Identifying a Silicon Timing Issue in a LoRa Chipset

Overview

Diagnosing and validating a subtle silicon-level timing issue that impacted wireless communication stability.

Technologies

LoRa | Embedded systems | RF communications | Debug and validation

Define the Problem

During development of a LoRa communication system, intermittent timing instability was observed when operating at lower spreading factors intended to increase communication throughput.

The issue appeared sporadic and difficult to reproduce consistently.

Diagnose the Root Cause

After extensive investigation, firmware and system-level causes were progressively eliminated. Further analysis isolated the issue to a subtle defect within the radio chipset itself that only appeared under specific operating conditions.

Key engineering challenges included:

• Intermittent behaviour

• Difficult reproduction conditions

• Limited visibility into chipset operation

• Initial manufacturer disagreement

Deliver the Solution

We developed a comprehensive test methodology and generated detailed evidence which was provided to the manufacturer.

Following independent validation, the issue was confirmed and a workaround was developed and implemented, resulting in stable communication performance.

Key Outcomes

• Stable communication performance restored

• Silicon-level issue identified and validated

• Manufacturer-confirmed findings

• Production-ready workaround implemented