Sheffield-based fabless chip developer Jennic has partnered with South Wales design and test house Delta Microelectronics to take its JN5121 ZigBee-compliant single chip wireless microcontroller to market.

Hengoed-based Delta will look after device and production testing, assembly, qualification, and logistics.

“Our aggressive time-to-market schedule presented us with a range of challenges in establishing our supply chain,” said Paul Wells, Jennic’s v-p of manufacturing. “Delta provided a range of services and advice that ensured we made the right decisions at the right time.”

In order to improve the testing process, Jennic has bought an Agilent 93000 RF IC tester, exactly the same system that is installed at Delta's headquarters in Denmark.

Jim Lindop of Jennic (left) with Per Olund Hansen of DELTA

Jennic’s CEO Jim Lindop expects the ZigBee market to be split between very low cost, high-volume modules for consumer applications, and industrial, microcontroller-based products.

The company, which attracted further funding at the start of this year, is likely to go for another round next year, to take it to profitability.

The JN5121 is a single chip microcontroller with IEEE802.15.4 compliant MAC and PHY.

www.jennic.com
www.delta.dk