New era for Internet of Things approaches as RoodMicrotec and Cascoda bring superior wireless connectivity to market

Zwolle -  25 May 2016

RoodMicrotec and Cascoda have formed a partnership for the supply of the CA-8210, a high-capability, next generation wireless device set to re-shape the future for consumer and industrial applications in home automation, agriculture, smart cities and security, among other uses. The first shipment of the product has already been made.

Analysts predict the IoT (Internet of Things) will grow strongly given expanding demand and new capabilities for comprehensive, intelligent interaction of physical objects. They project that the installed base for Internet of Things devices will grow from around 10 billion connected devices today to as many as 30 billion devices by 2020.

"Our partnership aims to ensure the broadest distribution of this product so that we can seize the growth opportunities that the Internet of Things presents," said Philip Nijenhuis, CEO, RoodMicrotec. "We worked closely on this device with Cascoda right from the outset, when it was a Eurostars project. Our successful collaboration has taken the CA-8210 device smoothly through the testing and production phases to its arrival on the market. We look forward to many more shipments as we meet the needs of a market that is set to grow significantly," he added.

The CA-8210 uses Cascoda's patented radio architecture to deliver a significant increase in range of wireless personal area networks (WPANs), without increasing power consumption. The transceiver, for IEEE 802.15.4 communications in the 2.4GHz band, can achieve whole-house coverage without external amplifiers. For many IoT applications, this can significantly reduce equipment, installation and maintenance costs.

Cascoda's innovation addresses a key challenge facing IoT systems by providing greater data link reliability with superior enhanced-range, low-power connectivity. This is extremely important for devices that may need to run on battery power for months or years at a time.

RoodMicrotec's experience in handling the testing and qualification of such devices enabled the fast introduction of Cascoda's product to the market. Roodmicrotec will manage the sourcing and testing of wafers and their packaging, as well as volume production testing and final logistics. Using an independent supply chain partner enabled Cascoda to go into production with a high level of flexibility.

RoodMicrotec has a successful track record in providing services to fabless companies like Cascoda to simplify certain parts of the ASIC development flow. This allowed Cascoda to focus on its core capabilities. RoodMicrotec's services include qualification and burn-in to ensure the ASIC meets industry standards. It combines all required functions under the umbrella of Supply Chain Management to ensure the shipment of tested and qualified parts ready for volume production.

Bruno Johnson, CEO, Cascoda, said: "We are very pleased to have collaborated with RoodMicrotec to bring our innovative radio technology to the market. Innovative thinking and spotting a gap in the market for a unique solution is just the first step in the ultimate goal of getting our technology into the market, ready for engineers to design new solutions. RoodMicrotec's expertise in a number of areas allowed Cascoda to focus on our core skills."

About RoodMicrotec
With more than 45 years' experience as an independent value-added service provider in the area of micro and optoelectronics, RoodMicrotec offers Fabless Companies, OEMs and other companies a one-stop shop proposition. With its powerful solutions RoodMicrotec has built up a strong position in Europe.

Our services comply with the industrial and quality requirements of the high reliability/space, automotive, telecommunications, medical, industrial and electronics sectors.
Certified by RoodMicrotec concerns inter alia certification of products to the stringent ISO/TS 16949 standard that applies to suppliers to the automotive industry. The company also has an accredited laboratory for test activities and qualification to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
Its value-added services include (eXtended) supply chain management and total manufacturing solutions with partners, failure & technology analysis, qualification & burn-in, test & product engineering, production test (including device programming and end-of-line service), ESD/ESDFOS assessment & training and quality & reliability consulting.

RoodMicrotec has branches in Germany (Dresden, Nördlingen, Stuttgart), United Kingdom (Bath) and the Netherlands (Zwolle).

For more information visit http://www.roodmicrotec.com

About Cascoda

Cascoda is a fabless semiconductor company which specialises in wireless communications for the Internet of Things (IoT). Cascoda's technology is based on a completely new type of radio receiver which delivers much improved area coverage for no penalty in power.

For more information visit http://www.cascoda.com

Further information
Philip Nijenhuis, CEO, Reinhard Pusch, COO/CSO, Martin Sallenhag, CTO, Erwin Vrielink, CFO
Telephone: +31 38 4215216
Postal address:
RoodMicrotec N.V., PO Box 1042, 8001 BA  Zwolle
Email:         investor-relations@roodmicrotec.com
Web:              www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is published in English and Dutch (and German). In case of conflict between these versions the English version shall prevail.

Glossary

Internet of Things (IoT): The Internet of Things is a network of physical objects, including devices, vehicles, buildings and other items, which are embedded with electronics and software which enables them to collect and exchange data. It allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing infrastructure. Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of almost 50 billion objects by 2020.

ASIC: An Application-specific integrated circuit is a microchip designed for a particular application, such as a transmission protocol or a hand-held computer, in contrast to general integrated circuits, such as the microprocessor and the random access memory chips in a personal computer. ASICs are used in applications ranging from auto emission controls and environmental monitoring to personal digital assistants. An ASIC can be customised or pre-manufactured for a special application.

WPAN: A wireless personal area network is a network interconnecting devices centred around a designated space in which the connections are wireless. Typically, a WPAN uses technology that permits communication within about 10 metres, a very short range. This is however, being extended with next-generation products.

Fabless: "Fabless" manufacturing is the design and sale of hardware devices and semiconductor chips while outsourcing the fabrication or "fab" of the devices to a specialized manufacturer.