What is the cheapest possible unidirectional wireless pair that can send analog and digital signals that isn’t FM-related?
I’d like to filter the audio with a IC and overlay tones if possible, so it doesn’t need to have an analog input. And I don’t need continuous audio streaming, I plan to break up the signal with the sensor data. I plan to communicate in packets: idle ping, sensors, audio. I’m working with a breadboard so I need DIP or a breakout board. Lastly, direct line of sight isn’t available.
Also, purchasing ready-made commercial devices from Walmart is not a valid answer in this thread. -Thanks
uncommon to try to do both audio and data with one radio. You could do DTMF (touch tones) on an audio channel, and then decode them. But this is the hard way.
if data is simply on/off sensors, then garage-door-opener-like devices in 433MHz will do. Many sold here in wireless section.
For audio, I’d just buy/use baby monitor or FM broadcast band low power transmitter - but not one intended for iPod in car (too low power).
Battery life and temperature specs are the constraint you may have, e.g., bird feeder.
X10 motion detector, wireless, is also a possibility, though their range isn’t 300 ft. You can hack these and change the day/night sensor in them to be a contact closure or other sensed event instead of light.
If you get your specific requirements down on paper, you can then do the research on what best suits.
With your devices that don’t have size requirements, you could make antennas which could increase the range a bit, but probably not a ton of help for non line of sight applications.
A more expensive alternative, but should do the distance, are the zigbee devices - http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?c=111 Some of those you can get into the 60mW range which should do ~1 mile communication.
How about just audio? Touch tones will work fine for the sensor data.
If baby monitors and walkie-talkies are $15, they must have pretty cheap radios. There must be something cheap that can handle audio at decent distances.
Narkaleptic:
How about just audio? Touch tones will work fine for the sensor data.
If baby monitors and walkie-talkies are $15, they must have pretty cheap radios. There must be something cheap that can handle audio at decent distances.
Whats the key differences in the nRF2401A and the nRF24L01+?
I’ve read the briefs of both on nordicsemi but they both sound like the same thing even the modulation mode and baseband, except the nRF2401A seems to get the 200+ meters with no antenna whereas the nRF24L01+ only got about 20 meters in my test IIRC.
-Thanks