Telegesis launches 3rd generation ZigBee module

The ETRX3 has a footprint of just 19mm x 25mm for both standard and PA/LNA versions and will be available with either an on board antennae or a Hirose U.FL connector to allow connection of external antennae.



The new ETRX3 family supplements the ETRX2 module range successfully introduced in 2007 which has been used in many high volume applications including metering and sensor networks.



The EM357 SOC used in the ETRX3 is a fully integrated 2.4GHz IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee transceiver based on a 32bit ARM Cortex M-3 core which exceeds the dynamic range of requirements imposed by the 802.15.4 spec by over 15dB.



The high performance and low power of the ARM Cortex core makes it an ideal choice for low power, battery operated applications such as ZigBee. The ETRX3 follows the Telegesis philosophy of offering fully tested and approved ZigBee solutions allowing designers to easily add ZigBee functionality to a design without the need for RF design experience or embedded code.



The module works from a 2.1v to 3.6v supply and active power consumption is reduced by over 20% compared to the ETRX2. In deep sleep mode, current consumption is reduced to 800nA and further reduced to 400na if the self wakeup feature is not enabled.



A link budget of 105dB on the standard ETRX3 module gives excellent performance and RF power can be further boosted by use of the ETRX3-PA which adds an extra LNA+PA boosting the link budget to 123dB.



The ETRX3 features all the advanced software already present on other Telegesis ZigBee modules such as the Telegesis AT command set which allows the designer to use the functionality of the EmberZNet stack without the need for complex embedded code. Development is also made easier by the addition of an integrated JTAG and debugging interface.



The expanded on chip memory available on the EM300 family of up to 192kB of flash and 12K of RAM for data and program storage means that code space is available for the most memory hungry ZigBee application.



The ETRX3 has been carefully designed to allow the best price/performance possible. All components used allow operation over the full temperature range of -40 to +85C and production is undertaken at an ISO9000 and ISO14001 certified manufacturer.



Telegesis is now in its fourth year of exclusive focus on the ZigBee market and Business Development Manager Ollie Smith commented “The ETRX3 is a major milestone for Telegesis; We’ve designed this new range for demanding applications such has metering and Smart Energy applications and being first to market with a module solution based on this world beating new SOC from Ember keeps Telegesis at the forefront of the ZigBee module business”.