Terms and Definitions

Bluetooth Low Energy Terms and Acronyms

Anchor Point
In Bluetooth Low Energy, it means the start of a connection event.
API
Application-program interface
Refers to the function call.
BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy
Wireless protocol.
BR
Basic Rate
Transmitter characterstic supported by Bluetooth.
BR/EDR
Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate
Transmitter characterstic supported by Bluetooth.
CCCD
Client Characteristic Configuration Descriptor
An optional characteristic descriptor that defines how the characteristic may be configured by a specific client.
CSRK
Connection Signature Resolving Key
A key exchanged during Phase 3 of the bonding process. It is a 128-bit key used to sign data and verify signatures on the receiving device.
Device Address
A 48-bit value used to identify a device. A device address can be public, random static, or random private.
FEC
Forward Error Correction
Error correction used to improve the sensitivity in the LE Coded PHY.
FAL (formerly WL)
Filter Accept List
Formerly White List. A filter policy in the Controller’s Link Layer that can prevent unwanted link layer events from waking up the host.
GAP
Generic Access Profile
Defines how each different Bluetooth Low Energy states should be accessed.
GFSK
Gaussian Frequency-Shift Keying
A type of FSK modulation which uses a Gaussian filter to shape the pulses before they are modulated.
HCI
Host Controller Interface
A transport layer between host and the controller, here we refer typically UART.
IA
Identity Address
A Resolvable Private Address that is resolvable with an Identity Resolving Key yields an Identity Address.
IRK
Identity Resolving Key
A key exchanged during Phase 3 of the bonding process. A Resolving List contains a local and a peer Identity Resolving Key as well as an Identity Address.
ISM
Industrial, Scientific, and Medical,
Here we often refer it to ISM radio band which means the radio spectrum reserved for industrial, scientific and medical applications.
L2CAP
The protocol defines how packet segmentaion, reassembly and multiplexing.
LE
Low Energy
Bluetooth Low Energy.
The link budget is the ratio between the Tx power and the Rx sensitivity level.
LL
A Bluetooth Low Energy stack layer in on the controller side.
LTK
Long Term Key
A term defined by the Bluetooth Core Specification Version 5.1 referring to the key used for encypted connections.
MD
More data
A bit field in Bluetooth Low Energy which indicates there are more data coming in during specific connection event.
Multi-path fading
When the radio signal is not only received via the direct path, but also via reflections off nearby objects. The direct and reflected paths may interfere constructively or destructively
PHY
Physical layer
The physical layer is the lowest layer of the Bluetooth protocol stack. It configures the physical parameters of the radio transmission and reception. It determines how a bit (and its value) are represented over the air.
PDU
Protocol Data Unit
A packet or message.
RL
Resolving List
A Link Layer maintained table of one or more entries of a local and peer Identity Resolving Key associated to an Identity Address.
RPA
Resolvable Private Address
A resolvable address is one that can be resolved given that the device has an Identity Resolving Key. By resolving a Resolvable Private Address one can determine its Identity Address.
RPAO
Resolvable Private Address Only
A required GATT characteristic called “Resolvable Private Address Only” that is used with Network Privacy Mode.
RSSI
Received Signal Strength Indicator
It is a measurement of the power present in a received radio signal.
SCA
Sleep Clock Accuracy
Sleep clock accuracy determines the average timing of the BLE activities, which should drift less than or equal to +/-500ppm.
SNV
Simple Non-Volatile storage
An abstraction layer used by the BLE-Stack for reading and writing to non volatile memory. The GAPBondMgr layer of stack uses SNV to store keys. This region can also be used by the user.
SPSM
Simplified Protocol/Service Multiplexer
The SPSM field is two octets in length. SPSM values are separated into two ranges. Values in the first range are assigned by the Bluetooth SIG and indicate protocols. Values in the second range are dynamically allocated and used in conjunction with services defined in the GATT server.

General Terms and Acronyms

AP
Application Processor
An processor that implements the customer application as well the serial command interface to communicate with a network processor.
BIM
Boot Image Manager
A bootloader that runs after the device’s ROM startup code. The BIM is responsible for analyzing the image header of all images and determining the most suitable image to run. Once the BIM has found the proper image, it will jump to it’s program entry.
.bss
Block started by symbol. This memory section usually contains uninitialized variables including the task stacks.
CCA
CCFG
Customer Configuration
Customer Configuration is set by the application and contains configuration parameters for the ROM boot code, device hardware, and device firmware. It contains lock-bits on the last page of flash. You can read more in the Customer Configuration section in the CC13x0 CC26x0 SimpleLink Wireless MCU Technical Reference Manual.
CCS
Code Composer Studio
An integrated development environment to develop applications for Texas Instruments embedded processors. Download: Code Composer Studio
cJTAG
compact JTAG
Class 4 IEEE 1149.7: Standard for Reduced-pin and Enhanced-functionality Test Access Port and Boundary-scan Architecture. This is known by acronym cJTAG.
GCC
GNU Compiler Collection
A compiler system produced by the GNU Project, which support various programming languages such as C and C++.
GPRAM
General purpose RAM
This memory area is used for the cache per default, but can be configured to be used as RAM.
HIB
Halt In Boot
A mechanism in CC2640R2 to ensure that the external emulator can take control of the device before it executes any application code.
IAR
Refers to IAR Systems’ IAR Embedded Workbench, which is an integrated development environment used for building and debugging embedded applications.
JTAG
Joint Test Action Group
IEEE standard 1149.1: Standard Test Access Port and Boundary Scan Architecture Test Access Port (TAP). This standard is known by the acronym JTAG.
MCU
Microcontroller Unit
A small computer on a single integrated circuit.
NP
Network Processor
A device that contains the wireless protocol stack as well as RF hardware. Stack functionality is exposed via a serial interface.
NVS
Non-Volatile Storage
Storage of data in non-volatile memory (NVM). NVM retains saved data during power cycles. In the context of CC2640R2 devices, NVM either refers to the internal flash or some external flash.
OAD
Over-the-Air Download
The process of performing a device firmware update over the air.
RCFG
TI-RTOS in ROM Configuration Table
ROM
Read-only Memory
Type of non-volatile memory used in computers. Once data is written to ROM, the data cannot be removed and can only be read.
RTSC
Real Time Software Components
A toolset for creating reusable code, used by TI-RTOS. See RTSC and RTSC-Pedia.
SNV
Simple Non Volatile
An abstraction layer used by the BLE-Stack for reading and writing to non volatile memory. This region can also be used by the user.
SNP
Simple Network Processor
A BLE network processor implementation that supports the peripheral and broadcaster GAP Roles.
SysConfig
System Configuration Tool
SysConfig is a graphical interface for configuring software projects. Configuration files, C source files and header files are generated based on the parameters configured in the SysConfig dashboard. SysConfig is not supported on the CC2640R2.
TI-CGT
TI Code Generation Tools
Set of C/C++ Compilers and Assembly Language tools for many TI microcontrollers and processors. For more information, see TI Code Generation Tools.
UNPI
Unified Network Processor Interface
A standardized serial transport format that is implemented by TI for the purposes of interfacing to network processor devices like the SNP. UNPI also manages the handshaking required for the serial interface.
VIMS
Versatile Instruction Memory System. A system control module that handles access to the device memory areas from the CPU and system bus. You can read more in the CC13x0 CC26x0 SimpleLink Wireless MCU Technical Reference Manual.

