EM430F6147RF900 board with CC430 chip based on TI MSP430 MCU combined with CC1101 (RF1A)

[serialrf433]

The CC1101 you can buy this days can be often clones. There is some interesting workaround. Used TI boards with CC430.
The datasheet of the MCU is interesting. It looks like TI hide a SPI interface from the CC1101 behind the MCU. There is the data register RFDINIFG. https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/cc430f6147.pdf
I hope its not that complicated to use the CC430 as a pure CC1101. Had someone already taken a look into the CC430 chip? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI_MSP430#RF_SoC_(CC430)_series
The idea is to wipe or leave the memory of the MCU empty and to communicate from outside the MCU for example with a connected ESP32 to use its build in cc1101 with rtl_433 or anything else that would make fun these days.

Would be nice to recover those MCU's and use them as good and original TI RF interfaces and add them to the list on the main page of RadioLib so that others can find them when searching what to do with them these days.
If you already know them and also know how to use the build in CC1101 in them, then please share your knowledge. I think running RadioLib on their 32KiB flash wont make much fun in the long run and i do not know if this would be anything interesting for the most people. Only the biggest CC430 had 32KiB of flash.
The Radio module is named RF1A: https://www.ti.com/lit/ug/slau259e/slau259e.pdf

[Crsarmv7l]

Why not just use the MCU instead of having it sit there powered. Then you wouldn't need an ESP32? Ah sorry finished reading.

TBH I haven't had any issues with ebyte clones.

[serialrf433]

Have you used the MSP430 with RadioLib for small things? Have you used it for example with https://energia.nu/ ? The Energia project development stopped years ago.
Maybe something like this could be used for the on chip projects: https://github.com/Andy4495/TI_Platform_Cores_For_Arduino

[Crsarmv7l]

I mean I have absolutely re-written parts of Radiolib to fit my use cases and put in pulls for things that would be useful to others.

With any constrained application it's probably better to write it yourself.

I'm currently testing ways to crank SPI and maintain stability. In addition looking at reworking the CC1101 standby () function to "standby" in FSTXON for fast rx/tx turnaround.

[HeadBoffin]

The CC1101 you can buy this days can be often clones.

Obviously peeps would prefer the real chip but then that makes it more expensive. If the aim is to work around the issue with clones, why not just buy them from an official source?

[serialrf433]

why not just buy them from an official source?

I wrote:

We should not produce more e-waste if things could be used in general.

In here:
#1421 (comment)

but then that makes it more expensive

I never have ever written somewhere that my intend is to save money. Money was never a point here.

If the aim is to work around the issue with clones

No, its not. Its just a side benefit.

[lyusupov]

The CC1101 you can buy this days can be often clones.

The CC1101 module on the right is Ebyte E07-868MS10
It was purchased in 2017.
The CC1101 IC in the module is TI genuine one.

The E07-868MS10 is currently superseded by Ebyte E07-900M10S
https://ebyteiot.com/products/ebyte-e07-900m10sti-cc1101-wireless-rf-module-868mhz-915mhz-ipex-stamp

[serialrf433]

The idea behind this discussion was not to ask what to buy new but how to use existing devices.
The CC430 chipset with build in cc1101 is already out there. The PCB's are laying around and are genuine. In my case even the PCB and everything around is original from TI. It does not make sense to throw away fully functional hardware just to buy new one with only the reason because some code is needed to get the existing hardware working.
RadioLib also support for example the esp8266. Like in the meshtastic project the developers of RadioLib could just have told to the users, that they wont support esp8266 simply because its old.
We should not produce more e-waste if things could be used in general.

[Crsarmv7l]

Gotta be honest still not seeing the point:

1. Why does it matter if it's clone or OEM if it does the same job? What deficit exists in a clone that requires OEM to the point that rather than get a Ti CC1101 from a known provider, you would instead get a CC430 and ignore the MCU on chip (which you would likely have to pass through anyway to issue SPI commands).

2. If you have a bunch of them and want to go through the complexity of MCU ->MSP430->CC1101 (or the micro soldering to replace the MSP430) and the reverse for getting info from the CC1101. Well that seems a bit silly and a bunch of overhead, and headache to save the $2 outlay for a clone CC1101, but have at it (I have been fixated on certain silly projects myself).

[serialrf433]

Gotta be honest still not seeing the point

Then take a look for example here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/electronic-waste-(e-waste)

Why does it matter if it's clone or OEM if it does the same job

It does not. It starts to matter when the values from the official datasheet are not met any more. This is a common issue of clones.

MCU ->MSP430->CC1101 (or the micro soldering to replace the MSP430)

Micro soldering? What micro soldering should be possible on a cc430 to get directly to its RF1A named CC1101? Could you please get more into detail?

headache to save the $2

Why suddenly >=2 people here think it have something to do with money? Money was never a point.

[Crsarmv7l]

Well feel free to submit pulls to accomplish what you want. I have. This is not something that interests me and also doesn't make sense to me.

…

On Sun, Feb 23, 2025, 2:10 PM serialrf433 ***@***.***> wrote: Gotta be honest still not seeing the point Then take a look for example here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/electronic-waste-(e-waste) Why does it matter if it's clone or OEM if it does the same job It does not. It starts to matter when the values from the official datasheet are not met any more. This is a common issue of clones. MCU ->MSP430->CC1101 (or the micro soldering to replace the MSP430) Micro soldering? What micro soldering should be possible on a cc430 to get directly to its RF1A named CC1101? Could you please get more into detail? headache to save the $2 Why suddenly >=2 people here think it have something to do with money? Money was never a point. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1421 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AULD4GY2D7UZJMG3SSSTPYD2RHCGHAVCNFSM6AAAAABXA6NOQWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTEMRZGE2TCNA> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>