Sharp Innovation Forum: Next year, Sharp
intends to bring out sensors with integrated
Zigbee
functionality which will permit the establishment of Wireless
Sensor Networks.
"Zigbee-enabled sensors from Sharp are expected in the second
half of 2009", Uwe Hock, product marketing director for electronic
components and LSI, told the Sharp Innovation Forum, in Seeon, near
Munich, this week.
"We're talking with customers and it's up to them when they
launch it and the first one is due in the second half of 2009",
said Hock.
Hock's definition of a Wireless Sensor Network is a: "Network of
small spatially distributed devices that can communicate with each
other over the air."
Sensors which Sharp is seeing as being suitable for having
Zigbee functions added are: light control; motion detection; smoke
detection; HVAC monitoring and control; window/door open/close;
entertainment control; ambient light and RGB sensor; dust sensor;
wide angle sensor; high operating temperature distance sensor; high
accuracy distance measuring sensor; multi-purpose distance
measuring sensor; battery operation distance measuring sensor; long
distance measuring sensor.
Asked why Sharp was focusing on Zigbee rather than other NFC
wireless standards, Hock replied: "Because our customers are
committing to Zigbee. They have analysed all the standards and
decided that Zigbee is really the best."
Hock reckons the global market for Zigbee units is about to take
off in a big way. He reckons it will increase 14 times between 2007
to 2012 going from a $1bn market to $14bn.
The units are currently low, under 20m, but they're being
designed in, said Hock. What it's being designed into is, reckoned
Hock, commercial building automation, home automation, personal,
home and hospital care, smart energy, and wireless sensor
applications.
See also:
Electronics Weekly's
Focus on ZigBee, a roundup of content related
to the low-power radio networking technology.
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