Eaton Corporation, an $8.1 billion global diversified industrial manufacturer, has chosen Ember Corporation’s wireless semiconductors and software to develop next-generation ZigBee-based wireless industrial products, the companies announced today. The partnership stems from a $6 million contract from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create next-generation industrial wireless sensor networks that will improve energy efficiency.

Eaton’s corporate R&D organization, The Innovation Center, will use Ember’s EM2420 wireless platform for the DOE project to create new low-power, low-cost wireless applications across its major business units: automotive, fluid power (hydraulics), trucks, industrial and commercial controls.

The DOE initiative aims to help industries such as petro-chemical, paper and metal manufacturers overcome the physical and technological barriers that hamper their ability to move data throughout their plant-floor and shipping operations. The DOE believes that solutions comprising sensing, wireless, and control technologies can save industries up to 256 trillion BTUs of energy per year, reducing environmental impacts and increasing yields.

To this end, Ember’s EM2420 enables the replacement of rigid, expensive hard-wired networks with decentralized, self-healing wireless networks that resist interference from machinery and electrical components in industrial facilities. It is the first wireless platform to combine a 2.4 GHz radio transceiver chip with an embedded ZigBee-ready networking stack and development environment.

“We evaluated all available technologies and settled on Ember because they are way ahead in low power mesh network technology” said Eaton Technology Manager Jon Ward. “Plus they offer the speed and convenience of a full platform solution – radio chips, networking software and development environment – that will cut our product development costs and time significantly.”

The Innovation Center will focus on bringing the benefits of ZigBee-based wireless networks in three areas:

• Energy Management – developing intelligent products that control electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, and/or thermal energy expenditure or characteristics.
  
• Environment and Safety – New technologies for products that reduce vehicle fuel use and emission, increase occupant safety and prevent electrical fires and accidents.
  
• System Wellness – Components with inherent ability to determine/transmit system condition through monitoring, diagnostics, prognostics, and ultimately with the ability to self-heal.
  

“Leading corporations like Eaton are seeing increasing demand for ZigBee-based applications, and recognizing how strongly wireless mesh networking can support energy efficiency management in demanding environments,” said Ember CEO Jeff Grammer. “They had their choice of every wireless technology on the market and they chose to partner with us, which further validates Ember as a technology leader in low-power, low data-rate wireless networks, and ZigBee.”

About Eaton Corporation
Eaton Corporation is a global diversified industrial manufacturer with 2003 sales of $8.1 billion that is a leader in fluid power systems; electrical power quality, distribution and control; automotive engine air management and fuel economy; and intelligent systems for fuel economy and safety in trucks. Eaton has 51,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 100 countries.

About Ember Corporation
Ember Corporation develops wireless semiconductor solutions that help buildings consume less energy, manufacturing plants run with fewer breakdowns, and the country’s borders and infrastructure remain safe and secure. Its vision is to help create an “Internet of things” by enabling the eight billion microcontrollers built into products each year to support low-cost, low-power networking applications in any industry. Headquartered in Boston with offices and distributors worldwide, the company was named one of Fortune Magazine’s top “Cool Companies” for 2004.