Avnet Memec has introduced a chipset for Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band radios. It combines application-specific integrated passive devices with a low-power transceiver. The advanced ISM radio chip-set solution is based on the new generation of companion chip products from silicon passive devices supplier IPDiA, which have been designed specifically for use with Semtech's SX1211 - the industry's lowest-power integrated UHF RF transceiver. This low-cost single-chip transceiver operates in the frequency ranges from 863-870, 902-928 MHz and 950-960 MHz, and consumes just 3mA in receive mode. IPDiA's companion chips, the ASPICS320, leverage the company's advanced Passive Integrated Connective Substrate (PICS) technology, which enables devices such as baluns, couplers, splitters, filters and diplexers/duplexers to be integrated densely on a silicon substrate. The result is a saving of up to 80% in PCB area compared with discrete SMD solutions. With three variants covering the 868MHz to 915MHz RF range, the ASPICS320 puts a highly symmetric VCO tank, a loop filter with optimal bandwidth, a high matching network, high RF rejection and efficient decoupling onto a single silicon die; it replaces 13 key components, including the SAW function, in a package just 2.05 x 5.5mm in footprint.
