Microchip expands wireless solutions

5 August 2009 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

Microchip has announced two additions to its IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee portfolio for short-range, low data-rate embedded wireless networking.

The MRF24J40MB is Microchip’s second 2,4 GHz RF surface-mounted transceiver module, and adds +20 dBm of receive sensitivity via the integrated low noise amplifier (LNA) to the proven IEEE802.15.4 compliant transceiver, PCB antenna and discrete matching circuitry. More transmit power allows designers to expand the range of their IEEE802.15.4 based ZigBee or proprietary-protocol wireless networks.

The module approach eliminates RF design time, expertise and expense, while accelerating time to market and mitigating development risk. This module is pending agency certification, which is another time and cost saving measure. Microchip enables designers to combine this module with the microcontroller memory, performance and peripherals from among hundreds of its 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) and dsPIC digital signal controllers (DSCs).

On the software side, Microchip’s newly certified ZigBee PRO protocol stack provides another option for IEEE 802.15.4-based wireless networks using Microchip’s PIC MCUs. The combination of Microchip’s ZigBee PRO stack, the MRF24J40 transceiver radio or transceiver modules, and any of its 16-bit PIC24 MCUs or dsPIC33 DSCs forms Microchip’s ZigBee PRO Compliant Platform, as certified by the ZigBee Alliance.

In addition to providing the ZigBee protocol stacks, designers who do not require interoperability or large-node networks can save on certification and microcontroller memory costs by utilising Microchip’s free and proprietary MiWi and MiWi P2P IEEE 802.15.4-based protocol stacks.

Designers can integrate the MRF24J40MB transceiver module with the appropriate 16-bit PIC24 MCUs, dsPIC DSCs and 32-bit PIC32 MCUs, by purchasing the new MRF24J40MB PICtail Plus daughter board, designed to plug into the Explorer 16 Modular Development Board, which has available processor plug-in modules for all of Microchip’s 16- and 32-bit families.

Additionally, the ZENA Wireless Network Analyser is available to graphically display wireless network traffic, analyse the complete network traffic and graphically display decoded packets.

Further reading:

X-band radar
RF Design Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
X-band radar systems, particularly those leveraging beamforming ICs (BFICs), advanced gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) components, are leading the way in providing the high-performance radar capabilities required for modern defence and surveillance.

Read more...

---

Reference board for cardio monitoring
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The STDES-ESP01 reference board from STMicroelectronics demonstrates the capability of the ST1VAFE6AX and ST1VAFE3BX biosensors to detect ECG and SCG signals.

Read more...

---

LTE Cat 1 bis communication
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The EG810M series is a series of LTE Cat 1 bis wireless communication modules specially designed by Quectel for M2M and IoT applications.

Read more...

---

Quad-channel 16-bit converter
RFiber Solutions Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The ARF0468 from Advance RF is a quad-channel mixed-signal processing chip, with each channel comprising three major functional modules: ADC/DDC/DDS.

Read more...

---

Tactical navigation system
Etion Create Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Etion Create’s CheetahNAV Compact is a versatile tactical navigation system designed for security services, emergency services, and light all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) using offline navigation maps.

Read more...

---

Smart module for multi-media devices
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Powered by a Qualcomm processor, Quectel’s new SC200V is designed to deliver exceptional performance across system capabilities, multimedia functions, and network connectivity.

Read more...

---

Remote provisioning firmware added to SIMCom modules
Otto Wireless Solutions Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
SIMCom recently announced that its range of Cat 1 bis IoT modules are now being prepared with the firmware necessary to support SGP.32 functionality.

Read more...

---

GNSS antenna redefining what’s possible
RF Design Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
u-blox has achieved what was once thought impossible with the launch of the DAN-F10N, the industry’s smallest and most reliable L1, L5 dual-band GNSS antenna module.

Read more...

---

Innovative satellite navigation receiver
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
STMicroelectronics has released an innovative satellite navigation receiver to democratise precise positioning for automotive and industrial applications.

Read more...

---

u-blox expands NORA-B2 BLE modules
RF Design Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The new nRF54L chipset-based wireless modules reduce current consumption and double processing capacity, catering to diverse mass market segments.

Read more...

---