Powercast exhibited at the Sensors Expo 2011 and demonstrated using RF energy harvesting to wirelessly charge credit card size devices. The devices are representative of high function, rechargeable smart cards and contained rechargeable thin-film batteries - CYMBET EnerChip, Infinite Power Solutions THINERGY, and STMicroelectronics EnerFilm.

Powercast Debuts Battery-less, RF-Powered Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor System for Building and Industrial Automation
Radio waves perpetually power sensor networks to eliminate wiring and batteries

Pittsburgh, PA — April 20, 2011 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced its Lifetime Power® Wireless Sensor System for wireless environmental monitoring in HVAC control and building automation. Remote radio frequency (RF) transmitters broadcast RF energy that perpetually powers wireless sensor nodes without batteries or wires.

The Powercast wireless sensor system is composed of three parts: a family of battery-less sensor nodes embedded with Powercast’s Powerharvester® receivers so they may be powered wirelessly, a WSG-101 Building Automation System (BAS) Gateway, and Powercast’s TX91501 Powercaster® transmitter.

The first of the family of sensor devices, available today, is the WSN-1001 Wireless Temperature and Humidity Sensor. Additional wirelessly-powered sensors to measure CO2, pressure, light level, motion and other conditions will follow shortly.

In the wireless powering system, a single transmitter or a network of them power multiple sensor devices. Powerharvester receivers embedded inside the sensor nodes receive RF energy up to 60-80 feet away from the Powercaster transmitters broadcasting radio waves at 915 MHz (a frequency commonly used in industrial and consumer devices). The receivers then convert the RF energy into DC current to power the sensors wirelessly, similar to RFID, but with longer range and greater functionality. Broadcasted RF energy can reach and power sensors even through walls, above ceilings, and behind objects, and provides a reliable and predictable energy source as opposed to pure ambient energy-harvesting technologies such as indoor solar, thermal, or vibration.

The WSG-101 BAS Gateway can scale up to 100 sensor nodes and 800 sensor points for large-scale deployment. The gateway interfaces to wired BAS networks via industry-standard protocols, including BACnet, Modbus, Metasys, and LonWorks. The sensors and gateway communicate wirelessly at 2.4GHz using 802.15.4 radios which users can set to channels that will not interfere with, nor be interfered by, Wi-Fi networks.

Powercast estimates that a battery-less, wirelessly-powered sensor system could save users 40-50% over the installed cost of wired sensors and controllers for building automation systems, and can also eliminate the future and repeated maintenance cost of battery replacement and disposal.

Powercast developed its wireless sensor system using the company’s core RF transmitter (Powercaster) and receiver (Powerharvester) energy-harvesting technology, and the other devices included in Powercast’s P2110-EVAL-01 Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Wireless Sensors. The receiver embedded in the sensor nodes is based on Powercast’s award-winning P2110 Powerharvester receiver, which is available for OEMs to design into their own products.

“Powercast’s wirelessly-powered sensors offer the long-term predictability of wired sensors with the deployment flexibility of battery-powered systems,” said Harry Ostaffe, vice president of marketing and business development at Powercast. “We look forward to its wide-scale deployment and to further adoption of our core wireless power technology by other sensor OEMs.”

The fully-installed cost of the Lifetime Power Wireless Sensor System, including all hardware (sensors, transmitters and BAS gateway) and labor, is estimated to be around $300 per node for typical, multi-node deployments. A starter kit (2 wireless temperature and humidity sensors, a transmitter and a BAS gateway) is available for $799.

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

# # #

PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Powercast P2110 Powerharvester Receiver Named as 2011 Design News Golden Mousetrap Best Product Winner

Pittsburgh, PA — March 29, 2011 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced that Design News has named its P2110 Powerharvester® receiver as the 2011 Golden Mousetrap Best Product Winner in the category of wireless/mobile components.

The P2110 Powerharvester receiver converts radios waves (RF energy) into DC power for low-power, wireless applications such as remote monitoring, building automation, and real-time location systems. Embedded into electronic devices, the receiver provides wireless power to trickle charge batteries, eliminating the need to replace them, or it can power battery-free devices and eliminate batteries altogether. The receiver harvests RF energy from 850-950MHz and operates at 40-45 feet (12-14 meters) from a 3W transmitter using a reasonably-sized receiving antenna.

