SPARKLEIOT ESP-12F Ultra-low Power WiFi Module User Manual

SPARKLEIOT ESP-12F Ultra-low Power WiFi Module

Features

• SOC features
  • Built-in Tensilica L106 ultra-low power consumption 32-bit cpu, the main frequency can be 80MHz and 160MHz, also support RTOS;
  • Built-in TCP/IP protocol stack;
  • Built-in 1 channel 10-bit high precision ADC;
  • Interfaces include HSPI, UART, I2C, I2S, IR Remote Control, PWM, GPIO;
  • 20uA deep-sleep current, less than 5uA cut-off current;
  • 2ms wake-up time;
  • 1.0mW consume power (DTIM3 and standby state);
• Wi-Fi features
  • Support 802.11 b/g/n/e/i
  • Support three modes: Station, SoftAP, and SoftAP+STA;
  • Support Wi-Fi Direct (P2P);
  • Support hardware acceleration for CCMP (CBC-MAC, computation mode), TKIP (MIC, RC4), WAPI(SMS4), WEP(RC4), CRC;
  • P2P detection, P2P GO mode/GC mode and P2P power management;
  • WPA/PA2 PSK and WPS;
  • Support 802.11 i security: pre-certification and TSN;
  • Support 802.11n (2.4 GHz);
  • 802.1h/RFC1042 frame encapsulation;
  • Support seamless roam;
  • Support AT remote upgrade and cloud OTA upgrade;
  • Support SmartConfig function for Android and iOS device.

Module Interface

• 2xUART
• 1xADC
• 1xEn
• 1xWakeup pin
• 1xHSPI
• 1xI2C
• 1xI2S
• 11xGPIOs
• 4M SPI Flash
  • Working temperature： -40℃-105℃
  • Module size： 16mm×24mm

Applications

• Serial transparent transmission;
• WiFi prober;
• Smart power plug/Smart LED light;
• Mesh networks;
• Sensor networks;
• Wireless location recognition;
• Wireless location system beacon;
• Industrial wireless control.

Module Type

Module Structure

Update Record

Introduction

The WiFi module ESP-12F is manufactured by using a high-performance chip named ESP8266. This small chip is encapsulated an enhanced Tensilica’s L106 diamond series 32-bit kennel CPU with a SRAM. Thus, ESP8266 has the complete function Wi-Fi function; it can be applied independently, and also can be used as a slaver working with other host CPU. When ESP8266 is applied as a slaver, it can start from the onboard flash. The built-in high-speed buffer is not only benefit to improve the system performance, but optimize the store system. In addition, ESP-12F WiFi module can be used as Wi-Fi adapter by SPI/SDIO or I2C/UART interface, when it is applied to other MCU design. The ESP-12F WiFi module supports the standard IEEE802.11 b/g/n/e/i protocol and the complete TCP/IP protocol stack. User can use it to add the WiFi function for the installed devices, and also can be viewed as a independent network controller. Anyway, ESP-12F module provides many probabilities with the best price .

Technical parameters for ESP-12F are listed as follows.

Table 1.1 ESP-12F Parameters

Wi-Fi

| Frequency| 2.4G~2.5G(2400M~2483.5M)

Transmit power

| 802.11b: +14 dBm
802.11g: +14 dBm
802.11n: +14 dBm

Receiver sensitivity

| 802.11b: -91 dbm (11Mbps)
802.11g: -75 dbm（54Mbps）
802.11n: -72 dbm（MCS7）
Antenna| PCB antenna / U.F.L antenna

Hardware

| CPU| Tensilica L106 32 bit MCU

Interface

| UART/SDIO/SPI/I2C/I2S/IR control
GPIO/ADC/PWM/SPI/I2C/I2S
Working voltage| 2.5V ~ 3.6V
Working current| Average current: 80 mA,Peak current: >200mA
Working temperature| -40°C ~105°C
Environment temperature|

-40°C ~ 105°C

Shape| 16243mm

Software Types

| Wi-Fi working mode| Station/SoftAP/SoftAP+Station
Security mode| WPA/WPA2
Encryption type| WEP/TKIP/AES
Update firmware| UART Download/OTA
Software develop| Non-RTOS/RTOS/Arduino IDE etc.
Network protocol| IPv4, TCP/UDP/HTTP/FTP/MQTT

Interface Definition

ESP-12F module interface definition is shown as below。

Working mode and pin function is shown in Table 2.1.

