Basic Wireless Communication for Microcontrollers
Chapter 4 - Design Project 3: 900MHz Automatic Error-Correcting Data Link
Project Overview
Now that you have seen the concepts that form the basis of wireless communication, it is time to tackle a project which has many practical applications in addition to educational value. The purpose of this project is to link two PCs over radio via their RS-232 serial ports. The design will allow moderate data rates (4800 bps bursts with about 2400 bps average throughput) and will automatically correct for errors in transmission. While this project is useful in its current form (i.e., as a slow-speed link between two computers in a house), it could easily be expanded to handle higher data rates or to link things other than PCs (for example, a link between a PC and a robot). The design will use prebuilt RF modules so we can concentrate on the design of the protocol and interfaces rather than on RF circuitry, which was the focus in the last design project.