Berlin, March 28th, 2007 – The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has approved the Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) physical layer (PHY) in its new Wireless standard 802.15.4a. Nanotron Technologies has led global CSS standardization and developed solutions which offer CSS' benefits: long range, high robustness and low power consumption. The new standard targets applications such as Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), industrial control, sensor networking and medical devices.
The IEEE 802.15.4a standard, an amendment to the popular IEEE 802.15.4, was approved by the IEEE-SA Standards Board on March 22, 2007, and by its Board of Governors the following day. This is the final approval for the new standard in the rigorous IEEE process. After some IEEE format editing, the final standard is expected to be published by the IEEE in July 2007. Draft copies are usually available on the IEEE-SA web site shortly after Standards Board approval.
Nanotron's CEO Dr. Jens Albers says, “The standardization success is yet another step in our plan to meet the market demand for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs). Key customers and partners worldwide are working on Chirp-based products. A standard-compliant component will help increase our market share.”
“We are very proud of the foundation that has been built for CSS by our many years of hard work in the IEEE,” John Lampe, Nanotron's VP Business Development and one of 4a's Technical Editors, adds. “We expect more application-level standards to follow ISO/IEC's lead and also build upon this IEEE 802.15.4a PHY and MAC foundation.”
The first CSS solutions based on the new standard are being launched by Nanotron Technologies. These products offer both robust communication with minimal power consumption and “Location Awareness” – precise localization based on Nanotron's SDS-TWR technology.
Nanotron is committed to open industry standards, and offers total solutions encompassing chips, RF modules, networking software, development tools and custom project support.
About Nanotron Technologies:
Nanotron Technologies GmbH is a leader and innovator in the design, manufacturing and sales of world-class wireless products for logistics and healthcare applications. These products include integrated circuits, modules, and board level subsystems based on its patented Chirp transmission system. Chirp technology guarantees high robustness and low energy consumption. Nanotron's Chirp technology is part of the IEEE 802.15.4a standard for wireless PANs. The company's key product, nanoLOC, works in the license-free ISM band at 2.4 GHz, and was developed for the booming RTLS, sensor networking and industrial control markets. Nanotron Technologies GmbH was founded in 1991 and is an active member of IEEE and the ZigBee alliance. The company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Further information about Nanotron is available at www.nanotron.com.
