促進智慧無線網路發展 TI推低功耗RF方案

From EETaiwan

德州儀器(TI)宣佈推出完整的2.4GHz射頻(RF)系統單晶片解決方案CC2530，該產品不僅支援IEEE 802.15.4標準，而且還支援包括ZigBee PRO網路、ZigBee RF4CE遙控、智慧能源(smart energy)、家庭與建築自動化、環境監控以及無線醫療等一系列的延伸應用。

與同類競爭解決方案不同，CC2530可提供多達256K的快閃記憶體，進而協助多種網路協定的開發。同時，TI還提供可免費下載的軟體與工具，以確保客戶能獲得全部的所需支援以進行完整系統開發。

TI 表示，CC2530可充分滿足RF遙控與影音消費電子產品、高效能智慧能源網路、先進家庭自動化設備及個人無線醫療裝置等應用的需求。結合業界最佳的 IEEE 802.15.4系統單晶片與無與倫比的軟體工具組，預期將為新一代低功耗無線網路系統的開發創造無限可能性。

TI 將提供CC2530所支援的各種免費協定軟體堆疊，可根據系統要求選擇低成本網路協定。該軟體堆疊適用於符合ZigBee標準應用的Z-Stack軟體 (ZigBee PRO)、ZigBee RF4CE遙控應用的RemoTI網路協定，以及非標準網路應用的SimpliciTI網路協定。

CC2530 整合了RF收發器、業界標準加強型8051 MCU、系統內可程式快閃記憶體、8KB RAM以及多種功能。其快閃記憶體容量比最接近的同類競品高出2倍(256K)，並且具備延伸的週邊裝置，如DMA、GPIO、USART、ADC及計時 器，可支援廣泛的應用領域並降低物料清單(bill-of-material)成本。

新元件的相容產品包括CC2590與 CC2591 2.4GHz類比前端(增距器)以及MSP430超低功耗微處理器。目前，採用QFN-40封裝的CC2530已開始供貨。客戶可採用完整展示套件進行開 發，該套件提供了評估CC2530所需的所有硬體與軟體，其中包括基礎開發套件(CC2530DK)、ZigBee開發套件(CC2530ZDK)以及 ZigBee RF4CE開發套件(RemoTI-CC2530DK)。

Change Infrared to RF with RemoTI™

From TI

Most existing remote controls use infrared technology to communicate commands to controlled devices. However, radio frequency (RF) remote controls enable non-line-of-sight operation and provide more advanced features based on bi-directional RF communication.

ZigBee® RF4CE
ZigBee RF4CE (Radio Frequency for Consumer Electronics) is the result of a recent agreement between the ZigBee Alliance and the RF4CE Consortium and has been designed to be deployed in a wide range of remotely-controlled audio/visual consumer electronics products, such as TVs and set-top boxes. ZigBee RF4CE promises you:
•	Richer communication and increased reliability
•	Enhanced features and flexibility
•	Interoperability
•	No line-of-sight barrier

RemoTI™ is Texas Instruments solution for ZigBee® RF4CE

RemoTI is a complete solution offering hardware and software support for TI’s low-power RF product portfolio. With the RemoTI solution we provide:

•	Hardware roadmap for a cost-reduced, feature-enriched solution designed for ZigBee RF4CE
•	ZigBee RF4CE that is built on our well-tested, reliable software, the TIMAC, which is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol stack and runs in millions of devices worldwide
•	Extensive worldwide support and tools to ensure that development of ZigBee RF4CE-based products is simple, fast and can be completed at minimal cost

The ZigBee Alliance has established the new ZigBee RF4CE standard for remote control communication by:
•	Developing the new standard on the existing IEEE 802.15.4 PHY and MAC protocol
•	Defining a thin, flexible networking layer to support specific networking functionality, such as simple pairing
•	Building in ‘frequency agility’ to ensure reliability and robustness
•	Enabling worldwide operation
•	Implementing a power-save mechanism for low-power RC products

Hardware and software solutions' roadmap for remote control applications

Cypress的低功耗ProC符合無線HID設計需求

Cypress Semiconductor發表下一世代可編程無線電系統單晶片(ProC)。採用單晶片架構的PRoC LP整合了強固的WirelessUSB LP 2.4GHz收發器，以及低成本enCoRe II 8位元快閃型微控制器。PRoC LP能簡化程式碼與機板電路佈線，進而縮短設計時程與縮小機板空間，以符合滑鼠、簡報工具與無線遙控器等小型無線人機介面裝置(HID)之需求。

