Santa Clara, Calif. — Feb 25, 2014 — California Eastern Laboratories (CEL) announces the production release of its new MeshConnect™ EM358x Mini Modules.  As pin-compatible extensions to CEL’s leading line of EM357-based modules, these new devices capitalize on the latest enhancements brought forth by the recently announced EM3588 SoC from Silicon Labs.  Each of these improvements helps to facilitate new ways to link into and control ZigBee network environments within Connected Home, Lighting, Building Automation, Industrial, and other M2M (Machine to Machine) applications.

When compared to their EM357-based predecessors, the new EM358x offerings provide significant increases in embedded memory with over 2.7x more flash and 5x more RAM.  The additional flash allows for more application storage and Over-The-Air programming capability without the need for space-consuming supplemental (external) system memory.  The added RAM enables the modules to support ZigBee IPv6-based networks (like the ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 standard).  Tasks requiring RTOS (Real Time Operating Systems) execution times are also now possible as part of this RAM enhancement. Additionally, larger mesh networks can be supported.

As a final improvement, the EM3588 brings USB capability to the module series.  The device’s built-in USB controller allows users to quickly integrate ZigBee into existing devices with USB connectivity. The integration of all of these enhancements reduces the overall board space by 20%.

These modules are FCC, IC, CE and iControl certified, and they utilize the industry’s premier ZigBee PRO Stack from Silicon Labs (EmberZNet PRO™).  Standard and long range (+8 dBm and +20 dBm) options are available to allow designers to choose the radio performance that best suits their range requirements.  As with the previous generation, these devices feature one of the smallest footprints of all Ember-based modules available in the market today.

The CEL Advantage

Through its strong relationship with Silicon Labs, CEL continues to be a leader in bringing cutting edge ZigBee technology to market in a way that is fast and easy to implement in real world deployments.

“CEL continues to simplify wireless mesh networking designs by providing fully integrated solutions based on Silicon Labs’ industry-leading Ember ZigBee technology ,” said Thomas Barber, director of marketing for wireless products at Silicon Labs.  “CEL brings technology, design and support excellence to customers who want to get to market quickly, allowing them to circumvent the challenges associated with securing FCC/IC/CE certifications and gaining acceptance into mainstream ecosystems found in the connected home and industrial markets. CEL’s production-ready modules are used in Silicon Labs’ Ember ZigBee development kits.”

CEL’s 54 years of RF design experience includes hardware, software and sub-system development that spans across a wide range of applications. CEL’s applications support team provides design services to accelerate project development and reduce time-to-market.

Availability

CEL’s MeshConnect EM358x Mini Modules are now in production. Part numbers are ZICM3588SP0-1 (for standard range) and ZICM3588SP2-1 (for long range).

About CEL

California Eastern Laboratories (CEL) designs and manufactures the MeshConnect™ line of IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee professional grade wireless solutions and is a member of the ZigBee Alliance. With over 50 years of experience, CEL is ideally positioned to provide its customers with hardware and software products tailored to meet their specific needs that greatly simplify design and reduce time to market. CEL supports customers through sales offices, sales representatives and distributors worldwide. Visit us at www.cel.com/meshconnect.

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Sam Yacoub
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