BERLIN, Germany -- Sol Chip Ltd., a leader in solar energy powering of electronic and mobile devices, and Virtual Extension, a leading wireless mesh networks company, announced the availability of high-performance Wireless Mesh Networks powered by Solar Energy Harvesting. Such networks are expected to be used and to initiate a whole new range of applications in Internet of Things, smart city, agriculture, smart lighting control, smart water management, environmental monitoring, medical, security and safety industries and many more.
This achievement is the world's first use of energy harvesting in this novel generation of wireless mesh networks. Virtual Extension VEmesh networks, operating in the ISM sub-1GHz frequency bands, are based on synchronized-flooding technology. This technology provides true bi-directional mesh networking with space diversity. It completely eliminates the need for routing, and in turn the need for self-forming, self-healing and human involvement. All VEmesh end-nodes act also as relays, to retransmit data in order to create a mesh modular solution, with no need for dedicated routers. The routers' elimination means less communication overhead, as well as simpler and less expensive processors, while space diversity eliminates multipath effects and provides no single point of failure. Another benefit of the new generation Virtual Extension wireless mesh networks is the lower power requirement, thus enabling battery-powered applications to reliably run for many years on a single cell battery. Following the integration with Sol Chip Energy Harvester, this need for battery is now eliminated.
The Sol Chip Everlasting Solar Battery harvests light energy to power billions of individual appliances. Through its innovative IP, Sol Chip's technology integrates all the components required—in a single battery unit—to harvest and supply sustainable solar/light energy to low-power applications. Sol Chip's technology utilizes low-cost manufacturing flow, thereby increasing overall efficiency and decreasing design complexity, while reducing cost.
"The combination of advanced wireless mesh networks with the autonomy offered by our harvesting technology is bound to open a new range of ground breaking applications," said Rami Friedlander, Founder & VP Business Development and Applications. "We truly value the cooperation with Virtual Extension, who had integrated our Solar Energy Harvesting chip into their network in an unbelievable short time. It shows how fast and easy can our products be put to work. Once using Sol Chip Everlasting Solar Battery, the application can continuously work without the need for neither maintenance nor accessibility"
"Our networks have already been put at use in a large variety of applications that need to have high performance and to be cost-effective; energy harvesting further increases this range of applications and the networks' usefulness" said Yariv Oren, CEO of Virtual Extension. "Sol Chip products seem as an excellent energy harvesting alternative and we look forward to long term cooperation with them."
A demonstration of a wireless mesh network powered by solar energy harvesting is on display at Booth S5, at the Wireless Sensor Networks & RTLS co-located with Energy Harvesting & Storage 2013 in Berlin, 17–18 April.
Availability
Evaluation kits availability (order code: Virtual Extension EVK-EH) is scheduled for Q4 2013 from Sol Chip and Virtual Extension. Both companies offer comprehensive design assistance for their respective products, including field- and factory-based support. For Energy Harvesting data sheets, volume pricing, and delivery quotes, as well as evaluation kits and samples, please inquire with Sol Chip at [email protected]. For wireless mesh networks, please inquire with Virtual Extension at [email protected].
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's design wins power a diversity of applications, including pipeline security applications, agricultural, remote lighting, and industrial control and monitoring applications.
Virtual Extension products are offered as ICs, modules and OEM customized solutions.
About Sol Chip
Sol Chip is a cutting edge solar technology company with long-standing expertise in the semiconductor industry. Sol Chip develops, sells and licenses a cost-effective, compact Solar Battery technology that integrates solar energy sources to power wireless sensors and mobile electronics devices. The company offers the missing technology that will improve batteries' life or in many cases eliminate the need in a battery as a power source in low power applications.