Cypress PRoC LP藉 由在單晶片上整合無線收發器與數位基頻，使其運作電壓可控制在1.8～5.25V之間，並採用先進的省電技術，以延長應用裝置的電池壽命。可針對介面模組 (dongles) /橋接器、滑鼠、簡報工具、遙控器，以及其他簡單多點對單點型的無線應用，提供優異的抗干擾能力、低材料清單成本、更高的資料傳輸率，以及更快的產品上市 時程。

PRoC LP亦整合了使用簡易的KISSBind功能，能提供無線週邊與其主機之間直覺式的連線方式，使用者只需讓兩者之間的距離夠近即可連線，而此方便的設計也可減少客戶來電尋求支援的次數。

相較於其他競爭解決方案，PRoC LP可 減少HID應用中的元件數目與整體材料清單。此裝置採用Cypress獲專利的捷頻(frequency agile)直接序列展頻(DSSS)技術，為全球通用2.4-GHz ISM(工業/科學/醫療)頻帶的無線系統運作提供絕佳的抗干擾能力；亦為充滿干擾的無線射頻環境提供一個理想解決方案。

此高度整合之無線解決方案只需使用一個外部振盪器，並整合電壓轉換器與被動元件來減少元件數，因此降低系統成本與機板電路複雜度。此外，PRoC LP具備1Mbps資料傳輸率與-97dBm接收靈敏度；另外，其0.87mA的平均運作電流，可延長HID應用產品一年的電池壽命。

PRoC LP目前針對滑鼠及其他週邊產品，提供PRoC LP CYRF69103產品樣品；而針對USB橋接器及介面模組，則提供PRoC LP CYRF69213產品樣品。其系統內建可重複編程的快閃架構微控制器讓設計人員在設計最後階段仍可進行韌體修改，且無須額外的EEPROM儲存約束參數 (binding parameters)。

此兩款產品皆採用40針腳QFN封裝，並預計於2007年二月開始量產供貨。

內建天線分集能力的嵌入式無線方案問世

芯科實驗室(Silicon Laboratories)推出全新嵌入式無線方案──EZRadioPRO系列和C8051F9xx系列低功耗微控制器(MCU)。其中，EZRadioPRO最大單晶片輸出功率可達+20dBm)，靈敏度則達-118dBm)，提供了良好鏈路品質，在持續擴大傳輸範圍時，可將功耗降至最低。

新元件內建了大量功能特性，如封包處理和天線分集(antenna diversity)，讓裝置能以最低的整體系統成本達到240至960MHz頻率。若搭配Silicon Labs的低功耗、低電壓C8051F9xx MCU系列，客戶便能開發僅需單顆電池即可運作的嵌入式無線方案，大幅減少諸如遠端讀表、家庭保全、遙控車門開關及建築自動化等消費性及工業應用的成本和體積。

Silicon Laboratories表示，大部分的嵌入式無線應用皆需以高效能射頻收發器、接收器或傳輸器來進行數據傳輸，並以嵌入式MCU負責系統控制和資訊處理。這些應用要求最寬廣的傳輸範圍、最強大的效能以及最長的電池壽命。

通常，這些類型的應用皆處於充滿雜訊的環境而導致無線效能降低，不過藉由強化無線鏈路品質，包括諸如天線分集等的無線電特性，以及採用嵌入式DSP以數位方式實現重要的無線電特性等，如此一來，即使是在最苛刻的運作環境中，亦能達到最高的效能。

此 次發佈的EZRadioPRO收發器、接收器和傳輸器，在晶片上整合嵌入式天線分集能力，能自動選擇效果最好的天線，進而提升效能。此外，元件支援內建封包處理、喚醒計時器、溫度感應及低電壓檢測功能。其他同業的產品需仰賴外部控制器提供上述相似的功能，此種方式會增加成本及軟體的複雜度，同時還會對電池 壽命造成負面的影響。

C8051F9xx系列的低電壓、低功耗MCU，操作電壓可低至0.9V，整合了dc-dc控制器，可為MCU和EZRadioPRO元件提供高達65mW的功率，進而打造出單顆電池即可運作的Radio/MCU解決方案。

EZRadioPRO 系列內建高效能低雜訊放大器(LNA)及功率放大器(PA)，讓許多要求苛刻的應用不再需要採用昂貴的外部元件，材料成本(BOM)約可降低0.50至1 美元。EZRadioPRO提供極大的彈性，讓客戶可透過暫存器設定改變重要的無線電參數，為不同的應用和環境量身打造，在效能和電池壽命之間進行最有利的權衡。

