Using RAIL for Wireless M-Bus Applications with EFR32#

This section replaces AN1119: Using RAIL for Wireless M-Bus Applications with EFR32. Further updates to this application note will be provided here.

This application note describes using the Flex SDK for Wireless M-Bus development on EFR32 Wireless Geckos. It includes features and limitations, using the radio configurator and supplied software components, and a description of the examples. Proprietary is supported on all EFR32FG devices. For others, check the device's data sheet under Ordering Information > Protocol Stack to see if Proprietary is supported. In Proprietary SDK version 2.7.n, Connect is not supported on EFR32xG22.

Overview#

Wireless Gecko supports all Wireless M-Bus PHY configurations, according to EN13757-4 (both directions in all cases):

  • Mode S

  • Mode T

  • Mode R2

  • Mode C

  • Mode N (all indexes, index 3/9/12 only on Series 2)

  • Mode F

Note that, currently, only EFR32xG23 supports Wireless M-Bus on Series 2.

For the RF performance of the above modes, see AN1076: EFR32FG1x Wireless M-Bus Performance Measurement Results.

In all modes, we support basic data link layer features for both frame format A and frame format B:

  • Segmenting frames into blocks, and reassembling them to frame

  • CRC calculation and checking

  • Frame length decoding

  • Data encoding and decoding (Manchester and 3 out of 6)

  • Postamble transmission

The software is built on top of RAIL, therefore it inherits RAIL features that can be useful for implementing Wireless M-Bus, such as timestamping or scheduled reception and transmission.

The supplied example includes an easily reusable module that provides some useful features, including mode 5 (AES-128 with dynamic initialization vector) security.

Simplicity Studio 5, used with the Proprietary Flex SDK v3.x, introduced an updated radio configurator graphical user interface (GUI). The illustrations in Using the Radio Configurator have been updated. Places where the functionality diverges from that in Simplicity Studio 4, used with Flex SDK v2.x, are noted. This document applies to both variants.

This document is mainly about the examples provided through Simplicity Studio, which can be used as a guideline when developing a Wireless M-Bus stack or a very simple application. If you need a fully-featured Wireless M-Bus stack, it is commercially available from our 3rd party partner company. For more details, contact our sales team.