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Atmel announced its AT86RF215 dual-band radio on November 4, 2014, positioning the embedded transceiver for smart metering, smart lighting, home energy gateways, and industrial automation. The chip supports sub-1 GHz and 2.4 GHz operation; Microchip’s product page lists it as “In Production” as of October 4, 2026. That status is not a guarantee of distributor stock or suitability for a particular design.
What Atmel announced
Atmel introduced the AT86RF215 family at European Utility Week as a radio IC for embedded systems—not a finished consumer transceiver or a complete smart-home product. The company’s November 4, 2014 launch announcement described applications including smart metering, smart lighting, home energy gateways, and industrial and automation equipment.
The family comprised three related radios. AT86RF215 was the dual-band sub-1 GHz/2.4 GHz model at the center of the announcement; AT86RF215M was a single-band sub-1 GHz transceiver; and AT86RF215IQ was a dual-band I/Q radio. Their names and family positioning do not establish identical capabilities or interchangeability.
What dual-band operation means
AT86RF215 is specified for frequency ranges of 389–510 MHz, 779–1020 MHz, and 2400–2483 MHz in Microchip’s Smart Energy Solutions guide. The dual-band designation means the radio covers sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz bands; it does not mean every frequency is permitted in every country, or that a product automatically complies with local radio rules. Confirm the allowed frequencies, power limits, and certification requirements for the target market before design-in.
#1 Best Overall
- It can be wildly used to wireless remote control, somatosensory devices, RFID, NFC, smart grid, smart home, wireless audio etc.
- 5PCS NRF24L01 8 Pin Socket Breakout Adapter Board: On-board AMS1117-3.3 chip, a simple socket breakout board which is for 8-Pin NRF24L01 wireless module
- 5PCS NRF24L01+PA+LNA RF Transceiver Module with SMA Antenna: Built-in 2.4Ghz antenna: available software to set the address, only received local address when output data(Provide interrupt instruction), can be directly connected to a variety of microcontrollers
- RF24L01+ Breakout Adapter: Small power on SMD LED indicator, On-board 3.3V voltage regulator, which accepts +5V power supply input and provides 3.3V for the attached "nRF24L01+" module.
- The packing list includes: 5 * NRF24L01+PA+LNA Wireless Transceiver RF Transceiver Module; 5* SMA Antenna 2.4G 1100m; 5 * NRF24L01+ Breakout Adapter
Atmel’s announcement said the radio could operate simultaneously at sub-1 GHz and 2.4 GHz. The practical appeal is having both frequency ranges available in one radio IC, but selecting a band still depends on the regional spectrum, network design, and system requirements.
Supported physical layers and modulation
Atmel said AT86RF215 supports MR-FSK (multi-rate, multi-regional frequency shift keying), MR-OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), and MR-O-QPSK (offset quadrature phase-shift keying). The later Microchip guide also lists O-QPSK. The 2014 announcement cites compliance with IEEE 802.15.4g-2012 and ETSI TS 102 887-1; the later guide additionally lists IEEE 802.15.4-2011.
Rank #2
- High-performance wireless data transmission chip NRF24L01 +, an increase of high-power PA and LNA chips, RF switches, band-pass filters and other professional full bidirectional RF power amplifier, making the effective communication distance has been greatly expanded.
- NRF24L01P + PA + LNA wireless module works in the license-free 2.4G ISM band, can be point-to-point applications can also form a star network.
- In the RF part of a large number of optimized matching debugging, making the highest transmission efficiency, the smallest harmonic, making NRF24L01P + PA + LNA wireless module to external radio equipment to achieve the lowest radio frequency interference, but also not susceptible to interference from other devices, extremely large Improve the stability of the work.
- NRF24L01P + PA + LNA wireless module is highly integrated, the size of only 41mm * 15.5mm, easy to embed in any space-stressed products.
- Customers only need to add one MCU to control NRF24L01P + PA + LNA through SPI port ,Wireless module to complete ultra-long-range wireless data transmission system design.Do not need to worry about R & D of RF part, drastically reduce R & D expense and shorten R & D cycle.
The announcement connects supported physical-layer options with those used for ZigBee PRO and ZigBee IP. That is not evidence that the radio IC includes a complete Zigbee protocol stack, application software, or a ready-to-deploy interoperable network. Those elements must be assessed separately against the intended protocol, stack implementation, and interoperability requirements.
Published radio specifications
The headline figures below are vendor specifications or claims, not independent measurements. In particular, the sensitivity figure is conditioned on a stated data rate, and the maximum link budget should not be read as expected field range.
Rank #3
- 433mhz RF Transmitter and Receiver Superheterodyne UHF ASK Remote Control Switch Module For Arduino Wireless Diy Kit.
- Mains input voltage range: 2.2V-5V; Operating frequency: 433.92 MHz, bandwidth of about ± 150KHz.
- Low-power performance, along with high dynamic range (greater than 60dB). Module uses highly integrated chip, built front-end low-noise amplifier,Mixers, filters, frequency synthesizer circuit, etc., can maximize the signal optimization.