The P2110 can also harvest GSM signals from mobile phones in close proximity enabling a new class of battery-less devices for personal area networking. With the ability to receive power behind walls or other obstacles, the P2110 includes I/O for MCU control, data and RSSI output, and supports user-configurable, regulated output voltages up to 5.25V.

“The products highlighted in this year’s Golden Mousetrap winners and finalists clearly demonstrate both cutting-edge design ideas and the practical evolution of technologies for systems and product design engineers,” said David Greenfield, Design News Editorial Director. “Design News congratulates all the engineers and their companies who have been recognized with the Golden Mousetrap Award, and we are grateful for their contribution to this year’s competition.”

“We are honored that Design News has selected our P2110 RF energy harvesting component for this award,” said Harry Ostaffe, vice president of marketing and business development at Powercast. “This achievement recognizes our dedication to developing unique, wireless power solutions for low-power devices, enabling savings in labor costs, increased product reliability, device mobility, and user convenience.”

Broadcasted RF energy creates a predictable, controllable power source to provide power-over-distance and one-to-many charging. Unlike potentially unreliable or intermittent solar, heat or vibration micro-power energy sources, the P2110 Powerharvester receiver allows wireless devices to charge and operate completely untethered from the power source. This wireless power supply embeds within electronic devices such as wireless sensors and tracking tags, enabling them to be sealed, tamper-proof, water-proof, and more reliable. The resulting zero-maintenance devices can deploy to inaccessible or hazardous locations, and sensor networks can scale to thousands of nodes while eliminating the material and labor costs of battery replacement.

About Design News
Design News, founded in 1946, is the leading technical resource for design engineers, who create everything from planes, trains and automobiles to cellular phones, medical devices, and, just about every other product on the planet. For more information, visit: http://www.designnews.com/

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

# # #

PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Powercast Tapped for CES “Powering Up Without Wires” Panel Moderated by Today Show’s Paul Hochman

Las Vegas, NV – Consumer Electronics Show - January 5, 2011 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced that its vice president of marketing and business development, Harry Ostaffe, will participate in the “Powering Up Without the Wires” panel at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held January 6 – 9, 2011 in Las Vegas, NV. Moderated by the Today Show’s high-tech contributor Paul Hochman, the panel also includes Dave Baarman of Fulton Innovation, Emily Cooper of Intel and John Suh of General Motors.

WHO:
Harry Ostaffe, vice president of marketing and business development for Powercast, is a published authority on wireless power and energy-harvesting using RF energy as a remote, wire-free power source. He jointly holds a patent on network protection switching and has held many marketing management roles for broadband and wireless products.

WHAT:
TVs that extract power from thin air. Devices that harvest electricity from Wi-Fi signals so you never have to plug in again. When will these and other next-gen technologies be ready to deploy? In “Powering Up Without the Wires,” Hochman will lead a panel of wireless power experts to answer these questions.

Wireless power transmission for low-power applications is Powercast’s expertise, Powercast’s technology, which embeds in OEM devices, can harvest RF energy from ambient or dedicated sources, including mobile phones, and convert it into DC power. This power can then charge low-power consumer electronics devices such as eBook readers, as well as remote sensors for home and building automation. As a predictable energy source, RF energy (radio waves) can provide automated charging, power-over-distance, one-to-many charging, and controllable wireless power (continuous, scheduled or on-demand) for zero-maintenance devices while eliminating charging cords and battery replacement.

For more session details: http://www.cesweb.org/conferenceProgram/search/sessionDetails.asp?sessionid=3846

WHERE:
2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall, Room N254

WHEN:
Thursday, January 6, 2011, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., “Powering Up Without the Wires” session ET2

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

# # #

PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Powercast RF Transmitter Named an EDN Hot 100 Product of 2010

Pittsburgh, PA — January 4, 2011 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced that EDN Magazine has named its TX91501 Powercaster™ transmitter in the EDN “Hot 100″ Products of 2010. Specifically, the RF transmitter was chosen in the power category for its ability to broadcast power to remote, micro-power devices such as wireless sensors, tracking tags, and even low-power consumer electronic devices such as eBook readers. Combining Powercast’s transmitter with its P1110 or P2110 Powerharvester® receivers creates a wireless power system which broadcasts and then converts RF energy into DC power for remote powering/charging.

Compiled by EDN’s editors, this annual listing highlights the electronics industry’s most significant products, including analog and digital ICs, process technologies, power sources, processor cores, communication controllers, test instruments, embedded boards and EDA tools.

