ATR0981-EK - 400-500MHz UHF SiGe Front-End Eval Board | Microchip
MPN: ATR0981-EK β Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 10 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 100 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 500 | $0 | $0.00 |
| 1,000 | $0 | $0.00 |
ATR0981-EK Overview
An RF front-end evaluation kit is a hardware development tool that lets engineers exercise a radio-frequency integrated circuit outside of a custom PCB design. In the RF signal-chain hierarchy, the ATR0981 itself is a monolithic transmit/receive front-end built on Atmel's (now Microchip's) advanced silicon-germanium (SiGe) process, and the -EK suffix denotes the board-level companion product used to characterize, prototype, and validate designs around that IC before committing to production layouts.
Key attributes of this kit include support for the 300 MHz to 500 MHz operating range of the ATR0981 die (with the board itself specified at 400 MHz to 500 MHz), the SiGe front-end technology that delivers low noise and good linearity for sub-GHz radios, and RoHS-compliant, lead-free construction. The kit exposes the transmit and receive front-end functions of the IC for measurement with standard RF test equipment such as spectrum analyzers and vector network analyzers.
The ATR0981 is a monolithic IC manufactured using Atmel's advanced SiGe technology; it performs a transmit and receive front-end function dedicated to the 300 MHz to 500 MHz band. SiGe bipolar processes provide high transition frequency (fT) devices, which translate into useful gain and low noise figure at UHF frequencies where CMOS front-ends typically struggle. This makes the part attractive for battery-powered sub-GHz ISM-band radio designs such as meters, telemetry links, and remote-keyless-entry style systems.
Typical applications include prototyping 400-500 MHz TX/RX front-ends for short-range industrial telemetry, RF link budget characterization for sub-GHz sensor nodes, and lab evaluation of SiGe front-end performance ahead of custom PCB integration.
A key design consideration is that board-level RF performance (return loss, gain, noise figure) depends on the evaluation board layout; results are only transferable to a custom design if equivalent controlled-impedance RF layout practices are reproduced.
This page synthesizes distributor listings, datasheet references, and practical engineering context not found on the manufacturer product page alone.
Drop-in alternatives for ATR0981-EK β same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
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Request AlternativesATR0981-EK Specifications (manufacturer-published)
| Product Type | Front End Evaluation Board |
| Supplied Contents | Board |
| For Use With/Related Products | ATR0981 |
| Frequency Range | 400 MHz to 500 MHz |
| Front-End IC Technology | SiGe (silicon-germanium), monolithic |
| Front-End IC Band | 300 MHz to 500 MHz (per ATR0981 datasheet) |
| Function | Transmit / Receive front-end |
| Category | Sub-GHz Development Tools |
| RoHS Status | RoHS Compliant |
| Lead Free Status | Lead Free |
ATR0981-EK Interfaces & Connectors
No manufacturer-published interface list is available for ATR0981-EK. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for connector and header details.
Refer to the manufacturer documentation for the full expansion header pinout and connector pin numbering.
Typical Applications
ATR0981-EK is suitable for 6 applications: Sub-GHz Radio Prototyping, RF Link Budget Characterization, SiGe Front-End Technology Evaluation, Utility Metering RF Front-Ends, Industrial Telemetry and Remote Control, RF Education and Lab Training.
Sub-GHz Radio Prototyping
The ATR0981-EK provides a ready-made platform for prototyping 400-500 MHz transmit/receive radio front-ends without designing a custom PCB. Because the underlying ATR0981 is a monolithic SiGe TX/RX front-end covering 300-500 MHz, engineers can quickly measure gain, matching, and spectrum occupancy on the board, then transfer layout practices into production designs. This shortens the iteration loop for sub-GHz ISM-band products such as telemetry transmitters and remote-control receivers. Using the evaluation board first reduces RF layout risk, since the manufacturer-populated board demonstrates correct grounding, decoupling, and RF routing for the SiGe front-end in its intended 400-500 MHz band.
Recommended
RF Link Budget Characterization
When planning a short-range sub-GHz radio link, engineers must measure real front-end performance to build an accurate link budget. The ATR0981-EK, specified for 400 MHz to 500 MHz, lets teams measure the ATR0981's TX output power and RX front-end behavior with a VNA and spectrum analyzer before committing to custom hardware. Quantified board-level data - measured return loss, gain flatness across 400-500 MHz, and output spectrum - feeds directly into coverage calculations for metering, telemetry, or sensor networks. Measuring on the evaluation board avoids the common pitfall of relying only on datasheet typical values, which may not reflect specific biasing and matching conditions in a new design.
