ZigBee Smart Energy gateway optimized for large device deployments

Digi International has introduced the ConnectPort® X2e for Smart Energy, a low cost, enhanced version of the company's ZigBee Smart Energy gateway. The gateway connects ZigBee Smart Energy devices from a Home Area Network (HAN) to an energy service provider via broadband.

It offers additional memory and processing power for over-the-air updates of connected Smart Energy devices making it easier for utilities and application partners to establish and maintain large Smart Energy device deployments. The ConnectPort X2e also provides an upgrade path to Smart Energy 2.0.

"Managing the device network is a significant barrier to Smart Grid adoption," said Larry Kraft, senior vice president of global sales and marketing, Digi International. "To make widespread deployment a reality, the industry needs open architecture and lower cost solutions for connecting large Smart Energy device deployments. With our partners, we have experience in deploying tens of thousands of Smart Energy devices into peoples' homes. The ConnectPort X2e leverages that experience into a platform designed to solve real-world deployment challenges."

The ConnectPort X2e's additional processing power allows support for more complex local energy efficiency applications, and the increased memory enables support for the impending ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 standard. The gateway runs the open platform Linux operating system further protecting an organization's investment in the device. As part of Digi's open X-Grid Solutions, the gateway can connect to numerous types of devices to enable a wide range of services.

All Digi Smart Energy gateways feature the iDigi® Device Cloud™, allowing Smart Energy devices to easily and securely integrate energy consumption data into new and existing Smart Energy applications. The ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy automatically connects to the iDigi Device Cloud for easy installation and management of connected devices and is programmable in iDigi's application framework.

The ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy is available now. A Wi-Fi version will be released in Q2 2012. Professional services are available through Spectrum Design Solutions, Digi's wireless consulting group, to speed development.

http://www.digi.com/x2e.

This article originally appeared on EE Times Europe.