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AT86RF233

MCHPAT86RF233

Microchip Technology
Discrete 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4 transceiver used where designers prefer separate transceiver and MCU.
Active1,154 in stock
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Overview

The AT86RF233 is a high-performance, low-power 2.4 GHz radio transceiver designed for industrial and consumer IEEE 802.15.4, Zigbee, and 6LoWPAN applications. It serves as a dedicated RF front-end that interfaces with an external microcontroller via a standard SPI connection, offering superior receiver sensitivity of -101dBm and integrated hardware AES encryption.

Why Choose This Part

The transceiver offers a high data rate of up to 2Mbps and an excellent link budget due to its -101dBm sensitivity and +4dBm output power. It reduces the main MCU workload by handling time-critical MAC tasks and AES-128 encryption/decryption in hardware.

Applications

Zigbee Mesh Networking
Ideal for building robust mesh networks for smart home automation and industrial monitoring systems.
6LoWPAN Connectivity
Enables IP-addressable sensor nodes in low-power wireless personal area networks.
Energy Harvesting Sensors
Ultra-low power consumption in sleep (0.02uA) and deep sleep (0.2uA) modes makes it suitable for maintenance-free nodes powered by ambient energy.
Industrial Control
Utilizes antenna diversity and high sensitivity to maintain reliable links in electrically noisy industrial environments.

Key Specifications

Type TxRx + MCU
Protocol 6LoWPAN, Zigbee
Frequency 2.4GHz
Modulation O-QPSK
Memory Size 128B SRAM
Sensitivity -101dBm
Mounting Type Surface Mount
Package / Case 32-VFQFN Exposed Pad
Power - Output 4dBm
Data Rate (Max) 2Mbps
Voltage - Supply 1.8V ~ 3.6V
Serial Interfaces SPI
RF Family/Standard 802.15.4, General ISM > 1GHz
Current - Receiving 11.3mA ~ 11.8mA
Operating Temperature -40degC ~ 85degC
Current - Transmitting 7.2mA ~ 13.8mA
Supplier Device Package 32-QFN (5x5)

Getting Started

Engineers can evaluate the chip using the Microchip REB233SMAD-EK evaluation kit or by interfacing the 32-VFQFN package with any SPI-capable MCU. Software support is provided through the Microchip Wireless Stack and Atmel Studio, which include drivers for common 802.15.4 protocols.

Part of AT86RF transceivers family » AT86

AT86 Family

Comparing specs that differ across variants. The current part is highlighted.

Part Number Package Type Frequency Modulation Sensitivity Tx Power Stock
AT86RF233 (this part) VFQFN-32 TxRx + MCU 2.4GHz O-QPSK -101dBm 4dBm 1,154
AT86RF215 (Microchip) VFQFN-48 TxRx Only 389.5M FSK, OFDM, O-QPSK -123dBm 16dBm 1,874

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