October 15, 2007 -- GreenPeak Technologies (Utrecht, The Netherlands) has introduced a product line for ultra-low-power wireless sense and control networks. The company offers open standard, easy-to-install wireless communications devices that operate without power cabling or batteries, aimed at sensor applications.
According to the company, the wireless communication devices leverage three key technologies that enable operation in a battery-free environment without cabling. An ultra-low-power wireless transceiver and sensor interface design with efficient power-up and power-down modes dramatically reduces power consumption. An "energy harvesting interface" enables the modules to utilize power provided by external solar, electromagnetic, and piezo-electric transducers. Finally, the company says its "self-forming and self-healing" mesh technology allows designers to create extended sensor networks without the need for battery-powered or cabled routing nodes.
"The strength of a truly wireless sensor network can only be fully utilized when the wiring for both the data communications and power cables can be eliminated," comments Cees Links, CEO of GreenPeak Technologies. "GreenPeak is a company with a true battery-free vision that offers wireless communication solutions eliminating the need for both communication wiring and power cabling."
The company is initially offering the low-power communication technology in the form of its Lime CM-08 module, a 5 cm-square (less than one square inch) electronic component that OEM customers can integrate into their products. The tiny module functions as a stand-alone communication system, integrating a transmitter/receiver, antenna, and low-power mesh network software on a single device.
The module also features a transmit power amplifier that the company says delivers 4x the transmission range of non-amplified products with less than 1% impact on energy consumption. The module's software can be configured to manage the power of different types of energy harvesting devices. OEMs can also add their own applications to the module, thereby eliminating the need for an external processor.
The company says it is also working on a chip platform that integrates all the functions of the current module, providing a full tool chain for OEM integration.