Since 2005 Institute for Networking Technology has been a member of ZigBee Alliance which is engaged in standardization of wireless peer-to-peer networks and its application profiles. ZigBee Alliance consists of more than 300 companies, including such brands as Freescale Semiconductor, Mitsubishi Electric, NXP, Huawai, Samsung, Sony and Motorola.

ZigBee standard allows creating distributed area networks for different data transmission tasks, using economic IEEE 802.15.4 compatible wireless transceivers. Here is a short list of ZigBee technology advantages:

• Network self-configuration. Installed network nodes will automatically discover its neighbors and establish connections. This mechanism allows to reduce installation cost dramatically comparing to regular LAN solutions such as Wi-Fi.
• Network self-healing. In case of one node failure, other nodes would try to establish new routes automatically, providing integrity of wireless "cloud".
• Increased distance of data transfer with low power transceivers. Mesh routing technique allows one node to re-transmit wireless data to another, which allows peer-to-peer communications for the devices that can't "see" each other directly. ZigBee routing technique would provide optimal path between those two nodes and ensure minimizing the dynamic routing overhead.
• Low power consumption in comparison with other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and etc. Owing to this, INT wireless devices can work 10 times longer than analogues based on other popular wireless technologies.

Zigbee technology is used for solving a wide range of monitoring and control tasks. Typical application areas for ZigBee are:

• Industrial automation;
• Building integrity monitoring;
• Medicine;
• Logistics;
• Automated energy metering;
• "Smart home" systems;
• Commercial building automation (HVAC, light control, room access systems).

For construction of wireless ZigBee networks, INT offers several networking devices:

• ZigBee-LAN Bridge — allows integration between ZigBee wireless "cloud" and Local Area Networks. Bridges, depending on firmware type can provide ZigBee Router or ZigBee Coordinator functionality for the network. In case of a ZigBee Coordinator, the bridge becomes responsible for administration, access control and centralized utility data broadcasts functions.
• Networking Radio Module — plays a part of a wireless router extending network. Besides, in case of available free resources, the module can fulfill some additional user tasks such as analysis of peripheries, serial line communications and many others. The module manufactured as an OEM-component can become a built-in element of some more complex products.
• ZigBee Monitoring and Management Software Toolsets — allows to perform network support and fulfill tasks. Using its own network discovery mechanism, the toolset can show and analyze current network performance and configuration. Software is supposed to be installed on PC and connected to the bridge to reach the wireless network.

The company's long-term operational experience in the field of wireless mesh networks allows INT engineers to create their own mesh-routing network stacks for solving customer's specific problems like lack of standard network scalability.

INT offers a set of consulting services in the questions of wireless networking (installation site evaluation, equipment and supplier recommendations, network planning and integration, etc). In cases of apartment houses, industrial buildings, cottages, business centers, trade and entertaining centers — INT equipment allows to replace expensive wire line installation. The cost decrease is also profitable in cases of temporary systems installations.

Using INT wireless equipment, your company gets the following advantages:

• Network infrastructure cost decrease — wireless communications allows you not to use expensive wires lines;
• Maintenance cost decrease — network self-healing allows you not to look for the points of possible failure;
• Simple integration with your current network infrastructure;
• Scalability — hundreds of wireless devices can work in the same building easily with all the sets of self-configuration functions.

ZigBee-over-Ethernet Bridge allows to connect two or more wireless ZigBee sub-networks to a single network (LAN, Internet, etc.). Most networking equipment has 10/100 T-Base Ethernet interfaces. This makes it especially easy to use the bridge for connecting the wireless segments of the ZigBee network over the Internet or other IP networks. In particular, many DSL access routers, cable modems, SOHO routers, etc., have Ethernet ports to which the Bridge can be connected.

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INT has developed a product line for building large manageable wireless networks for monitoring and control. ZigBee-over-Powerline Bridge allows to connect two or more wireless ZigBee sub-networks to in-home power line infrastructure.

The bridge looks like a normal Full-functionality device with routing capabilities from the point of view of the rest of the ZigBee network. If there is no coordinator present, it assumes the role of the coordinator. At the same time, the Bridge is capable of forwarding some of the NWK layer packets over a powerline to other ZigBee-over-Powerline Bridge.

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