GreenPeak announced the launch of a new robust and reliable wireless radio technology for home remote control devices based on RF (radio frequency).

Contrary to traditional IR based remote controls, RF remote controls provide two-way high-speed communication and do not require line of sight as the signal goes through walls and floors. It is excellent for controlling equipment inside a cabinet or in another room. With a nice stylish flat screen on the wall, people do not want to have DVD-players or set-top boxes within sight.

GreenPeak has developed a set of reference designs for this new generation of RF remote controls (2.4 GHz, IEEE 802.15.4 compliant) and RF modules for integration into host such as TVs, DVDs and set-top boxes. These reference designs are based on GreenPeak’s Emerald GP500C communication controller, with dedicated features for the consumer electronics and remote control market.

GreenPeak’s solution enables low-cost and highly reliable communication owing to a superior radio with antenna diversity, frequency agility and delay spread handling, resulting in robust communication and excellent range. It also enables the designer to develop an ultra low power RF system with a much longer battery life. RF remote controls equipped with GreenPeak’s communication controller can be made maintenance free: a single watch type battery can outlast the lifetime of the remote.

Remote controls designed with GreenPeak’s communication controller are based on the IEEE 802.15.4 industry standard for multiple devices control. GreenPeak’s solution also includes IR as secondary use for legacy systems. This combo solution allows the use of a single universal remote control for both IR and RF devices.

The reference designs will be delivered with a protocol stack of less than 4KB. The embedded IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer allows a short time to market and a simple, stable and reliable software application. Additionally, the reference designs are based on a single layer low cost PCB with integrated antennas guaranteeing a very low cost BOM.

GreenPeak’s reference designs provide high-speed low-latency two-way communication with high throughputs, allowing high speed content browsing, touchpad operation, gaming, as well as high-resolution displays on the remote control.

RSS    Save to Del.icio.us  Digg This