Texas Instruments Incorporated (Texas Instruments), a US-based manufacturer of semiconductors, will provide hardware and software solutions to ZigBee Alliance (ZigBee) for the new standardized ZigBee RF4CE specification for radio frequency (RF)-based remote controls. Texas Instruments' portfolio of ZigBee RF4CE system-on-chip products integrates an IEEE 802.15.4-compliant radio, microcontroller and flash memory, and a wide set of peripherals.
Texas Instruments is a key contributor to the development of the ZigBee RF4CE version 1.0 specification.
ZigBee RF4CE is designed for a wide range of remotely-controlled audio/visual consumer electronics products, such as televisions and set-top boxes. RF-based remotes are faster and more reliable, and give consumers more freedom to operate devices from greater distances, removing the line-of-sight barrier of today’s infrared (IR) remotes. ZigBee RF4CE is the result of a recent agreement between the ZigBee Alliance and the RF4CE Consortium.
The ZigBee RF4CE specification will help accelerate the pervasion of a vastly superior alternative to infrared in home applications, said Laurent Giai-Miniet, general manager of Texas Instruments’ low-power RF products. We look forward to supporting consumer electronics customers with our industry-leading portfolio of low-power RF solutions to deliver improved remote controls.
At the release of the ZigBee RF4CE protocol, the company will offer a hardware and software solution for immediate implementation. The company will continue to develop its IEEE 802.15.4 system-on-chip portfolio of solutions targeting this emerging RF-based remote control market (available 2Q 2009).
ZigBee RF4CE: More flexibility and control:
The ZigBee RF4CE specification is based on IEEE 802.15.4. MAC/PHY radio technology in the 2.4 GHz unlicensed frequency band and enables worldwide operation, low power consumption and instantaneous response time. It allows omni-directional and reliable two-way wireless communication, frequency agility for enhanced co-existence with other 2.4 GHz wireless technologies, simple security set-up and configuration. During the next quarter, the Alliance will develop a test program consistent with existing policies for specifications and public application profiles. Once complete, products using a public application profile based on the ZigBee RF4CE specification can be submitted to an authorized test house for certification.