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Home and industrial automation applications increasingly
demand control, connectivity and security. With the release of Media
Access Controller (MAC) software that supports the IEEE(R) 802.15.4
protocol on the low-power 32-bit ColdFire(R) architecture, Freescale
Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is creating the broadest
portfolio of 802.15.4-enabled solutions in the marketplace.
According to In-Stat, 802.15.4 chipset sales will surpass 150
million units in 2008. Typical applications include home and building
automation, industrial monitoring and control, and wireless sensor
networks. Designers have struggled to create reliable and secure
wireless communication links simply and cost-effectively. Freescale
now offers the necessary components for wireless design --
microcontroller (MCU), RF and software stack -- in 8- and 32-bit
chipsets.
"The inclusion of ready-to-run stack software for this popular
ColdFire family of controllers will help speed up FSI's design cycle,
allowing more products to be developed in a shorter time frame," said
John Malvaso, president of FSI Systems, a provider of complete
electronic product solutions specializing in the area of embedded
connectivity. "The stack is also a great platform to add proprietary
code above the 802.15.4 level where customers do not necessarily need
ZigBee enablement."
Monitor, control, secure
Freescale's ColdFire devices are designed to enable gateways for
wireless connectivity, helping consumers easily keep an eye on their
homes, secure their property from intruders and control household
appliances with the click of a mouse.
"Flexibility in automation systems, ranging from industrial to
commercial to residential, means that offering a high-performance
solution to a portfolio will be important, especially when designing
large systems to bridge with established LAN backbones," said Joyce
Putscher, principal analyst at In-Stat.
The ColdFire family of controllers includes devices outfitted with
Ethernet MAC/PHY, large amounts of memory and rigorous hardware
encryption for security. With a broadband connection, Ethernet
gateways based on the ColdFire architecture simply plug into the
Ethernet port of current networks to power wireless connectivity.
Freescale offers a wide spectrum of wireless networking solutions,
ranging from simple point-to-point and star networks, to sophisticated
networks including ZigBee mesh networks. ColdFire MCUs can be coupled
with Freescale's MC13191 or MC13201 2.4 GHz RF transceivers and SMAC
software for applications that do not require mesh networking or
critical timing restrictions. When coupled with MC13192 or MC13202 2.4
GHz RF transceivers and fully compliant IEEE 802.15.4 PHY and MAC
software, ColdFire MCUs provide 802.15.4 MAC functionality.
"Simple, low-cost wireless communication is the wave of the future
and we're extending our wireless-ready portfolio to meet our
customers' needs," said Jeff Bock, global marketing manager for
Freescale's 16/32-bit consumer & industrial business. "As a ZigBee
Alliance member, this is a significant milestone on the way to
providing full ZigBee support on our microcontrollers. We anticipate
ColdFire products to be completely compatible with the ZigBee
specification by Q406."
Pricing and availability
The 802.15.4 software is now available for the MCF5282, MCF5213
and MCF5223x processor families. This complimentary embedded software
library and the required RF transceivers are available on the
Freescale Web site: http://www.freescale.com/ZigBee.
The M52233DEMO demonstration board is available now for the
suggested resale price of $99 (USD). The M52235EVB evaluation board is
available for the suggested resale price of $299 (USD). The
13192RFC-A00 and 1320XRFC RF daughter cards are also available for
suggested resale pricing of $149 (USD) and $79 (USD) respectively.
For more information about ColdFire product families and
Freescale's ZigBee leadership, please visit
www.freescale.com/files/pr/cfzigbee-ready.html
For a ColdFire controller graphic, go to
http://www.freescale.com/files/pr/graphicslibrary.html.
About ZigBee and the ZigBee Alliance
The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working
together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly
networked monitoring and control products based on an open global
standard. For more information please visit: www.zigbee.org.
About Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is a global
leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for
the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets.
Freescale became a publicly traded company in July 2004 after more
than 50 years as part of Motorola, Inc. The company is based in
Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing
or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale, a member of
the S&P 500(R), is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies
with 2005 sales of $5.8 billion (USD).
www.freescale.com.
Freescale Technology Forum
ColdFire MCUs and ZigBee applications will be featured during
numerous presentations and panels at the Freescale Technology Forum
(FTF). FTF is fast becoming the embedded semiconductor industry's
premier developer conference. A global program, FTF events feature
visionary keynote speakers, in-depth technical training, and
interactive demonstrations from Freescale and leading hardware,
software and tools providers. For detailed information about FTF
events around the world, please go to www.freescale.com/ftf.
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