EZRadioPRO和C8051F9xx均已獲得Silicon Labs的工具支援，客戶無需付費便可獲得完整的專業級無線開發套件(WDS)，包括參考程式碼、電路圖、Gerbers文件以及易於使用的圖形化使用介 面(GUI)，可協助設計工程師配置參數，迅速進行實驗室評估。WDS GUI也提供參數配置文件，其中包括使用MCU IDE所需的所有暫存器設定。

Link

Micropelt Introduces World’s First Thermoharvester-Driven Wireless Sensor Node

Micropelt GmbH, Freiburg, Germany-based specialist in thin film thermoelectrics, announces immediate commercial availability of the world’s first thermo-powered wireless sensor system, the TE-Power NODE. Micropelt’s built-in chip thermogenerator takes a few degrees of temperature differential and harvests that thermal energy to operate the wireless sensor node, enabling unlimited battery-free operation.

Wireless sensor networks offer many advantages. Market growth, however, lags behind expectations as many potential users avoid the burden of having to maintain hundreds or thousands of batteries. Micropelt’s TE-Power NODE fixes the issue. The TE-Power NODE evaluation kit transmits multiple channels of digital sensor data helping both users and integrators of thermoharvesters better understand many aspects of their implementation in terms of application scenarios and energy budgets.

More info here and here.

Cypress CyFi Low-Power RF

The CyFi Low-Power RF solution is a highly reliable, easy-to-use 2.4-GHz answer to a wide range of wireless embedded control challenges. It enables designers to create wireless systems without making compromises to overcome the typical risks of unreliable performance, complex implementation, and high power consumption. By combining Cypress's PSoC programmable system-on-chip, a sophisticated yet lightweight network protocol stack, and a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) transceiver, the CyFi solution achieves levels of reliability, simplicity, and power-efficiency unmatched by other embedded wireless technologies.

■ 2.4 GHz Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) radio transceiver
■ Operates in the unlicensed worldwide Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band (2.400 GHz – 2.483 GHz)
■ 21 mA operating current (Transmit at –5 dBm)
■ Transmit power up to +4 dBm
■ Receive sensitivity up to –97 dBm
■ Sleep Current <1 μA
■ DSSS data rates up to 250 kbps, GFSK data rate of 1 Mbps
■ Low external component count
■ Auto Transaction Sequencer (ATS) - no MCU intervention
■ Framing, Length, CRC16, and Auto ACK
■ Power Management Unit (PMU) for MCU
■ Fast startup and fast channel changes
■ Separate 16 byte transmit and receive FIFOs
■ Dynamic data rate reception
■ Receive Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)
■ Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) control while in sleep mode
■ 4 MHz SPI microcontroller interface
■ Battery voltage monitoring circuitry
■ Supports coin-cell operated applications
■ Operating voltage from 1.8V to 3.6V
■ Operating temperature from 0 to 70°C
■ Space saving 40-pin QFN 6x6 mm package

Applications:
■ Wireless Sensor Networks
■ Wireless Actuator Control
■ Home Automation
■ White Goods
■ Commercial Building Automation
■ Automatic Meter Readers
■ Precision Agriculture
■ Remote Controls
■ Consumer Electronics
■ Personal Health and Fitness
■ Toys

Learn more about CyFi Low-Power RF by visiting www.cypress.com/cyfi.

Kit Enables Permanently-Powered Wireless Sensor Networks

TI’s eZ430-RF2500-SEH solar energy harvesting kit combines Cymbet’s EnerChip thin-film battery solution with TI’s ultra-low power MSP430 MCU and RF technology.

As wireless network systems designers look to alternative energy sources, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) announced a solar energy harvesting (SEH) development kit that converts ambient light into power for industrial, transportation, agricultural and commercial applications. The credit card-sized eZ430-RF2500-SEH kit combines Cymbet Corporation’s EnerChip thin-film battery technology with TI’s MSP430 microcontrollers (MCU), CC2500 radio frequency (RF) transceivers and the eZ430-RF2500 development tool. Developers can now build self powered solar-based wireless sensor networks, eliminating system batteries, which cost time and money to periodically replace, especially in remote locations. The $149 eZ430-RF2500-SEH kit is sampling now and is available via the TI e-store or authorized distributors.