2007-05-28
Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.

Fujitsu Introduces Easy-to-Use, 802.15.4 ZigBee Wireless Kit

Shanghai, May 28, 2007 — Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. today announced the industry's first 2.4GHz 802.15.4/ZigBee demonstration kit aimed at making it easier for customers to add wireless control functions to existing systems. The new WiLeKit supports the IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee standard. The kit greatly reduces the complexity of wireless ZigBee interconnections with a Fujitsu-patented simple network control protocol. Now, everyone will be able to easily add wireless functions to their applications.

Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, ZigBee is a wireless communication technology for short distances (within 100m), low data rates (up to 250kbps), low power consumption (operating life from six months to two years with ordinary alkaline batteries) and high reliability. Unlike Bluetooth (802.15.1), which is used to transfer voice data, and WiFi (802.11a/b/g), which is used to transfer Email and images, the ZigBee system emphasizes multi-node monitoring, control and sensory network applications.

"Customers expect to immediately add wireless control functions into their existing systems. The market has been looking for an easy-to-use ZigBee solution," said Andy Chang, deputy marketing director of the System LSI Business Group of Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.. "As the industry's first ZigBee wireless solution with a simple networking protocol, Fujitsu's WiLeKit fully meets market needs. There are almost unlimited applications for many fields, such as intelligent community systems, power substation monitoring and wireless measuring instruments."

Today, most systems used in medium-to-small-scale corporations generally have no more than 255 nodes. Furthermore, they are individual, with no need to interact with other products or systems within the corporation. Since it is not necessary to support a complex mesh network, a simple star/tree topology network architecture is sufficient (Fig. 1). Users want to adopt a simple network control protocol without expensive certification fees and quickly implement ZigBee wireless control functions with high reliability. The WiLeKit demo kit, with its simple network control protocol, satisfies these market needs. Fujitsu Microelectronics is providing an optimal solution for this rapidly increasing market through continuous innovation.

The WiLeKit demo kit (Fig. 2) consists of five end devices and one personal area network coordinator, which allows users to build a simple network. Manual or automatic modes can be set. In manual mode, users can obtain any end field data from the network control center by simply pressing a button. In automatic mode, the end device will regularly transmit field data to the control center on its own. Whether in manual or automatic mode, all communication between the network control center and end device is full duplex and adopts a collision-avoidance transmission mechanism for talk-when-ready to guarantee data reliability.

The new wireless module contains a UZ2400 RF transceiver from UBEC Co. and a low-power, 8-bit microcontroller unit, the MB95F108A, with 60K of flash memory from Fujitsu Microelectronics Co. Fujitsu Microelectronics has a wide range of microcontroller units from 8- to 16-bit and voltages from 3V to 5V. All are available with the new kit, so users can choose products to meet their specific demands and applications.

[Features]

1. Unique network control protocol for simple applications
2. Supports star/tree topology network architecture, for up to 255 nodes
3. Manual and automatic operation modes
4. Data rates up to 250Kbps, transmission distance 10~100m
5. Collision-avoidance communication mechanism for talk-when-ready
6. Low power consumption, with more than 6 months operating life on one alkaline battery
7. RS-232 PC connection, for data-uploading and online upgrading/system programming

[Target applications]

Systems for Wireless intelligent communities, wireless measure instruments, wireless production assembly and equipment monitoring, wireless monitoring for power sub-stations, and wireless data supervision for agriculture and water operations.

[Availability]

WiLeKit 2.4GHz 802.15.4/ZigBee kit now is available in the Asian area. This kit also contains the software development set CD-ROM, battery set and one RS-232 line for PC connection.

[About trademark]

ZigBee is a trademark of the ZigBee Alliance.

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Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.

Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. was established in August 2003 as Fujitsu's semiconductor business representative in China. Headquartered in Shanghai, it has branch offices in Beijing and Shenzhen to provide sales and service support to customers throughout China. Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. offers an extensive range of products from microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), application-specific standard product (ASSP), system-on-chip (SoC) to system memory, that can be supplied as product or complete solution. With technology resource centres and ASIC design support centres strategically located in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well as Heavy investments in design and engineering capabilities and application support resources, complemented by a regional network of design partners, suppliers and distributors, Fujitsu Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. can readily delivers innovative and value-added solutions and varied range of products to its target markets in China.

For more information, please see: http://cn.fujitsu.com/fmc/en/

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