GreenPeak announces GP690 ZigBee PRO solution and Open Smart Home framework

USA: GreenPeak Technologies, a leading low power RF-communication semiconductor company, announced the GP690, adding ZigBee PRO to its product portfolio and offering full support for its Open Smart Home Framework, integrating all three ZigBee networking variants Green Power, RF4CE and PRO into a single overall architecture defining the “second wireless network for the home”.

This second network is complementary to Wi-Fi, the first wireless network in the home for content distribution (internet, movies, TV, etc.). ZigBee implements wireless networking for sense and control devices (such as remote controls, lights and light switches, thermostats, security devices, wellness and fitness devices, and many more).

The GP690 ZigBee PRO solution is part of the Open Smart Home Framework that combines the three flavors of ZigBee networking into a single architecture. This framework seamlessly connects the ZigBee network to the internet by allowing a single ZigBee radio device in the set-top box/gateway to master a complete sense and control home network at very low cost of implementation.

The Open Smart Home Framework features:
* ZigBee PRO, for highly reliable sense and control networking, supporting applications such as Home Automation and Light Link;

* RF4CE, for very low cost, low power (long battery life) and low latency (immediate response) devices, such as remote controls and other human interface devices;

* Green Power, for maintenance-free devices (battery-less, or with battery life exceeding product life time).

Many large operators are rolling out millions of set-top boxes/gateways that include ZigBee for enabling the management of smart home services. By including the set-top box/gateway in the Open Smart Home Framework the home network seamlessly connects the ZigBee network both to the indoor Wi-Fi network as well as to the broader internet, enabling transparent and secure access to the home control network from any place in the world.

“There are approximately 600 million homes connected to the internet, and nowadays every connected home has on average 5 devices connected via Wi-Fi (PC, laptop, TV, smart-phone, game device, etc.). However, Wi-Fi is a high data rate solution, not a cost effective or a battery efficient solution for the maybe 100+ other devices in the home requiring internet connectivity as well: light switches, security devices, thermostats, remote controls, etc.”, says Cees Links, founder and CEO of GreenPeak Technologies.

“With GreenPeak’s Open Smart Home Framework the customer gets access to the best and most reliable RF-technology. On top of this the Open Smart Home Framework provides a context in which all the different ZigBee networking implementations work together in a smooth and transparent way, invisible for the end-customer, providing a seamless connectivity for all the devices in the home to the Internet.”

"The vision of the Smart Home is finally becoming a reality. Although our homes are getting smarter every day, low power networking has been a challenge because of the large variety of devices and different application requirements.” says Mareca Hatler, director of Research, ON World Inc. "GreenPeak's comprehensive definition of an Open Smart Home Framework based on ZigBee and IEEE 802.15.4 is a significant development that will help operators define and deliver new smart home services while helping consumers recognize the benefits of ZigBee home networking."

GreenPeak is one of the leaders in the ZigBee market segment with a rich offering of semiconductor products and software technologies for Smart Home data communications and internet integration. The GP410 is a single chip ZigBee Green Power solution, the GP5xx series implements ZigBee RF4CE and now the new GP690 adds connectivity for ZigBee PRO applications.

GreenPeak provides the GP710, the industry’s first single radio dual stack chip for set-top boxes and gateways. The GP710 supports multiple protocol stacks and is capable of communicating with ZigBee PRO, RF4CE and Green Power devices at the same time, connecting the Smart-Home ZigBee network to the Internet as well as local remote controls.