Jennic introduces low cost wireless sensor network starter kit for single chip IEEE 802.15.4 wireless microcontroller

Sheffield, UK, 1st December 2005: Jennic today announces the general availability of a low cost wireless sensor network starter kit for developing IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee products based on its single chip wireless microcontroller device. The kit includes sample demonstrations that highlight the potential for remote monitoring and control applications based on the wireless standard, and enables new product development based on this new technology. One of the demonstrations is a remote sensor monitoring network, which reads environmental data from each of the nodes and displays the results on a PC terminal. A second demonstrates how a wireless light switch network can be developed.

The starter kit contains three battery-powered nodes each with Jennic's JN5121 single chip IEEE802.15.4-compliant system-on-chip wireless microcontroller mounted on an RF module, and incorporating LEDs, push button switches, temperature, humidity and light sensors and an IO expansion port. Two nodes have sub-miniature ceramic antennas; the other node has a removable external antenna enabling connection to test equipment.

The kit also includes a suite of library functions that provide all the elements required to build network products based on the IEEE802.15.4 standard, including device drivers, typical sensor and control drivers; these are backed up with example applications showing a star network with central co-ordinator node and endpoints. The development environment features a complete, unrestricted toolchain and is based upon the GNU C-compiler, assembler, debugger, device programmer and download tools.

The starter kit costs US$550 and can now be purchased from Jennic's worldwide distribution network.

About Jennic

Jennic is a fabless semiconductor company leading the wireless connectivity revolution into new applications. Its expertise in systems and software combined with world class RF and digital chip design provides low cost, highly integrated silicon solutions for the low power short range wireless data market with a focus on the IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee standards. The company's products include state-of-the-art low power wireless microcontrollers, transceivers and low cost development platforms. Headquartered in Sheffield, UK, and employing over 70 people, Jennic is privately held and has a track record of successful silicon chip development for wireless applications over the last nine years. For more information, visit www.jennic.com.

About The ZigBee Alliance

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.