Press Room

Press Releases

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2009

Synapse's SNAPconnect brings the Internet to Machines (802.15.4)

Unlike other protocols, SNAP® wireless mesh networks were designed from the ground up to work with TCP/IP

Huntsville, Alabama (March 31, 2009) – Synapse Wireless® today announced the shipping of its SNAPconnect software for connecting a SNAP® wireless mesh network to the Internet. A user simply loads SNAPconnect onto any PC with a bridge, and any of their SNAP nodes can access or be accessed via the Internet. Nothing needs to be added to their SNAP network because SNAP was designed from the ground up to work with TCP/IP.

The power of Synapse’s solution comes from the fundamental architecture of SNAP technology – it was designed from the beginning to support a bridge to native TCP/IP protocol. No adaptation layer is needed for compressing large IP packets into the much smaller 802.15.4 packet sizes with the resulting inefficient use of CPU and network bandwidth – both scarce resources for embedded devices.

With SNAPconnect, data or instructions can easily be sent to SNAP nodes via the Internet from anywhere in the world; or with equal ease, gathered from any SNAP node. Users can also have SNAP nodes invoke functions on another system (like “print” to a printer somewhere on the Internet) or conversely, to invoke a function on a SNAP node (like “turn off the switch”) from anywhere on the Internet.

SNAPconnect loads onto any PC or server and runs as a background process. You can develop your PC application on any major platform (Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Linux) using your choice of programming language (e.g., Visual Basic, C, C++, C#, Java, Python). The SNAP protocol efficiently supports Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) over low-bandwidth wireless networks and connects to the Internet using a standard protocol, XML-RPC. Use of established standards assures proper recognition and handling of network traffic by existing routers and firewalls. No special protocols are required – user applications interact with SNAP nodes as they would with any other networked computer.

Synapse’s SNAP technology is unprecedented in the industry. SNAP network software is an IEEE 802.15.4 based, auto-forming, multi-hop, mesh network stack combined with an embedded Python interpreter for running application code. SNAP supports battery-powered mesh (Sleepy Mesh®), AES encryption for added security and over-the-air programming of devices.

In addition to the new SNAPconnect product, Synapse’s also offers Synapse RF Engine™ modules with the longest range in the industry, a variety of wireless SNAP nodes, and the Portal wireless application development environment. Synapse’s wireless technology can be deployed in almost any application that requires remote monitoring and control of machines, sensors or processes.

Availability and Pricing
The Synapse SNAPconnect license is $49 USD for quantity one. A developer’s seat that includes 10 licenses is also available. Call 1-877-982-7888 for volume pricing or more information.

 About Synapse Wireless, Inc.
Synapse Wireless is a privately held company dedicated to developing easy-to-use, intelligent, wireless control and monitoring mesh networks that are low-power, high-performance, self-forming, instant-on and self-healing. The Synapse SNAP®, Portal® and SNAPconnect product lines enable energy savings, increased productivity, reduced maintenance costs and amazing convenience to users. Synapse RF Engine™ modules have achieved ZigBee® Compliant Platform (ZCP) certification. Synapse provides custom design support for OEMs through its Design Services division. Synapse provides comprehensive design and implementation support for customized wireless applications to help customers implement wireless network solutions quickly and reliably. For more information: www.synapse-wireless.com

###