The Powercaster transmitter is approved by the FCC (Part 15) and Industry Canada. It is designed for wireless micro-power applications in the commercial, industrial, defense and consumer electronics markets including remote monitoring (temperature/environmental/security), asset tracking, building automation and automated charging.

Broadcasted RF energy creates a perpetual power source, unlike potentially unreliable solar, heat or vibration energy sources, to provide automated charging, power-over-distance, one-to-many charging, and controllable wireless power (continuous, scheduled or on-demand) for zero-maintenance devices.

About EDN’s “Hot 100″ Products
Since 1999, EDN’s editors have published a list of the industry’s most significant electronic products, spanning everything from components to software tools to peripherals to test instruments. Culled from many product announcements its editors evaluate each year, the EDN “Hot 100″ represents a prestigious annual snapshot of innovation in the tech industry.

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

# # #

Editorial Note: Downloadable photos are available from http://www.powercastco.com/company/media-kit/.

PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Powercast Debuts RF Energy Harvesting Kit for Wireless Battery Charging

Radio waves charge THINERGY thin-film batteries or traditional batteries to perpetually operate low-power devices

Boston, MA — IDTechEx Energy Harvesting & Storage USA 2010 – November 16, 2010 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced its Lifetime Power® Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Battery Charging. The kit features near-loss-less energy storage and efficient charging via the THINERGY® Micro-Energy Cell (MEC), a solid-state, rechargeable thin-film micro-battery from Infinite Power Solutions (IPS).

The Lifetime Power Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Battery Charging is composed of a 3-watt Powercaster™ transmitter, a P2110 Powerharvester® receiver evaluation board, a custom-designed battery-charging board, a 1mAh THINERGY MEC evaluation card and other accessories. The kit makes it easy to prototype and develop rechargeable battery-based micro-power systems such as wireless sensor networks that are reliably and perpetually powered by radio waves – eliminating the expense and hassle of traditional battery replacement. The Texas Instruments eZ430-RF2500 wireless development tool is also included as a demonstration application.

In the kit, Powercast’s 915 MHz RF transmitter and receiver energy-harvesting system broadcasts and then converts RF energy and stores it in a capacitor, which then provides a pulsed regulated voltage output to wirelessly trickle charge energy storage devices. Such devices include the paper-thin and long-life THINERGY MEC as well as other thin-film batteries, and traditional rechargeable batteries such as Alkaline, Lithium Ion, or Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH). When embedded into micro-power devices, such as wireless sensors, instrumentation and controls, the included receiver can charge batteries from more than 40 feet away from the included transmitter. Designers could also use other 850-950MHz RF transmitters as a source of energy for battery charging.

The kit offers multiple charging options via its custom battery-charging board, which allows the receiver to directly charge a THINERGY MEC, or connect to the THINERGY Application Development Platform (ADP) for enhanced measurement and analysis. The enhanced ADP firmware, available as a free download from IPS, can capture the voltage and current readings from the short charging pulses provided by the Powercast system. The kit’s custom charging board also features charge voltage selection, nano-amp low-voltage cut-off, adjustable regulated output voltage, and I/O interfaces for the P2110 Powerharvester receiver.

The included Powercaster transmitter is approved by the FCC (Part 15) and Industry Canada. It is designed for micro-power applications in the commercial, industrial, and defense markets such as remote monitoring (temperature/environmental/security) and building automation.

Broadcasted RF energy creates a perpetual power source, unlike potentially unreliable solar, heat or vibration energy sources, to provide power-over-distance, one-to-many charging, and controllable wireless power (continuous, scheduled or on-demand). A wireless power source enables zero-maintenance devices which deploy to inaccessible locations, and embeds within sealed devices for use in wet or harsh environments.

“Combining our THINERGY rechargeable MECs with Powercast’s RF energy harvesting system enables autonomous, self-powered, wireless systems for decades of maintenance-free operation,” says Tim Bradow, vice president of marketing for Infinite Power Solutions. “Offering compact design, compelling performance, and power efficiency, we have jointly created a miniature, low-cost, perpetual power supply for a variety of micro-electronic applications.”

The Lifetime Power Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Battery Charging is available today for $900 from Powercast’s distributors, Future Electronics and Mouser Electronics.

