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

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Press Release

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.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 https://www.powercastco.com/company/media-kit/.

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

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

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

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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.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@www.powercastco.com

Future Electronics and Powercast Sign Global Distribution Agreement

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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.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@www.powercastco.com

Powercast Releases New RF Powerharvester Receivers

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Powercast Releases New RF Powerharvester Receivers

Power management capabilities added to interface energy harvesting with microcontrollers

Pittsburgh, PA – March 31, 2010 – Powercast Corporation, a pioneer in the field of RF energy harvesting and wireless power, announced today that they released new versions of Powerharvester receivers in the P1000 and P2000 series.

The P1110 Powerharvester receiver is designed for battery charging and supports user-configurable output voltages up to 4.2 volts.

The P2110 Powerharvester receiver is designed for battery-free devices and supports user-configurable, regulated output voltages up to 5.25 volts.

Both components have capabilities and I/O to provide Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) as well as data which is included in a power broadcast. The P2110 also has I/O for interfacing to microcontrollers for more intelligent system control.

“Powercast is excited to be releasing these enhanced components for RF energy harvesting. The market for micro-power energy harvesting is growing and Powercast is uniquely positioned as a supplier of remote, wireless power technology for devices such as wireless sensors,” said Harry Ostaffe, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Powercast. “We look forward to working with customers to enable their micro-power devices to have embedded, wireless power while minimizing or eliminating the cost and maintenance effort typically associated with replacing batteries.”

The P1110 and P2110 components will be available in single and volume quantities through a global distributor soon to be announced.

About Powercast: (www.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.

Powercast wins 2009 “Best of Sensors Expo” Gold Award

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Press Release

SENSORS ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 2009 “BEST OF SENSORS EXPO” AWARDS
BEST OF BREED SOLUTIONS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION

ROSEMONT, IL, June 10, 2009 – Questex Media Group, Inc. today announced the recipients of the Sensors 2009 “Best of Sensors Expo” Awards, honoring the most exciting new products on display at Sensors Expo & Conference, taking place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

Melanie Martella, Executive Editor of Sensors, presented gold, silver, bronze, and honorable mention awards to 16 exhibitors in three categories: Sensors; Sensor Components; and Data Acquisition Products. Exhibitors submitted new product nominations and entries were judged on the basis of potential impact, application, distinctiveness, timeliness, and availability.

In addition to Martella, this year’s panel of judges comprised Ed Ramsden, member of the Sensors Editorial Advisory Board and principal of Sensorlytics LLC, and Deborah Lickness of John Deere.

“All of the nominations demonstrated exceptional innovation, integration, and ease-of-use and all of them addressed real needs. We believe this year’s winners will be leaders in the sensors marketplace and offer our congratulations to the companies recognized,” said Martella. The following is a list of award recipients.

Gold Awards

  • Category: Sensors – DTS’ 6DX rugged, ultra-small 6 degrees of freedom sensor
  • Category: Data Acquisition Products – MicroStrain Inc.’s HS-LINK high-speed wireless sensor node
  • Category: Sensor Components – Powercast Corp.’s P2100 Powerharvester energy harvesting module
  • Category: Sensors – SBG Systems’ IG-500N miniature Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS)

Silver Awards

  • Category: Data Acquisition Products – HBM – LDS Test and Measurement’s GEN5i portable, high-speed DA and transient recorder
  • Category: Sensor Components – MicroStrain Inc.’s 3DM-GX3-25 miniature AHRS
  • Category: Sensors – Infinite Power Solutions Inc.’s INFINERGY Micro Power Module micropower storage device
  • Category: Sensors – Moog Inc.’s LifeGuard IQ air bubble detector

Bronze Awards

  • Category:   Sensor Components – Cymbet Corp.’s EnerChip EH energy harvesting module, Model CBC500 and EVAL-08
  • Category: Sensors – Kionix Inc.’s KXTF9 triaxial accelerometer with Directional Tap/Double-Tap
  • Category: Sensors – Silicon Sensing Systems’ CRS09 rugged MEMS gyroscope
  • Category: Sensors – VTI Technologies Inc.’s CMA3000 tiny, low-power MEMS accelerometer

Honorable Mention

  • Category: Data Acquisition Products – National Instruments’ Wi-Fi- data acquisition devices
  • Category: Sensors – Endevco Corp.’s 7264G crash accelerometer
  • Category: Sensors – EPCOS Inc.’s T5300 digital MEMS barometric pressure sensor
  • Category: Sensors – Sensortechnics Inc.’s CLC capacitive level sensor

Best of Sensors Expo award winners will be featured on the Sensors Web site at www.sensorsmag.com.

