MICRF218 3.3V, 315/433MHz Wide-IF Bandwidth ASK Receiver General Description Features The MICRF218 is a 3.0V to 3.6V, 300MHz to 450MHz ASK/OOK super-heterodyne receiver with user selectable Intermediate Frequency (IF) Bandwidths of 550kHz or 1500kHz at 433.92MHz, making it an excellent solution for use with low-cost SAW-based transmitters or transmitters which use low-cost, mediumgrade (~30ppm) crystals. The device requires a single, low-cost crystal to select the proper RF frequency, integrated Automatic Gain Control (AGC), data slicer, and programmable baseband filter bandwidths of 1.6kHz to 13kHz allowing the device to support bit-rates up to 20kbps at 433.92MHz. The MICRF218 consumes 4.0mA of supply current at 315MHz and 5.5mA of supply current at 433.92MHz. The device also features a low-power shutdown mode where the device consumes 1µA of supply current. The device achieves a sensitivity of -108dBm at 1kbps. For transmitters using higher-quality (~10ppm) crystals, the MICRF219A/MICRF220 offer an IF-bandwidth of 330kHz and a sensitivity of -110dBm at 1kbps, which can provide better sensitivity and longer range performance. Datasheets and support documentation are available on Micrel’s website at: www.micrel.com. • Fully integrated 300MHz to 450MHz ASK/OOK receiver • No external IF filter required • Wide IF-bandwidth filter supports reception of SAW based and medium-grade (~30ppm) transmitter • Sensitivity at 433.92MHz at 1kbps with 0.1% BER o -108dBm sensitivity with 550kHz IF bandwidth o -106dBm sensitivity with 1500kHz IF bandwidth • Low-supply current o 4.0mA at 315MHz o 5.5mA at 433.92MHz o 1µA low-power shutdown mode • Data rates to 10kbps (Manchester Encoded) @ 433.92MHz • Duty cycling capable > 100:1 (shut down mode) • 60dB analog received signal strength indicator • 16-pin QSOP (4.9mm x 6.0mm) package Typical Application Y1 9.8131MHz ANT PCB Pattern 1 C2 1.5pF 50V 2 3 4 +3V L1 39nH C1 6.8pF 5 6 L2 68nH 7 C3 0.1µF 16V 8 U1 MICRF218AYQS RO1 RO2 GNDRF NC ANT RSSI GNDRF CAGC VDD CTH IF_BW SEL1 SEL0 DO SHDN GND 16 15 14 RSSI 13 12 11 10 DO 9 C4 0.1µF 16V C5 4.7µF 6.3V IF_BW CONTROL 315MHz/315.802, 900Hz Baud Rate Example QwikRadio is a registered trademark of Micrel, Inc. MLF and MicroLeadFrame are trademarks of Amkor Technology, Inc. Micrel Inc. • 2180 Fortune Drive • San Jose, CA 95131 • USA • tel +1 (408) 944-0800 • fax + 1 (408) 474-1000 • http://www.micrel.com August 12, 2015 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Ordering Information Part Number Temperature Range Package MICRF218AYQS –40° to +85°C 16-Pin QSOP Pin Configuration RO1 GNDRF ANT GNDRF Vdd IF_BW SEL0 SHDN 1 16 2 15 3 14 4 13 5 12 6 11 7 10 8 9 RO2 NC RSSI CAGC CTH SEL1 DO GND MICRF218AYQS Pin Description 16-Pin QSOP Pin Name 1 RO1 2 GNDRF 3 ANT 4 GNDRF 5 VDD 6 IF_BW IF bandwidth control logic input. Use VDD for Wide IF Bandwidth or VSS for Narrow IF Bandwidth. This pin must not be left floating, must be tied to VDD or VSS. 7 SEL0 Logic control input with active internal pull-up. Used in conjunction with SEL1 to control the demodulator low pass filter bandwidth. (See filter table for SEL0 and SEL1 in application subsection) 8 SHDN Shutdown logic control input. Active internal pull-up and must be pulled low for Normal Operation. Pin Function Reference resonator input connection to Colpitts oscillator stage. May also be driven by external reference signal of 1.5V p-p amplitude maximum. Negative supply connection associated with ANT RF input. RF signal input from antenna. Internally AC-Coupled. It is recommended that a matching network with an inductor to RF ground is used to improve ESD protection. Negative supply connection associated with ANT RF input. Positive supply connection for all chip functions. 9 GND 10 DO 11 SEL1 Logic control input with active internal pull-up. Used in conjunction with SEL0 to control the demodulator low pass filter bandwidth. (See filter table for SEL0 and SEL1 in application subsection) 12 CTH Demodulation threshold voltage integration capacitor. Capacitor to GND sets the settling time for the demodulation data slicing level. Values above 1nF are recommended and should be optimized for data rate and data profile. 13 CAGC AGC filter capacitor. A capacitor, normally greater than 0.47uF, is connected from this pin to GND 14 RSSI Received signal strength indication output. Output is from a buffer with 200 ohms typical output impedance. 15 NC 16 RO2 August 12, 2015 Negative supply connection for all chip functions except RF input. Demodulated data output. Not Connected Reference resonator connection. 7pF in parallel with low resistance MOS switch to GND during normal operation. Driven by startup excitation circuit during the internal startup control sequence. 2 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Absolute Maximum Ratings(1) Operating Ratings(2) Supply Voltage (VDD) .................................................