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

About Infinite Power Solutions (www.InfinitePowerSolutions.com)
Infinite Power Solutions, Inc. (IPS)—a U.S. clean-technology company—is a global leader in manufacturing solid-state, rechargeable, thin-film micro-energy storage devices. Founded in 2001, IPS is privately held with corporate headquarters and volume manufacturing in Littleton, Colo. The company is the only ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of solid-state, thin-film batteries, and its energy storage products provide unrivalled performance, size and service life to displace conventional coin cells, supercapacitors, and other micro-batteries in a variety of applications. THINERGY® Micro-Energy Cell (MEC) and INFINERGY® Micro Power Module (MPM) products provide unprecedented efficiency in micro-energy storage and uniquely enable ambient energy-harvesting solutions to create miniature, autonomous, perpetual power supplies.

# # #

Editorial Note: Downloadable photos are available from http://www.powercastco.com/company/media-kit/.

PR Contacts:

Harry Ostaffe
Director, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Terri Sundseth
Marketing Associate
Infinite Power Solutions
tsundseth@IPSbatteries.com
+1 303-475-5616

Microchip and Powercast Debut World’s First RF Energy Harvesting Kit That Enables Battery-Free, Perpetually Powered Wireless Applications

Combination of Powercast’s RF Energy Harvesting System and Microchip’s eXtreme Low Power PIC® Microcontrollers Eliminates Batteries in a Wide Range of Applications

CHANDLER, Ariz., Oct. 26, 2010 [NASDAQ: MCHP] — Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, and Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced the Lifetime Power® Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Wireless Sensors featuring PIC® microcontrollers with eXtreme Low Power (XLP) Technology. This kit, composed of a 3-watt Powercaster™ transmitter as the power source, two P2110 Powerharvester® receiver evaluation boards, two custom-designed wireless sensor boards, the XLP 16-bit Development Board pre-loaded with jointly developed application software, an IEEE 802.15.4 transceiver and other accessories, makes it easy to demonstrate and develop smart-energy, wireless-sensor applications that are reliably and perpetually powered by radio waves—eliminating the need for a battery. The included transmitter can wirelessly power sensor devices from more than 40 feet away.

The main challenges for the designers of wireless sensor applications fall into the categories of power, location and wireless communication. Combining Powercast’s RF transmitter and receiver energy-harvesting system, which broadcasts and converts RF energy into DC power, with Microchip’s XLP PIC microcontrollers, which provide the industry’s lowest power consumption in active and sleep modes, solves all three of these design challenges.

Power
Powercast’s RF energy harvesting system provides predictable and reliable power, using broadcasted RF energy for wire- and battery-free operation, or to wirelessly charge battery-based systems. In the Lifetime Power kit, the Powercaster transmitter broadcasts RF energy to the Powerharvester receiver, which can be embedded into an OEM’s micro-power device. The receiver then converts the RF energy and presents it as a regulated power supply to Microchip’s PIC24F microcontroller. The recently announced Powercast transmitter included in the kit is approved by the FCC (Part 15) and Industry Canada.

Location
Using broadcasted RF energy as the application’s sole power source allows for untethered and battery-free operation in hazardous or inaccessible locations, which would otherwise require labor-intensive or potentially dangerous battery maintenance. Additionally, broadcasted RF energy is controllable (can be scheduled, continuous or on-demand) and works in locations where other potentially intermittent energy-harvesting sources (e.g., solar, vibration and heat) make them unreliable.

Wireless Communication
Microchip’s configurable MiWi™ and MiWi P2P stacks are efficient and save power by enabling only the most essential wireless communication features. In addition to these proprietary Microchip protocols, the kit’s included MRF24J40 IEEE 802.15.4 transceiver also supports Microchip’s ZigBee stacks. From a functional standpoint, Microchip’s RF transceiver allows for continual readings of sensor data, portability and much easier installation than wired communication provides.
In addition to solving these three major challenges, the Lifetime Power kit provides modular development with Microchip’s included XLP 16-bit Development Board. This flexible platform allows customization for developing applications, and enables faster evaluation, prototyping and time to market.

Availability and Pricing
The Lifetime Power Energy Harvesting Development Kit for Wireless Sensors is available today for $1250 from Powercast’s distributors, including microchipDIRECT.

About Powercast (http://www.microchip.com/get/BBG0)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

About Microchip Technology
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com/get/A41W.

