Flashing a CC2530 + CC2591 Zigbee Module with a Raspberry Pi

I've recently been adding various Zigbee based sensors and bulbs to my Smart Home setup. I use a CC2531 with External Antenna and performance has always been adequate but I'd like to extend the range to my letter box so I can receive notifications when I receive post.

After some brief research I came across the CC2530 + CC2591 Module - similar to the CC2531 but with a built in amplifier to improve signal strength / reception.

CC2530 + CC2591 Zigbee Module 

This blog post will just cover the basics of connecting the Zigbee Module to the Raspberry Pi prior to flashing. For more detailed information on the flashing process, please see my previous blog post on Flashing a CC2531 Zigbee Module with a Raspberry Pi (Remember you will to download and flash the correct binary for the CC2530 + CC2591)

Pinouts

You can find the pinouts for the Pi and Zigbee Module Below

Raspberry Pi Pinout, Assuming USB ports are on the RIGHT.

CC2530 + CC2591 from below (Pins Facing you)

Connections

Current Considerations

When I flashed my Zigbee Module I observed it drew no more that 30mA of current, although this was based on the reading from my bench top power supply which isn't a precision device. The CC2530 data sheet suggests current consumption is < 30mA, however the CC2591 can use up to 112mA when transmitting at Max Power. 

The official current limit for the 3.3V rail on a Raspberry Pi is 50mA, however this thread suggests it can probably sustain higher currents. I suspect any transmissions will also have a low duty cycle, so I would assume it's safe to power the Zigbee Module directly from the Pi itself. However you would do so at your own risk. If in doubt, use an external power supply and remember to bond the grounds together - the Zigbee module has two ground pins so you can connect one to the Pi and one to the Power Supply.

Connections Table

	Zigbee Module	Pi
VCC	VCC	1 (or external)
GND	GND	39
Reset	RST	35
DC	P2.2	36
DD	P2.1	38