Table 2.2 Pin Function Definition

Shape and Size

• Shape and size for ESP-12F can be shown as follows.The Flash of ESP-12F is 32 Mbits（4M Bytes）.

Side View

• Fig. 3.1 Size for ESP-12F
• Table 3.1 Size for ESP-12F

Electronical Characteristics

Table 4.1 Electronical Characteristics

I/O

| VIL/VIH| –| -0.3/0.75VIO| –| 0.25VIO/3.6| I/O
VOL/VOH| –| N/0.8VIO| –| 0.1VIO/N
IMAX| –| –| –| 12|
Electrostatic        release quantity (Human model)| TAMB=25℃|

–

|

–

|

2

|

KV

Electrostatic        release quantity (Human model)| TAMB=25℃|

–

|

–

|

0.5

|

KV

Power Consumption

Table 5.1 Power Consumption

Note

1. Modem-Sleep mode can be used for the case that CPU is always working, e.g., PWM or I2S etc. If WiFi is connected and no data is to transmitted, in this case, WiFi modem can be closed to save power energy. For example, if at DTIM3 status, keep asleep at 300ms, Then, the module can wake up to receive the Beacon package within 3ms and the current being 15mA.
2. Light-Sleep mode can used for the case that CUP can stop the application temporally, e.g., Wi-Fi Switch . If Wi-Fi is connected and there is no data packet to transmitted, by the 802.11 standard (e.g., UAPSD), module can close Wi-Fi Modem and stop CPU to save power. For example, at DTIM3, keep up sleeping at 300ms, it would receive the Beacon package from AP after each 3ms, then the whole average current is about 0.9mA.
3. Deep-Sleep mode is applied to the case that Wi-Fi is not necessary to connect all the time, just send a data packet after a long time (e.g., transmit one temperate data each 100s) . it just need 0.3s-1s to connect AP after each 300s, and the whole average current is much smaller 1mA.

Wi-Fi RF Characteristics

The data in the following Table is gotten when voltage is 3.3V and 1.1V in the indoor temperature environment.

Table 6.1 Wi-Fi RF Characteristics

Adjacent Inhibition
OFDM, 6Mbps| –| 37| –| dB
OFDM, 54Mbps| –| 21| –| dB
HT20, MCS0| –| 37| –| dB
HT20, MCS7| –| 20| –| dB

The Recommended Sold Temperature Curve

Module Schematic

Minimum User System

This module can work just at 3.3V working voltage:

Note

1. the working voltage for module is DC 3.3V;
2. the max current from IO of this module is 12mA;
3. RST Pin is enabled when it is low level; and EN pin is enabled when it is high level;
4. WiFi module is at update mode: GPIO0 is low level, then module reset to power; Wi-Fi module is at working mode: GPIO0 is at high level, and then reset to power;
5. Wi-Fi module is connected to RXD of the other MCU, and TXD is connected to RXD of the other MCU.

The Recommended PCB Design (Take XH-C3F as an example)

ESP-12F Wi-Fi module can be sold on PCB board directly. For the high RF performance for the device, please notice the placement of the module. There are three ways to use the module.

• Solution 1: optical solution. The WiFi module is placed on the side of the board, and the antennas are all exposed, and there is no metal material around the antenna, including wires, metal casings, weight plates, and the like.
• Solution 2: suboptical solution. The WiFi module is placed on the side of the board, and the antenna below is hollowed out. There is a gap of not less than 5 mm reserved with the PCB, and there is no metal material around the antenna, including wires, metal casings, weight plates, and the like.
• Solution 3: The WiFi module is placed on the side of the board, and the PCB area under the antenna is empty, and copper cannot be laid.

Fig.10.1 Solution 1

Fig.10.2 Solution 2

Peripheral Design Suggestion

Wi-Fi module is already integrated into high-speed GPIO and Peripheral interface, which may be generated the switch noise. If there is a high request for the power consumption and EMI characteristics, it is suggested to connect a serial 10~100 ohm resistance, which can suppress overshoot when switching power supply, and can smooth signal. At the same time, it also can prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD).