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Note: The Microchip name and logo, and PIC are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

High-res Photo Available Through Flickr or Editorial Contact (feel free to publish): http://www.microchip.com/get/5AHX

Tags / Keywords: Energy Harvesting, RF, Perpetual Power, Wireless Power, Battery-Free, Energy Efficiency, Low Power, Microcontroller, PIC, Microchip, MCHP, World’s Lowest Power, Development Kit, Energy Scavenging, Self-powered, Smart Energy, wireless sensor, wireless sensor networks, ambient energy, alternative energy, XLP, extreme low power, ultra low power, Powercast, Powerharvester, WSN

RSS Feed for Microchip Product News: http://www.microchip.com/get/80HSAbout Powercast (http://www.microchip.com/get/BBG0)

PR Contacts:
Microchip Technology Inc.
Eric Lawson
+1 480-792-7182
eric.lawson@microchip.com

Powercast Corporation
Harry Ostaffe
Director, Marketing and Business Development
+1 412-923-4774
hostaffe@powercastco.com

Powercast Transmitter Sends Power, Data for RF Energy Harvesting & Wireless Power Systems

Transmitter and receiver combo wirelessly charge and operate micro-power devices.

Pittsburgh, PA — October 19, 2010 — Powercast Corporation, a leader in RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting technology, today announced availability of its TX91501 Powercaster™ Transmitter which uses the 915-MHz ISM band to transmit common radio waves for power and data in commercial, industrial and defense applications. As the power source for Powercast’s RF energy-harvesting wireless power solution, the TX91501 broadcasts power and data over 40 feet to its companion Powerharvester® receivers. Embedded into micro-power devices such as wireless sensors, instrumentation and controls, the Powerharvester receivers convert the received RF energy into DC power for battery-free operation or to wirelessly trickle charge batteries. The receivers also output the data broadcast from the TX91501 as well as the received signal strength indication (RSSI).

Initial versions of the TX91501 transmitter will broadcast a unique ID for device authentication or location-tracking applications, while future versions will also transmit data such as timestamps for end-device synchronization and control.

Powercast’s TX91501 transmitter is approved by the FCC (Part 15) and Industry Canada. It can be used to broadcast RF energy for both power and data in numerous energy-harvesting applications such as environmental monitoring, building automation, energy management and industrial monitoring.

The RF signal uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) modulation for power and Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) modulation for data. The TX91501 is available in versions with an output of 1 watt or 3 watts Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP).

The 6.75” H x 6.25” W x 1.63” D transmitter includes an integrated 8dBi directional antenna with a 60-degree beam pattern, and the unit mounts easily on either vertical or horizontal surfaces using one of two DC power jacks (bottom or back) and multiple mounting holes. The TX91501 operates immediately when powered on and requires no user configuration or programming. An internal shut-off mechanism automatically stops transmission when objects come close to the device, and an LED indicates transmission status.

Broadcasted RF energy creates a perpetual power source, unlike potentially unreliable solar, heat or vibration energy sources, to provide power-over-distance, one-to-many charging, and controllable wireless power (continuous, scheduled or on-demand). A wire- and battery-free power source enables zero-maintenance devices which deploy to inaccessible locations, and embeds within sealed devices for use in wet or harsh environments.

The 1-watt ($235) and 3-watt ($300) versions of theTX91501 Powercaster transmitter are available through Powercast’s authorized distributors.

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

Editorial Note: Downloadable photos are available from http://www.powercastco.com/company/media-kit/.

PR Contacts:
Harry Ostaffe
Director, Marketing and Business Development
Powercast Corporation
hostaffe@powercastco.com
+1 412-923-4774

Michelle Moody
Moody & Associates PR
michelle@moodypr.com
+1 214-363-3460

Press Release

Powercast to Demonstrate RF-Powered, Battery-Free Wireless Sensor Module at Sensors Expo 2010

Wireless Sensor Module, jointly developed by Powercast and Microchip Technology, showcases RF energy harvesting and low power processing and communications.

Pittsburgh, PA — June 7, 2010 — Powercast Corporation, a technology leader in the field of RF-based wireless power and energy harvesting, will participate as an exhibitor at the Sensors Expo & Conference on June 7-9, 2010 . At the event, Powercast will be demonstrating a battery-free wireless sensor module powered by RF energy and designed for extremely low power consumption. The sensor module provides temperature, light level, and humidity data to an access point, along with the received signal strength (RSSI) and the ID number of the Powercaster™ transmitter from which it is receiving power.

