New XEMICS TrueRF Solution Weds ISM Transceiver, RISC Microcontroller
Maximizes RF power output with minimal system power consumption
Neuchâtel, Switzerland -- XEMICS announced the TrueRF XE1283, a new solution that combines a full-featured ISM-band transceiver with an ultra-low-power RISC microcontroller. This combination of high-power transmitter and sensitive receiver means the link budget exceeds 128 dB. Ranges of up to several kilometers can be achieved at low data rates, with an optimized RF layout and without external transmitter power amplifier (PA) or receiver low noise amplifier (LNA), and with minimal power consumption.
XEMICS also introduced the DP1283 'drop-in' RF module based on the XE1283 circuit. The compact module (23 mm by 33.5 mm) is pre-certified to conform to ETSI/FCC regulations and is available in three frequencies.
The XE1283 and DP1283 are intended for low-power sensing networks with an emphasis on battery-powered (down to 2.4 V) applications where outstanding battery life can be achieved if full use is made of the controller's power-saving modes. For example, it would be suitable for automated meter reading (AMR), home automation, and access control, as well as voice and data over RF.
Compared to an embedded 80C51 core, the XEMICS CoolRISC core consumes only 1.2 mA at 4.9 million instructions per second (more than a factor of ten lower). Additional power-reducing circuitry includes a BitJockey 'wireless UART' which buffers transmit and receive data.
The XE1283's link budget assures highly reliable point-to-point communication under even the most demanding conditions and range in excess of several kilometers. The XE1283 transmitter is capable of +15 dBm output power and a receive sensitivity down to -113 dBm (at 4.8 kbit/s and 0.1% bit error rate). The high-performance transceiver operates in the 433, 868, and 915 MHz ISM bands at data rates from 1.2 to 152.3 kbit/s.
The XE1283 includes a Barker encoder (11-bit chip sequence) which offers additional link robustness for low-data rate applications, making it ideal for low-data rate long-range links such as pager car alarms, automotive remote controls, and two-way security systems.
The XE1283 and DP1283 support the European Konnex standard (fixed bit rate of 32.7 kbit/s) for wireless Konnex networks or expanding wired networks using RF bridges.
TrueRF technology enables a low-cost external component count (elimination of the SAW filter) while still satisfying ETSI and FCC regulations.
Source: XEMICS