ZigBee network processor supports three standards concurrently

Texas Instruments introduced a ZigBee wireless network processor to offer the three most popular ZigBee standards for one end-device: ZigBee Smart Energy, ZigBee Home Automation and ZigBee Light Link.

With the CC2538, a single end-equipment can support these three standards, offering a seamless user experience with fast switching between each standard making it seem like concurrent operation. In turn, manufacturers of smart meters, home appliances, home gateways and connected lighting products are able to deliver better quality of service.

The CC2538 ZigBee network processor and Z-Stack 2.5 with ZigBee and ZigBee PRO support offer a broad feature set, which can be tailored for specific end-devices. With a CC2538-enabled device, consumers can more easily network within their homes as well as monitor and interface to the smart grid to save money and energy. The CC2538 features a robust IEEE 802.15.4 radio and a powerful ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller system. All security operations are handled by dedicated accelerators, leaving enough processing power and memory to handle multiple ZigBee stacks concurrently.

A CC2538 development platform is sampling to early adopters through the low power RF developer network now. Volume production and sale through authorized distributors is expected in 1Q 2013.

The CC2538 will be demonstrated at electronica 2012 in Munich, Germany, in the TI booth 420 in Hall A4.

For more information visit www.ti.com

This article originally appeared in EE Times Europe.