NXP Connects The Smart Energy-Efficient Home With ZigBee And JenNet-IP

##IMAGE_1_R##NXP is showcasing its ultra-low-power, high-performance wireless microcontrollers at the 2013 International CES. One of the many smart home and energy products using NXP’s wireless microcontrollers is a wireless energy harvesting switch from Cherry, which operates without a battery and can be used for any application in the home requiring an on-off switch.



“For smart lighting, home automation and energy management applications, the JN516x wireless microcontroller family brings together the optimal combination of price/performance, on-chip memory and ultra-low power consumption, along with a choice of software stacks. The release of our latest development kit, as well as our demos at CES, highlight the innovative yet practical ways in which NXP’s JN51xx platform is bringing the Internet of Things into the home,” said Marcel Walgering, general manager, Smart Home and Energy product line, NXP Semiconductors.



Accelerating Commercial Development of ZigBee, JenNet-IP and 802.15.4 Applications



The JN516x evaluation kit is specifically designed for use with the NXP JN5161, JN5164 or JN5168 wireless microcontrollers, which feature an enhanced 32-bit RISC processor with best-in-class memory options - up to 256 kB of embedded flash, 4 kB of on-chip EEPROM and 32 kB of RAM. The JN516x series devices also include an IEEE802.15.4 2.4-GHz transceiver and extensive analog and digital peripherals.



Providing all the components required for system development, the JN516x evaluation kit includes a series of wireless carrier boards; plug-in expansion boards; USB dongles; a remote control; a specially programmed Internet router running enhanced OpenWRT firmware; and a complete software design kit. This comprehensive development kit makes it easy to design solutions for the Internet of Things using ZigBee, JenNet-IP or RF4CE.



Using the various demos included in the kit, designers can quickly produce proof-of-concept systems, with software that can then be used for end products using JN516x ICs or modules. The demos include:



-A JenNet-IP-based Smart Lighting demo which uses the router to support connection to a WLAN or the Internet

-A ZigBee Smart Energy demo that lets the user experiment with an energy service portal (via the USB dongle), an in-premise display (using the display expansion board), standalone meters for electricity and gas, or a range extender

-A ZigBee Light Link demo that gives the designer remote control of colour LEDs on the lighting expansion board

-An RF4CE demo that lets the user select, play, forward, stop, pause, or change the volume on a Windows Media Player application



Smart Home and Energy Products at 2013 International CES



At CES this week, NXP is showcasing several new customer products using its wireless microcontrollers, including a wireless energy harvesting switch created by Cherry - a compact, batteryless alternative to conventional wired switches. The required RF energy is created by the mechanical actuation of the switch, and the data is transmitted wirelessly via RF technology, eliminating the need for complex, expensive connection systems. Wireless energy harvesting is ideal for controlling a wide range of applications, such as lighting, windows, door locks, and alarms - and is the perfect complement to any system using smartphones or tablets for wireless control in the home.



Other customer products featured in the NXP booth include Rainforest Automation’s EMU-2 Energy Monitoring Unit - a simple and affordable in-home display that communicates wirelessly with smart meters using the ZigBee Smart Energy standard, and shows homeowners their energy consumption information in real time.