Page 1 2-Feb-07 RF Transceiver Selection Guide DS500-1 © FlexiPanel Ltd www.FlexiPanel.com
FlexiPanel
RF Transceiver Selection Guide
Which hardware and firm ware is right for my application?
Contents
Summary............................................................1
Contents.............................................................1
Hardware Selection Matrix.................................2
Firmware Selection Matrix .................................2
Communications Standards...............................3
IEEE 802.15.4 ................................................3
ZigBee ............................................................3
MailBox...........................................................4
Bluetooth ........................................................4
Remote Client.................................................4
Hardware Platforms ...........................................4
EasyBee .........................................................4
Pixie................................................................4
Pixie Lite.........................................................5
UZBee ............................................................5
LinkMatik ........................................................5
Toothpick........................................................5
Communications Modes ....................................5
Slave...............................................................5
Broadcast .......................................................5
Addressed ......................................................5
Power Management...........................................5
Sniff Park and Hold ........................................6
Rx-Off-When Idle............................................6
Network Sleep ................................................6
Application Interface ..........................................6
API Interface...................................................6
Command Interface........................................6
Transparent Interface.....................................6
Off-The-Shelf Applications .............................6
Firmware Descriptions .......................................6
API Interfaces.................................................6
Command Interfaces......................................6
Transparent Interfaces ...................................7
Off-The-Shelf Applications .............................7
Applications Examples.......................................7
Serial Cable Replacement..............................7
Bus Cable Replacement.................................7
PC PAN ..........................................................8
Sensor Network..............................................8
IEEE 802.15.4 Interoperation.........................8
ZigBee Interoperation.....................................8
Summary
FlexiPanel offers a wide variety of RF transceiver
solutions to suit different applications. We do this
to keep your product simple! This approach works
better than a one-size-fits-all policy, which results
in very complex products full of features you don’t
need.
Most of our modules can operate in a number of
modes depending on the onboard firmware
configuration. Product selection often not only
involves choosing a transceiver module but also
choosing the firmware that it runs. Firmware
provided by FlexiPanel is free for use with our
modules. There are no hidden licensing or
registration costs.
The key considerations that impact transceiver
selection are:
• Communications Standard: The ground
rules by which devices communicate. The
protocol will dictate the types of device that
the module will be able to interoperate with.
• Hardware Platform: The electronic
transceiver module chosen (Pixie, UZBee,
etc). This will affect its range, how you can
talk to it, which firmware options are possible
and, of course, the price paid.
• Communications Modes: How devices
address each other (broadcast, point-to-
point, etc).
• Power Management: Defines when and
how devices are allowed to sleep in order to
save power.
• Application Interface: How your
application integrates with the tran sceiver.
Page 2 2-Feb-07 RF Transceiver Selection Guide DS500-1 © FlexiPanel Ltd www.FlexiPanel.com
Hardware Selection Matrix
EasyBee Pixie Pixie Lite UZBee LinkMatik Toothpick
IEEE802.15.4
3 3 3 3
ZigBee
3 3 3 3
MailBox
3 3
Bluetooth
3 3
Comms
Standard
Remote Client
3
Slave
3 3 3 3 3 3
Broadcast
3 3 3 3
Comms
Mode
Addressed
3 3 3 3 3 3
API
MAC API
ZigBee Stack
MailBox API
MAC API
ZigBee Stack
MailBox API
Toothpick Svcs
Command (Resident)
PixieMAC
Z-Pixie
Gateway
PixieMAC
Z-Pixie
MACdongle
Zongle
(Resident)
Slave
Stamp Edition
Transparent
StarLite
PixieCOM
StarLite
StarLite
USB
(Resident)
Application
Interface &
Firmware
Off-the-shelf
Pixie DARC
Switcher
Pixie DARC
Switcher
Sniffer
SwitcherPC
DARC-I
DARC-II
HappyTerminal
OpenTooth
BlueLock
BlueControl
Firmware Selection Matrix
Comms Std Application Interface Hardware Applications Examples
MAC API API Pixie, Pixie Lite
Sensor Network
IEEE 802.15.4 Interoperation
EasyBee resident firmware EasyBee Custom products
PixieMAC Pixie, Pixie Lite
Sensor Network
IEEE 802.15.4 Interoperation
MACdongle
Command
UZBee
PC PAN
IEEE 802.15.4 Interoperation
StarLite Pixie, Pixie Lite
StarLite USB
Transparent
Serial Cable Replacement,
Bus Cable Replacement
PC PAN
15.4 Sniffer
IEEE 802.15.4
Off-The-Shelf
UZBee
Packet sniffing
Microchip ZigBee Stack API
Z-Pixie
Pixie, Pixie Lite
Zongle
Command
UZBee
ZigBee Interoperation
Pixie Switcher Pixie, Pixie Lite
Switcher PC
ZigBee
Off-The-Shelf
UZBee
Switching
Mailbox API API Sensor Network
Pixie Gateway Command
PC PAN
Sensor Network
PixieCOM Transparent
Bus Cable Replacement
PC PAN
Pixie DARC
MailBox
Off-The-Shelf
Pixie, Pixie Lite
Data acquisition / remote control
Toothpick Services API API
Toothpick Slave
Toothpick Stamp Edition
Command
Toothpick Custom Product Development
LinkMatik resident firmware
Command /
Transparent
LinkMatik
Serial Cable Replacement
PC PAN
DARC-I Data acquisition / remote control
BlueLock
Bluetooth
Off-The-Shelf
Access Control
BlueControl Remote control
DARC-II Data acquisition / remote control
HappyTerminal Terminal emulator
OpenTooth
Remote-Client Off-The-Shelf
Toothpick
Access Control