+5V Input Voltage ............................................................. +5V Junction Temperature ......................................... +150°C Lead Temperature (soldering, 10sec.) ................ +260°C Storage Temperature (TS) ..................... -65ºC to +150°C Maximum Receiver Input Power ........................+10dBm ESD Rating(3) .......................................................... 3kV Supply voltage (VDD) ............................ +3.0V to +3.6V Ambient Temperature (TA).................. –40°C to +85°C Input Voltage (VIN) ..................................... 3.6V (max.) Maximum Input RF Power .............................. –20dBm Operating Frequency .................... 300MHz to 450MHz Electrical Characteristics(4) Specifications apply for VDD = 3.0V, VSS = 0V, CAGC = 4.7µF, CTH = 0.1µF, Bold values indicate –40°C TA +85°C. Symbol Parameter IDD MICRF218 Operating Supply Current Ishut Condition Continuous Operation, fRX = 315MHz Min Typ 4.0 Max Units mA 20:1 Duty Cycle, fRX = 315MHz 0.2 mA Continuous Operation, fRX = 433.92MHz 5.5 mA 20:1 Duty Cycle, fRX = 433.92MHz 0.3 mA 1 µA 20 dB fRX = 315MHz, Narrow IF 0.98 MHz fRX = 433.92MHz, Narrow IF 1.4 MHz 1 IF Center Frequency fRX = 315MHz, Wide IF 1.8 MHz fRX = 433.92MHz, Wide IF 2.4 MHz Receiver Sensitivity @ 1kbps fRX = 315MHz, Narrow IF (50Ω) -108 dBm fRX = 433.92MHz, Narrow IF (50Ω) -108 dBm fRX = 315MHz, Wide IF (50Ω) -106 dBm fRX = 433.92MHz, Wide IF (50Ω) -106 dBm fRX = 315MHz, Narrow IF fRX = 433.92MHz, Narrow IF fRX = 315MHz, Wide IF fRX = 433.92MHz, Wide IF 400 550 1000 1500 kHz kHz kHz kHz 16-j211 Ω 9.54-j152 Ω Shut down Current RF/IF Section Image Rejection st 1 IF Center Frequency st Receiver Sensitivity @ 1kbps IF Bandwidth Antenna Input Impedance Receive Modulation Duty Cycle August 12, 2015 fRX = 315MHz fRX = 433.92MHz Note 6 20 3 80 % Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Electrical Characteristics(4) (Continued) Specifications apply for VDD = 3.0V, VSS = 0V, CAGC = 4.7µF, CTH = 0.1µF, Bold values indicate –40°C TA +85°C. Symbol Parameter AGC Attack / Decay Ratio Condition Min Typ Max Units tATTACK / tDECAY 0.1 AGC pin leakage current TA = 25ºC ±2 nA TA = +85ºC ± 800 nA AGC Dynamic Range @ fRX = 433.92MHz RFIN @ -50dBm 1.13 V RFIN @ -110dBm 1.70 V 9.8131 MHz 9.78823 MHz 13.5178 MHz 13.48352 MHz 300 kΩ Reference Oscillator Frequency fRX = 315MHz, Narrow IF, IF_BW = VSS Crystal Load Cap = 10pF fRX = 315MHz, Wide IF, IF_BW = VDD Crystal Load Cap = 10pF fRX = 433.92MHz Narrow IF, IF_BW = VSS Crystal Load Cap = 10pF fRX = 433.92MHz Wide IF , IF_BW = VDD Crystal Load Cap = 10pF Input Impedance Input Range Source Current Demodulator CTH Source Impedance CTH Leakage Current Demodulator Filter Bandwidth @ 315 MHz CTH Source Impedance CTH Leakage Current Demodulator Filter Bandwidth @ 433.92 MHz August 12, 2015 0.2 V(REFOSC) = 0V fREFOSC = 9.8131MHz, 315MHz, Note 8 TA = 25ºC TA = +85ºC SEL0=0, SEL1=0 SEL0=0, SEL1=1 SEL0=1, SEL1=0 SEL0=1, SEL1=1 1.5 µA 165 kΩ ±2 ± 800 1180 2360 4720 9420 fREFOSC = MHz, 433.92MHz, note 8 TA = 25ºC TA = +85ºC SEL0=0, SEL1=0 SEL0=0, SEL1=1 SEL0=1, SEL1=0 SEL0=1, SEL1=1 nA Hz Hz Hz Hz kΩ 120 ±2 ± 800 1625 3250 6500 13000 4 Vp-p 3.5 nA Hz Hz Hz Hz Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Electrical Characteristics(4) (Continued) Specifications apply for VDD = 3.0V, VSS = 0V, CAGC = 4.7µF, CTH = 0.1µF, Bold values indicate –40°C TA +85°C. Symbol Parameter Condition Min Typ Max Units Digital / Control Functions Input High Voltage Pins DO (As input), SHDN Input Low Voltage Pins DO (As input), SHDN DO pin output current Output rise and fall times V 0.8VDD 0.2VDD Source @ 0.8 Vdd 260 Sink @ 0.2 Vdd 600 CI = 15 pF, pin DO, 10-90% V µA 2 µsec 0.22 to 2 V RSSI RSSI DC Output Voltage Range RSSI response slope -90dBm to -40dBm RSSI Output Current RSSI Output Impedance RSSI Response Time ±1.5 mV/ dBm mA 200 Ω 0.3 Sec 35 50% data duty cycle, input power to Antenna = -20 dBm Notes: 1. Exceeding the absolute maximum rating may damage the device. 2. The device is not guaranteed to function outside its operating rating. 3. Device are ESD sensitive. Use appropriate ESD precaution. Exceeding the absolute maximum rating may damage the device. 4. Sensitivity is defined as the average signal level measured at the input necessary to achieve 10-2 BER (bit error rate). The input signal is defined as a return-to-zero (RZ) waveform with 50% average duty cycle (Manchester encoded) at a data rate of 1kBPS. Conductive measurement is performed using 50 ohm test circuit . 5. Spurious reverse isolation represents the spurious component that appear on the RF input pin (ANT) measured into 50 Ohms with an input RF matching network. 