TI-RTOS Terms and Acronyms

HWI
Hardware Interrupts
A TI-RTOS hardware interrupt.
Idle Task
A TI-RTOS default task that is executes when no other higher priority thread needs to run.
RCFG
TI-RTOS in ROM configuration table.
ROV
Runtime Object View
A TI-RTOS kernel plugin for CCS and IAR to view a target’s instrumentation data.
RTC
Real-Time Clock
An accurate computer clock which keeps track of the current time.
RTOS
Real Time Operating System
An operating system intended to serve applications with real-time requirements.
SWI
Software Interrupts
A TI-RTOS software interrupt.
TI-RTOS
Texas Instruments Real Time Operating System
An RTOS developed by TI for TI microcontrollers.
Zero-Latency Interrupts
An interrupt that will not be routed through the TI-RTOS kernel’s Hwi dispatcher. For more information, see the Hwi module documentation in the TI-RTOS Kernel (SYS/BIOS) User’s Guide.

Over-the-Air Download (OAD) Terms and Acronyms

BIM
Boot Image Manager
A bootloader that runs after the device’s ROM startup code. The BIM is responsible for analyzing the image header of all images and determining the most suitable image to run. Once the BIM has found the proper image, it will jump to it’s program entry.
CRC
Cyclic Redundancy Check
An error-detecting code used to check the integrity of blocks of data.
ECDSA
Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm
A variant of the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) which uses elliptic curve cryptography.
Factory Image
The factory image is a “golden” image that resides in external flash as a fail-safe mechanism.
HIB
Halt In Boot
A mechanism in CC2640R2 to ensure that the external emulator can take control of the device before it executes any application code.
OAD
Over-the-Air Download
The process of performing a device firmware update over the air.
OAD Target
The device whose firmware is being upgraded over the air. This is assumed to be a CC26xx or CC13xx device running the TI protocol-specific transport for OAD.
OAD Distributor
The device responsible for accepting an OAD enabled image from the compiler and transferring it over the air to the OAD Target.

Secure Firmware (SFW) Terms and Acronyms

SFW
Secure Firmware
The process of verifying an image before running for improved integrity and security
SFB
Secure Firmware Bootloader
The bootloader that verifies the secure firmware image
SFI
Secure Firmware Image
The application image that needs to be verified
ECC
Elliptic Curve Cryptography
SHA
Secure Hash Algorithm
AES CBC MAC
Advanced Encryption Standard Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code
TLV
Type Length Value

Sensor Controller Terms and Acronyms

SC
Sensor Controller
A dedicated 16-bit CPU core on CC13xx and CC26xx devices, located in the auxiliary (AUX) power/clock domain. It can perform simple background tasks autonomously and independently of the System CPU and the MCU domain power states.
SCS
Sensor Controller Studio
A stand-alone IDE used to write, test and debug code for the Sensor Controller.

NPI Terms and Acronyms

AIND
Asynchronous Indication
An asynchronously received NPI message sent from the network processor to the host / application processor.
AP
Application Processor
An processor that implements the customer application as well the serial command interface to communicate with a network processor.
AREQ
Asynchronous Request
An asynchronously received NPI message sent from the host / application processor to the network processor.
FCS
Frame Check Sequence
An error-detecting code added to a frame
NP
Network Processor
A device that contains the wireless protocol stack as well as RF hardware. Stack functionality is exposed via a serial interface.
NPI
Network Processor Interface
Abstraction level above serial interface for sending / receiving data power management, and data parsing
MRDY
Master Ready
GPIO pin that indicates the state of the master
SOF
Start of Frame
A specific known byte specifying the beginning of a frame
SRDY
Slave Ready
GPIO pin that indicates the state of the slave
SREQ
Synchronous Request
A blocking NPI request that expects an ((SRESP))
SRESP
Synchronous Response
A response to a ((SREQ))
UNPI
Unified ((NPI))
NPI usage except for with HostTest