Powercast recently released the P1110 and P2110 Powerharvester™ Receivers, which are capable of converting radio waves in the range of 850-950 MHz into DC power. The demonstration sensor module uses the P2110 Powerharvester receiver to store the received energy into a capacitor, and then performs a voltage boost to supply the module components with a regulated voltage. Both the P1110 and P2110 enable a microcontroller to determine the signal strength of the received power, as well as to recover low-rate data encoded in the power broadcasted from the power transmitter.

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP), a leading supplier of low power MCUs, provided software and hardware development support for both the sensor module and the access point. The devices use PIC® microcontrollers featuring XLP eXtreme Low Power technology, and the MRF24J40MA agency-certified IEEE 802.15.4™ radio module, resulting in high-performance, low power processing and communications. Microchip’s MiWi™ P2P protocol provides the reliable, short-duration messaging required for the optimal performance of the harvesting system.

“We see great potential in the use of energy harvesting to power a growing network of low-power wireless devices,” said Jason Tollefson, a product marketing manager at Microchip. “The sensor module developed with Powercast, using Microchip’s XLP technology, is a unique and powerful demonstration of using radio waves as an on-demand source of energy for a battery-free wireless sensor.”

Harry Ostaffe, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Powercast, will also be delivering two presentations during the event. During the pre-conference symposium on June 7, 2010, he will speak on “Design Techniques for RF Energy Harvesting Devices.” During the main conference on June 8, 2010, he will also present “Power Out of Thin Air: Ambient RF Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors.”

Powercast’s exhibit and wireless sensor demonstration will be located at Booth 1022 in the exhibition hall.

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations, and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

About Microchip (www.microchip.com)
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) provides low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of eXtreme Low Power applications. From low power Analog, RF and Memory devices, to more than 75 PIC® Microcontrollers featuring XLP Technology and peripherals like LCD and USB, as well as over 600 more that offer integration such as Ethernet, Graphics and Capacitive Touch Sensing, our devices along with our free software and tools, provide a custom fit in your energy harvesting design.

Note: The Microchip name and logo, and PIC are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

Contact:

Powercast
Harry Ostaffe
Director, Marketing & Business Development
+1 412-923-4774
hostaffe@powercastco.com

Press Release

Future Electronics and Powercast Sign Global Distribution Agreement

Montreal, Canada and Pittsburgh, PA — Apr 13, 2010 — Powercast Corporation, a pioneer in the field of RF energy harvesting and wireless power, and Future Electronics announced today that they have entered into a worldwide franchise distribution agreement. Under the terms of the agreement Future Electronics will distribute Powercast’s full line of Powerharvester™ receivers and Powercaster™ transmitters.

“We are excited by the addition of Powercast to the Future line card,” said Frantz Saintellemy, Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Future Electronics. “Powercast is the first supplier in our energy harvesting portfolio, and they are working with several of our existing major suppliers on low-power applications. We see energy harvesting as a high growth sector in the near future and envision many potential applications enabled by Powercast’s technology that are in alignment with our Future Energy Solutions group”.

“Future Electronics is a world-class, global distributor with broad capabilities in field sales, engineering and system design support for electronic components,” said Harry Ostaffe, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Powercast. “We are looking forward to working with Future Electronics in enabling customers to create devices that can be powered wirelessly from radio waves with our unique and patented technology”.

Future Electronics’ initial stock will include Powercast’s new P1110 and P2110 Powerharvester receivers, which are available immediately.

About Powercast (www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of RF energy harvesting and wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices by transmitting and harvesting common radio waves similar to those in wireless communications. Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations and enable greater system efficiency in applications such as building automation and energy management.

About Future Electronics (www.futureelectronics.com)
Headquartered in Montreal and operating in 42 countries around the world, Future Electronics has earned an impressive reputation for the strength of its commercial and technical competencies through all stages of the design-production cycle, and for developing efficient, comprehensive global supply chain solutions. Future Electronics is globally integrated, with one worldwide IT infrastructure providing real time inventory availability and access, while enabling full integration of operations, sales and marketing worldwide. Offering the highest level of service, the most advanced engineering/design capabilities and technical solutions, and the largest available-to-sell inventory in the world, the company’s mission is always to Delight the Customer.

Information:

FUTURE ELECTRONICS
Martin H. Gordon
Director, Corporate Communications
514-694-7710 x 2236
Martin.gordon@future.ca

Powercast
Harry Ostaffe
Director, Marketing & Business Development
+1 412-923-4774
hostaffe@powercastco.com