Semtech expands transceiver platform with world’s highest bit rate and link budget ISM-band device

CAMARILLO, USA: Semtech Corp., a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, has announced the SX1233, a programmable ISM-band transceiver that combines the world’s highest bit rate (600 kbps) with a world-class link budget (137 dB), ultra-low power consumption, excellent ACR (adjacent channel rejection) and blocking immunity.

This combination of features provides high-bandwidth, radio link reliability, RF robustness and strong interference immunity. These are needed for long-range wireless video and imaging applications in home and building automation systems, smart meter readers, sensors, alarms, security systems, wireless monitoring and remote data measurement networks.

“Today’s pervasive wireless networking environment has paved the way for advanced monitoring and control of home and industrial energy, security and data measurement systems,” said Marc Pegulu, Marketing Director for Semtech’s Industrial Analog Product Line.

“The SX1233 provides the high, 600 kbps bit rate needed to accommodate features like remote imaging and video for the next wave of applications in these markets, while maintaining a very high link budget that is 10 dB more than competing devices, along with high immunity to interfering signals -- all critical factors for reliable RF transmission over longer ranges.”

The SX1233 offers high receive (RX) sensitivity to enhance reception of weaker signals, as well as a high transmitter (TX) output power programmable in 1 dB steps. High RX sensitivity and high TX output power equate to reliable transmission over greater distances and cost savings compared to traditional radio systems which require RF repeaters.

Strong blocking immunity of 80dB and high linearity give the SX1233 transceiver “bullet-proof” front-end protection from both in-band and out-of-band interference (including cellular and devices sharing the 2.4 GHz band), enabling the device to meet stringent RX robustness requirements.

The zero-IF architecture of the SX1233 uses a smart AFC (automatic frequency control) engine to ensure optimum performance for low modulation index signals without susceptibility to undesirable image and half-IF spurious products.

The SX1233 extends battery life with its low power consumption in transmit, receive and sleep modes. Constant RF performance over the 1.8V to 3.6V operating range guaranties stable communication even as the battery approaches end-of-life, without using a voltage regulator.

Additionally, TrueRF technology eliminates the need for a SAW filter, enabling a low-cost external component count while still satisfying ETSI and FCC regulations. The SX1233 also integrates the VCO tank, PLL loop filter and an RF switch, further reducing the overall bill-of-materials.

An integrated packet engine in the SX1233 offloads RF packetization from a microcontroller, freeing up this resource or allowing designers to choose a lower cost or lower power alternative. The packet engine also provides packet transmission security via CRC error checking, AES-128 encryption and a 66-byte FIFO.

The SX1233 has a frequency range of 290 MHz to 1020 MHz and is certified for worldwide regulations, including European (ETSI EN 300-220-1), North American (FCC part 15), and Korean and Japanese ARIB regulatory standards. It also supports global modulation formats (FSK, GFSK, MSK, GMSK, OOK).

The SX1233 comes in a small, 5mm x 5mm, 24-pad QFN package, offering designers the benefit of significant board space savings and small size. For consumer applications with Li-Ion or alkaline batteries, the SX1233 can be bundled with Semtech’s SC120 – the world’s smallest low low-voltage boost converter in a 1.5 x 2 x 0.6mm package to allow for true single-cell operation in a very small form factor.