Recommended
SiGe Front-End Technology Evaluation
The ATR0981 die is manufactured on Atmel's advanced silicon-germanium (SiGe) process, which offers higher transition frequency and better noise performance at UHF than typical CMOS front-ends. The ATR0981-EK board makes this technology accessible for hands-on evaluation: engineers can benchmark SiGe front-end behavior - noise figure, linearity, and gain in the 400-500 MHz band - against alternative technologies before selecting a radio architecture. This is valuable for teams comparing SiGe bipolar front-ends against integrated CMOS transceivers for cost-sensitive sub-GHz products. The kit supplies the board only, so test equipment and external bias/microcontroller control for the ATR0981 must be provided by the user per the ATR0981 datasheet.
Recommended
Utility Metering RF Front-Ends
Sub-GHz bands around 400-500 MHz are widely used for utility metering, automatic meter reading (AMR), and industrial telemetry, where penetration and range matter more than bandwidth. The ATR0981-EK enables metering system designers to validate a SiGe TX/RX front-end in exactly this band before production. By measuring the ATR0981's front-end performance on the evaluation board, designers can confirm that transmit output and receive sensitivity meet the link requirements of meter-to-gateway communications. Because the kit is RoHS compliant and lead free, it can be used freely in development labs shipping to EU markets, and measured results transfer to custom meter PCBs that replicate the evaluation board's RF layout and matching network.
Recommended
Industrial Telemetry and Remote Control
Industrial telemetry links - tank level monitoring, machine status reporting, and remote-control receivers - commonly operate in the 400-500 MHz region where propagation is favorable and antenna sizes are practical. The ATR0981-EK supports development of these systems by providing a characterized platform for the ATR0981 SiGe TX/RX front-end in its specified 400-500 MHz band. Engineers can measure transmit spectrum compliance, verify receiver front-end gain and matching, and evaluate real-world range with prototype antennas connected to the board. This de-risks the radio portion of the product before custom PCB fabrication, and the evaluation board serves as a golden reference when debugging first-article production hardware later in the program.
Recommended
RF Education and Lab Training
The ATR0981-EK is a practical teaching platform for RF front-end coursework and lab training. Because it exercises a real monolithic SiGe TX/RX front-end over a defined 400-500 MHz band, students can perform classic RF measurements - S-parameters, gain, matching, and spectrum analysis - on commercial hardware using standard instruments like VNAs and spectrum analyzers. The board illustrates SiGe technology concepts described in the ATR0981 datasheet, connecting theory (noise figure, linearity, front-end architecture) with measurable results. Being a single supplied board, it is inexpensive to equip a lab bench, and RoHS compliance makes it suitable for institutional procurement in regulated markets.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for ATR0981-EK β comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Front End evaluation board |
| Frequency | 400 MHz to 500 MHz |
| Supported IC | ATR0981 (SiGe TX/RX front-end) |
| Supplied Contents | Board |
| RoHS | Compliant |
| Lead Free | Yes |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Atmel legacy) |
| Package | Board-level product (no IC package) |
Key Differentiators
- Purpose-built platform for the ATR0981 SiGe front-end (vs Generic sub-GHz evaluation boards)
- Known-good RF layout reference (vs Custom first-pass PCB)
- RoHS-compliant, lead-free construction (vs Legacy/gray-market test boards)
Design Notes
When transferring results from the ATR0981-EK to a custom design, reproduce the evaluation board's RF layout practices: controlled-impedance 50-ohm transmission lines, continuous ground plane under RF traces, and short decoupling paths for the ATR0981 supply pins. Board-level matching is tuned for 400-500 MHz; any deviation in trace geometry, dielectric, or stackup will shift the match and degrade return loss. Compare your custom board's S11/S22 against the evaluation board baseline to verify layout fidelity before production.
Do not assume performance outside 400-500 MHz. The ATR0981 die supports 300-500 MHz per its datasheet, but the ATR0981-EK board matching network is specified for 400-500 MHz only; measurements below 400 MHz on the kit will be dominated by the board match, not the IC. Additionally, remember this is a development tool, not a production component - designing the -EK part number into a BOM is a common procurement error.
Provide clean, low-noise supply biasing to the ATR0981 front-end during evaluation. SiGe front-ends are sensitive to supply ripple, which can raise the measured noise floor and corrupt RX sensitivity results on the board. Use a linear lab supply or well-filtered bench supply, keep leads short, and verify supply decoupling on the evaluation board before drawing conclusions about IC noise performance.
Compliance Information
RoHS Compliant and Lead Free per chipdig datasheet specification summary. REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals status not stated in verified data.
