The first zigbee alliance-certified zigbee platform with zigbee PRO and Green Power features (formerly known as zigbee 3.0) from a semiconductor company is now available from Microchip Technology, a provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions. This software stack, and corresponding BitCloud 4.0 software development kit, is ideal for the design of home automation, commercial lighting, smart energy and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The zigbee certified solution enables cross-functional device support and will be backward-compatible with existing zigbee certified products for seamless interoperability. Along with the zigbee PRO (2015) feature set, developers can expect to find features such as low latency suitable for RF remote applications, mesh networking for large networks such as lighting applications, and the Green Power benefits of an energy harvesting switch.

The zigbee PRO Green Power feature, making its debut on the certified software stack, enables battery-less devices to securely join a network while leveraging eco-friendly energy sources such as light, vibration or motion. Additionally, zigbee Light Link and zigbee Home Automation device types are now fully supported.

To bring zigbee designs to market faster, Microchip offers the BitCloud 4.0 Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK enables application development on the SAM R21 Xplained Pro Evaluation Kit, a Cortex M0+-based 32-bit microcontroller with an integrated 2.4GHz 802.15.4 compliant radio. When used with the newly certified software stack, the SDK provides a complete zigbee certified development platform.

Microchip currently offers two platforms to begin zigbee development: The SAM R21 Xplained Pro Evaluation Kit (ATSAMR21-XPRO), and the SAM R21 zigbee Light Link Evaluation Kit (ATSAMR21ZLL-EK).

Get ready to create distributed sensor systems and intelligent interactive devices using the ZigBee wireless networking protocol and Series 2 XBee radios. By the time you're halfway through this fast-paced, hands-on guide, you'll have built a series of useful projects, including a complete ZigBee wireless network that delivers remotely sensed data.

Radio networking is creating revolutions in volcano monitoring, performance art, clean energy, and consumer electronics. As you follow the examples in each chapter, you'll learn how to tackle inspiring projects of your own. This practical guide is ideal for inventors, hackers, crafters, students, hobbyists, and scientists.

• Investigate an assortment of practical and intriguing project ideas
• Prep your ZigBee toolbox with an extensive shopping list of parts and programs
• Create a simple, working ZigBee network with XBee radios in less than two hours -- for under $100
• Use the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform to build a series of increasingly complex projects
• Get familiar with XBee's API mode for creating sensor networks
• Build fully scalable sensing and actuation systems with inexpensive components
• Learn about power management, source routing, and other XBee technical nuances
• Make gateways that connect with neighboring networks, including the Internet
• More Information...