CC2500 Breakout board
To test my skill in using MLF chips I chose to make an CC2500
breakout board. I tried to use the CC2500EM reference design as a
guide. This board uses a PCB trace antenna to reduce the cost as much
as possible.
Top layer:
Bottom layer:
PCB files:
Eagle cad PCB files
I made a small eagle component for the PCB loop trace antenna. The
dimensions are copied verbatim from the CC2500 PCB antenna application
note (AN043).
CC2500 PCB loop trace antenna
Final PCB:
The result is not bad and the overall sensitivity is comparable to the
CC2500 modules I already got
from quasar UK. The modules I got do have a small flaw, they use
high PPM 27MHz crystals. The signal differed enough that these breakout
boards could not receive the signals from the modules from quasar UK.
After replacing the crystals to the same low PPM crystals I got from
digikey, the reception problems went away and I could make a
comparative test. The boards perform similarly but the quasar boards
are a bit smaller, the loop antenna is more directionally sensitive.
Overall a success but not that much of a improvement. The sensitivity
is a bit better with the loop antenna.
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Last update at: 06-12-2010