LONG BEACH, Calif. - Zensys, developer of Z-Wave wireless home control technology, has announced the launch of its third generation Z-Wave chip. According to the company, the next-generation chip has been designed to further expand the market for wireless home control solutions, providing one-touch wireless control of a wide range of home devices including lighting, appliances, HVAC, access and security systems, and more.

"This is an exciting day for Z-Wave and the future of the wireless home control space," said Tony Shakib, CEO of Zensys. "In addition to offering the lowest cost and lowest power consumption, Z-Wave is also the first standard to support battery-to-battery networks, which extends the range of home control applications and makes it possible to have entire networks of battery-operated devices such as smoke detectors, blinds, and even door locks."

Together with the ZW0301 chip, Zensys will also release corresponding Z-Wave modules incorporating the new chip. The smallest module, ZM3102, is only 12.5 x 13.6 mm in size and is pin-to-pin compatible with the ZM2102 that is used by a number of OEMs. The ZM3102 will cost less than $4.50 in volume.