Specifications

Synapse RF300/RF301
SNAP Engines based on the Si1000 are available. All the details appropriate for the chip-based SNAP
Modules (see the previous section) apply to the SNAP Engine, with the following additions and
exceptions. Pin numbers below refer to the pin on the SNAP Engine footprint. To reference the pins in
your code, use the SNAPpy IO number from the table below, or import synapse.platforms into your
script and refer to the pins by their GPIO number.
The RF300 operates in the 900 MHz range with frequency hopping. The RF301 operates in the 868
MHz range. They will collectively be referred to as the RF30x SNAP Engine in this section, with
RF300 and RF301 being used where distinctions are necessary.
RF30x SNAP Engines should not be used on a Synapse SN111 End Device board. The power-up state
of the pins conflicts with the relay controls on that board.
The RF30x SNAP Engines make use of an external memory chip to increase the available script space.
This memory availability comes at a cost, though: GPIO pins 11 through 14 (pins 13 through 16 on the
SNAP Engine footprint) are not available. If you have need of these pins and do not need the extra
script space, you can load the RF30x with the frequency-appropriate Si100x firmware to recover the
use of the pins.
Form Factor
The RF30x SNAP Engines are the SNAP Engines based on the Silicon Labs Si1000.
IO pins
The RF30x SNAP Engines support 14 GPIO pins, plus pin 20 (GPIO_18), which is an output-only pin.
Pin 18 (GPIO_16) has limited drive strength, as it routes through a 1 KΩ resistor. Pins 13-16 (GPIOs
11-14) are not available for use when using the RF30x firmware. (If you load the RF30x SNAP
Engine with the appropriate Si100x firmware you recover the use of these four pins, but lose script
space.) Note that while using the RF30x firmware, attempts to use GPIO_14 as an input will give
accurate readings but may conflict with the module’s ability to access your script from the external
memory, and could cause the SNAP Engine to hang. You should not connect any signals to GPIOs 11-
14 when using the RF30x firmware.
Wakeup pins
Six of the IO pins can be used to wake a sleeping engine: Pins 8-12 (GPIOs 6-10), and pin 17 (GPIO
15). (If you load the RF30x SNAP Engine with the appropriate Si100x firmware, you recover the use
of GPIOs 11-14 as interrupt pins, but lose script space.)
Analog inputs
Twelve of the IO pins support Analog Input: pins 2-12 (GPIOs 0-10) and pin 17 (GPIO 15). (If you
load the RF30x SNAP Engine with the appropriate Si100x firmware, you recover the use of GPIOs
11-14 as analog inputs, but lose script space.)
UART0
Four pins support UART 0: pins 9-12 (GPIO_7-GPIO_10). If you do not need RTS/CTS signals, then
pins 11 and 12 (GPIO_9 and GPIO_10) are available for other uses. Note that on other SNAP Engines,
Page 174 of 202 SNAP Reference Manual Document Number 600-0007K