BOSTON - Hitachi WirelessInfo Venture Co. (WI), a new division of Hitachi Ltd., is working with Ember Corp. to develop a family of ZigBee-based sensors for use in a variety of wireless monitoring, sensing, and control applications. ZigBee is an embedded wireless network standard that solves the needs of remote monitoring and control and sensor network applications.

Hitachi WI is developing ZigBee wireless sensor and control modules based on Ember's ZigBee-compliant platform. The new modules will be marketed to other Hitachi business units, including Hitachi Electronics Services Co. and Hitachi Urban Development, as well as other OEM companies. Hitachi WI plans to adopt Ember's next generation EM250 system-on-a-chip in 2006.

"One measure of an industry standard's market success is its adoption by major OEM brands," said Dr. Robert M. Metcalfe, Ember chairman. "Hitachi's adoption of Ember's ZigBee platform is a strong validation of a standards-based approach to commercial wireless sensing and control."

The company is also developing both standard and application-specific ZigBee modules using Ember chips and software. These include wireless applications for sanitary control in warehouses and food factories; commercial building security and energy-saving systems; supply chain quality monitoring; and remote facility monitoring and control.

"We are sure that with Hitachi's AirSenseâ„¢ products, utilizing Ember's proven, state-of-the-art ZigBee technology, our customers can experience the benefits of a low-power, wireless, and maintenance-free network," said Taizo Kinoshita, president & CEO of Hitachi WI. "The partnership with Ember is essential to our strategy to commercialize sensor network systems as well as promote an industry-wide standard in wireless data communications."

Publication date: 01/16/2006