Low-power radio modules boast impressive range

Sequoia is adding a new family of long-range, low-power OEM modules and modems to its portfolio of wireless technologies for industrial-type applications.

Sequoia is adding a new family of long-range, low-power OEM modules and modems to its portfolio of wireless technologies for industrial-type applications.

XStream 2.4 complements Sequoia's existing specialist wireless data offerings, by using 2.4GHz licence-free ISM bands to provide datarates up to 19.2Kbit/s over an outdoor range up to 16km.

Xstream OEM transceivers use frequency hopping and spread spectrum technologies, enabling designers to quickly and easily develop data networks using serial communications links.

No complex configuration is required: serial data from microcontrollers or RS232 ports are simply input into the modules for sharing over point-to-point, point-to-multipoint or peer-to-peer networks.

There is no necessity to configure "master" radios for the network.

Each XStream network can have up to 65,000 nodes and the frequency-hopping spread-spectrum RF technology enables up to seven independent networks to operate in close proximity.

Typical applications include automated meter reading, data acquisition, instrumentation, industrial CCTV control and transportation systems such as highway information boards.

High receiver sensitivity of -105dBm ensures a line-of-sight range of 5km with dipole or up to 16km using high-gain antennas.

Indoor and urban range is typically 183m.

Outdoor applications are further facilitated by the modules' low power requirements of just 150mA for transmission and 50mA for reception.

Additional low-power modes provide operational current consumption as low as 1mA down to less than 26uA in power-down mode.

The versatile XStream protocol enables modules to be configured using fast binary software and standard AT modem commands, and there is support for multiple data formats including 7 or 8bit data with even, odd or no parity.

A transparent programming mode supports developers' existing software applications and legacy systems.

Xon/Xoff or hardware flow control is provided and retries and acknowledgements guarantee delivery of data packets, even in difficult environments.

Built-in signal strength monitoring allows link quality to be monitored and data networks to be debugged.

As well as OEM XStream modules, Sequoia also offers stand-alone modems with either RS232/485 or USB ports.

A development kit is available featuring wireless modules, PC serial interface boards, cables, manuals and software, enabling systems to be fully tested using two PCs.

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