Everything is going from wired to wireless, owing to clutter associated with the wired systems. RF (radio frequency) communication technology is the one making this change happen. RF modules with different protocols are now used widely in electronic designs to enable wireless communication. Let us take a look at different RF modules available and some parameters to select a right one for your application. 

An RF module is nothing but a small electronic device which is used to communicate between two devices, wirelessly, using radio waves. This is one of the most preferable methods of wireless communication as it does not require line of sight. Radio circuit design is a complex field and the performance highly depends on accuracy of components, a perfectly designed layout and carefully monitored manufacturing process. Also, the design needs to be then certified after conformance testing, as radio circuits are subject to limits on radiated emission. Due to all these, designers prefer to use off-the-shelf RF modules which save a lot of money and reduce time-to-market to a great extent.

These RF modules come with different carrier frequencies allowed by national and international regulations, such as 315MHz, 433.92MHz, 868MHz, 915MHz and 2400MHz. Other than frequency, these modules are also differentiated based on the protocol standards they use for communication, such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth or other proprietary protocols.