Zensys Announces Most Advanced RF System-on-Chip for Home Control Applications

Extended Set of On-Chip Peripherals and Larger Memory Enables True Single Chip Devices, Reducing Cost of Advanced Home Control and CE Solutions

 | Source: Zensys Zensys

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - January 7, 2008) - CES 2008 -- Zensys, developer of the award-winning Z-Wave wireless home control standard, today announced the launch of its fourth generation Z-Wave single chip for Unified Home Control™, the ZW0401, which is the ideal wireless RF control platform for unifying all AV and Home Control devices in an interoperable home network.

"The ZW0401 is the Rolls Royce of wireless home control," said Tony Shakib, CEO of Zensys. "By offering superior features such as a wide range of peripherals including Full Speed USB 2.0, 30 general purpose I/Os, ADC, 3rd generation Triac controller, plus integrated IR support for truly universal remotes -- and all at the lowest power consumption in the industry -- we're making Z-Wave products and OEMs even more competitive."

The ZW0401 provides a global solution without compromising robustness against interference. It is the only RF single chip that supports both sub-1GHz bands and 2.4 GHz and thereby enables evading interference altogether. Thanks to its patented concurrent multi-channel support, plus an interference blocking performance that is 100 times (over 20 dBc) better than in otherwise comparable RF chip sets, the ZW0401 provides a reliable & robust solution also under heavy interference from WLAN in the heavily utilized 2.4 GHz band.

The ZW0401 offers home control and CE manufacturers with significant benefits over other RF solutions on the market, including: 

-- Rich feature extensions, enabling more advanced products based on true
   single chip device designs
     -- 64K OTP - 24...48 KByte available for application
        16K RAM - 12K can be mapped into code to accelerate software R&D
     -- 30 GPIOs - Plus hardware key scan support for 128 key matrixes
     -- Rich set of peripherals for home controls - Includes 3rd generation
        Triac controller, 4x 12bit ADC, and pulse width modulator
     -- On-chip Full Speed USB 2.0 controller + transceiver - Simplifies
        integration into PC and large 32-bit µC designs
     -- 2 UARTs plus 2 SPI interfaces
     -- Hardware IR code generator and support for IR learning
     -- Hardware accelerator for AES-128 security plus hardware random
        number generator
-- Lowest power of all RF System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions
     -- Down to 1 µA - With wake-up timer and external interrupt)
     -- 35 µA average current in battery-to-battery networks
     -- Only 17 mA receive - 16-22 mA transmit (-20...+5 dBm)
-- Smallest RF module with SoC
     -- With a chip manufactured in 130nm CMOS, a size of 2.5x2.5mm,
        plus complete RF modules with only 8x8mm QFN-like form factor,
        Z-Wave simplifies integration into products and extends its cost
        leadership.

"The rich additions to the chip's feature sets, further cost reductions, a clear focus on the residential market, plus the vision and leadership in Unified Home Control set Z-Wave apart from any competition," says Kim Scott, Director of Global Wireless Director of Global Wireless for Intermatic, a leading Z-Wave manufacturer. "With the introduction of the 400-series single chips Zensys extends its lead of more than one chip generation."

The Z-Wave 400-series single chips are introduced at CES 2008 from January 7-10 in the Z-Wave Alliance booth #20419.

About Z-Wave

Z-Wave® is the first technology to bring affordable, reliable and easy-to-use wireless control to every aspect of daily life -- the home, consumer electronics, healthcare, and energy use, to name a few. Z-Wave is an award-winning, proven and interoperable wireless mesh networking technology that allows a wide array of devices in and around the home to communicate including lighting, appliances, HVAC, entertainment centers, and security systems. Z-Wave brings many benefits to everyday life including remote home monitoring, home healthcare, safety and security, and energy conservation. Z-Wave certified products are currently available from leading consumer brands in more than 200 products. Z-Wave is the recipient of the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in the wireless category and the CNET "Best of CES Award" in the enabling technologies category. For more information about Z-Wave please visit www.z-wave.com.

Z-Wave® is a registered trade mark of Zensys, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Contact Information: Contact: Callie Tucker Ruder Finn for Zensys 312.329.3910 tuckerc@ruderfinn.com

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