UHF receiver/transmitter line targets industrial apps

Atmel Corp. has announced the availability of its ATA8x0x UHF ASK/FSK receiver/transmitter family. Applications include remote controls for consumer and industrial systems, access control, alarm and telemetry systems, energy metering and home automation as well as active RFID tagging systems.

The UHF ASK/FSK receiver ICs ATA8201 (313-317MHz) and ATA8202 (433-435MHz) are an option for low-cost industrial RF receiving systems with low power consumption requirements. The ICs include an integrated IF filter, low-phase-noise VCO, PLL and loop filter, and as such require few external devices and no external filters—adding to their cost-efficiency. Their fully integrated filters provide the best combination of large bandwidth and excellent receiving selectivity, which enables the large transmit and receive distances typically required for industrial applications. These transparent receivers can be operated with a separate MCU for bit check and polling modes. Additionally, the ICs' large oscillation margin, enables the use of very low-cost crystals.

The UHF ASK/FSK PLL transmitter ICs ATA8401 (310-350MHz), ATA8402 (423-439MHz) and ATA8403 (868-928MHz) are designed for low-cost RF transmission systems in industrial and consumer applications with data rates up to 50kBaud (ASK) and 32kBaud (FSK), respectively. These transmitters feature an integrated PLL loop filter, ESD protection, a CLK output for clocking the MCU, and a single-ended antenna output with a highly efficient power amplifier. Easy-to-design-in solutions are possible due to the isolation of the PLL from the power amplifier and the power supply. Only minimum external circuitry is necessary.

The ATA8x0x series evolved from Atmel's automotive-qualified receiver and transmitter ICs. While functionally identical and fully pin-compatible to those automotive products, the ATA8x0x series is specified at the -40°C to 85°C operating temperature range for cost-sensitive industrial and consumer applications.

Samples of the ATA8x0x family and development boards are available. Pricing for the ATA820x receiver ICs starts at $1.26 and for the ATA840x transceiver ICs at 71 cents for 10,000-piece quantities.