To enable engineers to speed up development time to address the needs of the emerging wirelessly networked control and monitoring applications using the ZigBee standard, Microchip Technology has readied a ZigBee demonstration and development platform that combines its PIC18 microcontroller and an internally developed ZigBee protocol stack with Oslo, Norway-based Chipcon AS' 2.4 GHz RF transceiver. Separately, Chipcon has developed a ZigBee-compliant system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution that comprises its transceiver CC2420 with an 8051 MCU, 128 kbyte of FLASH memory, 8 kbyte of RAM plus many other powerful features. Development kit and samples of Chipcon's SoC solution are expected to be released in the second quarter. These announcements come as the ZigBee Alliance ratifies the first ZigBee specs.

By accelerating design and development, the PICDEM^™ Z 2.4 GHz demonstration platform also offers a choice of more than 30 PIC18 eight-bit microcontrollers that support the ZigBee software stack. The protocol stack occupies about 12 kbytes of program memory. The microcontroller family offers controllers starting with 32 kbytes of Flash program memory all the way up to 128 kbytes of Flash in 28-pin to 80-pin packages. In addition, to conserve power in battery power devices, the platform incorporates developer's nanoWatt technology power-managed modes and self-programmable Flash program memory.

The kit includes all of the hardware, software source-code and printed circuit board (PCB) layout files needed to rapidly prototype wireless products. Additionally, an instructional application note is available on Microchip's web site at www.microchip.com/zigbee. Some of the applications that can be rapidly evaluated with this platform include building/home automation (security, lighting, HVAC, access); industrial (monitors, sensors, automation, control, lighting); personal healthcare (diagnostic tools, monitors); and consumer electronics (RF wireless remotes for TV/VCR/DVD/CD).

“As a leader in the RFIC market, we are proud to partner with the number one supplier of eight-bit microcontrollers to offer a comprehensive ZigBee development platform,” said Geir Forre, president & CEO of Chipcon. “The combination of our industry-leading transceivers with Microchip's world-class development tools and advanced eight-bit microcontrollers allows engineers to jumpstart their ZigBee designs.”

Microchip's PICDEM Z platform and ZigBee software stack is supported by the company's full suite of MPLAB^® development tools, including the MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and MPLAB C18 C Compiler. Additional PICDEM Z features include support for reduced function device (RFD) and full-function device (FFD), RF transceiver and PCB antenna, modular software design with cooperative multitasking architecture, RTOS independent.

In short, the PICDEM Z 2.4 GHz development platform includes two motherboards, two RF cards, and a CD containing the ZigBee protocol software and a PCB layout database. An instructional application note is available on the company's web site. According to the manufacturer, a PICDEM Z 900 MHz demonstration kit is also in development.

For more information, visit www.microchip.com.