Single-chip 2.4 GHz RF transceiver

CC2420 is a commercially available 2.4 GHz RF transceiver that is compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and ready to be used in ZigBee products.

The ZigBee Alliance is developing a standard-based wireless network platform, optimised for wireless monitoring and control applications, ensuring interoperability between products using the same application profile. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard specifies the physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers, while the Alliance defines the network, security and application profile layers for an IEEE 802.15.4-based system.

The typical applications targeted are home and building automation, industrial monitoring and control, and wireless sensor networks.

The device is designed specifically for low-power and low-voltage applications. It surpasses the IEEE 802.15.4 standard in terms of selectivity and sensitivity figures and ensures a long communication range as well as effective and reliable communication. In addition, it supports packet handling, data buffering, burst transmissions, clear channel assessment (CCA), link quality indication (LQI) and timing information.

Furthermore, the transceiver offers high-level security of the wireless communication links by providing extensive hardware support for AES-128-based data encryption and data authentication. This drastically reduces the microcontroller workload and makes it possible to interface with a low-cost microcontroller.