6. When data burst does not contain preamble, the duty cycle is then defined as total duty cycle, including any “quiet” time between data bursts. When data bursts contain preamble sufficient to charge the slice level on capacitor Cth, then duty cycle is the effective duty cycle of the burst alone. [For example, 100msec burst with 50% duty cycle, and 100msec “quiet” time between bursts. If burst includes preamble, duty cycle is TON/(TON + tOFF) = 50%; without preamble, duty cycle is TON/(TON + TOFF + TQUIET) = 50msec/(200msec) = 25%. TON is the (Average number of 1’s/burst) × bit time, and TOFF = TBURST – TON.) 7. Parameter scales linearly with reference oscillator frequency fT. For any reference oscillator frequency other than one of the tabulated frequencies (called FTAB), compute new parameter value as the ratio: 8. Parameter scales inversely with reference oscillator frequency fT. For any reference oscillator frequency other than one of the tabulated frequencies (called FTAB), compute new parameter value as the ratio: Parameter at fREFOSCMHz = ( fREFOSCMHz /FTAB ) × ( parameter at FTABMHz ) Parameter at fREFOSCMHz = ( FTAB / fREFOSCMHz ) × ( parameter at FTABMHz ) August 12, 2015 5 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Typical Characteristics August 12, 2015 6 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel August 12, 2015 MICRF218 7 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 LO Leakage in RF Port Re-radiation from MICRF218 Antenna Port August 12, 2015 8 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Figure 1 Simplified Block Diagram Functional Description Receiver Operation Figure 1 illustrates the basic structure of the MICRF218. It is composed of three sub-blocks; Image Rejection UHF Down-converter with Switch-able Dual IF Bandwidths, the OOK Demodulator, and Reference and Control Logics. Outside the device, the MICRF218 requires only three components to operate: two capacitors (CTH, and CAGC) and the reference frequency device, usually a quartz crystal. Additional five components may be used to improve performance. These are: low cost linear regulator decoupling capacitor, two components for the matching network, and two components for the preselector band pass filter. LNA The RF input signal is AC-coupled into the gate circuit of the grounded source LNA input stage. The LNA is a Cascoded NMOS. Mixers and Synthesizer The LO ports of the Mixers are driven by quadrature local oscillator outputs from the synthesizer block. The local oscillator signal from the synthesizer is placed on the low side of the desired RF signal to allow suppression of the image frequency at twice the IF frequency below the wanted signal. The local oscillator is set to 32 times the crystal reference frequency via a phase-locked loop synthesizer with a fully integrated loop filter. Image Reject Filter and IF Band-Pass Filter The IF ports of the mixer produce quadrature down converted IF signals. These IF signals are low-pass filtered to remove higher frequency products prior to August 12, 2015 9 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 the image reject filter where they are combined to reject the image frequencies. The IF signal then passes through a third order band pass filter. The IF Band-Pass filters are fully integrated inside the MICRF218. After filtering, four active gain controlled amplifier stages enhance the IF signal to proper level for demodulation. frequency may use the wider IF bandwidth by utilizing the appropriate equation (1) or (2) for each crystal frequency. The following circuit, Figure 4, is an example of switched crystal operation. The IF Bandwidth Control and REF-OSC Control allow switching between two operating frequencies with either a narrow bandwidth or a wide bandwidth. In this case, the logic control switches between 390MHz in Wide Band Mode and 315MHz in Narrow Bandwidth Mode. The advantage of this circuit is when a RF interferer is at one frequency, the receiver can go to another frequency to get clear reception. Figure 5 shows PCB layout for MICRF218 with switched crystal operation. Please contact the Micrel RF Application Group for detailed document. IF Bandwidth General Description The MICRF218 has IF filters which may be configured for operation in a narrow band or wide band mode using the IF_BW pin. This pin must not be left floating; it must be tied to VDD or VSS. With the use of a 13.4835MHz crystal and the IF_BW = VDD (wide mode) the IF frequency is set to 2.4MHz with a bandwidth of 1500kHz. With the use of a 13.5178MHz crystal and the IF_BW = VSS (narrow mode) the IF frequency is set to 1.4MHz with a bandwidth of 550kHz at 433.92MHz. The crystal frequency for Wide Bandwidth IF operation is given by: Dual Frequency Configuration Examples: Scenario 1: • Frequency 1 - 315MHz Narrow Bandwidth • Frequency 2 - 433.92MHz Wide Bandwidth A 9.81314MHz crystal switched in circuit during narrow IF mode, combined with a 13.48352MHz crystal, allows operation at 315MHz with 400kHz IF bandwidth, and at 433.92MHz with 1500kHz bandwidth. Operating Freq Eq. 1 MHz 2.178 (32 + ) 12 The crystal frequency for Narrow Bandwidth IF operation is given by: REFOSC = Operating Freq Eq. 2 MHz 1.198 ) (32 + 12 Note: The IF frequency, IF bandwidth, and IF separation between IF_BW modes using a single crystal will scale