A fully integrated transceiver on a chip, the ATR2406 from Atmel is designed for low-cost, cable replacement applications in the 2.4-GHz ISM band. Target applications include consumer products such as remote controls for toys, infotainment systems and set-top boxes, as well as industrial applications such as electronic point-of-sales systems.

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Fabricated in an SiGe BiCMOS process, the transceiver IC is based on a low-IF (around 1 MHz) receiver architecture that reduces external component requirements and lowers bill-of-materials cost. In addition, the transceiver's combination of high receive sensitivity (-93 dBm) and high output power on transmit (up to +4 dBm) enables a link budget of about 100 m at the max data rate when using a quarter-wavelength antenna. The transceiver supports data rates up to 1.152 kbps.

In lieu of an on-chip, transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) switch, the ATR2406 relies on an external pin diode for Tx/Rx switching. This approach allows the chip to be used with an external low-noise amplifier or power amplifier, if desired. Other features include receive signal strength indication and digital clock recovery.

The ATR2406 interfaces seamlessly with the company's AVR Flash microcontrollers, providing a complete chipset design for an ISM-band radio. In typical low data rate applications, this transceiver plus AVR microcontroller combination can achieve an average current consumption of less than 5 mA by operating in a burst mode.

Samples of the ATR2406 in 5 mm x 5 mm QFN packages are available now with high-volume production scheduled to begin in August. Unit pricing in 100 k quantities will start at $1.80. A complete evaluation kit including reference designs and RF protocol firmware are also available. The development kit is priced at $500.