Silicon Labs and the Z-Wave Alliance proudly announce the latest Z-Wave technology advance that extends wireless RF range all the way to moon – Z-Wave Super Long Range (ZWSLR). With a yet to be proven range of 420,042 kilometers, the new ZWSLR can reach all the way to the moon eliminating the need for repeaters in any IoT network.

Supreme Leader of the Z-Wave Alliance, Mitch Klein said “customers have been asking for a really long range solution, and Z-Wave Super Long Range delivers! I mean come on people, we’re talking to the MOON and back!”. Not like ZWSLR is the Ultimate Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything but hey, at least to vogons haven’t destroyed the moon yet!

Interoperability and certification are assured as Z-Wave’s commitment to product longevity continues with this latest advance in radio technology. Z-Wave Super Long Range remains backwards compatible and fully interoperable with all Z-Wave devices which have been manufactured over the last two decades. The Z-Wave Certification Test Tool has been enhanced and fully supports the new standard. New developers kits include lead lined smocks for increased protection from the high transmit power of ZWSLR.

ZWSLR is not intended for wearables as side effects of may include, but are not limited to symptoms of skin redness, swelling, blistering and flaying. These side effects prevent use of ZWSLR within 4.2 centimeters of human skin due to the high radio transmit power of 1.21 jigawatts. A side benefit of ZWSLR is that any insects within a radius of 42 meters are instantly incinerated anytime the IoT device transmits. ZWSLR is perfect for you pool house or patio and keeps those pesky mosquitoes at bay. Simply install a few nodes around the perimeter and sweep up the ashes every few days.

Nuclear Battery Required

The high current needed for ZWSLR requires advanced battery technology but we got you covered there. To meet the high current demands we are working with an undisclosed battery supplier (yeah – you know who we’re talking about – starts with a T…) who claim to have an advanced Nuclear Battery perfect for ZWSLR. The battery relies on a recently isolated radioactive element called Elononium T242 which has a half-life of a few decades. The new battery chemistry easily provides the multiple amps of 42 volts needed to power the new ZWSLR ICs from Silicon Labs. A single cell will provide over 10 years of power to reach the moon and back. Disposal of the battery requires a nuclear decommissioning certificate from regional governments but that’s a few decades away so no problems.

Available Now

Z-Wave Super Long Range is available NOW via Simplicity Studio 5. Existing developers kits for the Z-Wave 800 series are fully backwards compatible with the new ZWSLR. Get started developing today with ZWSLR and see who you can talk to on the moon!

Disclaimer: Please note the DATE this was posted – nothing described here is true. Let me be very clear – “I always tell a lie“. Z-Wave’s original frequencies all have fractions of .42 in them (the original US frequency is 908.42MHz). The original developers were huge fans of Douglas Adams “Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy” and the number 42 is sprinkled all thru the standard and the code.

In my new role as field applications engineer for Silicon Labs I use virtually every video conferencing app available. What irks me is that none of them can figure out which microphone to use. If the largest corporations in the world with thousands of smart engineers can’t solve this simple problem then I think it’s safe to assume that the singularity is a long way off.

Sorry for posting off the Z-Wave topic but this is truly ridiculous. My job involves supporting customers all over the US and I often call the Z-Wave home office in Denmark. Using a video conferencing app is essential, not so much for the video but to be able to share screens for presentations or demos. I normally use the app my customer prefers so I’ve used all of the popular ones in the last few weeks. Skype, WebEx, Google Hangouts, Zoom, GoToMeeting. bluejeans and the SiLabs corporate solution Lifesize.

Can you hear me?

The start of every call begins with “can you hear me?”. Then various members of the call attempt to get their microphone and speakers to work. After a couple of minutes a few members invariably call into the dial up number and then we can finally get down to business.

I acknowledge the problem isn’t trivial. My laptop has a built in mic, speakers, a line in/out, my docking port has line in/out, my monitor has speakers, I have 2 USB headsets and a Bluetooth one. So there are a lot of possible microphones and speakers.

How hard can it be?

Some apps are better than others. Most give you a menu to change the audio and quickly test the audio before the call starts. Some make reasonable guesses but still get it wrong occasionally. Skype for business is the worst as it gives a limited set of choices because Microsoft “knows” which audio to use but unfortunately is just wrong with no way to pick the correct one. ugh.

Seems to me there is a simple solution – at the start of the call, if the input currently selected has nothing on it but one of the others does, switch to the one with sound!Or at least popup a menu suggesting the user might want to switch to the input with the user yelling “can you hear me” into the mic.

If a few engineers can’t solve this simple problem then I feel we have some time before Skynet becomes self aware and decides to wipe us all out.