Microsemi and Virtual Extension Team to Enable Lowest Power Sub-GHz Mesh Network for Coin Cell Powered and Energy Harvest Applications

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC), a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, and Virtual Extension, a leading wireless mesh networks company based in Beit-Dagan, Israel, today announced a two-chip wireless mesh network chipset and reference design that brings a new level of performance and signal robustness to applications requiring networks with high performance and ultra-low power consumption. The reference design features Microsemi's ZL70250 chip scale package (CSP) radio frequency (RF) transceiver for industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band applications and Virtual Extension's VE209M wireless mesh controller. The combination provides system engineers with an ultra-low power, high-performance solution to build wireless sensing networks with no single point-of-failure and extremely robust operation. This chipset is designed to be the ultimate choice for energy-harvesting powered or battery-operated wireless mesh applications.

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"Our jointly designed solutions allows network users to have access to the next-generation of wireless mesh networks with ultra-low-power consumption, without a need to trade off important features," said Stephen Swift,  senior vice president and business unit manager of the Ultra Low-Power Products Group at Microsemi. "Demand for low power and high performance wireless sensor networks is growing quickly and we will continue to collaborate with industry leaders such as Virtual Extension to deliver leading-edge solutions to meet changing industry needs."

"This reference design provides our customers with a proven path towards high performance, low power consumption and low cost network solutions," said Yariv Oren, CEO of Virtual Extension. "Microsemi brings the ultra-low-power transceivers that, when combined with our 'diversity path mesh' technology, results in networks that are easier to design and build, are much more robust, easier to install and maintain, and can easily use energy harvesting."

The ZL70250 CSP is an ultra low power RF transceiver operating in the unlicensed frequency bands between 795 and 965 megahertz (MHz) and delivers a data rate of 186 kilobits per second (kbps) at 2 milliamps (mA) of current required to transmit and receive data, enabling extremely long battery life and miniaturization. These two features are particularly important for applications using energy harvesting and battery-powered wireless sensor networks.

VEmesh networks provide highly reliable bi-directional communication and best-in-class range and coverage for distributed monitoring and data collection of smart metering, smart lighting and wireless sensor networks. The modern synchronized-flooding principle that is used allows for wireless mesh networks with space diversity and eliminates the need for self-forming, self-healing and human involvement. All VEmesh nodes act as end-nodes and as relays, to retransmit data in order to create a mesh modular solution, precluding also the need for dedicated routers. The VE209 family of high-performance mesh controllers serves as the main building blocks of a VEmesh node or gateway.

Key Features of Microsemi-Virtual Extension Ultra-Low-Power Wireless Mesh Solution:

• Ultra-low-power peak power consumption, ideal for energy harvesting or battery-operation
• Fully bi-directional
• Unlimited number of nodes/hops: (practically 1000s/20)
• Fast response with low and predictable latency
• Very high robustness, resiliency to interference (no dead spots)
• Requires little to no maintenance,  as nodes can be added and removed without any centralized changes to the network
• Built-in unicast and broadcast capabilities

Availability
Evaluation kits (order code: EVK-ULP), are available immediately from Microsemi and Virtual Extension.  Microsemi offers comprehensive design assistance, including field- and factory-based support. Data sheets, volume pricing, and delivery quotes, as well as evaluation kits and samples, are available at www.microsemi.com. For customized ready-to-use modules based on the chipset, please inquire with Virtual Extension at [email protected].

About Microsemi
Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor and system solutions for communications, defense & security, aerospace and industrial markets. Products include high-performance, radiation-hardened and highly reliable analog mixed-signal integrated circuits, FPGAs, SoCs and ASICs; power management products; timing and voice processing devices; RF solutions; discrete components; security technologies and scalable anti-tamper products; Power-over-Ethernet ICs and midspans; as well as custom design capabilities and services. Microsemi is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., and has approximately 3,000 employees globally. Learn more at www.microsemi.com.

About Virtual Extension
Operating since 2000, Virtual Extension has pioneered Diverse Path Mesh technology for Smart Metering, Smart Lighting and Wireless Sensor Networks. The company's OEM customers rate its products as having the best range, resiliency and simplicity of deployment. Virtual Extension provides a system that literally enables removing the wires from an existing sensor and replacing them with self-organizing wireless devices.  Virtual Extension's design wins power a diversity of applications, including pipeline security applications, agricultural, remote lighting, and industrial control and monitoring applications. For more information, please visit us at www.virtual-extension.com

Microsemi and the Microsemi logo are registered trademarks or service marks of Microsemi Corporation and/or its affiliates. Virtual Extension Ltd. trademarks and service marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in this news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature, including without limitation statements related to its jointly developed solution with Virtual Extension, and its potential effects on future business, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as rapidly changing technology and product obsolescence, potential cost increases, variations in customer order preferences, weakness or competitive pricing environment of the marketplace, uncertain demand for and acceptance of the company's products, adverse circumstances in any of our end markets, results of in-process or planned development or marketing and promotional campaigns, difficulties foreseeing future demand, potential non-realization of expected orders or non-realization of backlog, product returns, product liability, and other potential unexpected business and economic conditions or adverse changes in current or expected industry conditions, difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights, inventory obsolescence and difficulties regarding customer qualification of products. In addition to these factors and any other factors mentioned elsewhere in this news release, the reader should refer as well to the factors, uncertainties or risks identified in the company's most recent Form 10-K and all subsequent Form 10-Q reports filed by Microsemi with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in Microsemi's future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and Microsemi does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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SOURCE Microsemi Corporation