Semtech Offers RF Development Platform

14. October 2009 by admin.

From: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2546828/

Semtech, a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, announced the SX1211 Development Kit for PIC MCUs, a plug-and-play RF daughter board for use with development tools from Microchip Technology, a provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors. Semtech said the new kit speeds time to market for low power wireless alarm, security, sensor network, automatic meter reading and monitoring and control products that use the SX1211 wireless transceiver with Microchip’s PIC microcontrollers (MCUs).  

Semtech reported that the new plug-and-play RF daughter board contains all of the hardware required to connect to Microchip’s PIC18 Explorer board, which is used for development with PIC18 high-end 8-bit MCUs, and the Explorer 16 board, which is used for development with 16-bit PIC24 MCUs, 32-bit PIC32 MCUs and dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). This compatibility is maintained by providing connectors for Microchip’s standard PICtail and PICtail Plus daughter board interfaces. Semtech explained that many SX1211 designs use these PIC MCUs because they offer great performance and very low power consumption, some with sleep currents as low as 20 nA via Microchip’s nanoWatt XLP extreme low power technology.  

The SX1211 is part of Semtech’s complete platform of ISM-band transceivers. The SX1211 is optimized for asynchronous sensor network designs in the unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency bands (868-870 MHz and 902-928 MHz) where low RX power consumption is critical to battery life as the receiver is constantly waking up to sniff for signals.  

The plug-and-play RF daughter board includes the SX1211 RF transceiver, an antenna, a 28-pin PICtail connector for the PIC18 Explorer board and a 100-pin PICtail Plus connector for the Explorer 16 board. This daughter board also includes jumpers to help in configuring MCU-to-RF connection options. Also available on Semtech’s website is Semtech’s Wireless Star Network software, which can be run on the PIC MCUs (drivers available).  

“The SX1211 and PIC MCUs are increasingly being used together in designs that need great RF performance and low power consumption,” said Marc Pegulu, Industrial Analog Product Line Manager for Semtech. “We are committed to working with Microchip to deliver tools that help our customers make the most of their development resources.”  

“Designers developing wireless applications with our PIC MCUs and Semtech’s transceivers can now seamlessly integrate both solutions using Microchip’s established tool chain,” said Stephen Caldwell, director of Microchip’s RF Products Division. “This integration of Semtech’s low-power transceivers with our low-power PIC MCUs enables designers to lower development costs and speed time to market while increasing the battery life of their applications.”

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