Maxim's MAX7036 low-cost receiver is designed to receive amplitude-shift-keyed (ASK) and on-off-keyed (OOK) data in the 300 MHz to 450 MHz frequency range. The receiver has an RF input signal ranging from -109 dBm down to 0 dBm.

The MAX7036 requires few external components and has a power-down pin to put it in a low-current sleep mode, making it ideal for cost- and power-sensitive applications. The low-noise amplifier (LNA), phase-locked loop (PLL), mixer, IF filter, received-signal-strength indicator (RSSI), and baseband sections are all on-chip. The MAX7036 uses a very low intermediate frequency (VLIF) architecture. The MAX7036 integrates the IF filter on-chip and therefore eliminates an external ceramic filter, reducing the bill-of-materials cost. The device also contains an on-chip automatic gain control (AGC) that reduces the LNA gain by 30 dB when the input signal power is large. The MAX7036 operates from either a 5 V or a 3.3 V power supply and draws 5.5 mA (typ) of current.