- Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:28 am
#2585
The RF modules you offer are very interesting and - especially the TRF-2.4G - really low cost.
However there are two major drawbacks:
-using the 2.4G needs programming (data integrity, retransmission) and testing.
-the SMIRF's 40kb/s is SLOW and the module is comparatively large and low range. (consider transmitting images of the Agilent cam without the cost of the mobile phone network)
For many projects, a BLUETOOTH SPP module will circumvent these problems.
A module with SPP (Serial port profile) makes for a virtual RS232 cable. Real net data transfer is up to 265kBit/s. That is verified, completely correct data transferred.
Class 1 has a range of 100-500m (depending on antenna, 200m with a good (e.g. dipole) antenna) at 100mW.
Power consumption is 30mA at 3V with the new modules. They use SPREAD SPECTRUM modulation and are therefore immune to many RF-problems.
They also interface to any nice small USB-Bluetooth dongle.
Price is around 80-100$ retail but as low as 30$ in quantities of several hundreds. This will surely come down in the next months and years.
The best modules I found are F2M03C1 of free2.move.se and Promi-ESD. I don't know the real manufacturer of Promi-ESD ( it is available for example at lemosint.com).
As it is cumbersome (transaction cost) to order the modules directly at the manufacturers, I would really like to see a retailer like spark fun electronics carry them.
Best regards!
However there are two major drawbacks:
-using the 2.4G needs programming (data integrity, retransmission) and testing.
-the SMIRF's 40kb/s is SLOW and the module is comparatively large and low range. (consider transmitting images of the Agilent cam without the cost of the mobile phone network)
For many projects, a BLUETOOTH SPP module will circumvent these problems.
A module with SPP (Serial port profile) makes for a virtual RS232 cable. Real net data transfer is up to 265kBit/s. That is verified, completely correct data transferred.
Class 1 has a range of 100-500m (depending on antenna, 200m with a good (e.g. dipole) antenna) at 100mW.
Power consumption is 30mA at 3V with the new modules. They use SPREAD SPECTRUM modulation and are therefore immune to many RF-problems.
They also interface to any nice small USB-Bluetooth dongle.
Price is around 80-100$ retail but as low as 30$ in quantities of several hundreds. This will surely come down in the next months and years.
The best modules I found are F2M03C1 of free2.move.se and Promi-ESD. I don't know the real manufacturer of Promi-ESD ( it is available for example at lemosint.com).
As it is cumbersome (transaction cost) to order the modules directly at the manufacturers, I would really like to see a retailer like spark fun electronics carry them.
Best regards!