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I'd appreciate it if someone could offer a couple of suggestions about pairing up an AVR MCU (I'm thinking about using the MEGA162V-8PU ) to a general ISM < 1GHz (transceiver), and the ATTINY85 on the other end (with another transmitter). Architecturally, my system is similar to an RF garage opener. There is a base station (using the MEGA162V-8PU) that has 2 sensors connecting to it. In terms of the preferred PHY protocol for the transceiver I was thinking about using the IEEE 802.15.4 (LRWPANs) as it allows for both 'peer-to-peer' and/or 'star' network designs.

I've been scouting the Internet for potential solutions/ideas. There are plenty of options out there, but I can't seem to find the right one for me. Firstly, most MCU+Rx/Tx IC solutions don't come with enough GPIO ports. This makes it hard (if not impossible) for me to use any of the ATMEL's all-in-one options (such as the AT86RF212B) - especially for the base which needs at least 3 or 4 push buttons an LCD module, and a couple of relays. In my mind using a single-chip (MCU+Transceiver) solution would be beneficial for multiple reasons (heat, power consumption, PCB space, etc.), but I don't think there is anything available for my number of GPIO pins, correct?

For the sensor I could try to go with only an MCU + transmitter as it only has to capture data and send it back to the base (one-way communication). Has anyone designed something similar before?

Any ideas/suggestions are very much appreciated. Thanks much in advance.

Nactus
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    Single Chip radio/controller and connect buttons (through an I/O extender IC) and display via I2C? – Simon Richter Apr 22 '17 at 02:13
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    Check for Nordic Semiconductor sub 1G ICs [nRF905 & nRF9E5 SoC version](http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Sub-1-GHz-RF) - but not sure are they 802.15.4 compliant since no mentioning, no 802.15.4 stack implementation is seen (which BTW will require more capable MCU than AVR, something with ARM core). – Flanker Apr 22 '17 at 09:48
  • @SimonRichter, any single chip radio/controller that would work well with the AVR family? The base needs a stand-alone MCU as it requires more GPIO pins than most of the on-chip (MCU+Transceiver) solutions. – Nactus Apr 24 '17 at 02:46
  • @Nactus, no, I was suggesting you use an I2C IO extender chip to get the number of GPIOs required, so you can use an MCU with included radio. – Simon Richter Apr 24 '17 at 11:59

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