RFIC chip has 15km transmission range
1 min read
A long range RFIC platform from Semtech is said to boost transmission range to 15km. The device, called the SX1272, integrates Semtech's LoRa modulation technology to increase range compared with other modulation methods. According to the company, the maximum distance for a smart meter transceiver in Europe using FSK modulation is up to 2km.
The SX1272 is designed for a range of industrial, smart metering and sensor network applications. The longer range will eliminate the need for repeaters in these applications, simplifying system design and lowering cost. The range extension provided by LoRa is said to make the device suitable for use in smart city, internet of things and M2M applications.
A low cost crystal is said to give the device a receiver sensitivity of up to -137dBm. Additionally, says Semtech, the SX1272 has a 25dB improvement over FSK devices for rejecting in band interfering signals, important in ISM band applications.
"The SX1272 and LoRa is a significant wireless technology advancement that will drive the next volume market deployments for smart cities, sensor networks, IOT and M2M," claimed Jean-Paul Bardyn, Semtech's chief technical officer. "The long range capabilities of the device, combined with Semtech's low power expertise give the company a market position that will drive significant growth for our wireless and sensing business unit."
The SX1272, which has a maximum data transmission rate of 300kbit/s, supports GFSK, FSK, GMSK, and OOK modulation in addition to LoRa and is designed to support WMBus, IEEE 802.15.4g (SUN), FCC 15.247, ARIB T96/108 and EN 300-220, as well as other worldwide standards and regulations.
