Photovoltaics Make Radio System Truly Wireless
Sep 27, 2006 2:08 PM
By Mark Valentine, Technical Editor, Power Electronics Technology
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Spotlight on Digital Power
A digital radio transceiver from FreeWave, the FGRIO-S, can be powered with solar energy from a kit specially designed for that radio, making it truly wireless and virtually maintenance free."
The radio provides a wireless digital communications link for sensors and actuators. It has a nominal range of three kilometers with a unity-gain antenna, with a maximum range of dozens of miles with high gain antennas and clear line-of-sight conditions. The radio has power management features that reduce the capacity requirements of the solar cells, such as low power standby modes and the ability to activate and deactivate sensors.

