Millennial Net Debuts Long-Range Wireless Mesh Networking

BURLINGTON, MA /PRNewswire/ -- Millennial Net Inc. has introduced long-range wireless products at Sensor Expo 2007 that include mesh network devices for OEMs that deliver a ten-fold improvement in communication range for MeshScape 5424 nodes. They are compatible with standard MeshScape 5424 devices, which are suitable when low power consumption and less range are required.

OEMs, system integrators, and end-user applications can benefit from the new options to reduce deployment costs, optimize reliability and ease installation and maintenance.

"Long-range wireless continues to simplify the implementation of our Wi-LEM sub-metering products while accelerating and increasing the ROI for our customers," comments Loic Moreau, VP at LEM. LEM is a market leader in providing innovative and high-quality solutions for measuring electrical parameters. The Wi-LEM is an advanced electric submeter for breaker-level monitoring, featuring a split-core current transducer that eases installation without disruption to existing circuits. Ideal for commercial and industrial applications, the Wi-LEM is typically installed within metal electric panels and often in cement/brick structures. The presence of such structural challenges to radio transmission drives a need for mesh network solutions that trade increasing the number of routers versus higher radio power.

Power Considerations
Radio power and range are directly related, but in wireless sensor networks, they represent an important tradeoff that's highly application-specific. In designs that use battery powered devices, higher-powered transmission reduces battery life. Battery-power is particularly attractive to eliminate all wiring in applications where mobility and/or wiring costs are driving factors. Yet in many wireless applications, range out-weighs power, especially when it is available from line-power, solar, or power harvesting, or with high battery capacity or more frequent changes.

New Vistas for Wireless
"OEMs rely on our experience and expertise to get their sensor products into the wireless world, to optimize such tradeoffs as power, range, scalability, and cost," notes Martin Hanssmann, President and CEO of Millennial Net. "OEMs appreciate our flexible and comprehensive product offering and our ability to adapt to their application and business needs." As a supplier and life-cycle partner, Millennial Net provides OEMs, such as LEM, the technology, services, and development tools that can quickly bring wireless sensor products from concept to market.

The new longer-range options are available for 5424 modules, mesh nodes, and gateways. One option is adjustable to 10 mW, the maximum radio power permitted by regulation globally. The other is adjustable to 100 mW, which is permitted in North America.

Millennial Net is a pioneer in wireless mesh senor networks and leads the industry in deployment of ultra-efficient, highly scalable, self-organizing networking. More information is available on the company's Web site.

About Millennial Net
Millennial Net is a leading worldwide provider of commercial and industrial wireless networking systems that enable users, OEMs, and systems integrators to quickly and cost-effectively implement wireless sensor networks. The company's advanced products and services can help customers save time and costs through wireless remote monitoring and management of critical devices. They also provide data for more informed decision-making, better control, and increased revenue opportunities. Millennial Net's patented ad hoc, self-organizing wireless mesh networking MeshScape system "leads the industry in power efficiency, support for dynamic systems and mobile sensors, reliability, and scalability." Millennial Net also "leads the industry in real-world deployments, with networks installed across commercial building and industrial environments." Millennial Net is headquartered in Burlington, MA, and owned by PHC Holding GmbH. PHC is a privately held company, headquartered in Esslingen, Germany. For more information, visit the company's Web site.