MeshNetics & Microchip Technology Announce New Wireless Power Product Offerings

MeshNetics announced its launch of the ZigBit 900, described as the world’s first RF module for sub-1 GHz band that uses the ZigBee PRO Feature Set. The new IEEE 802.15.4-2006 module is designed to operate in the ISM bands 915 MHz in the US and 868 MHz in Europe.

The ZigBit 900 module features what is described as an exceptional sensitivity of -110 dBm and output power of 11 dBm that result in the line-of-sight range of up to 6,000m (over 3.7 miles). The power consumption stays at a low level: less than 6 µA in sleep mode, 11mA in receive mode, and 26mA in transmit mode, which translates into many years of battery life. The ZigBit 900 operates in the European ISM band from 863 to 870 MHz and in the North American ISM band from 902 to 928 MHz. The ZigBit 900 is said to offer regional alternatives to the global 2.4 GHz band where the channel characteristics of the lower frequencies can result in performance advantages in certain environments.

The ZigBit 900 module ships with BitCloud,™ a robust 802.15.4-2006/ZigBee PRO Feature Set used for all the 2.4 GHz MeshNetics modules. Supporting self-healing, self-organizing mesh networks and up to 1Mbit/s data rates, BitCloud stack optimizes network traffic while minimizing power consumption. Customers can choose between the C API for embedded application development and SerialNet – a ZigBee Manufacturer Specific Profile based on BitCloud™ supporting a serial AT-command interface to ZigBit 900.

The ZigBit 900 module is based on Atmel’s hardware platform featuring AVR Microcontroller and the latest RF transceiver. The brand new AT86RF212 is a low-power, low-voltage transceiver designed specifically for low cost IEEE 802.15.4-2006, ZigBee, and high data rate ISM applications. The company claims that the AT86RF212 boasts best-in-class sensitivity combined with very low power consumption. Its MAC and AES hardware accelerators are said to improve overall system power efficiency and timing. The ZigBit 900 packs the MCU, RF transceiver and all the circuitry in just under half a square inch of space.

The new module is priced at USD 27.60 for volume quantities of 1K. Mass production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2008. By then, the ZigBit 900 module is expected to gain FCC, CE and ARIB certifications. Both 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz ZigBit modules are pin-compatible, which allows a seamless migration from one platform to another.

Microchip Technology Inc. announced the MiWi™ Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Wireless Protocol Stack, which is based upon the IEEE 802.15.4™ specification. Available as a free download from Microchip’s new online Wireless Design Center, the small-footprint, proprietary stack complements the new MRF24J40MA 2.4 GHz FCC-certified transceiver module and is targeted for low-cost, low-power applications, such as sensors, remote control, lighting and metering.

The MiWi P2P protocol stack supports star and peer-to-peer wireless-network topologies with an ultra-small code implementation of 3K bytes for Microchip’s PIC® microcontrollers (MCUs). As a result, the stack provides short-range wireless customers with hundreds of possible MCU implementations for applications that require simple node-to-node communication. Additionally, the new MiWi P2P stack provides sleeping-node, active-scan, and energy-detect features that enable robust operation while supporting the low-power requirements of battery-operated devices.

"Microchip is providing this new IEEE 802.15.4 based proprietary wireless protocol stack to enable simple, low-cost, low-power, peer-to-peer communication," said Steve Caldwell, Director of Microchip’s Radio Frequency Products Division. "With the addition of the MiWi P2P stack, Microchip now has three free wireless-protocol stacks to complement our new 2.4GHz, IEEE 802.15.4 FCC-certified MRF24J40MA module."