Post date :
6/27/2011 12:00:00 AM
Source :
Gainspan Website
October 5, 2009 -- North Pole Engineering's WiFi-IT! module is based on GainSpan's GS1010 system-on-chip, a highly integrated, low power Wi-Fi single chip solution.
NPE’s WiFi-IT! module accelerates product development with a powerful hardware and software platform that cuts costs and makes retrofitting existing equipment with WiFi capability extremely easy, allowing product engineers to choose from the many available interfaces, including UART, SPI, I2C, digital and analog, to directly connect to existing equipment. WiFi-IT!’s reporting engine and the manufacturer’s equipment is configurable on-the-air and easily accessible through a virtual COMM or UDP port.
The WiFi-IT! module is user-programmable using WiFi-IT! Basic; an inexpensive, simplified high-level programming environment where developers can write their own applications that run directly on the GS1010’s applications processor, with no required knowledge of the real time operating system or the API. This allows designs based on WiFi-IT! to do away with a separate user microprocessor as the GS1010 provides both embedded control and wireless communication capabilities in one package--a huge savings in development time and bill of materials.
By leveraging GainSpan’s low-power consumption and advanced power management technology, the WiFi-IT! is able to operate for years on a single AA battery or using energy harvesting, making it the ideal green solution for many applications such as smart energy home, asset tracking, building automation, and industrial applications.
The 1.3 x 1.8 inch WiFi-IT! module operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and is available in two antenna configurations. It is approved by the FCC for use in the U.S. The WL10-GC incorporates an integrated ceramic PIFA antenna and the WL10-GS uses an SMA terminal mount hinged antenna.
“The low-power consumption, multiple interfaces, and high degree of system integration of GainSpan’s system-on-chip enabled us to deliver an advanced hardware and software platform that allows engineers to easily integrate Wi-Fi capability into their embedded products,” said Joe Meyer, president of North Pole Engineering.
“The platform NPE developed using the GS1010 significantly reduces the development time of embedded products.” said Vijay Parmar, CEO of GainSpan. “Designers can write code in Basic language with no knowledge of the underlying processor.”
About North Pole Engineering
NPE, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a provider of embedded technology solutions for a broad range of industries. The company specializes in advanced technologies that combine hardware and software disciplines to provide low-cost, low-power solutions to the OEM marketplace.