SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- C-guys, Inc., a global leader in the design and development of SD and SDIO solutions for home, SOHO and SMB applications, today announced the world's first ZigBee SDIO application kit. C-guys' unique SDIO-ZigBee card and system development kit allows users to set up ZigBee applications quickly and economically. Because the kit meets IEEE802.15.4 PHY and ZigBee Alliance standard, users do not need to worry about compatibility with other wireless systems.
ZigBee is a set of networking, security and application software protocols based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard -- a low-power and low-bandwidth mesh-networking scheme that allows devices to wirelessly communicate with each other without the need of human intervention. ZigBee's low power consumption allows battery-powered devices such as PDAs and handheld computers to easily connect to and control a variety of electronic equipment and networks.
"Developing ZigBee applications can be expensive and time consuming. C-guys' ZigBee Development kit is truly unique in that it offers a way for users to conveniently and affordably build a ZigBee network and bridge wireless networking topologies in the home or office," stated Keith Hirayama, CEO of C-guys. "We have seen energy prices soar, which creates an increasing demand for devices that consume as little power as possible. We are meeting that demand by providing a tool for users to create an energy-efficient environment with very little hassle and cost."
C-guys' new ZigBee kit includes a ZigBee SDIO card based on CC2420 technology by Chipcon. The card also features C-guys' CG-100 SDIO application interface controller, which is designed to convert an application signal to an SD signal (or vice versa). The ZigBee card boasts of signal ranges of up to 10m in the 2.4GHz band and data rates of up to 200Kbps. The card features Peer-to-Peer and multi-nodes communication modes and supports direct application to PDAs or any SD supported hand-held. The kit also includes drivers for Windows PPC 2003 OS- a sample utility source code for a STAR topology (1:n communication) application, the API between the driver and the utility, and sensor boards.
"C-guys has been a true pioneer for ZigBee applications. This new kit establishes this position as it is the only ZigBee solution that can be operated from a PDA," stated Vidar Bergli, vice president of sales Americas at Chipcon. "Chipcon's CC2420 technology is the perfect fit with C-guys' new ZigBee solution, as it is designed specifically for low-power RF applications. Together with C-guys, we are bridging the gap between ZigBee and consumers while continuing to develop user-friendly, best-of-breed solutions."
The new ZigBee kit is the only solution of its kind that can be operated from any off-the-shelf PDA that supports SD/SDIO. The ZigBee radio and MAC chips are controlled by the CG-100. This allows ZigBee signals to be seamlessly converted to SD. In addition, C-guys provides a flexible software package allowing users to form just about any ZigBee application within the ZigBee Alliance guideline. The kit allows for full duplex communication for simple administration and control of card sensors and includes expandable MESH topology. It can be used as a coordinator, a router or an end device.
Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, the C-guys' ZigBee kit will be available October 3, 2005 at an MSRP of $2,000. For more information on C-guys and its other application development kits, like the RFID and UART kit, please visit the company web site at http://www.c-guysusa.com.
About C-guys, Inc.
C-guys, Inc., based in Japan, is a leading global designer and manufacturer of Secure Digital (SD) controllers, memory cards, adapters and card readers for the home, SOHO and small-to-medium business markets. C-guys' strong industry alliances with leading WLAN chip makers and consumer electronics manufacturers have allowed the company to continue to lead the industry in the development of innovative, versatile and easy-to-use solutions for consumers and businesses alike. For additional information on C-guys, please visit www.c-guysusa.com.