Nordic nRF21540 – RF front end module for 2.4 GHz wireless range extension

The nRF21540 is an RF front end module (FEM) that improves range and connection robustness for Nordic Semiconductor’s short-range wireless portfolio.

The RF front end module nRF21540 is also a ‘plug and play’ range extender that offers enhanced link robustness with an integrated power amplifier (PA)/low noise amplifier (LNA) for use in our low power short-range wireless solutions. It is a supplementary device optimized to boost the link budget of the nRF52 and nRF53 Series advanced multiprotocol wireless System-on-Chip (SoC). When combined with an nRF52 Series SoC, the nRF21540 RF FEM’s +21 dBm TX output power and 13 dB RX gain ensure a superior link budget for up to 16x range extension.

Furthermore, to the release of the nRF21540, Nordic offers evaluation boards that enable measuring the RF FEM performance using lab equipment, as well as evaluating real application performance combined with an nRF52840 SoC.

Key Features

Supports Bluetooth® Low Energy (incl. Bluetooth mesh), Thread and Zigbee (802.15.4), Proprietary 2.4 GHz
Adjustable output power in small increments up to +21 dBm
+13 dB receive gain with 2.5 dB noise figure
Two antenna ports for antenna diversity
Control interface via I/Os, SPI, or a combination
-40°C to +105°C operating temperature range
7 V to 3.6 V input supply range
4 x 4 mm QFN16 package
Current consumption: TX tuned to +20 dBm: 115 mA; RX: 4.1 mA; Power down mode: 30 nA

Applications