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Compact Module Aids 5.8-GHz Links

Dec. 10, 2009

Designed for original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) seeking to add 5.8-GHz wireless communications capability to their products, the model ALT5801 transceiver module from Altan Technologies provides data rates to 250 kb/s at a range to 2700 ft. A low-power transmit option delivers +3-dBm typical transmit power from 5725 to 5875 MHz, while a high-power option delivers typically +20 dBm transmit power. The receive sensitivity is typically -92 dBm in high-sensitivity receive mode. The module operates with a UART host serial interface at rates to 115.2 kb/s. Several antenna options are available, including a printed-circuit-board (PCB) antenna, SMA antenna connector, and surface-mount antenna connection. The module draws 550 mA typical current from a +3-VDC supply in transmit mode and 90 mA current from a +3-VDC supply in receive mode. The module measures just 36 x 26 mm.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.