linearly and can be calculated as follows: REFOSC = Scenario 2: • Frequency 1 - 315MHz Wide Bandwidth • Frequency 2 - 433.92MHz Narrow Bandwidth A 9.78823MHz crystal switched in circuit during Wide IF mode, combined with a 13.51783MHz crystal, allows operation at 315MHz with 1000kHz IF bandwidth, and 433.92MHz with 550kHz IF bandwidth. IF_Parameter = IF_Parameter @ 433.92 MHz Operating Freq (MHz) * 433.92(MHz) Eq. 3 Scenario 3: • Frequency 1 - 315MHz Narrow Bandwidth • Frequency 2 - 433.92MHz Narrow Bandwidth A 9.8131MHz crystal switched in circuit, combined with a 13.51783MHz crystal during narrow IF mode, allows operation at 315MHz with 400kHz IF bandwidth, and at 433.92MHz with 550kHz bandwidth. Switched Crystal Application Operation Appropriate choice of two crystal frequencies and IF_BW mode switching allows operation at two different frequencies; one with low bandwidth operation and the other with high bandwidth operation. Either the lower or higher reception August 12, 2015 10 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 J1 J4 IF BANDWIDTH CONTROL 1 EXTERNAL REFERENCE OSCILLATOR INPUT 2 REFOSC 1 2 CON2 C1 NP VDD = WIDE BANDWIDTH 0V = NARROW BANDWIDTH +3V 1 J2 RF IN L4 100nH C2 2.2pF L3 100nH 2 3 4 5 +3V C3 33pF 6 L2 3.9nH 7 C5 100nF R3 NP Notes: 1. 0V = Common 2. VDD Input = 3.0 to 3.3V 3. Ref-Osc Control: 0V = 315 MHz Operation, VDD = 390.1 MHz Operation R5 100K +3V J3 3.0 to 3.3V 3.0 to 3.3V COM SHDN DO REF-OSC CNTR COM 8 U1 MICRF218AYQS RO1 RO2 GNDRF NC ANT RSSI GNDRF CAGC VDD CTH IF_BW SEL1 SEL0 DO SHDN GND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 C7 NP 16 JPR1 0 OHMS Y1 9.8131MHz JPR2 NP Y2 12.1287MHz R1 NP 15 14 TSDF1220W Q1 13 R2 NP 11 10 9 C4 0.047µF C5 4.7µF R4 0 OHMS R7 100k R11 100k R6 10k R9 10k R8 10k L3 ZCB-0603 TSDF1220W Q2 12 R10 100k +3V DATA OUT NP = Not Placed Figure 4. Dual Frequency QR218BP_SWREF, 315 MHz and 390 MHz August 12, 2015 11 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Slicer and Slicing Level The signal prior to slicer is still linear demodulated AM. Data slicer converts this signal into digital “1”s and “0”s by comparing with the threshold voltage built up on the CTH capacitor. This threshold is determined by detecting the positive and negative peaks of the data signal and storing the mean value. Slicing threshold is at 50%. After the slicer, the signal is now digital OOK data. During long periods of “0”s or no data period, threshold voltage on the CTH capacitor may be very low. Large random noise spikes during this time may cause erroneous “1”s at DO pin. Single Crystal Operation for Dual Frequency Operation When using a single crystal, the IF_BW function may be used to switch between two operating frequencies. Bandwidth will scale directly with operating frequency (equation 3). Higher operating frequency will have the wider IF bandwidth. Given one operating frequency, the other frequency can be determined.: Freq2 Narrow Bandwidth = Freq1 Wide Bandwidth * (384 + 1.198) (384 - 2.178) Eq. 4 Freq2 Wide Bandwidth = Freq1 Narrow Bandwidth * AGC Comparator The AGC comparator monitors the signal amplitude from the output of the programmable low-pass filter. When the output signal is less than 750mV, the threshold 1.5µA current is sourced into the external CAGC capacitor. When the output signal is greater than 750mV, a 15µA current sink discharges the CAGC capacitor. The voltage developed on the CAGC capacitor acts to adjust the gain of the mixer and the IF amplifier to compensate for RF input signal level variation. (384 + 2.178) (384 - 1.198) Eq. 5 OOK Demodulator The following section discusses the demodulator which is comprised of Detector, Programmable Low Pass Filter, Slicer, and AGC comparator. Detector and Programmable Low-Pass Filter The demodulation starts with the detector removing the carrier from the IF signal. Post detection, the signal becomes baseband information. The programmable low-pass filter further enhances the baseband information through the use of SEL0 and SEL1. There are four programmable low-pass filter BW settings for 433.92MHz operation, see Table 1. Low pass filter BW will vary with RF Operating Frequency. Filter BW values can be easily calculated by direct scaling. See equation below for filter BW calculation: BW Operating Freq = BW @433.92MHz * (Operating Freq) 433.92 Reference Control There are two components in Reference and Control sub-block: 1) Reference Oscillator and 2) Control Logic through parallel Inputs: SEL0, SEL1, SHDN and IF_BW. Reference Oscillator Eq. 6 It is very important to choose the filter setting that best fits the intended data rate to minimize data distortion. Demod BW is set at 13000Hz @ 433.92MHz as default (assuming both SEL0 and SEL1 pins are floating). The low pass filter can be hardware set by external pins SEL0 and SEL1. SEL0 SEL1 Demod BW (@ 434MHz) 0 0 1625Hz 1 0 3250Hz 0 1 6500Hz 1 Figure 6. Reference Oscillator Circuit 1 13000Hz - default Table 1. Demodulation BW Selection August 12, 