The RFM12B wireless radio module has been around for quite some time. When I found out about it at the time, I really liked the mix of features it provided – far more capable than the morse-code like OOK modules in cheap sensors, very low power, and available at a considerably lower cost than the XBee and other ZigBee solutions out there:
There was little software for it at the time, and writing an interrupt-driven driver for it was quite a challenge when this all started, but nowadays that’s no longer an issue – the RF12 driver which is now part of JeeLib has turned out to work quite well.
There have been some rumours recently, and understandably also some worries, that the RFM12B might be phased out, but if I may paraphrase Mark Twain on this: the reports of the RFM12B’s death have been greatly exaggerated…
After some email exchanges between HopeRF and Martyn Judd, I’m now happy to report that we have received a formal statement from HopeRF to clarify the issue:
“The popular RFM12B S1/S2 modules remain in production with a large volume of long standing and long term orders. There is NO plan to discontinue the series and NO plan to end production in the foreseeable future. It is correct that we no longer recommend this series to customers developing new projects, since we have developed more recent designs, for example the RFM6X series. These incorporate functionality improvements that can provide a better price/performance for specific applications.”
– Derek Zhu, Marketing Manager, HopeRF
As I see it, this means that the RFM12B will be around for quite some time and that we don’t have to worry about supplies for keeping all current networks based on these modules working. I definitely intend to keep using RFM12B’s at JeeLabs and in products designed and produced by JeeLabs.
Having said that, I’m also evaluating alternatives and looking for a convenient option to act as next step forward. My focus is on low-power consumption and good range for use within the house, both of which I hope to take even further. I’d also like to make sure that over-the-air flashing with JeeBoot will work well with the current as well as future choices.
In my opinion the RFM12B continues to be a simple & excellent low-cost and low-power foundation, so I’m taking my time to very carefully review any new options out there.