Labeled a "range extender" for low-power wireless applications from 850 to 950 MHz, the single-chip CC1190 RF front end from Texas Instruments is ideal for increasing the coverage area of wireless sensor networks, automatic-meter-reading (AMR) systems, and wireless industrial controls. It integrates a power amplifier (PA), low-noise amplifier (LNA), switch, and matching network in a ROHS-compliant, 4 x 4 mm QFN-16 package. The receive gain is typically 11.6 dB with 2.9 dB noise figure. The transmit gain is at least 24 dB with 50-percent power-added efficiency (PAE) for +26-dBm output power at 1-dB compression. The maximum output power at 1-dB compression is +27 dBm. The front end is designed to work with the company's model CC1101 transceiver and CC430 or CC1110 systems-on-chip (SoCs to increase the link budget. It can increase receive sensitivity, for example, by typically 6 dB.