Renesas & AND TR jointly announce ZigBee SE1.1 design kits
Dusseldorf, September 22nd, 2011 - Renesas Electronics Europe and its Alliance Partner AND Technology Research Ltd., (AND TR) today announced the availability of a complete ZigBee Pro module-based design kit which includes the Smart Energy1.1 profile. Based on Renesas’ M16C/6B single chip ZigBee silicon, the AND TR design kits are tuned to provide optimum RF performance in the most demanding situations and have been tested for interoperability at ZigBee Smart Energy interoperability events.
Competitively priced, the design kits include “TestZED” modules that can be used in product prototyping and are pre-programmed with the Renesas ZigBee Pro stack as well as the Smart Energy 1.1 profile (other profiles are available on request). The modules are easily controlled via HyperTerminal commands. In the Advanced design kit, the specialist TestZED module is designed to interoperate with the bundled PC TestZED software and can function as either a ZigBee Co-ordinator or Router, depending on how it is initialised. However, the real hidden 'gem' in this kit is the TestZED PC software itself. This not only gives users greater visibility of network communications, but enables direct testing of the ZigBee Profile and their developed application through the reading/writing to the individual attributes of the profile's clusters.
As a result, scenarios can be quickly set up and tested. As is standard with all AND products, the ConnectZED Evaluation Kits come fully backed up with direct technical email and telephone support. When users start to develop their ZigBee based design they can rest assured that there is not just technical support at a simple call or email away, but complete embedded expertise and design services available too. The Renesas M16C/6B single chip silicon offers an extremely high level of integration including a high-performance 16-bit CPU with an IEEE802.15.4 compliant 2.4GHz transceiver, up to 256kB of on-chip Flash coupled with 20kB RAM and 8kB of data flash, in addition to many useful peripherals such as a 4 channel DMA, multiple timers (including watchdog), 3 channels of serial I/O, 8 channel 10bit ADC and much more.
Andy Harding, Senior Manager of Smart Energy Segment Marketing at Renesas Electronics Europe, comments: “The AND TR modules and design kits are not only designed specifically for the markets at which they are targeted, but are also backed up by a strong design services company able to provide dedicated support and guidance for end customers trying to get to grips with the challenges of communications and networking.
Whilst the European Union and individual governments target ambitious roll outs of Smart Metering across the EU, AND TR has the expertise to turn this goal into reality and is already actively supporting a number of our customers in technology trials.” Steven Kear, Programmes Director at AND TR, adds: “AND TR is delighted to be working with Renesas in this market. They are already a market leader and remain focused on supplying semiconductor based solutions specifically targeted for use in the Smart Grid and Building/Home Automation markets. Renesas puts a lot of emphasis on quality and supply which makes them a privilege to work with.
Our relationship goes back many years and this gives customers the confidence they require to work with suppliers of components for major infrastructure projects like the Smart Grid.” Targeted primarily at the European Smart Metering market, but also supporting Building Automation and Home Appliance applications through the optional Home Automation profile, the ZigBee design kits are available directly from AND’s website at www.andtr.com at a cost of £195.00 (€220.00) for the Standard Evaluation Kit or £550.00 (€625.00) for the Advanced Evaluation Kit. At the forthcoming Metering & Billing conference/exhibition (http://www.renesas.eu/event/metering2011.html) in Amsterdam, AND will be demonstrating its TestZED modules alongside other products from its ‘Connect’ series which combine ZigBee with other technologies. These include C-ROUTE, where ZigBee is partnered with Power Line Communication (PLC) to provide best route for wired and wireless communications; and C-POINT, where ZigBee is partnered with load monitoring/profiling technology, providing remote identifying, monitoring & control of attached appliances.
About ANDtr
For over thirty years AND Technology Research Ltd., (AND) has been at the cutting edge of technology design and innovation; developing electronic & software products for clients in addition to offering professional, expert advice in both these fields. Based in 'leafy' Theydon Bois, a village just outside London (UK), the team of highly professional, multi-disciplined engineers has a fantastic ability to solve problems & design challenges simply and effectively. The company works with individuals and businesses, consulting and researching into emerging technologies, designs & concepts. Working across a broad range of sectors covering automotive, broadcast, aerospace, medical, consumer and most recently green tech, the company offers services from PCB layout, to software programming, and product prototyping; the one-stop-shop for development.
For further information please visit www.andtr.com or contact Steven Kear, Programmes Director, [email protected].
About Renesas
Electronics Europe Renesas Electronics Europe with its Business Operations Centre located in Dusseldorf, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers and a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions, secure MCU applications and a broad-range of analog and power devices. Renesas Electronics’ European structure is comprised of four dedicated business groups serving the region’s key markets: automotive, communications & consumer, industrial, and mobile platforms. The business groups are supported by the Engineering Group, which itself includes the Engineering Design Centre; the European Quality Centre that provides technical support to local customers in Europe; and the European Technology Centre to design leading-edge products specifically for the European market. Further information about Renesas Electronics Europe can be found at: www.renesas.eu. Renesas Electronics Europe on http://twitter.com/Renesas_Europe, http://facebook.com/RenesasEurope and http://youtube.com/RenesasPresents Remarks All product and service names that appear in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Web Reference: http://andtr.com/site/NewsAndViews/PressReleases.html