Digi ConnectPort X2 ZigBee IP Gateway For Smart Homes Unveiled

I have said it before, the thought of an automated smart home is very appealing to me. I would love to be able to see how much power I am using by simply looking at my thermostat. Many electric companies are rolling out smart meters to homes that allow the homeowner to keep an eye on energy usage. Digi has a new product called the ConnectPort X2 that is designed to interface with ZigBee Smart Energy devices and Smart Meters.

The device can be used as a stand-alone ZigBee Smart Energy HAN in areas that lack an Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Smart Meters. In areas, that have these services the X2 can be used to provide Broadband connectivity for enhanced energy management services.

The ConnectPort X2 is fully certified as a ZigBee Alliance SE 1.0 Energy Service portal and it has Python scripting support to act as a secondary gateway for a smart meter installed in a home. The device has a single Ethernet port and operates at 10/100Mbps speeds. It requires AC power to operate and has 8MB of internal RAM and 4MB of internal flash storage. The device sells for under $100.