DALLAS-Texas Instruments plans to introduce today a chipset that combines radio-frequency data transmission and reception with a microcontroller unit.
The chipset consists of the TRF6900 single-chip RF transceiver, which provides for flexibility in low-power RF transmission and reception, while the MSP430 MCU is part of a family of chips that offer a wide range of options in memory size and peripherals. Both chips are designed to conserve power, with combined standby power consumption of only four microamps, said the company. The lower rate of power loss enables designers to build metering applications that can operate for more than five years from a single lithium battery.
The chipset operates in the 850 MHz to 950 MHz industrial, scientific and medical frequency range.
The chip is targeted for use with applications such as utility metering, climate control, security systems, wireless data transmission, consumer electronics and battery-powered instrumentation.
The new two-device RF-MCU chipset provides a programmable solution that enables the design of low-cost systems as small as two postage stamps, said the company. With the chipset, designers can build a complete system with a bill of materials less than $6, said TI.
