Platform sets standard for ZigBee compliance

Ember's wireless mesh networking semiconductor system has passed qualification testing to become National Technical Systems' (NTS) standard for evaluating IEEE802.15.4 ZigBee-ready products.

Ember's wireless mesh networking semiconductor system has passed qualification testing to become National Technical Systems' (NTS) standard for evaluating IEEE802.15.4 ZigBee-ready products.

The NTS designation identifies Ember as an essential ingredient for developing applications that conform to 802.15.4/ZigBee MAC and PHY, the IEEE's new standards for high reliability, low power and cost wireless networking.

In addition to naming Ember a mature platform for IEEE802.15.4/ZigBee application development, NTS will use the Ember as part of its overall test bed and testing strategy to evaluate products for performance, interoperability and compliance.

NTS is one of the world's largest testing and quality assurance laboratories, counting companies such as Raytheon, Hughes, Boeing, General Motors, Lockheed Martin and the US Navy among its customers.

Companies hire NTS to provide objective third-party certification that their products conform to standards and meet performance requirements.

NTS chose Ember because it met or exceeded all of IEEE802.15.4's requirements.

The Ember platform also includes features such as accelerated addressing that saves programming time.

"Ember's wireless mesh networking platform is an excellent foundation for IEEE802.15.4 applications", said Osman Sakr, NTS' Division President, Computer Products Testing Labs.

"Our testing confirms that we can offer our clients reasoned assurances that the Ember platform is a stable, reliable physical layer for them to build applications on when the 802.15.4/ZigBee specs crystallise".

Ember-enabled wireless mesh networks manage lighting, temperature and security in business and industrial facilities; monitor and operate industrial devices; detect wear and tear on physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges; and support mobile applications such as temperature and humidity monitoring for preventing fresh food spoilage.

They replace expensive, inflexible wired networks with self-healing and configuring wireless networks based on low-cost sensor modules.

"NTS' decision to use the Ember platform as its 802.15.4 /ZigBee compliance standard affirms our position as the leading wireless semiconductor company with real mesh networking solutions solving real problems right now", said Ember CEO Jeff Grammer.

"Our 802.15.4/ZigBee ready platform is here today with customers already building products on them".

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