Low-power WiFi ICs add active RTLS, wireless sensing

The Epsilon family of WiFi and RTLS chips make it easy for manufacturers to embed WiFi connectivity into almost anything. Developed by G2 Microsystems, the G2C547 is the first in the family. The system-on-chip (SoC) is a fully-compliant IEEE 802.11b/g solution and includes a processor running a TCP/IP stack and handling Internet connectivity, advanced RTLS and wireless sensing capabilities, low-power active and ultra low-power sleep modes, and fast wake-up times.

In addition to low power, the G2C547 can operate both in a thin-client architecture or in a G2-hosted architecture. The hosted approach achieves a low price point by eliminating the external processor; users run their applications on the G2 CPU. The thin-client approach offers a fast time to market for Internet-enabling microcontroller-based devices, since the application won't need to be ported to a new processor.

Other features of the G2C547 that support real-time locating systems include EPC Gen 2 capability to support RFID/RTLS applications, and SPI master/slave and SDIO interfaces.

To simplify development and improve time to market with G2C547-based systems, G2 also released a complete wireless networking module, the G2M5477, and two software applications: a full Wi-Fi and networking application for mains and battery-powered devices and a telemetry application for location and sensing applications. The kit is immediately available. The G2C547 SoC is available today in sample quantities. It's housed in a QFN-72 pin package and is priced at $9 for lots of 100,000 units. High-volume production is planned for December. For more information, visit www.g2microsystems.com.