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CC2540 Indoor range

StuartB
Prodigy 40 points

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: CC2540, CC2590

I've recently inherited a project which has developed indoor BLE sensor and hub devices based on the CC2540. Both devices use the 2.4 GHz Inverted F Antenna from DN007. From reading DN0035 and AN058 I believe that this is the number 1 antenna recommended by TI.

Sadly, the current prototypes do not work very well, the indoor range being limited to a few metres. We're currently investigating the reasons for this, but in parallel I'm trying to do some sanity checking.  A poster in another thread mentioned getting over 40m indoor range using 4dBm output power with a chip antenna, but I'd like to know if this is the norm. Questions.

1) Is the DN007 PCB antenna really the best choice i.e. optimum performance (assuming correct implementation)?

2) We're hoping for a minimum indoor range of 10m, ideally 20m or more, for a typical domestic property, walls and all. Is this a reasonable expectation for the CC2540 with this PCB antenna?

3) To get indoor (domestic property) range upwards of 20m, should we be looking to include the CC2590 range extender?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Stuart

  • 0
    Prodigy 40 points

    I'm still struggling to get definitive answers to the above questions. Our implementation has been reviewed by the lovely folks at TI Norway and there seem to be no major issues. Even ramping up the Tx power to +4dB and switching to high sensitivity Rx at both ends does not improve our range beyond about 10m. RSSI for our devices is better than the TI keyfob and sensortag.

    So, is it simply the case that BLE (CC2540) is not suited to in-home applications requiring reliable connections up to about 20m? 

    Is anyone out there using CC2540 for in-home applications? Standalone or with CC2590? What kind of range are you getting?

    Thx

    Stuart

  • 0 in reply to StuartB
    Prodigy 20 points

    Hi StuartB,

    Did you manage to find an answer to your question in this post? I am currently in a similar situation & would appreciate any pointers you could provide regarding indoor range.

    Regards,

    NK

  • 0 in reply to NN KK
    Prodigy 40 points

    Hi NK,

    The only conclusion was that, even at +4dBm, indoor range of CC2540 is unlikely to be better than 10m. We're currently experimenting with the addition of CC2590 - no definitive conclusions yet. 

    Stuart

  • 0 in reply to StuartB
    Prodigy 20 points

    Thanks Stuart - please keep us posted. I find myself in a spot in terms of squeezing range out of BLE - perhaps, it is not really meant for indoor applications such as home automation et al. 

    Best regards,

    NK