Maxstream News Page
Nov-2007 Which
Frequency 900MHZ or 2.4GHZ
Oct 2007 Four Myths About Wireless
Aug 2007 XBee™ Series 2 ZigBee
Development Kit
July 2007 Mesh on 900MHZ xtend model
now
May 2007 Distribution
Apr 2007 Digi buys Maxstream and joins it with Rabbit products
Mar 2007 Maxstream and Rabbit product announcements
Jan 2007 Xtend goes 40miles line of sight
Which Frequency 900MHZ or 2.4GHZ
Q. What are the differences between the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies? (Note NZ is 923MHZ)
A. As radio waves travel the radio signals gradually lose energy. The higher the frequency of transmission, the quicker the radio wave will lose energy down to a point where it cannot be detected by a receiver. Higher frequency waves also lose energy quicker when trying to penetrate walls, trees, or other obstructions. If both a 900 MHz radio and a 2.4 GHz radio had the same output power and receive sensitivity and were compared side by side, the 900 MHz radio would get almost twice the range of the 2.4 GHz radio.
If deploying systems in the United States or Canada, either 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz can be used without additional government agency approvals. The European union and most of the Asian countries do not allow 900 MHz systems, so normally 2.4 GHz systems are deployed in those countries. Whether your preference is 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz, MaxStream has a variety of solutions to meet the needs of your application. (Note NZ is 923MHZ)
Oct 2007
Four Myths About Wireless
Wireless technology has grown dramatically in recent years and
has begun to play a significant role in networking for nearly
every type of application. Yet some engineers hesitate to adopt
wireless because of some misconceptions that exist about this
rapidly maturing technology. Some of these myths are debunked
below.
Myth #1 Wireless is Unreliable
While certain applications and environments may be better suited
for a wired connection, wireless has become a reliable source
of data communications. Retries, acknowledgments and interference
rejection ensure that data is delivered.
Myth #2 Wireless is Expensive
Installing a wired solution, especially in existing locations,
can be very expensive or invasive. Selecting wireless over wired
technology minimizes the installation time and makes it easier
to upgrade networks in the future. Plus, the competitive marketplace
for wireless products has driven down module costs in recent
years.
Myth #3 Wireless is Complicated
Whether your application requires an embedded or non-embedded
solution, there are wireless technologies that act much like
a wire would. Setting up a wired solution is often no more difficult
than a wired solution would be.
Myth #4 Wireless is Not Secure
The ability to "listen in" on someone else's wireless
communications has declined significantly over the years. Advanced
encryption and frequency hopping have been adopted by banking
institutions and the government to allow secure communications
of sensitive information.
Aug 2007
XBee™ Series 2 ZigBee Development Kit
The XBee Series 2 Development Kit provides everything you need to rapidly create long range wireless data links based on MaxStream’s XBee Series 2 modules. XBee Series 2 modules feature self-discovery/self-healing mesh networking and support for coordinators, routers, end devices and low-power sleep modes.
Each MaxStream development kit provides an inexpensive means of experiencing first-hand the best in wireless data communications and support.
In addition to the XBee Series 2 Development Kit that was recently released, the XBee Series 2 modules are now available. Featuring full ZigBee mesh networking, including self-discovery, self-healing networks, the low-cost modules support coordinators, routers and end devices.
Mesh on 900MHZ xtend now
XTend 900 MHz Radio Modem by MaxStream
XTend 900 MHz module
XTend Ethernet RF Modem
XTend development kits
9XTend-Mesh development kit - Coming in Q3 2007
The XTend OEM RF Module provides unprecedented range in a low-cost wireless data solution. The module is easy to use, requires minimal power and provides reliable delivery of critical data between devices. Its small form factor saves valuable board space.
XTend features:
* ISM 900 MHz operating frequency
* 1 mW - 1 Watt power output (up to 40 mile range)
* 256-bit AES Encryption
* Optional 9XTend-Mesh firmware
* Several advanced networking options and topologies supported
* Approved for use in the United States, Canada, and Australia/NZ
Distribution for MasTec
MasTec now has full distribution of Maxstream Embedded products as well as the Standalone RF Product lines
This includes all Rabbit Maxstream combo micro RF Wireless systems
This extends our range of wireless deeped into OEM supply for manufacturers.
Please contact Adam to discuss your next embedded Wireless product.
MaxStream and Rabbit Semiconductor®, Inc.
both owned by Digi are benefiting enormously from their association.
Maxstream is pushing rapidly into a new hybrid area with Rabbit.
The new RCM4500 series with Zigbee Mesh radio joined together is going to change many application methods.
MaxStream and Rabbit Semiconductor®, Inc. Introduces the Wireless Control Application Kit
For Remote Monitoring and Control
The Wireless Control Application Kit which provides a development
reference to interface a low-cost, license-free 900 MHz or 2.4
GHz wireless data modules from Maxstream® to a Rabbit-based
embedded system.
The system illustrates the versatility and simplicity of adding wireless connectivity to embedded applications such as remote monitoring, proximity sensor readings, wireless I/O control, and wireless data transmission.
The Wireless Control Application Kit contains a proven low power Rabbit LP3500 single board computer, and two MaxStream RF Modules. The Rabbit LP3500 single board computer has 26 I/O, 8 analog input, 6 serial ports and a power save mode that draws less than 100µA. The 900 MHz Application Kit features the OEM XCite RF modem from Maxstream, intended for US applications. The 2.4 GHz Application Kit features the extended range XStream RF modem for projects worldwide. Both modems are functional replacements to a serial cable, so developers can do away with cumbersome hard wired solutions.
Sample programs and libraries are designed for quick out-of-the box development. A Modbus master PC application allows the user to control the single board computer as a Modbus wireless slave device. In addition, the PPP Host/Client direct wired/wireless support was developed to help demonstrate how to use common protocols like HTTP, FTP, SMTP, and POP3 over a wireless connection. These added protocols allow the LP3500 to serve web pages or to be able to send data to an FTP server for remote data-logging.
Use the Schwartz
Technical Question & Answer Column
For a
couple years now, we have provided technical information about
how to take advantage of the many features that are included
with MaxStream technology. John Schwartz, a MaxStream engineer,
has provided this information and an archive of his past tech
tips can be found on our website.
Now we want to hear your questions. We invite you to submit technical questions to John Schwartz about MaxStream products or general RF related topics. Each month we will feature one of these questions and the answer in a column we are calling Use the Schwartz. Please submit your questions to usetheschwartz@maxstream.net
The author of the first question selected
will win a special prize from MaxStream.