2015 12 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Crystal Parameters To operate the MICRF218 with minimum offset, crystal frequencies should be specified with 10pF loading capacitance. Please contact Micrel RF Applications department for crystal parameters. The reference oscillator in the MICRF218 (Figure 6) uses a basic Colpitts crystal oscillator configuration with MOS transconductor to provide negative resistance. All capacitors shown in Figure 6 are integrated inside the MICRF218. R01 and R02 are external pins of MICRF218. User only needs to connect reference oscillation crystal. See equation (1) and (2) to calculate reference oscillator crystal frequency for either narrow or wide bandwidth. August 12, 2015 13 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Application Information Figure 7. QR218HE1 Application Example, 433.92 MHz, Narrow Band The MICRF218 can be fully tested by using one of many evaluation boards designed at Micrel for this device. As simple demonstrator, the QR218HE1 (Figure 7) offers a good start for most applications. It has a helical PCB antenna with its matching network, a bandpass-filter front-end as a pre-selector filter, matching network and the minimum components required to make the device work, which are a crystal, Cagc, and Cth capacitors. The matching network of the helical PCB antenna (C9 and L3) can be removed and a whip antenna (ANT2) or a RF connector (J2) can be used instead. Figure 7 shows the entire schematic of it for 433.92MHz. Other frequencies can be used. Matching network values for other frequencies are listed in the tables below. Capacitor C9 and inductor L3 are the passive elements for the helical PCB matching network. Tight tolerance is recommended for these devices, like 2% for the inductor and 0.1pF for the capacitor. PCB variations may require different component values and optimization. August 12, 2015 Table 2 shows the matching elements for the device frequency range. For additional information look for Small PCB Antennas for Micrel RF Products application note. Freq (MHz) C9 (pF) L3(nH) 315.0 1.2 75 390.0 1.2 43 418.0 1.2 36 433.92 1.5 30 Table 2. Matching Values for the Helical PCB Antenna If whip antenna is used, remove C9 and place the whip antenna in the hole provided in the PCB. Also, RF signal can be injected there (add RF connector). L1 and C8 form the pass-band-filter front-end. Its purpose is to attenuate undesired outside band noise which reduces the receiver performance. It is calculated by the parallel resonance equation: f= 14 1 (2 * π L1 * C8) Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Table 3 shows the most used frequency values. Freq (MHz) C8 (pF) L1(nH) 315.0 6.8 39 390.0 6.8 24 418.0 6.0 24 433.92 5.6 24 Q = SQRT (Rp/50 + 1) Q = 7.06 Xm = Rp / Q Xm = 345.8Ω Resonance Method For L-shape Matching Network: Lc = Xp / (2×Pi×f); Lp = Xm / (2×Pi×f) L2 = (Lc×Lp) / (Lc + Lp); C3 = 1 / (2×Pi×f×Xm) L2 = 38.9nH C3 = 1.06pF Doing the same calculation example with the Smith Chart, it would appear as follows, First, the input impedance of the device is plotted, (Z = 9.54 – j152)Ω @ 433.92MHz.(Figure 8). Table 3. Band-Pass-Filter Front-End Values There is no need for the bandpass-filter front-end for applications where it is proven that the outside band noise does not cause a problem. The MICRF218 has image reject mixers which improve significantly the selectivity and rejection of outside band noise. Capacitor C3 and inductor L2 form the L-shape matching network. The capacitor provides additional attenuation for low frequency outside band noise, and the inductor provides additional ESD protection for the antenna pin. Two methods can be used to find these values, which are matched close to 50Ω. One method is done by calculating the values using the equations below, and the other method uses a Smith chart. The latter is made easier by using software that plots the values of the components C8 and L1, like WinSmith by Noble Publishing. To calculate the matching values, one needs to know the input impedance of the device. Table 4 4 shows the input impedance of the MICRF218 and suggested matching values for the most used frequencies. These suggested values may be different if the layout is not exactly the same as the one made here. Freq (MHz) C3 (pF) L2(nH) Z device (Ω) 315.0 1.5 68 16.3 -j210.8 390.0 1.2 47 8.26 – j163.9 418.0 1.2 43 11.1 – j161.9 433.92 1.1 39 9.54 – j152.3 Figure 8. Device’s Input Impedance, Z = 9.54-j152Ω Table 4. Matching values for the most used frequencies Second, the shunt inductor (39nH) and the series capacitor (1.1pF) for the desired input impedance are plotted (Figure 9). One can see the matching leading to the center of the Smith Chart or close to 50Ω. For the frequency of 433.92MHz, the input impedance is Z = 9.54 – j152.3Ω. The matching components are calculated by: Equivalent parallel = B = 1/Z = 0.410 + j6.54 msiemens Rp = 1 / Re (B); Xp = 1 / Im (B) Rp = 2.44kΩ; Xp = 345.8Ω August 12, 2015 15 