Wireless transceivers enhance metering capabilities

According to the company, the AT86RF215 is the industry’s first dual-band sub-1/2.4GHz transceiver compliant to IEEE 802.15.4g-2012 and ETSI TS 102 887-1. The devices, which deliver an output power of up to 14dBm, can achieve a link budget of 137dB with receiver sensitivities down to -123dBm.

The AT86RF215 family supports a variety of data rates through three modulation schemes: multi-rate and multi-regional frequency shift keying, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing and offset quadrature phase-shift keying. This includes the physical layer used for ZigBee PRO and ZigBee IP. New, cost-effective capabilities in smart metering, smart lighting and home energy gateways are enabled by simultaneous operation at sub-1 and 2.4GHz.

“We are excited to see the widespread adoption of standards-based connectivity solutions for the utility industry worldwide,” commented Kourosh Boutorabi, Senior Director of smart energy products, Atmel. “Expanding our portfolio of smart metering solutions to include wireless transceivers reinforces our commitment to serve this growing market. We are continuing to deliver platform solutions for the smart energy market, including powerline carrier connectivity and industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of metering SoC solutions.”

Samples and evaluation kits for the AT86RF215 family are available now to lead customers. General sampling is planned for Q1 2015 and volume production for Q3 2015.