Embedded Wi-Fi in PIC® Microcontroller With ZeroG

Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced from the Sensors Expo in Chicago the immediate availability of the ZeroG Wireless ZG2100M and ZG2101M Wi-Fi^® Modules, ZeroG IEEE 802.11 Development Kit for Explorer 16 (part # AC164136) and the ZeroG Wi-Fi PICtail™/PICtail Plus Daughter Board (part # AC164136-2) athttp://www.microchipDIRECT.com, and through the Microchip sales team. Microchip and ZeroG Wireless, Inc. signed a multi-year, non-exclusive deal, which began with a joint engineering program to develop an optimized Wi-Fi solution for embedded designers and resulted in modules for Microchip's 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC^® microcontrollers (MCUs) and dsPIC^® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). The agreement ensures long-term compatibility and availability of this joint solution.

The ZeroG Wireless "Wi-Fi I/O" (ZG2100M and ZG2101M) is an easy-to-implement, low-power, low-system-cost Wi-Fi solution that provides Wi-Fi connectivity for nearly any electronic device. The new Microchip development tools are based on the standard Microchip PICtail™ and PICtail Plus daughter-board connectors, which allow a designer to easily plug Wi-Fi connectivity into a variety of Microchip development kits. These kits allow easy development with the 8-bit PIC18, 16-bit PIC24 and 32-bit PIC32 MCUs, as well as the dsPIC DSCs using the broad Microchip development tools and MPLAB^®Integrated Development Environment.

"We have watched the Wi-Fi market continue to grow, and have correspondingly seen an increase in our customers' requests for an embedded Wi-Fi solution," said Steve Caldwell, director of Microchip's RF Products Division. "ZeroG Wireless has developed an embedded Wi-Fi product that meets the needs of PIC microcontroller designers, and our tools make it easy to integrate."

"Partnering with Microchip to develop and distribute a highly optimized solution for their customers has provided us with an opportunity to directly reach thousands of customers who would like to 'just add Wi-Fi' to their embedded design," said Tim Colleran, vice president of marketing, ZeroG Wireless. "Microchip is a leader in the embedded market, and we feel our unique business model has provided us with the opportunity to team with such leaders."

The ZeroG Wi-Fi PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board (part # AC164136-2) is available today for $59.99, and consists of the ZeroG ZG2100M FCC and Wi-Fi certified module. This daughter board allows designers to quickly create a direct connection to the Internet by seamlessly connecting to standard wireless access points. In managing the connection, the ZeroG ZG2100M module controls the MAC and baseband layers, and is connected to the host MCU or DSC via an SPI port. The 8/16/32-bit PIC MCU or dsPIC DSC that resides on the Microchip development board controls the free Microchip TCP/IP networking stack and runs the system application. Additional key features of the daughter board include:

• FCC, IC and ETSI Certified, providing considerable cost savings and quick time to market
• Wi-Fi Certified and IEEE 802.11b Compliant wireless solution
• ZG2100M small-footprint module with integrated antenna, MAC, baseband, RF and power amplifier
• Microchip's free TCP/IP stack supports standard suite of Internet Protocols
• Supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 security protocols

The ZeroG IEEE 802.11 Development Kit for Explorer 16 (part # AC164136) is available today for $189.99. This kit demonstrates 802.11 Wi-Fi connectivity using the separately available Explorer 16 development board, which supports all of Microchip's 16-bit PIC24 MCUs, 32-bit PIC32 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs. Everything you need to connect and begin development with the Explorer 16 is contained within the kit, including:

• ZeroG Wi-Fi PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board
• Pre-programmed PIC24FJ128GA010 Plug-in Module for the Explorer 16, with TCP/IP and Web server application
• Pre-configured wireless broadband router

The ZeroG ZG2100M and ZG2101M Wi-Fi transceiver modules are also available today for $31.95 each in single-unit quantities. The modules provide a complete Wi-Fi wireless connection with full FCC, ETSI, IC and Wi-Fi certification, which reduces the overall design risk, eliminates design and certification cost, and enables quick time-to-market for customers wanting to add Wi-Fi to their PIC microcontroller-based products.

About Microchip Technology:

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality.

Time Management Tips For High School Students

It's 10 p.m.—Do You Know Where Your Homework Is?

Does it seem like there's never enough time in the day to get everything done? Feel like you're always running late? Here are some tips for taking control of your time and organizing your life.

1. Make a "To Do" List Every Day.

Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. If it's easier, use a planner to track all of your tasks. And don't forget to reward yourself for your accomplishments.

2. Use Spare Minutes Wisely.

Get some reading done on the bus ride home from school, for example, and you'll kill two birds with one stone.

3. It's Okay to Say "No."

If your boss asks you to work on a Thursday night and you have a final exam the next morning, realize that it's okay to say no. Keep your short- and long-term priorities in mind.

4. Find the Right Time.

You'll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work. For example, if your brain handles math better in the afternoon, don't wait to do it until late at night.

5. Review Your Notes Every Day.

You'll reinforce what you've learned, so you need less time to study. You'll also be ready if your teacher calls on you or gives a pop quiz.

6. Get a Good Night's Sleep.

Running on empty makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult.

7. Communicate Your Schedule to Others.

If phone calls are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you take social calls from 7-8 p.m. It may sound silly, but it helps.

8. Become a Taskmaster.

Figure out how much free time you have each week. Give yourself a time budget and plan your activities accordingly.

9. Don't Waste Time Agonizing.

Have you ever wasted an entire evening by worrying about something that you're supposed to be doing? Was it worth it? Instead of agonizing and procrastinating, just do it.

10. Keep Things in Perspective.

Setting goals that are unrealistic sets you up for failure. While it's good to set high goals for yourself, be sure not to overdo it. Set goals that are difficult yet reachable.

Consider these tips, but personalize your habits so that they suit you. If you set priorities that fit your lifestyle, you'll have a better chance of achieving your goale

Google Released Page Speed for Firefox

Google just released a Firefox/Firebug add-on called Pagespeed. It is basically a tool that will help you improve the loading performance of your website. After you run it, you will see a list with all the factors that would make your site load faster, with an image illustrating whether or not your website checks for each.

There are some similar plugins available for Firefox, but this one seems to be more robust. It checks for a wide range of optimization steps, including proxy caching, DNS lookups, CSS combination, Javascript loading and parallel downloads. Worth a try.