Sensors Expo 2006: ZigBee co-processor

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Rosemont , IL and Boston , MA —EM260 ZigBee co-processor from Ember features a flexible, open-source interface (EZSP) said to make it easy to integrate ZigBee networking capabilities with nearly any microcontroller. Also available is the InSight EM260 development kit that includes hardware, ZigBee networking stack, EZSP serial interface, and development and debugging software. The products were introduced at Sensors Expo 2006 held in Rosemont (Chicago), IL, earlier this month.

EM260, reported to be “the world’s only ZigBee co-processor, lets OEMs choose which microcontroller they want to run an application. The approach is said to make more memory and processing resources available because hardware suppliers and application developers do not need to port a ZigBee protocol stack onto their microcontrollers. ZigBee processing is off-loaded to the co-processor.

Package is intended to allow users to ZigBee-enable existing products quickly and easily or rapidly prototype new products. EZSP provides a plug-and-play, open-source programming interface that facilitates communication between the microcontroller application and the EM260 chip over a standard, high-speed serial interface. Co-processor integrates an IEEE 802.15.4 radio, network processor, and on-board memory to run a complete ZigBee network protocol stack. It is designed to work with EmberZNet and features an Ember transport layer to provide reliable wireless communication between nodes and enable distributed bindings.

—Control Engineering Daily News Desk

Jeanine Katzel , senior editor