Range extension of the nrf21540

[Gianlucamilani]

Dear DevZone,

within out project we make use of an esb communication between a nrf52840 DK connected to the PC via USB (a "station"), and a custom PCB with a nrf52840 micro-controller mounted on top.

We would like to extend the radio transmission range through the nrf21540. (In particular, we are loosing some packets sent from the custom nrf52840 board).

From the nrf21540 product brief, the stated range extension is 8x if the chip is mounted on both the transmitter and the receiver.

What if the chip is mounted only on the station side (the receiver, i.e. the dev kit in our case)? Is the range increased in that case and how much?

Thank you very mich in advance,

Best regards,

Gianluca Milani

[SwRa]

Hi,

The receiver sensitivity alone cannot improve the range since it only improves the minimum signal strength that a receiver can detect. The transmitted signal does not reach the receiver without improvement in output power. However, the improvement in the transmission power coupled with the improved sensitivity is what improves the range significantly in the nrf21540 range extender. 

Regards,

Swathy