NeoMesh Click – 868MHz

How does it work?

NeoMesh Click – 868MHz is based on the NC1000C-8, a wireless Mesh network module from NeoCortec. Besides being controlled by the host MCU, NeoMesh Click can be used as a standalone device. You can configure the module over the System API (SAPI), a UART-based interface with hardware flow control. This interface is configured to ensure direct compatibility with the FTDI serial to USB cable. When using the NeoMesh Click as a standalone board, the application interface of the NeoMesh module can be easily accessed through the pin header located at the side of the module. There are eight pins, six in the header labeled P2-7, which allows you to use up to 6 channels of 12-bit ADC, GPIOs, I2C sensors, and UART application APIs. Specific pins of this header can be used to interface with an external microcontroller through UART.

The module also can be configured wirelessly. At the bottom side, there is an unconnected WES jumper. You can use the Wireless Encrypted Setup by connecting it, but only if it is already configured through the WES procedure. Every WES channel has a specified AES 128 encryption key. Just beside is another jumper, VCC, this one connected. The NeoMesh is optimized for ultra-low power operation and allows operation on small batteries for several years. If you want to make an ultra-low power node, consider using the NeoMesh Click with some low-power development board with battery management, such as the Clicker 2 series or similar. This scenario is ideal where the node can send data infrequently and the payload size is small.

NeoMesh is a wireless system designed with versatility in mind, allowing users to build products in many different application areas. This system can handle data transmission, lost neighbor nodes, moving nodes, and more. Data transmission through the network is done sequentially from node to node until the data reaches its destination. There are three types of NeoMesh devices: coordinator, router, and end device. You can configure your device according to your needs.

NeoMesh uses a standard UART serial interface to communicate with the host MCU, with commonly used UART RX and TX pins and a transfer speed of 115200bps. Hardware control flow is available through the CTS pin. You can also use an I2C interface as a virtual UART. There are unpopulated pull-up resistors on I2C lines. The I2C interface can be enabled over the I2C SEL jumper. While disabled, you can use the WUP pin to indicate the WakeUp activity state of the module; otherwise, the WUP function is unavailable. The module can be reset over the RST pin. The generic application activity is indicated over the APP pin with a logic LOW state when active. If the Wireless Encrypted Setup JP2 jumper is closed, you can enable the WES client over the WES pin.

This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. Also, it comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Specifications

Pinout diagram

This table shows how the pinout on NeoMesh Click – 868MHz corresponds to the pinout on the mikroBUS™ socket (the latter shown in the two middle columns).

Notes	Pin					Pin	Notes
Generic APP Activity	APP	1	AN	PWM	16	CTS	UART CTS
Reset / ID SEL	RST	2	RST	INT	15	WUP	WakeUp Time
WES Client / ID COMM	WES	3	CS	RX	14	TX	UART TX
	NC	4	SCK	TX	13	RX	UART RX
	NC	5	MISO	SCL	12	SCL	I2C Clock
	NC	6	MOSI	SDA	11	SDA	I2C Data
Power Supply	3.3V	7	3.3V	5V	10	NC
Ground	GND	8	GND	GND	9	GND	Ground

Onboard settings and indicators

Software Support

We provide a library for the NeoMesh 868MHz Click as well as a demo application (example), developed using MIKROE compilers. The demo can run on all the main MIKROE development boards.

Package can be downloaded/installed directly from NECTO Studio Package Manager (recommended), downloaded from our LibStock™ or found on Mikroe github account.

Library Description

This library contains API for NeoMesh 868MHz Click driver.

Key functions

• neomesh868mhz_send_aapi_frame This function sends a desired AAPI frame by using UART serial interface.

• neomesh868mhz_read_aapi_frame This function reads an AAPI frame by using UART serial interface.

• neomesh868mhz_send_sapi_frame This function sends a desired SAPI frame by using UART serial interface.

Example Description

This example demonstrates the use of NeoMesh 868MHz click board by showing the communication between the two click boards.

void application_task ( void ) 
 { 
 #if ( DEMO_APP == APP_ORIGINATOR ) 
     log_printf( &logger, "rn Send message to node: %.4Xrn", ( uint16_t ) NODE_ID_RECEIVER_1 ); 
     aapi_frame.cmd = NEOMESH868MHZ_CMD_ACK_SEND; 
     aapi_frame.len = 3 + strlen ( DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE ); 
     aapi_frame.payload[ 0 ] = ( uint8_t ) ( ( NODE_ID_RECEIVER_1 >> 8 ) & 0xFF ); 
     aapi_frame.payload[ 1 ] = ( uint8_t ) ( NODE_ID_RECEIVER_1 & 0xFF ); 
     aapi_frame.payload[ 2 ] = DEFAULT_PORT; 
     strcpy ( &aapi_frame.payload[ 3 ], DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE ); 
     if ( NEOMESH868MHZ_OK == neomesh868mhz_send_aapi_frame ( &neomesh868mhz, &aapi_frame ) ) 
     { 
         neomesh868mhz_parse_aapi_rsp ( NEOMESH868MHZ_RSP_ACK ); 
     } 
     #ifndef SINGLE_RECEIVER_MODE 
         log_printf( &logger, "rn Send message to node: %.4Xrn", ( uint16_t ) NODE_ID_RECEIVER_2 ); 
         aapi_frame.cmd = NEOMESH868MHZ_CMD_ACK_SEND; 
         aapi_frame.len = 3 + strlen ( DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE ); 
         aapi_frame.payload[ 0 ] = ( uint8_t ) ( ( NODE_ID_RECEIVER_2 >> 8 ) & 0xFF ); 
         aapi_frame.payload[ 1 ] = ( uint8_t ) ( NODE_ID_RECEIVER_2 & 0xFF ); 
         aapi_frame.payload[ 2 ] = DEFAULT_PORT; 
         strcpy ( &aapi_frame.payload[ 3 ], DEMO_TEXT_MESSAGE ); 
         if ( NEOMESH868MHZ_OK == neomesh868mhz_send_aapi_frame ( &neomesh868mhz, &aapi_frame ) ) 
         { 
             neomesh868mhz_parse_aapi_rsp ( NEOMESH868MHZ_RSP_ACK ); 
         } 
     #endif 
 #else 
    neomesh868mhz_parse_aapi_rsp ( NULL ); 
 #endif 
 }

The full application code, and ready to use projects can be installed directly from NECTO Studio Package Manager(recommended), downloaded from our LibStock™ or found on Mikroe github account.

Other Mikroe Libraries used in the example:

• MikroSDK.Board
• MikroSDK.Log
• Click.NeoMesh868MHz

Additional notes and informations

Depending on the development board you are using, you may need USB UART click, USB UART 2 Click or RS232 Click to connect to your PC, for development systems with no UART to USB interface available on the board. UART terminal is available in all MIKROE compilers.

mikroSDK

This Click board™ is supported with mikroSDK – MIKROE Software Development Kit. To ensure proper operation of mikroSDK compliant Click board™ demo applications, mikroSDK should be downloaded from the LibStock and installed for the compiler you are using.

For more information about mikroSDK, visit the official page.