronos Control Center software is used to flash the watch with new software. The correct CC430 flash image (.txt file) is in your workspace folder \ez430_chronos_datalogger\915MHz - Unrestricted CCS Platinum\ez430_chronos_datalogger_915MHz.txt. Follow the directions in section 3.3.5 Wireless Update to flash your watch with the Data Logger application.
   
   
7. Section 3.4 Chronos Watch Data Logger describes the data logging functions. Set your watch to log altitude data, while you travel twice from the basement to the 6th floor and back down, first trip on the elevator and second via stairs. Pick an appropriate data log interval, and calibrate your altitude setting to 200 ft. before starting your walk.
   
   
8. Now, using the eZ430-Chronos data logger PC software, download your logged data from the watch. See section 3.5. Plot the altitude data and see if you can see a difference in the data from stairs and the data from the elevator trip. Turn in your data and plot.
   
   
9. Set as active project the "Hello_Chronos" project. Here is a blog post about the project, in Spanish:
   http://blog.wikifotos.org/2010/02/09/hola-mundo-para-ez430-chronos/
   In addition to displaying "hi earth", your code must look for a button press, light up the radio LCD segment (right-hand symbol in the middle row), and then call CALL_RFBSL(); as discussed in the code comments. To do all of that, you will probably want to take a good look at the default watch software source code.
   Here is another example, note spelling change to RFSBL.
   
   DANGER: If you don't write code that gets to CALL_RFBSL(); you will brick your watch!!! Make sure that you get to the call!!!
   
   Demonstrate your app to your TA, showing the required button press. Turn in your main.c file.

Deliverables

• Turn in your data and plot from part 5.
• During the first half-hour of the next lab, demonstrate that you have a working "Hello_Chronos" project.
• E-mail your commented main.c file to cse466-tas@cs.