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Figure 9. Plotting the Shunt Inductor and Series Capacitor Crystal Y1 may be either SMT or leaded. It is the reference clock for all the device internal circuits. Crystal characteristics of 10pF load capacitance, 30ppm, ESR < 50Ω, -40ºC to +85ºC temperature range are desired. Table 5 shows the crystal frequencies for WB or NB and one of Micrel’s approved crystal manufacturers (www.hib.com.br). REFOSC (MHz) Carrier (MHz) HIB Part Number 9.813135, NB 315 SA-9.813135-F-10-G-30-30-X 12.149596, NB 390.0 SA-12.149596-F-10-G-30-30-X 13.021874, NB 418.0 SA-13.021874-F-10-G-30-30-X 13.517827, NB 433.92 SA-13.517827-F-10-G-30-30-X 9.788232, WB 315 SA-9.788232-F-10-G-30-30-X 12.118764, WB 390.0 SA-12.118764-F-10-G-30-30-X 12.988829, WB 418.0 SA-12.988829-F-10-G-30-30-X 13.483523, WB 433.92 SA-13.483523-F-10-G-30-30-X Table 5. Crystal Frequency and Vendor Part Number August 12, 2015 16 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 The oscillator of the MICRF218 is Colpitts in configuration. It is very sensitive to stray capacitance loads. Thus, very good care must be taken when laying out the printed circuit board. Avoid long traces and ground plane on the top layer close to the REFOSC pins RO1 and RO2. When care is not taken in the layout, and crystals from other vendors are used, the oscillator may take longer times to start as well as the time to good data in the DO pin to show up. In some cases, if the stray capacitance is too high (> 20pF), the oscillator may not start at all. Refer to Equations 1 and 2 for crystal frequency calculations. The local oscillator is low side injection (32 × 13.51783MHz = 432.571MHz), that is, its frequency is below the RF carrier frequency and the image frequency is below the LO frequency. See Figure 10. The product of the incoming RF signal and local oscillator signal will yield the IF frequency, which will be demodulated by the detector of the device. Image Frequency SEL0 JP1 SEL1 JP2 Demod. BW (hertz) Shortest Pulse (µsec) Maximum baud rate for 50% Duty Cycle (hertz) Short Short 1625 400 1250 Open Short 3250 200 2500 Short Open 6500 100 5000 Open 13000 50 10000 Open Table 6. JP1 and JP2 setting, 433.92 MHz Other frequencies will have different demodulator bandwidth limits, which are derived from the reference oscillator frequency. Table 7 and 8 below shows the limits for the other two most used frequencies. Desired Signal BW (hertz) Shortest Pulse (µsec) Maximum baud rate for 50% Duty Cycle (hertz) Short 1565 416 1204 Open Short 3130 208 2408 Short Open 6261 104 4816 Open Open 12523 52 9633 SEL0 JP1 SEL1 JP2 Short Demod. Table 7. JP1 and JP2 setting, 418.0 MHz -fLO f (MHz) Figure 10. Low Side Injection Local Oscillator Narrow and Wide Band Crystal Part Numbers, WB = IF Wide Band, NB = IF Narrow Band JP1 and JP2 are the bandwidth selection for the demodulator bandwidth. To set it correctly, it is necessary to know the shortest pulse width of the encoded data sent in the transmitter. Similar to the example of the data profile in the Figure 11 below, PW2 is shorter than PW1, so PW2 should be used for the demodulator bandwidth calculation which is found by 0.65/shortest pulse width. After this value is found, the setting should be done according to Table 6. For example, if the pulse period is 100µsec, 50% duty cycle, the pulse width will be 50µsec (PW = (100µsec × 50%) / 100). So, a bandwidth of 13kHz would be necessary (0.65 / 50µsec). However, if this data stream had a pulse period with 20% duty cycle, then the bandwidth required would be 32.5kHz (0.65 / 20µsec), which exceeds the maximum bandwidth of the demodulator circuit. If one tries to exceed the maximum bandwidth, the pulse would appear stretched or wider. August 12, 2015 BW (hertz) Shortest Pulse (µsec) Maximum baud rate for 50% Duty Cycle (Hertz) Short 1460 445 1123 Open Short 2921 223 2246 Short Open 5842 111 4493 SEL0 JP1 SEL1 JP2 Short Open Open 11684 56 8987 Table 8. JP1 and JP2 setting, 390.0 MHz BW (hertz) Shortest Pulse (µsec) Maximum baud rate for 50% Duty Cycle (Hertz) Short 1180 551 908 Open Short 2360 275 1815 Short Open 4720 138 3631 SEL0 JP1 SEL1 JP2 Short Open 17 Demod. Demod. Open 9400 69 7230 Table 9. JP1 and JP2 setting, 315.0 MHz. Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Selection of CTH and CAGC Capacitors Capacitors C6 and C4, Cth and Cagc respectively provide time-based reference for the data pattern received. These capacitors are selected according to data profile, pulse duty cycle, dead time between two received data packets, and if the data pattern has or does not have a preamble. See Figure 11 for an example of a data profile. RF signal intensity vs. voltage. It is very useful to determine the signal to noise ratio of the RF link, crude range estimate from the transmitter source and AM demodulation, which requires a low Cagc capacitor value. Shut Down Control The shut down pin (SHDN) is useful to save energy. When its level close to Vdd (SHDN = 1), the device is not in operation. Its DC current consumption is less than 1µA (do not forget to remove R3). When toggling from high to low, there will be a time required for the device to come to steady state mode, and a time for data to show up in the DO pin. This time will be dependent upon many things such as temperature, choice of crystal used, and if the there is an external oscillator with faster startup time. Normally, with the crystal vendors suggested, the data will show up in the DO pin around 1msec time, and 2msec over the temperature range of the device. See Figures 12. PW1 PW2 Preamble Header 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 t1 t2 PW2 = Narrowest pulse width t1 & t2 = data period Figure 11. Example of a Data Profile For best results, the capacitors should always be optimized for the data pattern used. As the baud rate increases, the capacitor values decrease. Table 10 shows suggested values for Manchester Encoded data, 50% duty cycle. SEL0 JP1 SEL1 JP2 Demod. BW (hertz) Cth Cagc (C6) (Cagc) Short Short 1625 100nF 4.7µF Open Short 3250 47nF 2.2µF Short Open 6500 22nF 1µF Open Open 13000 10nF 0.47µF Table 10. Suggested Cth and Cagc Values. Other components used include C5, which is a decoupling capacitor for the Vdd line; R4 reserved for future use and not needed for the evaluation board; R3 for the shutdown pin (SHDN = 0, device is operation), which can be removed if that pin is connected to a microcontroller or an external switch, and R1 and R2 which form a voltage divider for the AGC pin. One can force a voltage in this AGC pin to purposely decrease the device sensitivity. Special care is needed when doing this operation, as an external control of the AGC voltage may vary from lot to lot and may not work the same for several devices. Figure 12. Time-to-Good Data After Shut Down Cycle, Room Temperature DO, RSSI and Shutdown Functions Three other pins are worthy of comment. They are the DO, RSSI, and shut down pins. The DO pin has a driving capability of 0.6mA. This drive current is good enough for most of the logic family ICs in the market today. The RSSI pin provides a transfer function of the August 12, 2015 18 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Important Note A few customers have reported that some MICRF218 receiver do not start up correctly. When the issue occurs, DO either chatters or stays at low voltage level. An unusual operating current is observed and the part cannot receive or demodulate data even when a strong OOK signal is present. VDD pin Micrel has confirmed that this is the symptom of incorrect power on reset (POR) of internal register bits. The MICRF218 is designed to start up in shutdown mode (SHDN pin must be in logic high during VDD ramp up). When the SHDN pin is tied to GND, and if the supply is ramped up slowly, a “test bus pull down” circuit may be activated. Once the chip enters this mode, the POR does not have the chance to set register bits (and hence operating modes) correctly. The test bus pull down acts on the SHDN pin, and can be illustrated in the following diagram. SHDN pin The suggestion provided above will generally serve to prevent the startup issue from happening to the MICRF218 series ASK receiver. However, exact values of the RC network depend on the ramp rate of the supply voltage, and should be determined on a case-by-case basis. 3.3V MICRF2XX 10 ohm (Vdd) pin MICRF2XX Bias control & POR 4.7uF 2.2uF Test Mode Circuits Change the SHDN pin and Vdd pin connections to Test Bus (SHDN) pin (SHDN) pin 100K This device turns on, preventing POR from setting operating modes correctly To prevent the erroneous startup, a simple RC network is recommended. The 10Ω resistor and the 4.7µF capacitor provide a delay of about 200µs between VDD and SHDN during power up, thus ensuring the part enters the shutdown stage before the part is actually turned on. The 2.2µF capacitor bootstraps the voltage on SHDN, ensuring that SHDN voltage leads the supply voltage on VDD during power up. This gives the POR circuit time to set internal register bits. The SHDN pin can be brought low to turn the chip on once the initialization is completed. The 2.2µF and 100kΩ network form a RC delay of about 200ms before the SHDN pin is brought to low again. The 100kΩ resistor discharges the SHDN pin to turn the chip on. August 12, 2015 19 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 PCB Considerations and Layout Figures 14 to 17 show top, bottom and silkscreen layers of printed circuit board for the QR218HE1 board. Gerber files are provided and are downloadable from Micrel Website: www.micrel.com, to fabricate this board. Keep traces as short as possible. Long traces will alter the matching network, and the values suggested will not be valid. Suggested Matching Values may vary due to PCB variations. A PCB trace 100 mills (2.5mm) long has about 1.1nH inductance. Optimization should always be done with exhaustive range tests. Make individual ground