AVR-Chat

Last time I looked, Atmel's 802.15.4 product did not have an
Atmel-supported ZigBee stack and one on the certification track.
That's OK if you don't plan to use ZigBee (network routing layer).

Also, many/most other module level products have an optional power
amplifier to take the 1mW that most chips have up to 60mW or so. If
you want reliable communications more than 25 ft. or so, you'll need
this. 

When using ZigBee mesh routing, it's counter-intuitive that higher
transmit power = longer battery life in most applications using
infrequent messages. This is because the hop count is lower.

I've done quite a bit with Maxstream/Digi XBeePros (Freescale chip,
Figure 8 ZigBee), and SiLabs/Helicomm, all 2.4GHz, and ZMD (900MHz No.
 America-only).

Atmel seems to hope that OEMs will use their '15.4 chips in certain
applications or design it into a module with an amplifier if needed.


--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, dlc@... wrote:
>
> The Maxstream ones are popular IMO because they just work.  No need
to get
> a special development seat for IAR to program them, they network, they
> transfer data - In short they are inexpensive and easy to work with.  I
> love them because I don't have to re-invent the wheel to get
networking, I
> have played with the Microchip and other Zigbee development kits and
they
> are terribly "green" (as in green beer) right now.  Maxstream seems to
> have gotten their stuff to work, perhaps Ember is as good, we'll see.
> 
> DLC
> 
> > Does anyone use an Atmel AVR-based Zigbee (Z-Link?) module or know if
> > such things _really_ exist and where I might buy them (in UK)? It
seems
> > the MaxStream XBee modules are popular amongst AVRFreaks - perhaps
this
> > means the Atmel offering isn't available?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>