Microchip Extends MyWay Wireless Development Environment for IEEE 802.15.4-Based 2.4 GHz and Unlicensed Sub-GHz Networks

Based on the free MyY protocol stack independently developed by Microchip
A new tool that supports the easy development of economical, low-power star and mesh wireless products

Microchip Technology (Country Manager for Korea: Byung-Don Han), a global specialist in microcontroller, analog, and flash IP solutions, today unveiled its expanded MiWi™ Development Environment (DE), a complete ecosystem for star and mesh wireless networking products. The MiWi DE consists of Microchip's proprietary free MiWi P2P, stacks for star and mesh networking protocols for MiWi and MiWi PRO, an 8-bit Wireless Development Kit (WDK), Zena™ wireless adapters (2.4GHz, 868MHz, and 915MHz), and a multi-purpose Wireless Development Studio (WDS) featuring cross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS®, and Windows® operating systems. The MiWi DE is suitable for developing ISM-band wireless networking applications for home and industrial automation, wireless sensor monitoring and control, and the smart energy market.

As low-power wireless connectivity becomes increasingly popular in many microcontroller applications, Microchip has added several new specifications to the MyY DE to enable designers to easily add wireless connectivity features. The new MyY Pro mesh networking protocol is suitable for design engineers who need to build medium to large-scale wireless systems and supports up to 64 hops and 8,000 nodes in an integrated mesh network topology. The Wireless Development Studio enables the easy and rapid development of wireless applications based on the MyY protocol. It also features a MyY protocol sniffer for monitoring, debugging, and collecting information, and a configurator equipped with a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows for simple custom configuration of wireless networks.

Two new hardware tools introduced by Microchip simplify wireless application development. The Zena Wireless Adapter meets customer demand for a portable, multi-functional development tool. Additionally, when used with the Wireless Development Studio, it can be utilized for sniffing, probing, and testing, and can be configured as a node in a network. Users of eXtreme low-power PIC® microcontrollers gain a user-friendly platform through this 8-bit wireless development kit for the development, evaluation, and testing of cost-effective low-power embedded wireless connectivity features. This wireless development kit includes a pair of wireless PICtail™ daughter boards, two battery-friendly 8-bit XLP PIC MCU development boards, and the ability to create larger wireless networks by adding extra nodes.

Steve Caldwell, General Manager of Microchip’s Wireless Products business unit, stated, “With Microchip’s new MyY DE, our customers have gained the means necessary to easily and quickly add low-power embedded wireless connectivity to their applications,” adding, “In this seamlessly configured single development environment,