NPE Delivers Low Power Wi-Fi Sensor Network Module Powered by GainSpan

NPE's WiFi-IT! module, supported by simple high-level programming environment,
allows very quick development of applications on embedded processor

LOS GATOS, Calif. and MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- North Pole
Engineering, Inc. (NPE) and GainSpan® Corporation announced the release of the
first module in NPE's new low-power Wi-Fi sensor networks product line. The
low-cost, 802.11 b/g compatible WiFi-IT! module is based on GainSpan;s GS1010
system-on-chip, the most highly integrated, low power Wi-Fi single chip
solution available today. The years-long battery life and high level of system
integration provided by GainSpan, combined with the advanced software of NPE
that allows manufacturers to easily develop their own applications on the
embedded processor of the GS1010, makes the WiFi-IT! module the ideal solution
for manufacturers wishing to integrate Wi-Fi connectivity into their sensor
network solutions.

"The low-power consumption, multiple interfaces, and high degree of system
integration of GainSpan's system-on-chip enabled us to deliver an advanced
hardware and software platform that allows engineers to easily integrate Wi-Fi
capability into their embedded products," said Joe Meyer, president of North
Pole Engineering.

"The platform NPE developed using the GS1010 significantly reduces the
development time of embedded products," said Vijay Parmar, CEO of GainSpan.
"Designers can write code in Basic language with no knowledge of the
underlying processor."

NPE's WiFi-IT! module accelerates product development with a powerful hardware
and software platform that cuts costs and makes retrofitting existing
equipment with WiFi capability extremely easy, allowing product engineers to
choose from the many available interfaces, including UART, SPI, I2C, digital
and analog, to directly connect to existing equipment. WiFi-IT!'s reporting
engine and the manufacturer's equipment is configurable on-the-air and easily
accessible through a virtual COMM or UDP port.

The WiFi-IT! module is user-programmable using WiFi-IT! Basic; an inexpensive,
simplified high-level programming environment where developers can write their
own applications that run directly on the GS1010's applications processor,
with no required knowledge of the real time operating system or the API. This
allows designs based on WiFi-IT! to do away with a separate user
microprocessor as the GS1010 provides both embedded control and wireless
communication capabilities in one package--a huge savings in development time
and bill of materials.

By leveraging GainSpan's low-power consumption and advanced power management
technology, the WiFi-IT! is able to operate for years on a single AA battery
or using energy harvesting, making it the ideal green solution for many
applications such as smart energy home, asset tracking, building automation,
and industrial applications.

The 1.3 x 1.8 inch WiFi-IT! module operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and is
available in two antenna configurations. It is approved by the FCC for use in
the U.S. The WL10-GC incorporates an integrated ceramic PIFA antenna and the
WL10-GS uses an SMA terminal mount hinged antenna.

About North Pole Engineering
NPE, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a provider of embedded
technology solutions for a broad range of industries. The company specializes
in advanced technologies that combine hardware and software disciplines to
provide low-cost, low-power solutions to the OEM marketplace. For additional
information, visit our website at: www.npe-inc.com.

About GainSpan
GainSpan Corporation, a spinoff of Intel Corporation, is a leader in ultra low
power Wi-Fi semiconductor solutions. GainSpan provides the industry's most
highly integrated low power Wi-Fi chip solution for battery-powered or
energy-harvesting sensor devices and other embedded systems. Devices using
GainSpan's solution can run for up to 10 years on a single AA battery.
GainSpan enables its customers to leverage the large installed base of Wi-Fi
access points and devices and create new products for building automation,
smart home energy, health monitoring, and real time location system (RTLS)
applications, while reducing the overall operation and installation costs of
sensor networks. www.gainspan.com.

SOURCE GainSpan Corporation

Joe Tretter of North Pole Engineering, jpt@npe-inc.com; or Kimberly Tassin of
GainSpan Corporation, Kimberly.tassin@gainspan.com