TI extends remote control portfolio with new Bluetooth low energy solution with broad industry support

In addition to control of traditional home consumer electronics, the Bluetooth low energy remote control solution enables direct control of Bluetooth Smart Ready devices like PCs, laptops and tablets devices. It also enables Bluetooth Smart devices like a mobile phone to configure the advanced remote control solution over-the-air, for example, to upload new firmware. TI's Bluetooth low energy advanced remote control solution has received broad industry support from manufacturers and software providers (see quotes below).



The Bluetooth low energy solution builds upon an already successful remote control family based on TI's ZigBee RF4CE technology. Now, manufacturers have the ability to complement their ZigBee RF4CE remote designs with Bluetooth low energy technology with ease, due to pin-to-pin and SoC digital domain compatibility between TI's CC253x ZigBee technology and the CC254x Bluetooth low energy SoC. For example, valuable research and development time used to port IR database, sensor fusion algorithms, drivers and other IP can be reused between the two technologies. Additionally, the BLE-Stack™1.3.1 release contains the advanced remote sample application software in addition to general enhancements to the stack software.



Expanding our remote control portfolio to incorporate Bluetooth low energy complements the investment manufacturers have already made with our RF4CE platform, and creates adjacent market opportunities that encourage the growth of new applications and services for consumers, said Stig Torud, product manager, Wireless Connectivity Solutions, TI. We are excited to work with the market leaders in remote control technology to bring Bluetooth low energy-based remotes to market.



Texas Instruments is committed to bringing new technologies into the remote control market, making it easy for manufacturers to integrate Bluetooth low energy technology into their current products.



Key features

• Gerbers and bill of materials available

• Royalty-free, TI BLE-Stack software

• FCC and ETSI certified

• Low power consumption

• Best-in-class link budget at adjacent/alternate channel rejection

• Based on the CC2541

• Six-axis sensor – accelerometer and gyroscope

• Sensor fusion software from Movea and Hillcrest Labs

• Certified HID over GATT profile



Benefits

• Fast time-to-market

• Longer battery life

• Longer range and excellent co-existence

• Better reliability with market-proven solution

• Supports multiple styles including pointing-, gesture- and keyboard-like remotes

• Connect directly to a Bluetooth Smart Ready devices



Availability



To demonstrate the technology and jumpstart customers' development, TI's CC2541 remote control development kit is released now and can be ordered on the TI eStore.



Supporting quotes from customers and third parties



Sylvain Stephan, CTO, 4MOD:



We are pleased to integrate TI's Bluetooth low energy solutions in our remote control devices. By providing a relevant reference design as well as software libraries, we have been able to reduce the time to market of our new line of products dedicated to IPTV and OTT applications. We foresee new growth avenues for the next years and count on our relationship to make it happened.



Chuck Gritton, CTO Hillcrest Labs:



The demand for motion-enabled remote controls is soaring. That's why we're excited to expand our close relationship with TI to deliver advanced remote controls featuring Freespace® motion and Bluetooth low energy. We were able to leverage the results from our previous collaboration with the innovative team at TI on ZigBee RF4CE remote controls to make this a high performing and desirable solution for our customers.



Sam Guilaume, CEO, Movea:



Through our collaboration on the RF4CE design, Movea and TI were able to develop a robust motion-enabled reference platform designed to accelerate the adoption of a motion-enabled home entertainment experience. We're pleased to strengthen and extend our relationship with TI to leverage this great work and bring advanced motion processing to the Bluetooth low energy remote design.



Rick Siu, director, innovation & marketing, Philips Home Control Business:



We have been working with TI for almost a decade and have successfully launched many remote control projects with their proprietary and Zigbee RF4CE connectivity solutions. With this long standing relationship and the potential of this upcoming Bluetooth low energy solution, it is natural that we extend our co-operation further, adding it to our portfolio of remote control solutions.



Ferdinand Maier, CEO, ruwido:



ruwido's success in the exploration of user behavior is based upon over 40 years' experience in the consumer electronics industry. We focus on providing intuitive and interactive technologies that enable excellent user experience in the home, and TI´s Bluetooth low energy solution for remote controls perfectly meets our high standards in terms of quality and innovation. ruwido is transforming the way users interact with their television and chosen content and we are committed to creating intuitive interaction devices that are a joy to use and a joy to own. We look forward to a successful relationship with TI to continue to achieve this commitment.



Arsham Hatambeiki, executive director, Universal Electronics Inc.:



As the introduction and adoption of smart TVs, tablets and smartphones continues to increase, these and other devices such as game consoles are evolving rapidly to play an important role in content discovery & consumption. Bluetooth Smart provides an efficient interface for streamlining the experience across content delivery platforms, personal smart devices & the remote control as the primary physical interface. TI's broad connectivity portfolio has enabled a quick & efficient expansion of UEI's embedded control technologies, UEI QuickSet & UAPI, from ZigBee RF4CE to Bluetooth Smart ecosystems while opening the door for new & unique services.