Product category:
Wireless process sensors
News Release from: Ember Corporation
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 May 2004
Ember buys into ZigBee via Cambridge
Consultants
Ember buys world-leading 802.15.4 radio technology in a licensing deal with Cambridge Consultants and hires the engineering team that developed it, targetting 'ZigBee' compliant products
This strategic move enables Ember to offer radio, network and software in an integrated 802.15.4/'ZigBee' package that serves the rapidly emerging market for low- cost, low-power networking applications The market for ZigBee chips is expected to reach half a billion units by 2008, according to analyst Kirsten West of West Technology Research Solutions
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 25 Aug 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Wonderware acquires SAT Corporation
Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys, has announced that it has acquired Houston-based SAT Corporation to offer mobile solutions to its customers.
IPS brings Motorola wireless to the plant floor
The Industrial Automation INSIDER for August leads with a report on the latest developments in wireless process automation systems from Invensys and Motorola
"The potential size of these new wireless markets totally dwarfs anything we have seen so far with early consumer wireless standards," West said.
The CCL deal gives Ember: Exclusive rights to the CCL 802.15.4 single-chip architecture, which supports low-power radio communications in demanding environments such as industrial facilities.
A license to use the CCL library of low-power radio components.
Further reading
WirelessHART standard crowns 15 years of success
WirelessHART is the crowning achievement in 15 years of success for HART, establishing the first wireless communication protocol standard for process automation
HBM acquires nCode International in USA
HBM has announced that it has completed the acquisition of nCode International, a leading US based supplier of durability, test and analysis software and mobile data acquisition instruments
Telit wireless network operations in Brazil
Telit Wireless Solutions, the Italy-based mobile technology company, has appointed six wireless industry leaders to guide the launch of their operations and sales force in South America
A wide range of digital communications intellectual property.
Two years of CCL's integrated circuit development services to accelerate product development.
Paired with Ember's embedded mesh networking intelligence, CCL's radio technology will create a single-chip platform for mesh networking applications such as building security, heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation; inventory control; industrial controls; and transportation infrastructure safety monitoring.
CCL is one of the world's top developers of wireless applications, integrated circuits and intellectual property for low-power, embedded radio.
"This acquisition proves our commitment to the market and to consolidating key intellectual property - networking and radio - in one product," said Ember CEO Jeff Grammer.
"Companies developing 802.15.4-based products need radio and networking technologies that interoperate seamlessly, instead of spending valuable development time stitching them together.
Coupling our current partner-based development strategy via Chipcon with outstanding in-house expertise makes Ember the sound choice for these companies".
The development team, now part of Ember, will be the core of an expanded European presence based at CCL's facilities in Cambridge, UK.
Ember Europe now becomes the 'fabless' silicon arm of Ember Corporation.
The subsidiary also includes Ember's existing UK sales and service staff and former CCL associate director Jim Schoenenberger, who takes the position of director of business development.
"Wireless technology's installed base is a tiny fraction of what's possible," said Nick Horne, Ember Europe's director of semiconductor design.
"By the middle of next year - a perfect time for the market's volume ramp up - we expect to have the networking and radio functionality that application developers need on a single chip".
Ember will also port its EmberNet mesh networking platform to the CCL platform, and continue EmberNet development for next-generation products.
The market analysis firm West Technology Research Solutions (WTRS) - who work extensively in low-power radio markets - forecasts a very strong future for ZigBee wireless networking.
Its estimates predict rapid growth to a likely annual demand for over half a billion chipsets within four years.
Home and building networking and automation is expected to lead the technology's adoption, accounting for around three quarters of this total in 2008.
Stronger take-up in the industrial sector will follow, but this is always likely to lag behind home and building sectors until industrial OEMs and users are convinced that RF (radio frequency) signals will not interfere with existing equipment, and that security is adequate.
"The potential size of these new wireless markets totally dwarfs anything we have seen so far with early consumer wireless standards", says Dr Kirsten West, Principal Analyst with WTRS.
"That's why the ramp-up will be so much faster, as there are simply such a huge number of applications that could benefit.
Monolithic ZigBee solutions will be a very important factor in moving quickly to high market penetration, as they will offer the price that's needed for high volume applications".
WTRS expects to see a lot of ZigBee product and technology announcements during 2004, and for design-ins to start in earnest in 2005.
This firm's forecasts are based on a proprietary technique which makes extensive use of macro economic factors, a technique that has proved very successful in predicting realistic Bluetooth chipset sales through the downturn.
• Ember Corporation: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Processingtalk email newsletter
• Processingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
