KarlP from the website “False and misleading information” has written this AVR code library for the MRF24J40 802.15.4 radio chip. The MRF24J40 operates in the 2.4 GHz band and supports ZigBee™, MiWi™ protocols and proprietary protocols. It interfaces with an MCU via a four-wire SPI interface.
Category Archives: RF
Si4707 weather band radio receiver ICs
NashblackCat writes to inform us of a chip that reads weather radio data: Silicon Laboratories makes an IC Weather Band (WB) radio called the Si4707. This IC is capable of using the specific area message encoding (SAME) and also supports the detection of the 1050Hz alert tone that is used by the National Weather Service. […]
RC joystick transmitter using Arduino
Ian Johnston wasn’t content to use the usual RC control joystick for his RC flying. He decided to reinvent the controller using a couple of old PC joysticks, an Arduino and the Tx PCB from Thomas Scherrer’s LRS kit. You can read the details on this project on Ian Johnston’s website. He also has the […]
TI’s ultra-low-power MSP430FR57xx FRAM microcontrollers
TI has has announced their MSP430FR57xx ultra-low-power ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) line of 16-bit microcontrollers. Their stated benefits are the ability to write data more than 100 times faster with power consumption of 250 times less than flash- and EEPROM-based microcontrollers. They are also code compatible with other MSP platforms. The on-chip FRAM allows […]
Energy harvesting wireless sensors use TCP/IP
EnOcean has introduced a line of energy harvesting wireless sensor modules. Designed to function without the need for an external power source, these modules, ranging from a simple push button to transceiver gateways and programmable system components, are designed to operate in the 315 MHz and 868 MHz unlicensed bands. Unlike sensors using proprietary RF […]
The Ghazala Thereglyph: radiopool synthesizer
Reed Ghazala, author of Circuit-Bending : Build Your Own Alien Instrument has released his latest creation: The Ghazala Thereglyph. He writes: The Thereglyph is a “radiopool” instrument, my term for a radio-sensitive instrument meant to be placed within the RF ‘pool’ of an outside source. Like the theremin, pitch and volume can be adjusted without […]
Design of next-gen RF remote controls
In this article from EETimes Europe, Cees Links of GreenPeak Technologies discusses some of the issues facing designers of next-generation RF remote controls. Topics relating to minimizing power consumption, the RF4CE ZigBee standard and interoperability are highlighted.
NimbleSig III RF analyzer using Renesas RX62N
Va7sa designed this RF analyzer as his entry in the Renesas RX design contest. He writes: The NimbleSig III RF Analyzer is a compact, relatively inexpensive instrumentation cluster intended for analyzing the transmission characteristics of RF circuits designed to operate within the frequency range of 200 KHz to 200 MHz. The analyzer is capable of […]
FCC adopts spread spectrum rules changes
According to the ARRL, the FCC has adopted changes to the rules governing the use of spread spectrum radio transmissions by US Amateur Radio operators. The rule changes, which take effect April 29, 2011, eliminate the requirement that amateur stations transmitting Spread Spectrum use Automatic Power Control (APC) to reduce transmitter power. This requirement proved […]
JeeLabs JeeNode combines Arduino, RF
JeeLabs has a product known as the JeeNode v5, which is essentially a miniature Arduino (Atmega328p) board with an onboard RFM12B wireless module. Boards are available with the serial interface (shown above) as well as USB. You can buy the kit directly from JeeLabs, or build your own using the schematic and documentation provided. While […]
FCC launches beta of new website
The FCC has launched the beta version of its newly redesigned website. New tools for exploring spectrum allocation, radio frequency licenses, rules and more. According to their press release:This beta launch isn’t a beta in a traditional sense. FCC.gov will change again — and quickly. It’s an approach that’s fairly foreign to the way most […]
ARISSat-1 on the air this week (temporarily)
As previously posted, the ARISSat-1 amateur radio satellite remains inside the International Space Station awaiting its anticipated release into orbit this July. According to the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) website, the ARISSat-1 satellite aboard the International Space Station will be on the air using the station’s external antenna, starting on Monday, April 11, at […]
iPad/Kinect/HTML5 controlled toy car
Gaurav Manek likes to work with Arduino and experiment with different means of remote control. His latest project involves several new technologies relating to gesture- and web-based control. He writes: This project extends a simple remote-controlled car, allowing it to be controlled by an iPad or by hand gestures. This project builds on the Arduino […]
Get basic hardware info using FCC ID number
When reverse engineering RF related hardware, you may notice an FCC ID number on a placard near the device’s model and serial numbers. The first three letters of the ID represents the “Grantee Code”, and the remaining letters and numbers are the “Product Code”. By entering these two values in the FCC ID Search Form […]
App note: Intro to digital communications systems
Digital modulation techniques are seeing increasing use worldwide. In the US, the FCC is actually mandating narrowband digital mobile radio (DMR) for certain Land Mobile Radio (LMR) users as explained in this Digital Mobile Radio Association white paper. Datasheets for various chips increasingly made reference to acronyms like GMSK, FSK and others. Agilent has published […]
Radio spectrum dashboard
The FCC has a unique and authoritative reference known as the Radio Spectrum Dashboard. It provides a public means of reviewing how spectrum bands are allocated and for what uses, and who holds licenses and in what areas. This version provides basic, plain language information about frequencies generally deemed appropriate for mobile broadband (225 MHz […]
Handheld RF spectrum analyzer now available
Seeed has a new handheld RF Spectrum Analyzer designed by Arocholl: As wireless communication devices grows in use everywhere, so it does the need to monitor, test and diagnose them. RF Explorer is an extremely affordable Handheld Spectrum Analyzer designed from scratch to be a sort of Swiss Army Knife for the specific needs of […]
QUISK software defined radio
QUISK is open source software defined radio (SDR) platform by James Ahlstrom. QUISK can interface with certain radio receivers or amateur radio transceivers, and essentially takes over control of the rig’s operation including changing mode, frequency, transmit/receive switching, demodulation, etc. It’s written in Python and C, and all source is included. QUISK runs under Linux […]
Hacked Sprint/Nextel is a secure walkie talkie
Looking for a unique way of communicating at your hackerspace? Why not hack used Sprint/Nextel phones into free “off the grid”, relatively secure walkie talkies? Here’s a cool keyboard trick which reportedly works on Sprint/Nextel Motorola i315, i325 models and some other Motorola phones, which puts the phone into “Direct Talk” (a/k/a MOTOTalk) mode. This […]
Semtech RF data transmitter chips
Semtech has released a line of “power and go” inexpensive data transmitter chips. The new SX1240 and SX1242 ISM-band RF transmitters enable true data-in/RF-out capability, with only an external crystal and antenna impedance matching network needed. They simplify design by integrating “power-and-go modes,” which are pre-set for 434 MHz and 868 MHz (SX1240) or 345 […]