ZigBee Alliance Certifies First Golden Units for ZigBee RF4CE
SAN RAMON, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
ZigBee RF4CE standard for advanced remote controls now ready
for adoption by manufacturers
The ZigBee(R) Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless
solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications,
today announced the availability of ZigBee Golden Unit platforms that implement
the ZigBee RF4CE specification. ZigBee RF4CE was designed to replace infrared
(IR) remote controls with radio frequency (RF) and thereby offer non-line-of-
sight operation, longer range and battery life for consumer electronic (CE)
devices like HDTV, home theater equipment, set-top boxes and other audio
equipment.
Freescale Semiconductor and Texas Instruments are the first members to have
successfully implemented the new ZigBee RF4CE specification and pass
independent testing conducted by NTS Corporation, TRaC Telecoms & Radio and TUV
Rheinland to achieve Golden Unit status. This milestone enables original
equipment manufacturers (OEM) to create ZigBee RF4CE certified products that
allow for advanced interoperable communications between components and remote
controls while providing interoperability between OEMs. Other platform
suppliers are now able to seek ZigBee RF4CE platform certification and further
broaden the already strong ZigBee supply chain.
"Having the Golden Units so soon after approval of the ZigBee RF4CE
specification shows that its adoption within the Alliance is a success
story," says Eddy Odijk, vice president of standardization at Royal Philips
Electronics. "This milestone enables innovative remote controls for HDTVs,
home theater equipment, set-top boxes and other CE products that the industry
has been waiting for."
To maintain the highest quality, the ZigBee Alliance requires Golden Units
for all new specifications. This process ensures all platforms demonstrate
full interoperability for future ZigBee RF4CE products. Golden Units also
prove all technical aspects of the specification can be implemented and perform
as intended using multiple independent implementations.
"We believe the key to delivering a successful wireless standard lies in
the creation of a technology that advances the entire consumer electronics
industry," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "With ZigBee RF4CE
Golden Unit availability, the ZigBee Alliance provides a standard wireless
platform enabling CE manufacturers to create innovative products and features
for the consumer that will be secure, low-cost and easy to deploy."
Announced in March 2009, ZigBee RF4CE is a standardized specification for
RF remote controls that will enable faster, more reliable and greater
flexibility for devices to operate from larger distances, effectively removing
the line-of-sight and field-of-vision barriers in today's IR remotes. The
ZigBee RF4CE specification is designed for a wide range of products, including
home entertainment devices, lighting control, security monitoring, keyless
entry systems and many more.
ZigBee RF4CE: More flexibility and control
The ZigBee RF4CE specification is based on IEEE 802.15.4. MAC/PHY radio
technology in the 2.4GHz unlicensed frequency band and enables worldwide
operation, low power consumption and instantaneous response time. It allows
omni-directional and reliable two-way wireless communication, channel agility
for enhanced co-existence with other 2.4GHz wireless technologies, simple
secure 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.
ZigBee: Control your world
ZigBee is the global wireless language connecting dramatically different
devices to work together and enhance everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a
non-profit association of more than 300 member companies driving development of
ZigBee wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of
ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for
use in consumer electronic, energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For
SOURCE ZigBee Alliance
CONTACT: Kevin Schader of ZigBee Alliance, +1-925-275-6672,
kschader@inventures.com; or Earlene Tang of GolinHarris, +1-714-662-5115,
etang@golinharris.com, for ZigBee Alliance
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