Wireless Bridge Extends ZigBee/802.15.4 Range To 40 Miles

Because the ZigBee and IEEE 802.15.4 standards focus on low-cost, low-power wireless monitoring and controlling of electronic devices, ZigBee modems typically must be located within 100 to 300 feet of each other to communicate. Many customers, however, want to connect ZigBee/802.15.4 networked devices to monitoring locations beyond the range ZigBee affords. In order to meet these extended distance requirements, MaxStream has combined the strengths of its XBee and XTend product lines into a wireless bridge. The multiband XBee XTender permits shorter-range, 2.4-GHz XBee networks operating under the ZigBee or 802.15.4 wireless personal area network (WPAN) standards to communicate data for up to 40 miles via the powerful 900-MHz, 1-W XTend RF modem. The multiband bridge is enclosed in an aluminum housing and includes two half-wave dipole antennas. Additional antenna options can be connected via the RPSMA ports. The XBee XTender is scheduled to be available in December, starting at $399. For more information, visit www.maxstream.net.