Specifications

PL 3120/PL 3150/PL 3170 Power Line Smart Transceiver Data Book 213
ShortStack Developer’s Kit
The ShortStack Developer’s can be used to develop a prototype or production device based on the PL 3120, 3150, or
3170 Smart Transceiver, with an application that runs on an attached microcontroller. Any release of the ShortStack
Developer’s Kit can be used to develop applications for the PL 3120 or 3150 Smart Transceiver. ShortStack 2.1 (or
newer) is required to develop applications for the PL 3170 Smart Transceiver. ShortStack 2.1 can be used to develop
applications with up to 254 network variables and can also be used to develop self-installed applications that use ISI. A
PL 3150 Smart Transceiver must be used to support more than 62 network variables, or to support ISI applications
developed using ShortStack 2.1.
The ShortStack 2.1 Developer’s Kit includes three pre-built memory images that can be used to load ShortStack images
on a PL Smart Transceiver. There is one image for a PL 3120 Smart Transceiver without ISI, and two images for a PL
3150 Smart Transceiver—one with and one without ISI support. Custom ShortStack images can be created using the
NodeBuilder Development Tool or Mini EVK Evaluation Kit.
Downloading Application and Transceiver Type Parameters
A developer can solder the PL 3120 or PL 3170 Smart Transceiver into a device and load applications and different
transceiver parameters using the NodeLoad utility. This utility is a command-line application available as a free
download from the Echelon Web site (go to www.echelon.com/downloads
, select the Development Tools category, and
then select the NodeLoad Utility).
The PL 3120 and PL 3170 Smart Transceiver devices arrive from the factory with an initial set of transceiver parameters
pre-loaded for programming purposes. To ensure optimal operation, you must re-program the transceiver parameters for
all PL 3120 and PL 3170 chips.
For a PL 3120 Smart Transceiver-based device, you can use the NodeLoad utility with the –X option to change the
transceiver parameters from the factory default parameters to any of the supported parameters. For a PL 3170 Smart
Transceiver-based device, you can use the utility to change the parameters to any of the various C-band types (the PL
3170 Smart Transceiver does not support A-band operation). To load transceiver parameters using the NodeLoad utility,
you must use the *.NDL or *.NEI image because the *.NXE image does not contain transceiver parameter values. You
can also use a universal programmer, such as BP Microsystems' programmer or HiLo System's programmer, to change the
parameters prior to soldering the chip onto your PCB board. Any valid transceiver parameters included in the image files
generated by the NodeBuilder Development Tool or the Mini EVK Evaluation Kit are supported.
If you reboot a PL 3120 or PL 3170 Smart Transceiver, the smart transceiver will restore the factory default parameters
and go back to the initial state. Rebooting in this case refers to any of the following operations:
Software Action
LNS application Invoking the Reboot() method for AppDevice or Router object
NodeUtil utility version older than 1.96 Sending the “Reboot” command for the device
network management command with
the appl_reset option
Writing a value of zero to the second byte of the transceiver
parameters on the Smart Transceiver and resetting the device with the
Set Node Mode
If you simply power cycle or reset your device, it will maintain the programmed change and will NOT restore the
factory default.
When building devices with energy storage power supplies, care must be taken to insure the power supply does not drop
below 10 volts during programming or before the LOW transceiver parameters are loaded. This can in some cases be
accomplished by using a higher voltage on the power line input or alternately by directly applying the V
A
voltage using
pogo pins into the device. The first step when using the NodeLoad utility should be to download the PL 3120/PL 3170
Smart Transceiver parameters. See the NodeLoad utility user's guide for how to download these parameters.
The NodeLoad utility supports the Echelon standard power line network interfaces. The maximum download time is
about 30 seconds for an application that consumes all available EEPROM memory in the PL 3120 or PL 3170 Smart