The recommended PCB layout for the RTL8326 involves placing the chip near the center of the board, with the antenna connected to the RF pins (RFIN and RFOUT) and the power supply decoupling capacitors placed close to the VCC and GND pins. A 4-layer PCB with a solid ground plane is recommended to minimize noise and EMI.
The RTL8326 can be configured for different wireless standards (e.g. 802.11b/g/n) by setting the appropriate registers and pins. For example, the MODE pin can be used to select between 802.11b/g and 802.11n modes. The datasheet provides a detailed description of the register settings and pin configurations required for each standard.
The maximum transmit power of the RTL8326 is +18 dBm, but this can be adjusted using the TX_POWER register to comply with regional regulatory requirements.
The RTL8326 supports WEP, WPA, and WPA2 wireless security protocols. To implement these protocols, the host processor must handle the encryption and decryption of data, while the RTL8326 provides the necessary hardware acceleration for cryptographic operations.
The power consumption of the RTL8326 varies depending on the operating mode. In transmit mode, the power consumption is typically around 350 mA. In receive mode, it is around 200 mA. In standby mode, it is around 50 mA. The power consumption can be further reduced by using the power-saving features of the chip.
