Components & System Design launched the new CC2400 2,4 GHz low power transceiver IC from Chipcon at the recent ADEC 2003 Expo. This is the first time the new device has been exhibited at any electronic show.
The CC2400 RF transceiver - the company's first in a series of RF transceivers operating in the worldwide 2,4 GHz unlicensed ISM band - is based on Chipcon's proprietary 0,18 µm CMOS SmartRF03 technology platform. The company's other SmartRF02 products - the CC1000, CC1050, CC1010 and CC1020 - have set new standards in the industry and are designed into numerous products including applications such as home automation, automatic meter reading, alarm and security systems and advanced toys.
The launch of the CC2400 signifies a major step forward for Chipcon and introduces a very competitive, low-cost and highly robust solution for the 2,4 GHz frequency band. The transceiver is mainly intended for low-power applications requiring worldwide compliance and data rates up to 1 Mbps. Chipcon is exclusively represented in this country by Components & System Design.
The CC2400 complies with international regulations covered by EN 300 440 (Europe), CFR47 Part 15 (US) and ARIB STD -T66 (Japan). With features like low current consumption, burst transmission support and an agile frequency synthesizer, the device is especially targeted for use in game controllers, wireless audio/headsets and sports and leisure equipment. In transmit mode the CC2400 uses direct I/Q upconversion, enabling continuous transmission for any length of time (ie, with no limit on the maximum packet length) - an extremely valuable attribute for wireless headset/audio applications.
"When designing products that will operate in environments with numerous other radio sources ranging from WLAN and Bluetooth to microwave ovens, frequency diversity is essential for achieving robust RF links," says Chipcon's vice president of research and strategic product planning Svein Anders Tunheim. "The CC2400 is ideal for frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) and multichannel systems due to its agile frequency synthesizer and effective communication interface."
The device requires few external components. It is robust, has a very good receiver sensitivity and low power consumption. Further, it is equipped with a number of on-chip features that ensure effective and reliable communication. Full packet handling support significantly offloads the host controller, enabling use of low-cost, low-end microcontrollers. The CC2400 supports over-the-air data rates of 10 Kbps, 250 Kbps and 1 Mbps. Flexibility for communication data rates is offered due to data buffering and support for burst transmission.
The CC2400 also enables the user to trade data rate for communication range. By selecting a lower over-the-air data rate of 10 Kbps instead of 1 Mbps the range can be increased up to 100 m in many environments," he concludes.
For more information contact Kevin Jurrius, Components & System Design, 011 979 4274.
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