Texas Instruments licensed IDH RF-Star Technology recently released a series of Zigbee modules based on the CC2530 chip：RF-ZM-2530B1, RF-ZM-2530B1I, RF-ZM-2530P1, RF-ZM-2530P1I. Among them, RF-ZM-2530B1 and RF-ZM-2530B1I are classic models, with all IO ports led out, and respectively with PCB and IPEX antenna interfaces. RF-ZM-2530P1 and RF-ZM-2530P1I are power-up models, also with full IO led out, and respectively with PCB and IPEX antenna interfaces. Different from classic models, they have built-in PA and LNA, for enhancement of transmission power and sensitivity.

The modules adopt imported Texas Instruments (TI) SoC CC2530, which integrates an 8051 single-chip microcontroller and a wireless transceiver. Based on Zigbee 3.0 standard protocol, they support short address, IEEE address, multicast, broadcast and other transmission methods.

CC2530 is an integrated chip specially developed by TI for data transmission in wireless sensor networks. It is a SoC solution that truly supports 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4, Zigbee and RF4CE applications. One can use it for building  powerful wireless sensor networks featuring very low power consumption and low ownership cost.

RF-ZM-2530x Zigbee Modules Features

1. Automatic optimization of mesh/ad hoc network：Zigbee features multi-level network and multi-path routing, automatic path optimization, low overhead, time and power efficiency.

2. Arbitrary mode configuration: One can arbitrarily configure the module into modes of coordinator, router and terminal.

3. Network self-healing: Whenever a node drops out or fails, the network can repair itself, and the network topology can be adjusted accordingly without manual intervention to ensure that the entire system can still work normally.

Application Scenario

Supporting the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, CC2530 is a highly versatile chip, suitable for applications such as advanced metering, smart energy, smart home, RF4CE remote control, lighting, agricultural control and monitoring, healthcare and medical applications etc.

• Energy monitoring: with help Zigbee technology, an energy consumption monitoring system can manage all parameters and the whole process of a system’s energy consumption.
• Smart street lights: Zigbee modules can be embedded in the controller of the street light terminals so as to enabling data acquisition and remote programmed control through a Zigbee network.
• Smart medicare: Vital signs monitoring equipment is composed of accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetic sensors, skin electricity, temperature, blood pressure and other sensors.  Real-time monitoring and collection of heart beat rate, respiration, blood pressure, ECG, body temperature, body posture, displacement and other physical characteristic parameters. With a built-in CC2530 Zigbee module, a vital sign monitoring equipment can record  the patient’s bio data can in real time, and eventually transmit to the terminal or workstation to realize remote monitoring.
• Smart farming: Zigbee wireless technology can also be adopted in greenhouse intelligent management for collection of data temperature, humidity and light intensity etc and hence to realize automatic optimization of the green house internal.