Freescale Introduced ZigBee Software Stack and Development Kit

Freescale Semiconductor announced its BeeKit wireless connectivity tool kit for point-to-point, 802.15.4 and ZigBee applications. BeeKit includes Freescale’s BeeStack, a compliant ZigBee protocol stack.

Freescale’s BeeStack will be fully compliant with the ZigBee Alliance’s next-generation home control protocol stack that includes the Home Automation profile. Other planned updates include support for 802.15.4 MAC, 802.15.4-based applications and Simple MAC (SMAC) based applications.

The BeeKit is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2006. Pricing for both the kit and stack is estimated to start at $995 per license seat.

Other related news: Freescale Releases IEEE 802.15.4 Protocol for ColdFire MCUs

With the release of Media Access Controller (MAC) software that supports the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol on the low-power 32-bit ColdFire architecture, Freescale Semiconductor is creating the broadest portfolio of 802.15.4-enabled solutions in the marketplace.

According to In-Stat, 802.15.4 chipset sales will surpass 150 million units in 2008. Typical applications include home and building automation, industrial monitoring and control, and wireless sensor networks. Designers have struggled to create reliable and secure wireless communication links simply and cost-effectively. Freescale now offers the necessary components for wireless design — microcontroller, RF and software stack — in 8- and 32-bit chipsets.

The 802.15.4 software is now available for the MCF5282, MCF5213 and MCF5223x processor families. This complementary embedded software library and the required RF transceivers are available on the Freescale Web site: http://www.freescale.com/ZigBee.