Development Kit helps prototype ZigBee applications.

Press Release Summary:



JumpStart(TM) Development Kit enables OEMs and systems integrators to accelerate proof-of-concept prototypes for embedded wireless networking applications. It includes hardware and software, and works with multiple third-party microcontrollers. Hardware package consists of 6 development boards, serial cable, antennae, and batteries. Software package includes EmberZNet(TM) networking stack, which incorporates API with libraries for mesh, star, and hybrid-network topologies.



Original Press Release:



Jumpstarting ZigBee Application Development



Ember unveils entry-level development kit to quickly prototype ZigBee applications

BOSTON, May 24, 2005 - Ember Corporation today added an entry-level development kit to its toolkit portfolio to offer customers a range of options for quickly designing ZigBee wireless networking capabilities into their products.

The Ember JumpStart(TM) Developer Kit enables OEMs and systems integrators to accelerate proof-of-concept prototypes for embedded low-power, low-data rate wireless networking applications. The JumpStart kit includes both hardware and software, and works with multiple third-party microcontrollers.

"The new JumpStart Kit serves two objectives," said Venkat Bahl, Ember's vice president of marketing. "It provides an entry-level ZigBee development toolset that will appeal to a wider base of manufacturers. Also, it lets experienced developers more quickly test new ideas for applications with a smaller up-front investment. When those prototypes are fully baked, customers can smoothly transition to Ember's full Developer Kit to refine and debug commercial-ready products."

JumpStart Kit components
The hardware package consists of six Ember development boards, a serial cable, antennae and batteries. The software package includes Ember's ZigBee compliant EmberZNet(TM) networking stack, which incorporates an easy application programming interface (API) that shields customers from the intricacies of ZigBee networking, letting them focus on their embedded applications. The API is consistent across all EmberZNet products, providing a uniform development environment for all the various EmberZNet development tools. It contains libraries for mesh, star and hybrid-network topologies.

OEMs that want more customized capabilities than the ZigBee standard supports can take advantage of an EmberNet(TM) variant of the Ember JumpStart Developer Kit. EmberNet is Ember's original development suite for reliable and secure mesh networking applications, which has fueled more real-world commercial products than any other platform.

The JumpStart Kit includes a 30-day evaluation compiler license and 60 days of technical support. When OEMs are ready to step up to their commercial-grade development, they can seamlessly upgrade to Ember's full Developer Kit, which includes additional boards, and an efficient interface to the carrier board with included Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) injector for processing additional emulation and debugging commands.

Pricing and availability
The Ember JumpStart Kit is available immediately with prices starting at $4995.

About Ember Corporation
Ember Corporation develops ZigBee-based wireless semiconductor solutions that help automate homes, make buildings consume less energy, enable manufacturing plants to run with fewer breakdowns, and keep the country's borders and infrastructure safe and secure. With more than 120 customers, Ember's vision is to help create an "Internet of things" by enabling the eight billion microcontrollers built into products each year to support low-cost, low-power networking applications in any industry. Headquartered in Boston with offices and distributors worldwide, the company is a lead promoter of the ZigBee Alliance and its technology is the National Technical Systems (NTS)'s "Golden Suite" for testing the interoperability of all 802.15.4/ZigBee products.

All Topics