Radiocrafts AS has expanded its product line with a compact, high-power RF module design for ZigBee. Operating at 2.45 GHz, the RC2201HP module delivers up to 18 dBm output power. According to Radiocrafts, the RC2201HP increases the communication range by a factor of 10 relativel to standard modules with low output power.
The RC2201HP is compliant with IEEE 802.15.4 and is designed for ZigBee Full Function Device (FFD) and Reduced Function Device (RFD) operation, as well as other protocol stacks using star or mesh topologies.
The fully shielded module measures 16.5 x 35.6 x 3.5 mm and is available with an integrated antenna. It includes 128 KB of flash memory, 8 KB of RAM, 32 digital and analoue I/O lines, an 8-channel, 10-bit A/D converter, and UART and SPI interfaces.
The module also includes a multi-channel RF transceiver with 16 channels and up to 18 dBm output power and receiver sensitivity of –94 dBm at 250 kbit/s. The output power can be adjusted to comply with EU regulations for CE marking, as well as FCC and ARIB approvals.
The module is based on DSSS technology. Low-power modes for increased battery life are available. A line-of-sight range of 1500 m can be achieved with an external antenna, or 800 m with an integrated antenna.
Typical applications include home, building and industrial automation, wireless security and alarm systems, automatic meter reading, remote control and telemetry, and fleet or asset management. Operation in the unlicensed 2.45-GHz band enables worldwide use.