Disclaimer and Copyright Notice

The information in this article, including the URL for reference, if there is any change, without prior notice. Documents are provided by the current version without any guarantee responsibility, including  merchantability, suitable for any particular purpose or non-infringement guarantees, and any guarantees presented by any proposal, specification, or sample mentioned elsewhere. This document has no any responsibility, including the use of the information within this document produced by the infringement of any patent rights. This document in this, by estoppel or otherwise, grant any intellectual property licensing, whether express or implied license. The Wi-Fi alliance marks shall be owned by the Wi-Fi alliance. All the mentioned brand names, trademarks and registered trademarks presented in this document are the property of their respective owners, and hereby declare. Shenzhen Sparkleiot Technology Co., Ltd. is a national-level high-tech and innovative technology enterprise, focusing on R&D, production and sales of smart home and IOT products. The company was established in 2014. At the beginning of its establishment, it was adhering to the concept of “science and technology change lives, and products enter thousands of households”. After just a few years, the company has continuously launched the market’s cost-effective 2.4G WiFi module, 2.4G WiFi module,.4GWiFi module, and quickly won unanimous praise in the market. In 2018, the company established a smart home department, focusing on the smart electrical lighting industry. The company’s products are exported to the Americas, Europe and other regions, and continue to receive praise from customers.

FCC Statement

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’ s authority to operate the equipment.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help important announcement

Important Note:

Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator and your body.
This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. Country Code selection feature to be disabled for products marketed to the US/Canada. This device is intended only for OEM integrators under the following conditions:

1. The antenna must be installed such that 20 cm is maintained between the antenna and users, and
2. The transmitter module may not be co-located with any other transmitter or antenna,
3. For all products market in US, OEM has to limit the operation channels in CH1 to CH11 for 2.4G band by supplied firmware programming tool. OEM shall not supply any tool or info to the end-user regarding to Regulatory Domain change. (if modular only test Channel 1-11)

As long as the three conditions above are met, further transmitter testing will not be required. However, the OEM integrator is still responsible for testing their end-product for any additional compliance requirements required with this module installed.

Important Note:
In the event that these conditions cannot be met (for example certain laptop configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID cannot be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for re-evaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization.

End Product Labeling
The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following” Contains FCC ID: 2BCLP-ESP-12F”

Manual Information to the End User
The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user’s manual of the end product which integrates this module. The end user manual shall include all required regulatory information/warning as show in this manual.

Integration instructions for host product manufacturers according to KDB 996369 D03 OEM Manual v01

List of applicable FCC rules
CFR 47 FCC PART 15 SUBPART C has been investigated. It is applicable to the modular transmitter

Specific operational use conditions
This module is stand-alone modular. If the end product will involve the Multiple simultaneously transmitting condition or different operational conditions for a stand-alone modular transmitter in a host, host manufacturer have to consult with module manufacturer for the installation method in end system.

Limited module procedures
Not applicable

Trace antenna designs
Not applicable

RF exposure considerations
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator & your body.

Antennas
This radio transmitter FCC ID:2BCLP-ESP-12F has been approved by Federal Communications Commission to operate with the antenna types listed below, with the maximum permissible gain indicated. Antenna types not included in this list that have a gain greater than the maximum gain indicated for any type listed are strictly prohibited for use with this device.

Antenna No.| Model No.

of antenna:

| Type of antenna:| Gain of the antenna

(Max.)

| Frequency

range:

---|---|---|---|---
2.4GWiFi| /| PCB Antenna| 0.8dBi for 2412-2462MHz;

Label and compliance information
The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following” Contains FCC ID:2BCLP-ESP-12F”.

Information on test modes and additional testing requirements
Host manufacturer is strongly recommended to confirm compliance with FCC requirements for the transmitter when the module is installed in the host.

Additional testing, Part 15 Subpart B disclaimer
Host manufacturer is responsible for compliance of the host system with module installed with all other applicable requirements for the system such as Part 15 B.

References

• 四博智联科技
• 深圳市星火思创科技有限公司

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