Standalone RF Wireless Device Data Acquisition Node
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless nodes require a microcontroller unit (MCU) or programmable logic with the radio frequency (RF) transceiver, increasing manufacturing costs, device board space requirements, and power consumption, which shortens battery life and is not suitable for low-power, cost-sensitive applications like standalone repeaters or data acquisition nodes.
Innovation Solution
A wireless data acquisition device comprising a radio frequency transceiver, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, baseband signal decoding and encoding logic, media access control logic, a state machine, and configuration storage, which eliminates the need for an MCU by using a state machine to configure and operate the RF transceiver and MAC logic, allowing for low-power operation and data retransmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a microcontroller unit (MCU) or programmable logic is used with the RF transceiver, then the device can perform complex control functions, but manufacturing cost, device board space, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the MCU or programmable logic from the wireless device architecture, eliminating the need for complex control processing. The RF transceiver is designed to operate autonomously with simplified control logic integrated directly into the transceiver circuitry, removing the separate MCU component that consumes significant power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the control logic functions directly into the RF transceiver integrated circuit, combining what were previously separate components (MCU and RF transceiver) into a unified structure. This integration eliminates the need for external programming and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a microcontroller unit (MCU) or programmable logic is used with the RF transceiver, then the device can perform complex control functions, but manufacturing cost and device board space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the MCU component entirely from the bill of materials, eliminating the need to source, program, and assemble a separate microcontroller unit. This extraction directly reduces component count and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The RF transceiver is designed to perform multiple functions including data processing, protocol handling, and radio communication directly within the integrated circuit, eliminating the need for separate specialized components and reducing overall device cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a microcontroller unit (MCU) or programmable logic is used with the RF transceiver, then the device can perform complex control functions, but device board or die space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control logic and RF transceiver functions into a single integrated circuit or system-on-chip architecture, eliminating the need for separate PCB traces, connectors, and mounting space for an external MCU. This merging significantly reduces the physical footprint of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a hierarchical integration where control logic functions are nested within the RF transceiver integrated circuit structure, with higher-level protocol handling embedded within the lower-level radio frequency processing blocks, maximizing functional density in minimal space.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inexpensive and low-power demand RF wireless device having data acquisition capabilities may be used for simple applications such as a standalone data repeater or a standalone data acquisition node without requiring a host microcontroller unit (MCU) or programmable logic for control of the wireless device.