PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
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Microchip - RF transceiver module
Complete IEEE802.15.4 solution for wireless networking
Microchip announces the MRF24J40MA FCC-certified Radio-Frequency (RF)
transceiver module and the MiWi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Wireless Protocol
Stack, based upon the IEEE 802.15.4 specification. Together the
MRF24J40MA module and MiWi (P2P) stack can target a variety of wireless
networking applications, such as industrial monitoring and control,
home and building automation, remote control, low-power wireless sensor
networks, lighting control and automated meter reading.
Providing a complete short-range IEEE 802.15.4 wireless networking
solution, the MRF24J40MA transceiver module is surface mountable and
can be used with hundreds of 8-bit, 16-bit, or 32-bit PIC®
microcontrollers (MCUs). It includes discrete biasing components and an
integrated PCB antenna to be used in sensor and control network
environments. The module is fully regulatory-agency certified for the
US (FCC), Canada (IC) and Europe (ETSI), and is expected to save
designers time and money by eliminating the need to receive FCC
certification for their wireless products.
The MiWi P2P protocol stack supports star and peer-to-peer
wireless-network topologies with an ultra-small code implementation of
3K bytes for Microchip’s PIC microcontrollers (MCUs). As a
result, the stack provides short-range wireless customers with hundreds
of possible MCU implementations for applications that require simple
node-to-node communication. Additionally, the new MiWi P2P stack
provides sleeping-node, active-scan, and energy-detect features that
enable robust operation while supporting the low-power requirements of
battery-operated devices.
Available as a free download from Microchip’s new online Wireless
Design Centre at www.microchip.com/wireless, the small-footprint,
proprietary stack complements the new MRF24J40MA 2.4GHz FCC-certified
transceiver module. It represents Microchip’s third free software
protocol stack for IEEE802.15.4 transceivers, joining its ZigBee stack
and existing MiWi stack.
As well as Microchip’s free ZigBee, MiWi and new MiWi P2P
software-protocol stacks, the module is supported by Microchip’s
PICDEM™ Z Demo Kit and the ZENA™ Wireless Network
Analyser. When combined with these development tools, the module
enables designers with little or no RF design experience to design
low-power wireless networking products quickly and inexpensively.
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