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Microchip expands MiWi™ wireless development environment for IEEE 802.15.4, 2.4 GHz and unlicensed sub-GHz networks
Key Facts:
- New tools for easy development of cost-effective, low-power star and mesh wireless products
- Three free interchangeable Microchip MiWiTM protocol stacks
- Three interchangeable wireless PICtail™ daughter boards
Microchip has announced the expansion of its MiWi™ Development Environment (DE) which provides a complete ecosystem for designing star and mesh wireless networking products. The MiWi DE comprises Microchip’s free, proprietary MiWi P2P, MiWi and MiWi PRO star and mesh networking protocol stacks; the 8-bit Wireless Development Kit (WDK) and 2.4 GHz, 868 MHz and 915 MHz ZENA™ Wireless Adapters; as well as the multi-purpose Wireless Development Studio (WDS) with cross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS® and Windows® operating systems. The MiWi DE simplifies the development of ISM-band wireless networking applications for the home and industrial automation, wireless sensor monitoring and control, and smart energy markets.
As a single, seamless development environment, with three interchangeable protocol stacks and three interchangeable wireless PICtail™ daughter boards, the expanded development environment provides a flexible, cost-effective platform which helps customers to reduce risk and accelerate time to market when adding low-power wireless connectivity to embedded microcontroller applications.
The new MiWi PRO mesh-networking protocol is ideal for design engineers needing to create medium to large wireless systems. It supports up to 64 hops and 8,000 nodes in an integrated mesh-network topology. The Wireless Development Studio allows the quick, easy development of wireless applications based on the MiWi protocols. It features a MiWi protocol sniffer for monitoring, debugging and gathering information, and a configurator with a graphical user interface that enables customisation and configuration of wireless networks.
Two new hardware tools also simplify wireless application development: The ZENA Wireless Adapter is a portable, multi-function development tool which, when paired with the Wireless Development Studio, can be used for sniffing, probing and testing, or for configuration as a node on the network. The 8-bit Wireless Development Kit provides eXtreme Low Power PIC® microcontroller users with an easy-to-use platform for developing, evaluating and testing low-power, cost-effective embedded wireless connectivity. It features a pair of wireless PICtail™ daughter boards, two battery-friendly 8-bit XLP PIC MCU development boards and the ability to add additional nodes to create a larger wireless network.
As part of the expanded MiWi DE, the following tools are available for free download today: The MiWi PRO protocol stack can be downloaded from www.microchip.com/miwi; and the Wireless Development Studio from www.microchip.com/wds. Low-cost development tools are also available immediately: The 8-bit Wireless Development Kit – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 (DM182015-1) and the ZENA Wireless Adapter – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 (AC182015-1). ZENA adapters for 868 MHz and 915 MHz wireless applications are expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2011.
For more information, visit Microchip’s Web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/G2TL
For more information, or details on the full range of Microchip products available from Anglia, please email info@anglia.com
This news article was originally published in July 2011.