* Question
What are the three low-power modes for the transceiver?
* Answer
Most RF or wireless transceivers (such as those used in Bluetooth, Zigbee, or sub-GHz systems) provide multiple low-power operating modes to reduce energy consumption when full functionality is not needed. Typically, these fall into three categories:
1. Sleep Mode
The deepest power-saving state.
The transceiver’s RF circuitry, oscillator, and most of the digital logic are powered down.
Current consumption is extremely low (often in the nA–µA range).
Wake-up requires a crystal oscillator startup or an external event (e.g., timer, interrupt, or pin).
Best for long idle periods when latency can be tolerated.
2. Standby (Idle) Mode
A mid-level low-power state.
The oscillator may still be running, but RF sections are disabled.
Digital registers and configuration are retained, allowing quick transition back to active mode.
Provides a balance between energy saving and wake-up time.
Suitable when the device must be ready to respond quickly (e.g., in duty-cycled listening).
3. Receive/Transmit Low-Power (or Doze) Mode
The transceiver operates in a reduced-power mode while still monitoring the channel.
Often called doze, sniff, or low-power receive.
RF front-end is partially active to detect activity or sync patterns, but full demodulation may not be enabled.
Useful for applications where the device must periodically “listen” without fully powering the receiver.
Summary
The three common low-power modes for transceivers are:
Sleep Mode – lowest current, longest wake-up.
Standby (Idle) Mode – configuration retained, quick resume.
Low-Power Receive/Doze Mode – partially active receiver for channel monitoring.
These modes allow designers to trade off power consumption, responsiveness, and system latency depending on the application (e.g., battery-powered IoT nodes, wireless sensors, or handheld radios).
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