The battle for the ultra low power wireless network market. 08 February 2011 Traditionally, embedded applications requiring low data rates and power consumption have relied on ZigBee and Bluetooth. However, an independent study claims that ANT powered network nodes use four times less power than a ZigBee node, while providing a simpler sensor and network development environment. So could ANT be the great white hope?
Dynastream Innovations, the company behind ANT, certainly believes so and has 'open book' disclosure of its battery life performance – claiming nodes can operate for years on coin cells, compared to days or months with Bluetooth and ZigBee. As with other 2.4GHz technologies – Bluetooth Low Energy or RF for Consumer Electronics (rf4ce), for instance – ANT doesn't need line of sight to perform an operation. Because 2.4GHz is an unlicensed band, providing a robust service against common sources of interference required the use of a very short duty cycle. So what exactly is ANT's place in the market?
Author Chris Shaw Supporting Information. NEON | spantec. Node. PhatRat Technology. Garmin chirp Brings Geocachers Even More Creativity, Connectivity. Geocachers now have a new trick up their sleeves - and in their caches - as we're introducing chirp, a unique wireless beacon designed specifically for the outdoor adventures of geocaching. Affordable, durable and waterproof, chirp can communicate with, and be programmed by, any compatible wireless-enabled Garmin handheld for a more interactive and enjoyable geocaching experience. Cache creators and seekers alike will enjoy the benefits as chirp stores hints, transmits multicache coordinates, counts visitors and confirms the cache is nearby. “With chirp, geocachers have a new tool to enhance the joys of creating and finding caches around the globe,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales.
“In listening to and participating in the vibrant geocaching community, Garmin created a one-of-a-kind device that builds on popular innovations such as paperless geocaching and downloading cache details directly to the device.” Pioneer Android-based Cyclocomputer : DigInfo.