Airbee, ZMD agreement eases ZigBee integration

By Control Engineering Staff September 7, 2006

Airbee Wireless , a developer of software for unwired voice and data networking applications, executed a license agreement with Zentrum Mikroelektronik Dresden AG [“ZMD,” developer of mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application-specific standard products (ASSPs) for automotive, industrial, and medical applications] to provide ZigBee-compliant and ZigBee-based network protocol stacks (ZNS and ZNS Lite). When released, these products will help give integrators and OEMs deploying ZigBee wireless sensor networks access to the ZMD44102 radio at 900 MHz paired with TI MSP430-1612 microcontrollers. The venture will offer a ready-made platform for integrators and OEMs seeking turnkey 900 MHz ZigBee technologies requiring extended range and robust performance.

The two companies will integrate Airbee-ZigBee Network Software (ZNS) stack with ZMD’s ZMD44102 transceivers operating in the European 868.3 MHz and North American 902 MHz to 928 MHz license-free bands. To help OEMs reduce time-to-market, the companies will provide a reference design with the TI MSP430-1612 ultra-low power microcontroller.

“By leveraging our experience with RF and sensor semiconductors, we are offering a ZigBee solution that can support the rapidly growing ZigBee technology market as well as customer-specific applications,” said Klaus Mueller, vice president wireless sensor networks for ZMD. “Current and future ZigBee users can now test and compare 900 MHz vs. 2.4 GHz solutions. Airbee’s experience with TI’s MSP430 microcontrollers and customer demand made it important for us to work with them to offer 900 MHz ZigBee-compliant platforms.”

As ZigBee technology takes off, says Raj Sundarsesan, CEO for Airbee Wireless, application developers will need the extended range performance that 900 MHz offers.

The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. The ZigBee Alliance is a rapidly growing, non-profit industry consortium of leading semiconductor manufacturers, technology providers, OEMs, and end-users worldwide. Membership is open to all. Additional information can be found at www.zigbee.org .

— Edited by Charlie Masi ,senior editor , Control Engineering


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