Renesas Technology Corp. and ZMD AG have announced a joint development agreement enabling Renesas to incorporate ZMD’s RF technology into Renesas microcontrollers (MCU) to develop a 900MHz band ZigBee chipset. Based on this agreement, the two companies will set up a collaborative development team with the aim of bringing a ZigBee chipset to market. The resulting advanced chipset is expected to accelerate the development of various types of IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee systems. The two companies intend to complete the development work in 2008.
ZigBee is a short-distance wireless communication standard based on IEEE 802.15.4. It was developed for control systems for automating homes and offices, communication applications for healthcare equipment or automated inspection systems, and data transfer between sensors such as detectors of various types. It is anticipated that IEEE802.15.4 based solutions, including ZigBee, will become the dominant short-distance communication standard in the future. Of the various communication bands supported by ZigBee, the 900 MHz band is now being introduced primarily in Europe and North America. Its advantages include a wide coverage range, optimized battery life, and minimal signal interference.
Renesas Technology Corporation, www.renesas.com
ZMD, www.zmd.biz