Sensors
Sensors is the premier publication dedicated to sensors, supporting technologies, and their applications. Serving an audience of 195,000 spanning online and e-mail newsletters, Sensors’ integrated media offers greater access to targeted news, analysis, and technical information surrounding sensors and related technologies. Reaching high-tech professionals in the sensing community, including product and system design engineers, production engineers, and managers, Sensors delivers focused news, trends, and product reviews in the areas of: Process Industries; Automotive; Electronics and Computers; Machine Manufacturing; Aerospace, Military, and Homeland Security; Specialty Markets; and Wireless and M2M. For more information visit www.sensorsmag.com.

About Sensors Expo & Conference
Sensors Expo & Conference is the leading sensor event in North America exclusively focusing on sensors and sensor-integrated systems. The conference program is dedicated to exploring the most up-to-date innovations in sensor technology including physical sensors, sensor networks, biosensors, MEMS/nanotechnology, instrumentation & controls, intelligent systems, machine-to- machine communication, wireless sensing and IT technology. Sensors Expo & Conference identifies cutting-edge trends, explores them in an information-packed conference program and reflects those trends throughout the exhibit floor with new product announcements, technology focused tours, and a showcase of hundreds of products and services. For more information visit www.sensorsexpo.com.

About Questex Media Group, Inc.
Questex Media Group, Inc is a global, diversified business-to-business media organization serving multiple industries including hotel and hospitality, travel, technology, beauty, spa, among numerous other specialty industries with its well-established, market-leading, events, publications, digital and interactive media, research, and other marketing and media related services. The company’s combined operations include approximately 450 employees in offices throughout North America, South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, visit www.questex.com.

Powercast and CAP-XX Team on Battery-Free Power Supply for Wireless Sensors

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Press Release

Powercast and CAP-XX Team on Battery-Free Power Supply for Wireless Sensors
Powercast RF energy harvester & supercapacitor reference design presented at nanoPower Forum

San Jose, Calif. – May 18, 2009 – Darnell nanoPower Forum – Today, engineers from Powercast and CAP-XX Limited (LSE:CPX) will introduce a wireless power module reference design combining Powercast’s RF energy-harvesting technology with a CAP-XX supercapacitor to create a perpetual, battery-free power source for wireless sensors commonly used in environmental monitoring, building automation, industrial controls and other condition-monitoring systems.

Low-power energy harvesting can supply the average power required by many sensor-based systems, but cannot provide the peak power needed to collect and transmit data over wireless networks such as IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee), 802.11 (WLAN) or GSM/GPRS. This is the industry’s first reference design using commercial components that harvests RF energy from low-power radio waves, stores it in a supercapacitor, and then delivers high power bursts when charged.

The wireless power module reference design integrates a power receiving antenna, a Powercast PowerharvesterTM receiver, and a CAP-XX supercapacitor for energy storage and peak transmission power. Low-power wireless sensors or RF modules can be added with simple “two-wire” integration. The module measures approximately eight inches tall, one inch wide and ¼ inch thick at the body (http://www.cap-xx.com/rethink/news/photogallery.htm#BritePower).

In operation, the design creates a perpetual power supply for fixed or mobile wireless sensor nodes, such as those located throughout a building, eliminating the need for batteries or wired power. Powercast’s PowercasterTM transmitter, which powers this reference design, sends radio waves to the Powerharvester integrated into the module. The Powerharvester converts energy received from these radio waves into DC power, trickle-charges the supercapacitor, and then delivers power from the supercapacitor to the wireless sensor. This cycle repeats as the module receives additional radio waves, which can be sent continuously, on-demand or on a scheduled basis. This design uses the 915 MHz band, but can be adapted for other frequencies, or set to harvest environmental radio waves from TV, radio or mobile phone networks.

