Skyworks, Ember team on ZigBee solutions

Skyworks Solutions Inc. and Ember Corp. have announced their collaboration to target energy management, home area network and industrial automation with ZigBee solutions that use Skyworks' front-end modules (FEMs), the SKY65343-11 and SKY65344-21 along with Ember's ARM Cortex-M3 based EM350 series of ZigBee SoCs.

ZigBee, a wireless network standard, deals with the challenges of remote monitoring and control, and sensor-network applications. Specific applications range from lighting control, to door and window sensors, to appliance and temperature controllers.

ON World Inc., a market research firm that provides business intelligence for smart-technology markets is forecasting more than 100 million 802.15.4 and ZigBee units to ship annually within the next few years. The largest markets are expected to be advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), home automation and consumer electronics.

In addition, ON World anticipates that many emerging vertical markets—including medical devices, health and wellness monitoring, building automation and municipal/transportation—will also leverage ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 technologies.