Industry interest in ZigBee mesh networks is building, according to Sheffield-based ZigBee chip maker Jennic.

“A year ago 10 per cent of the development kits we sold were for ZigBee and 90 per cent were for 802.15.4 which can only produce point to point and star networks,” Jennic CEO Jim Lindop told EW. “Today it is 90 per cent ZigBee.”

Both are for short range, low data rate, wireless communications and ZigBee is built on IEEE802.15.4 physical and MAC layers making the transceiver hardware common to both.

Complex protocol layers added with ZigBee allow mesh networks to be made simply by bringing transceivers into range.

It was originally conceived for home automation, with transceivers running for a year on two AA cells.

“A lot of this market is building upgrades. A wireless link is a lot cheaper than cutting holes in the wall,” said Lindop. “A lot of small UK companies could develop niche applications.”

He cites a wireless shower controller and a hotel restaurant waiter call system, both UK-designed and in production, as examples.