The Powercaster transmitter provides controllable, 24 x 7 wireless power, allowing wireless sensors to avoid using potentially unreliable ambient types of energy harvesting such as solar or heat.

CAP-XX vice president of applications engineering, Pierre Mars, and Powercast head of technology platforms, Charlie Greene, will present their collaborative paper, “Harvesting RF Energy and Powering a Wireless Sensor Node Using a Supercapacitor,” in the energy harvesting session on Monday, May 18 at the Darnell nanoPower Forum in San Jose, California.

“This ‘fit and forget’ self-generating power source guarantees that sensors deployed throughout a building or local area will receive power without batteries or potentially unreliable environmentally-harvested energy such as solar or heat,” said Mars.

“Wireless sensor networks are increasingly popular, but today are predominantly powered by disposable batteries,” explained Harry Ostaffe, director of marketing for Powercast. “The RF energy harvester and supercapacitor combination eliminates the cost and hassle of replacing and disposing of batteries, and enables wireless sensor networks to scale to thousands of nodes with minimal maintenance.”

About CAP-XX:
Sydney, Australia-based CAP-XX is a world leader in thin, flat supercapacitors for space-constrained electronic devices. Supercapacitors resolve the performance limitations of batteries and other current-limited power supplies, and provide backup power if the primary power source fails.

CAP-XX supercapacitors enable manufacturers to make smaller, thinner, longer-running and more feature-rich devices such as camera phones, solid state drives, handheld PCs and battery-free condition-monitoring systems using the company’s BritePowerTM architectures. The company is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in London. For more information, visit http://www.cap-xx.com or email sales@cap-xx.com.

About Powercast: (www.www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation is a leading innovator of 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. Emerging applications include wireless sensors, advanced displays, novelty lighting and other low-power electronic devices. Contributing to a greener world, Powercast’s technologies eliminate or reduce the need for batteries, extend sensor networks into hard-to-service locations and enable greater energy efficiency for HVAC, lighting and other systems.

Powercast Releases Additional Wireless Power Development Kits

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Press Release

Pittsburgh, PA – May 7, 2009 – Powercast, a leader in the commercialization of RF energy harvesting and wireless power solutions, announced it has released additional versions of its Lifetime Power Evaluation and Development Kit.  The new kits, available for purchase at www.www.powercastco.com, represent offerings focused more specifically for recharging Alkaline and Lithium Ion batteries.

Batteries are used in numerous small, portable, and mobile electronic devices.  Powercast’s technology enables these devices to use rechargeable batteries and be finally untethered™ from power cords or inconvenient, close proximity charging methods.  Disposable batteries and their adverse environmental impact can be eliminated from devices with Powercast’s RF energy harvesting and embedded wireless power solutions.

Powercast’s technology can provide constant charge, over distance, between one or more sources and multiple receivers. These devices can also be dormant, with zero stand-by power, and activated remotely with power being sent on-demand, on a scheduled basis, or continuously.

