News | October 14, 2008

RFM Launches Two New 2.4 GHz Wireless Sensor Networking Products Delivering Ultra Low Power And Ultra High Reliability

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RF Monolithics, Inc. (RFM) (NASDAQ: RFMI) expanded its wireless sensor networking (WSN) portfolio of products today by introducing a new line of industrial-grade 2.4 GHz wireless mesh networking products – the XDM2140 2.4 GHz RF transceiver module and the companion XG2400E gateway. Built on Dust Networks' SmartMesh-XD™ technology underlying Time Synchronized Mesh Protocol, these new products enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to build wireless sensing solutions for the global market specifically for applications requiring better than 99.9% data reliability AND extended battery life up to 10 years. The XDM2140 module creates a self-forming, self-managing, channel hopping, redundant path mesh network.

By integrating Dust Networks' SmartMesh-XD technology in the XDM2140 module, RFM offers OEMs a quick path to market. The module provides a UART serial port for connection to sensors and an RF connector for antenna connection removing the need for any RF engineering by OEMs. And with the XDM2140's module certifications, no type acceptance testing is required of the OEMs' end products. The XG2400E gateway provides the complete network solution allowing connection either locally or anywhere across the Internet.

"This new line of WSN products fills a void in the RF modules market for ultra-reliable, ultra-low-power wireless MESH networking solutions that ZigBee or other mesh platforms simply don't meet," said Farlin A. Halsey, RFM Vice President of Product Marketing. "Plus, they are enabled by Dust Networks technology that has been field-tested across a broad range of industrial automation and control applications, and that has now been adapted to ease integration for agricultural, commercial, pharmaceutical, and other growing WSN applications."

In May 2008, RFM announced an agreement with Dust Networks to offer new WSN products based on Dust Networks SmartMesh-XD Mote-on-Chip™ and Network Manager products. The XDM2140 and XG2400E are the first to be released under that agreement.

RFM offers the broadest range of wireless sensor networking platforms in the RF module and boxed radio product categories in the market. RFM has earned a reputation for outstanding support of the integration of their OEM RF modules by customers with little or no RF expertise. Design engineers looking for RF module solutions look to RFM first. The RFM WSN portfolio includes ZigBee® / 802.15.4, Proprietary Mesh, Proprietary FHSS, Bluetooth®, and 802.11 b/g RF modules and boxed radios.

The XDM2140 is certified for unlicensed operation in the USA, Canada and Europe (pending), complies with Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS), and features three key benefits:

1) Ultra-reliable data communications - the XDM2140 integrates Dust Networks' SmartMesh XD which employs a combination of frequency hopping (for rejecting interference and minimizing multipath fading) with self-healing, automatic self-organizing mesh networking (ensuring redundancy and reliability) to achieve better than 99.9% typical data communications reliability.

2) Ultra-low-power - the XDM2140 consumes 80% less power in receive mode than competing solutions to deliver over a decade of network operation powered by batteries.

3) Easy integration - the XDM2140 provides all the module functionality and requires no embedded programming or complex configuration requirements. Included with the development kits are RFM utility programs and documentation to guide OEMs with little or no RF expertise through the process of integrating the module into their products.

RFM cites rising energy costs, increasing water shortages, employee safety, and regulatory requirements as drivers for demand for better than 99.9% data communications reliability in ultra-low-power WSN products. Example applications affected by those drivers include: managing energy in data centers where utility costs often run as much as 100 times more than traditional commercial buildings; sensing applications for monitoring the conditions of urban infrastructure, the environment, and agriculture; and sensing applications particularly to enable greater safety in the manufacturing, storage and transportation of heavy chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and biotherapeutics.

The XDM2140 product line also includes a developer kit to help design engineers fast track their designs. The XDM2140DK includes 4 XDM2140 modules, 4 XDM2140 development boards, 1 XG2400E gateway, 1 Ethernet cable, 5 Serial cables, 9V Batteries and Wall-mount Power Supplies for each development board, Antennas and RF Cables, Software and Manuals CD, and Quick Start Guide.

The regular list price for the XDM2140DK is $2,995. RFM is extending a $1,000 discount off of the list price for orders placed by December 31, 2008. The XDM2140DK developer kit will be available by the end of October from RFM distributors Avnet, Digi-Key, Mouser Electronics, and Nu Horizons.

About RFM
RFM, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a provider of solutions-driven, technology-enabled wireless connectivity for a broad range of wireless applications – from individual standard and custom components to modules for comprehensive industrial wireless sensor networks and machine-to-machine (M2M) technology. For more information on RFM, please visit the Company's website at http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.RFM.com&esheet=5802489&lan=en_US&anchor=www.RFM.com&index=1.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties. Statements of the strategies, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of RFM and/or its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company" or "we") involve risks and uncertainties. Statements containing terms such as "believe", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "may" or similar terms are considered to contain uncertainty and are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on information available to management as of the time of such statements and relate to, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance, perceived opportunities in the market and statements regarding our mission and vision, future financial and operating results, and benefits of our acquisitions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the ability to integrate acquisitions and alliances as planned, successful transition to a fabless business model, the highly competitive market in which we operate, rapid changes in technologies that may displace products sold by us, declining prices of products, our reliance on distributors, delays in product development efforts, uncertainty in consumer acceptance of our products, and changes in our level of sales or profitability. as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in our SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2007. We do not assume any obligation to update any information contained in this release.

Trademarks
RFM Monolithics and the RFM stylized logo are registered trademarks belonging to RF Monolithics. Dust Networks, SmartMesh-XD, Mote-on-Chip, and mesh-to-the edge are registered trademarks belonging to Dust Networks. All other trademarks or service marks that may appear in this release belong to their respective holders.

Copyright 2008 Business Wire All Rights Reserved.