TI introduces ZigBee® RF4CE remote control solution for more advanced interactions with consumer electronics such as TVs, set-top boxes and game consoles

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN), the industry leader in highly integrated wireless connectivity solutions, today introduced its latest ZigBee® RF4CE remote control solution with support for the upcoming ZigBee Input Device (ZID) profile, which enables mouse-like pointing functionality, keyboard and gesture- and touch-based input controls for consumer electronics such as TVs, set-top boxes and game consoles. TI's ZigBee RF4CE solution includes the royalty-free RemoTI™ 1.3 protocol stack with sample application software, an ETSI-compliant and FCC-certified nano USB module, and an associated Advanced Remote Control development kit. TI's remote control solutions will be demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in TI's meeting space (N116, North Hall) and in ZigBee Pavilion (21318E, South 1) this week. For complete product details, visit: www.ti.com/rf4ce-pr.

Together with TI's proven CC253x 802.15.4 RF-IC radios, the new ZigBee RF4CE solution allows manufacturers to quickly deliver advanced remote control devices. The CC253x offers pin-to-pin compatibility with TI's Bluetooth® low energy CC254x system-on-chips (SoC), enabling future-proofed designs that easily implement both standards.

"With TI's ZigBee RF4CE ZID profile based solution, manufacturers can quickly deliver remote control devices for more intuitive and enjoyable remote control user experiences," said Oyvind Birkenes, general manager, low-power RF, TI. "We are proud to say that TI's remote control solutions are deployed today by market-leading customers, partners and third parties, putting leading-edge capabilities in consumers' hands."

TI's ZigBee RF4CE remote control solutions: Key features and benefits

• ZigBee RF4CE RemoTI 1.3 protocol stack with ZID profile-support, together with the advanced remote development kit, drives quick prototyping and development of next-generation remote control devices:
  • Non-line-of-sight operation and two-way wireless communications
  • Pointing mouse functionality: Reference design with six-axis motion sensing
  • Motion and gesture control functionality: RemoTI 1.3 and advanced remote kit include support for Movea SmartMotion® firmware
  • Complete set of sample applications for target and controller nodes
  • PC-based tools for development and test
• Pin-to-pin compatibility with TI's Bluetooth low energy CC254x SoC
• Easy addition of ZigBee RF4CE ZID capabilities to devices with USB ports with production-ready CC2531 nano USB module and reference design:
  • ETSI-compliant and FCC-certified
  • Very small size: Only 9.5 mm x 16.6 mm
• Enables single-chip remote controls to be built with low power, high reliability and low cost:
  • Best-in-class coexistence with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth technology and other 2.4 GHz devices
  • Proven CC253x family of 802.15.4 RF-IC radios

Tools, availability and price
The RemoTI 1.3 software is available today from TI's website, royalty free to all using TI's ZigBee RF4CE hardware platforms. The Advanced Remote Control development kit is available today for $149 on TI's e-store.

Supporting quotes
"We are proud to have integrated our Freespace® MotionEngine™ software with TI's ZigBee RF4CE advanced remote hardware platform and RemoTI 1.3 network protocol stack. The combination of these solutions enables rapid development of ZID-based remotes and devices with high-precision motion control that will truly change the way users interact with TVs, Blu-ray players, streaming media players, set-top boxes, and video game systems." – Chad Lucien, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Hillcrest Labs

"We are excited to continue our relationship with TI to deliver market-leading, ZID-based RF4CE solutions. Movea's SmartMotion firmware couples with TI's ZigBee RF4CE hardware and software expertise to enable the fast design of remotes and interface devices that enhance consumers' home entertainment experiences." – Bryan Hoadley, executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing, and president of Movea Inc.

"As the market leader in advanced RF4CE remote control solutions, SMK seeks out partners with world-leading solutions. TI's RemoTI software stack and low-power wireless radios exemplify this. TI was the clear choice for SMK in its latest multi-million unit design win for a major European Telco. SMK and TI will continue to innovate in RF4CE with RemoTI 1.3, delivering intuitive user interfaces to the next generation of consumer multimedia services. We look forward to sharing SMK's advanced 'RemoPad' RF4CE remote control, incorporating TI's RemoTI, at CES." – Dr Craig Robinson, Design Manager, SMK (UK) Limited

"The remote control plays a critical role in enabling a natural and enjoyable interactive entertainment experience as it represents the only part of the user interface physically touched by the end-user. With the proliferation of content through set-top and connected TVs, the design, technology and features of the remote control will be key in determining the device or service's success with consumers. We are excited about the possibilities of the new enhancements in TI's latest RemoTI release, which merged with many of our user-optimized features, deliver a true lean-back content navigation and casual gaming solution for our customers. We will be demonstrating the third generation of our motion enabled control solutions, WaveMotion Platform, at CES." – Arsham Hatambeiki, executive director, Applied Innovations at Universal Electronics Inc.

Find out more about TI's low-power RF and wireless connectivity solutions

• Video demonstration of TI's remote control solutions: Click here
• TI's RF4CE solutions: www.ti.com/rf4ce-pr
• TI's ZigBee solutions: www.ti.com/zigbee-pr
• TI's wireless connectivity solutions: www.ti.com/wirelessconnectivity
• TI E2E™ low-power RF and wireless connectivity community: www.ti.com/wicon-forum
• TI's wireless connectivity eNewsletter: www.ti.com/wcsnewsletter

About TI's wireless connectivity portfolio
TI provides the industry's broadest portfolio of mature wireless connectivity solutions. With expertise in more than a dozen technologies, TI ensures customers the best-suited wireless connectivity for every type of application. TI's product portfolio is complemented with the support and tools that customers and developers need to quickly and easily bring wirelessly connected designs to market. Visit the company's Wireless Connectivity Portal for an overview of TI-supported technologies, the full product portfolio, and example use cases.

About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 80,000 customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be – smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun.  Our commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities.  This is just the beginning of our story.  Learn more at www.ti.com.

Trademarks
RemoTI and TI E2E are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Texas Instruments