Microchip – zigbee platform enables developers to create ground-breaking designs for connected applications

Now available from Microchip Technology and claimed to be an industry first is the zigbee alliance certified zigbee platform with zigbee PRO and Green Power features (formerly known as zigbee 3.0). With greater interoperability and lower latency than ever before, this software stack and corresponding BitCloud 4.0 software development kit are ideal for the design of home automation, commercial lighting, smart energy and IoT applications. The certified solution enables cross-functional device support and will be backward-compatible with existing zigbee certified products for seamless interoperability. Along with the zigbee PRO (2015) feature set, developers can expect to find features such as low latency suitable for RF remote applications, mesh networking for large networks such as lighting applications, and the Green Power benefits of an energy harvesting switch. The PRO Green Power feature, making its debut on the new certified software stack, enables battery-less devices to securely join a network while leveraging eco-friendly energy sources such as light, vibration or motion. Additionally, zigbee Light Link and zigbee Home Automation device types are now fully supported. “We’re proud to be the first silicon manufacturer to offer a zigbee certified platform with zigbee PRO and Green Power features,” said Steve Caldwell, vice president of Microchip’s Wireless Solutions Group. “With both our hardware and SDK, we’re able to provide best-in-class functionality for a wide range of applications from large-scale commercial lighting to ultra-low power battery-less devices.” “Having a long-standing member company like Microchip continue to invest in the creation and commercialization of new platforms based on our latest standards shows the strength of the zigbee market,” said Victor Berrios, Vice President of Technology, zigbee alliance. “This zigbee platform enables developers to create new, ground-breaking and interoperable designs for connected applications.” To bring zigbee designs to market faster, Microchip offers the BitCloud 4.0 SDK. The SDK enables application development on the SAM R21 Xplained Pro Evaluation Kit, a Cortex M0+-based 32-bit microcontroller with an integrated 2.4GHz 802.15.4 compliant radio. When used with the newly certified software stack, the SDK provides a complete certified development platform.