Moteiv Corp., a San Francisco-based provider of wireless sensor network solutions, has announced its most compact wireless sensor network node, or mote.
The Tmote Mini supports the ZigBee air-interface specification for wireless sensor networks and is packaged in an industry-standard miniSDIO form factor. This allows users to insert it into any cell phone, PDA or other digital device that includes a standard SD port. Tmote Mini combines a Texas Instruments MSP430 microcontroller with a TI/Chipcon CC2420 low-power 2.4 GHz radio.
The device is available in two configurations: The Standard module has 0 dBm (1mW) output power, while the Plus module's output power is +20 dBm (100mW). Both versions are compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Personal Area Network standard, and both can be used in networks already deployed with Moteiv's earlier Tmote Sky module. (The Chicago Fire Department is among the organizations that have used the Tmote Sky module; see Chicago Fire Dept. Tests ZigBee-based RFID System.) Moteiv says the Mini Standard's size—20 by 25.4 by 2 millimeters—makes it easy to integrate it into a variety of sensor products. The Mini Plus is slightly longer at 32 millimeters, while still compatible with the miniSDIO specification. Moteiv is selling a development kit that incorporates two Tmote Mini Standard and two Tmote Mini Plus motes, two development boards with Tmote Mini mote-cores built in (one Mini Standard and one Mini Plus) and one programming fixture allowing users to load specialized applications to the Mini hardware. It also comes with Moteiv software that includes an operating system, libraries and mesh networking software optimized for use on Moteiv's Tmote platforms. The kit costs $1,995. Additional Tmote Mini Standard and Mini Plus units can be purchased in quantities of 50 or more, though pricing for these units has not yet been released.