- Support ASK / OOK modulation, the receiver sensitivity of -108dBm.
- Applications: Can be used for wireless power switch, socket, remote control switch, receiver module, smart home products, remote control curtains, remote MP3, and so on.
| Specification | Published value and context |
|---|---|
| Frequency ranges | 389–510 MHz, 779–1020 MHz, and 2400–2483 MHz, according to Microchip’s Smart Energy Solutions guide. |
| Maximum transmit power | 14 dBm, a vendor-listed maximum in the Microchip guide; Atmel’s 2014 announcement also described output power up to 14 dBm. |
| Receiver sensitivity | -123 dBm at 6.25 kbit/s, according to Microchip’s guide. Atmel’s 2014 release stated sensitivity down to -123 dBm. |
| Link budget | Up to 137 dB, as stated by Atmel in 2014 and described as achievable in Microchip’s guide. |
| Package | 48-pin QFN, per Microchip’s guide and ordering information. |
These figures are useful for an initial comparison, not a prediction of coverage. A system link budget depends on the actual operating mode and data rate as well as antenna, board layout, installation, interference, and regulatory power limits. Compare alternatives under matching conditions rather than treating a maximum specification as a guaranteed link distance.
Package, power, and temperature details
Microchip’s guide lists AT86RF215 ordering codes AT86RF215-ZU and AT86RF215-ZUR in a 48-pin QFN package. The datasheet identifies tray and tape-and-reel carrier variants and specifies a 1.8–3.6 V supply range and an industrial temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. Check the latest datasheet and orderability information when planning a design; package and electrical requirements must be validated against the rest of the board.
Rank #4
- Data Reception: 6 channels support data reception.
- Voltage: Low operating voltage from 1.9 to 3.6V for low-voltage operation.
- Rate: High rate of 2Mbps, greatly reducing wireless transmission conflicts due to short air transmission time (software sets air transmission rate at 1Mbps or 2Mbps).
- Frequency: Multiple frequencies with 125 points for multi-point communication and frequency hopping to meet communication needs.
- Size and Power Consumption: Ultra-small size with a built-in 2.4GHz antenna, compact at 15 x 29mm (including antenna), and low power consumption when operating in communication, air transport, and fast-start response mode.
Evaluation hardware and band coverage
Microchip describes the ATREB215-XPRO Xplained Pro extension board as supporting AT86RF215 evaluation in the 2.4 GHz band. For evaluation in the specified 868 MHz and 915 MHz sub-GHz bands, Microchip says the additional ATREB215-XPRO-A extension board is needed. See the ATREB215-XPRO tool page for the vendor’s board information.
Before choosing a kit, verify the host board and software/toolchain requirements, the band you intend to test, and current board availability. The stated evaluation-board coverage does not establish current stock or imply that one board setup covers every listed frequency range.
Best Value
- The nRF24L01+ is a 2.4GHz ISM band transceiver; Auto-acknowledge and auto-retransmit abilities
- NRF24L01 wireless transceiver module has 5V tolerant inputs which allows for direct connection of SPI pins to the Arduino.
- The module has 5V tolerant inputs which allows for direct connection of SPI pins to the Arduino.
- NRF24L01 module Applications: wireless peripherals, remote control systems such as RC vehicles and consumer remote electronics, wireless voice transmission such as VoIP, wireless sensor networks, wireless networks, home and commercial automation
- Range: 800+ meters line of sight, Weight: 13.28 g (0.468 oz)
2014 schedule versus current production status
Atmel’s November 4, 2014 release said lead customers could obtain samples and evaluation kits then; it planned general sampling for Q1 2015 and volume production for Q3 2015. Those were forecasts made at launch, not current delivery dates.
Microchip’s live AT86RF215 product page lists the device as “In Production” as of October 4, 2026. Production status does not establish inventory at a specific distributor, pricing, or that the component is the right choice for a new design.
How to assess AT86RF215 for a design
- Band and region: Determine whether the application needs regional sub-GHz spectrum, 2.4 GHz, or both, then verify the precise permitted frequencies and compliance rules for the deployment market.
- PHY and protocol: Match the documented modulation modes and data-rate needs to the target standard and network stack. Do not assume a supported physical layer supplies the full protocol implementation.
- Link requirements: Compare transmit power and sensitivity at applicable operating conditions, and account for antenna and board performance. Do not translate the vendor’s maximum link-budget claim directly into an expected range.
- Integration and prototype path: Check package, power, temperature, and ordering details against the design, then confirm that the documented evaluation hardware covers the bands needed for prototyping.
Atmel senior director of smart energy products Kourosh Boutorabi said in the company’s 2014 announcement: “We are excited to see the widespread adoption of standards-based connectivity solutions for the utility industry worldwide,” and, “Expanding our portfolio of smart metering solutions to include new wireless transceivers reinforces our commitment to serve this growing market.” These are Atmel’s company statements, not independent evidence of AT86RF215 adoption or deployment outcomes.
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