Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT


Sub-GHz RF transceiver

23 March 2016 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

A new low-power, sub-GHz radio frequency (RF) ­transceiver has been released by Microsemi to address industrial, security and medical applications.

The ZL70550 is well suited for wireless applications operating on coin-cell batteries or energy harvesters, such as electronic shelf labels, retail asset tracking, process control, wearable monitoring, medical diagnostics and ECG.

QFN package; actual size 5 x 5 mm.
QFN package; actual size 5 x 5 mm.

Operating in the 779 - 965 MHz unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency bands, the chip consumes only 2,8 mA while transmitting at -10 dBm output power and a similar 2,5 mA during reception. It offers the industry’s lowest sleep state current of 10 nA, making it ideal for low-duty cycle applications.

As a flexible solution that can be tailored to various application requirements, the ZL70550 operates between 1,7 V to 3,6 V and offers variable output power and data rates up to 200 Kbps. For applications that require extended wireless range, the transmitter output power, receiver input sensitivity and data rate can be adjusted to give a link budget up to -107 dBm while only slightly increasing the power consumption of the device.

WSN evaluation kit.
WSN evaluation kit.

The device is highly integrated and offered in a 3 x 2 mm chip scale package or 5 x 5 mm QFN. Other than the antenna and, in some cases, its matching network, only a crystal, resistor and two coupling capacitors are required. The chip includes a media access controller (MAC) that performs most link support functions, received signal strength indications (RSSI), clear channel assessment, sniff, preamble and synchronisation, packetisation, whitening and forward error correction (FEC). Microsemi’s optional Z-Star protocol enables rapid product development and offers a full star configuration to allow a full network to be deployed.

The company offers a wireless sensor network (WSN) evaluation kit and an application development kit (ADK) to ease and accelerate hardware and software development. The evaluation kit includes one USB hub and one accelerometer sensor node, and demonstrates a wireless sensor network application using the ZL70550’s built-in Z-Star protocol. The ADK provides all the necessary hardware and software to demonstrate the performance of the ZL70550 and is intended to be used as a tool to support prototype development.

For more information contact Steve Santamarina, ASIC Design Services, +27 (0)11 315 8316, [email protected], www.asic.co.za



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Scalable and secure IoT device onboarding and management
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
EasyPass is an enhancement within Cambium’s cnMaestro platform, aimed at providing local businesses with secure, efficient, and scalable device management making it ideal for high-demand environments such as educational institutions, retail spaces, and corporate campuses.

Read more...
Industrial-grade Ethernet switches
Vepac Electronics Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Covering PoE-powered series and certified models like PROFINET, DNV, and Railway, these products offer reliable networking solutions for diverse industrial applications.

Read more...
Non-reflective SPDT RF switch
RS South Africa Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The ADRF5019 from Analog Devices is a non-reflective, single pole, double throw RF switch that operates from 100 MHz to 13 GHz.

Read more...
Ultrawideband Low Noise Amplifier
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The ADL8101 is an ultrawideband, low noise amplifier that operates from 10 kHz to 22 GHz with typical gain and noise figure of 14 dB and 3,5 dB respectively.

Read more...
Data Centre trends 2025
Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Innovation in powering and cooling AI racks, management of energy consumption and emissions all to be a focus in 2025.

Read more...
Air temperature and humidity transmitter
Mimic Components Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The RHT air temperature and humidity transmitter is a fully wireless solution designed for seamless measurement of temperature and humidity over long distances.

Read more...
Module combines 5G and NTN support
Quectel Wireless Solutions Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Quectel Wireless Solutions announced the launch of its BG770A-SN ultra-compact 5G-ready satellite communication module, compliant with 3GPP releases 13, 14 and 17.

Read more...
SIMCom’s A7673X series
Otto Wireless Solutions Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
SIMCom’s A7673X series is a Cat 1 bis module that supports LTE-FDD, with a maximum downlink rate of 10 Mbps and an uplink rate of 5 Mbps.

Read more...
Non-terrestrial network module
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Fibocom unveiled its MA510-GL (NTN), a non-terrestrial networks module which is compliant with 3GPP Release 17 standard.

Read more...
Microchip SoC FPGA
ASIC Design Services DSP, Micros & Memory
Microchip Technology introduced the RT PolarFire SoC FPGA, the first real-time Linux capable, RISC-V-based microprocessor subsystem on a proven RT PolarFire FPGA platform.

Read more...