MaxStream Extends ZigBee Range Up To 40 Miles

Lindon, UT -- MaxStream announced the availability of the XBee XTender wireless bridge that extends the range of ZigBee and 802.15.4 networks up to 40 miles. Because the ZigBee and 802.15.4 standards focus on low-cost, low-power wireless monitoring and controlling of electronic devices, ZigBee modems typically must be located within 100 to 300 feet to communicate.

Many customers want to connect ZigBee/802.15.4 networked devices to monitoring locations beyond the range ZigBee affords. In order to meet extended distance requirements, MaxStream has combined the strengths of its XBee and XTend product lines into a wireless bridge. The multi-band XBee XTender permits shorter range 2.4 GHz XBee networks operating under the ZigBee or 802.15.4 wireless personal area network (WPAN) standards to communicate data up to 40 miles away via the 900 MHz 1-Watt XTend RF modem.

"As a ZigBee market leader, MaxStream has unique visibility into practical problems faced by customers implementing ZigBee and 802.15.4 networks," said Larry Kraft, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Digi International. "The XBee XTender is a fast, easy way to wirelessly connect to remote ZigBee networks."

The low-power consumption of the XBee network makes it suitable for a range of battery-powered applications, while the high-power XTend can transmit through obstacles that would otherwise impede devices communicating via ZigBee/802.15.4.

The multi-band bridge is enclosed in an aluminum housing and includes two half-wave dipole antennas. Additional antenna options can be connected via the RPSMA ports. The XBee XTender will be available in December.

SOURCE: MaxStream