[ IDTechEx ] Includes Powercast in Article about RF Energy Harvesting

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Researchers at Intel, Seattle, have demonstrated harvesting RF power from a TV transmission tower to power a commercially available thermometer/hygrometer with LCD display. From a balcony at the Intel Research Laboratory in Seattle the researchers harvested RF power from the KING-TV tower at a distance of 4.1km using a standard television aerial. With the antenna manually pointed toward the transmission tower, the ambient RF harvesting system was then attached to the battery terminals of a commercially available indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity meter with an LCD display which is normally powered by a 1.5V AAA battery. The researchers found that the device function was normal using power harvested from the tower and that the display was as good as when the system was powered by a battery. The voltage was found to drop when the antenna was directed away from the tower.
With a different approach of deliberately sending out an interrogatory signal, Intel researchers have demonstrated the WISP (Wireless Identification and Sensing Platform). WISPs are not really energy harvesting because they do not employ preexisting ambient energy. They have the capabilities of RFID tags, but also support sensing and computing. Like any passive RFID tag, WISP is powered and read by a standard off-the-shelf RFID reader, harvesting the power it uses from the reader’s emitted radio signals. WISPs have been used to sense quantities such as light, temperature, acceleration, strain, liquid level, and to investigate embedded security. Intel predicts the next phase of WISP work will involve the interaction of many WISPs resulting in a new battery-free form of wireless sensor networking. With RFID technology, the tag and the tag reader have to be in very close proximity but with the technique described above the weather station can get its power from a TV antenna pointed at a local TV station antenna that is 4km away.
Powercast has also developed so called Powerharvester Modules which are high efficiency RF energy harvesting devices that convert received RF energy into DC power. Powercast is a radio frequency that is transmitted over a small area, and its energy is harvested wirelessly to power to small devices like cell phones. A feature of the receiver is that, while the transmitter is highly focused in the power range it broadcasts (either in the 900MHz or 2.4GHz bands); the receiver can pick up and convert any RF energy regardless of frequency. Batteries or other energy storage devices can be recharged in close proximity or remotely, or low power devices can be driven directly from the received power.
RF harvesting from ambient sources has great potential to impact on the cellular phone industry and the portable electronic device industry as a whole.

Powercast joins Texas Instruments Developer Network

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Press Release

Powercast joins Texas Instruments Developer Network
Creates wireless power module for demonstrating battery-free wireless sensors

Pittsburgh, PA – April 30, 2009 – Powercast, a leader in the commercialization of RF energy harvesting and wireless power solutions, announced it has joined the Texas Instruments Developer Network to support wireless powering of devices driven by TI’s MSP430. The MSP430 is a market leading, low power microcontroller embedded in numerous portable and low-power wireless devices.

Powercast’s RF energy harvesting technology and embedded wireless power solutions enable controllable wireless power, over distance, between one or more sources and multiple receivers. Devices with Powercast components can be designed for battery-free or battery-minimized operation, thereby eliminating disposable batteries and their adverse environmental impact. These devices can be dormant, with zero stand-by power, and activated remotely with power being sent on-demand, on a scheduled basis, or continuously.

“We are pleased to have Powercast join TI’s Developer Network,” said Eric Siegel, MCU developer network manager at Texas Instruments. “Combining wireless power technology with the ultra-low power consumption of the MSP430, Powercast’s innovative solutions eliminate the need to replace batteries by providing constant, unattended charge for applications in the low-power RF market.”

Powercast has also developed an integrated module for demonstrating battery-free wireless sensors. The Powercast module contains an integrated power receiving antenna, a PowerharvesterTM module, energy storage, and space for a low-power wireless module like Texas Instruments eZ430-RF2500T.

“The wireless sensor market is rapidly expanding and today’s wireless sensors are predominantly powered by disposable batteries. Battery replacement creates a significant operational challenge that will greatly impact the willingness of end-users to scale sensor networks or deploy wireless sensors in hard to service locations.” said Harry Ostaffe, Director of Marketing for Powercast. “Powercast’s wireless power solutions enable battery-free designs for wireless sensor devices, and allow for lifetime operation without changing batteries.”

About the Texas Instruments Developer Network
Powercast is a member of the TI Developer Network, a community of respected, well-established companies offering products and services based on TI analog and digital technology. The Network provides a broad range of end-equipment solutions, embedded software, engineering services and development tools that help customers accelerate innovation to make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun.

About Powercast (www.www.powercastco.com)
Powercast Corporation, a privately held company, is a leading innovator of wireless power technology. Founded in 2003, Powercast’s proprietary core technology and related intellectual property pioneered the model for completely untethered electronic devices through the use of common radio waves similar to those used for wireless communications. Emerging uses include devices such as wireless sensors, advanced displays, novelty lighting, and other low power electronic devices. Powercast directly contributes to a greener world by eliminating or reducing the need for batteries, and by extending the placements of sensor networks with the environmentally positive effect of allowing more efficient use of energy for HVAC, lighting and other systems using scarce resources.

View formal release here