connections to the ground plane with a via for each ground connection. Do not share vias with ground connections. Each ground connection = 1 via or more vias. Ground plane must be solid and possibly without interruptions. Avoid ground plane on top next to the matching elements. It normally adds additional stray capacitance which changes the matching. Do not use phenolic material. Use only FR4 or better materials. Phenolic material is conductive above 200MHz. RF path should be as straight as possible avoiding loops and unnecessary turns. Separate ground and Vdd lines from other circuits (microcontroller, etc). Known sources of noise should be laid out as far as possible from the RF circuits. Avoid thick traces, the higher the frequency, the thinner the trace should be in order to minimize losses in the RF path. Figure 14. QR218HE1 Top Layer. Figure15. QR218HE1 Bottom Layer, Mirror Image. August 12, 2015 20 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Figure 16. QR218HE1 Top Silkscreen Layer. Figure 17. QR218HE1 Dimensions. August 12, 2015 21 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 QR218HE1 Bill of Materials, 433.92 MHz Item Part Number Manufacturer ANT1 Description Helical PCB Antenna Pattern ANT2 (np)50-ohm Ant C9 Murata C4 Murata / Vishay 168mm 20 AWG, rigid wire Qty. 1 0 1.5pF , 0402/0603 1 4.7µF, 0805 1 C3 Murata/Vishay 1.1pF, 0402/0603 C6,C5 Murata / Vishay 0.1µF, 0402/0603 2 C8 Murata 5.6pF, 0402/0603 1 JP1,JP 2, JP3 Vishay short, 0402, 0Ω resistor 2 JP4 (np) not placed 0 J2 (np) not placed 0 J3 CON6 1 L1 Coilcraft / Murata / ACT1 24nH 5%, 0402/0603 1 L2 Coilcraft / Murata / ACT1 39nH 5%, 0402/0603 1 L3 Coilcraft / Murata / ACT1 30nH 2%, 0402/0603 1 (np) 0402, not placed 0 100kΩ , 0402 1 R1,R2, R4 R3 Vishay Y1 HCM49 www.hib.com.br (np)13.51783MHz Crystal 0 Y1A HC49/US www.hib.com.br 13.51783MHz Crystal 1 U1 MICRF218AYQS Micrel, Inc. 3.3V, 315/433MHz Wide-IF Bandwidth ASK Receiver 1 Table 11. QR218HE1 Bill of Materials, 433.92 MHz, Narrow Band. August 12, 2015 22 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 Package Information and Recommended Land Pattern(1) QSOP16 Package Type (AQS16) Note: 1. Package information is correct as of the publication date. For updates and most current information, go to www.micrel.com. August 12, 2015 23 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800 Micrel MICRF218 MICREL, INC. 2180 FORTUNE DRIVE SAN JOSE, CA 95131 USA TEL +1 (408) 944-0800 FAX +1 (408) 474-1000 WEB http:/www.micrel.com Micrel, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of IC solutions for the worldwide high performance linear and power, LAN, and timing & communications markets. The Company’s products include advanced mixed-signal, analog & power semiconductors; high-performance communication, clock management, MEMs-based clock oscillators & crystal-less clock generators, Ethernet switches, and physical layer transceiver ICs. Company customers include leading manufacturers of enterprise, consumer, industrial, mobile, telecommunications, automotive, and computer products. Corporation headquarters and state-of-the-art wafer fabrication facilities are located in San Jose, CA, with regional sales and support offices and advanced technology design centers situated throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Additionally, the Company maintains an extensive network of distributors and reps worldwide. Micrel makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information furnished in this datasheet. This information is not intended as a warranty and Micrel does not assume responsibility for its use. Micrel reserves the right to change circuitry, specifications and descriptions at any time without notice. No license, whether express, implied, arising by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this document. Except as provided in Micrel’s terms and conditions of sale for such products, Micrel assumes no liability whatsoever, and Micrel disclaims any express or implied warranty relating to the sale and/or use of Micrel products including liability or warranties relating to fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, or infringement of any patent, copyright, or other intellectual property right. Micrel Products are not designed or authorized for use as components in life support appliances, devices or systems where malfunction of a product can reasonably be expected to result in personal injury. Life support devices or systems are devices or systems that (a) are intended for surgical implant into the body or (b) support or sustain life, and whose failure to perform can be reasonably expected to result in a significant injury to the user. A Purchaser’s use or sale of Micrel Products for use in life support appliances, devices or systems is a Purchaser’s own risk and Purchaser agrees to fully indemnify Micrel for any damages resulting from such use or sale. © 2007 Micrel, Incorporated. August 12, 2015 24 Revision 3.0 (408) 944-0800