June 6, 2011 — Microchip Technology released MiWi Development Environment (DE), a complete ecosystem for designing star and mesh wireless networking products. The MiWi DE is comprised of Microchip’s free, MiWi P2P, MiWi and MiWi PRO star and mesh networking protocol stacks; the 8-bit Wireless Development Kit (WDK) and ZENA Wireless Adapters (2.4 GHz, 868 MHz and 915 MHz); and the multi-purpose Wireless Development Studio (WDS) with cross-platform support for the Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems. The MiWi DE is ideal for the development of ISM-band wireless networking applications for industrial automation, wireless sensor monitoring and control, and smart energy markets.
Low-power wireless connectivity is becoming increasingly popular in many embedded microcontroller applications, and Microchip’s new additions to the MiWi DE combine to make it easy for designers to add wireless connectivity. The new MiWi PRO mesh-networking protocol is ideal for design engineers needing to create medium to large wireless systems. It supports up to 64 hops and 8,000 nodes in an integrated mesh-network topology. The Wireless Development Studio allows the quick, easy development of wireless applications based on the MiWi protocols. It features a MiWi protocol sniffer for monitoring, debugging and gathering information, and a configurator with a graphical user interface that enables the simple customization and configuration of wireless networks.
Microchip’s two new hardware tools simplify wireless application development. The ZENA Wireless Adapters meet customer demand for a portable, multi-function development tool. When paired with the Wireless Development Studio, the ZENA Wireless Adapters can be used for sniffing, probing and testing; or, they can be configured as a node on the network. The 8-bit Wireless Development Kit provides eXtreme Low Power PIC microcontroller users with an easy-to-use platform for developing, evaluating and testing low-power, cost-effective embedded wireless connectivity. It features a pair of wireless PICtail daughter boards, two battery-friendly 8-bit XLP PIC MCU development boards and the ability to add additional nodes to create a larger wireless network.
Packaging, Pricing and Availability The MiWi PRO protocol stack – as part of the expanded MiWi DE – is available via free download. The Wireless Development Studio is available via free download. The 8-bit Wireless Development Kit – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 (part # DM182015-1) is available for $299 (part # AC182015-1) is available for $49.
