Hosted by Alix Paultre, the Tinker’s Toolbox is the Advantage Design Group’s web-based interview show where we talk about the latest technology, components, and design issues for the electronic design engineering community.
In today’s podcast we talk to Cees Links, the Founder and CEO of GreenPeak. GreenPeak is a fabless semiconductor company with a strong focus on wireless for sense and control networks in combination with battery-less technology, targeting communication devices working on ambient energy. Cees’ vision is to “build a smarter world” by developing a communications platform between devices sensing and enabling us to control our lives.
Here is a link in case the play button is not visible: GreenPeak Interview
Here is a presentation on ZigBee RF4CE : GreenPeak ZigBee Presenation
Here is a recent press release:
GreenPeak Technologies, a leading fabless semiconductor company, today announced the first reference design for an RF4CE USB stick for the integration of RF4CE technology in PCs and home entertainment applications like set-top boxes, TV’s and media players.
The GreenPeak RF4CE USB stick reference design enables a quick RF4CE USB stick implementation with minimal efforts. The stick design allows for an easy upgrade of PC’s, set-top boxes, TVs and other home entertainment applications to accept RF4CE commands from an RF4CE remote control or RF4CE wireless keyboard. The RF4CE USB stick is very compact, allowing small USB stick designs.
GreenPeak’s ready-to-go reference design includes both hardware and software tools required for a quick time to market. This includes the software stacks for ZRD (ZigBee Remote Control profile) and ZID (ZigBee Input Device which is a HID (human interface device) -compatible profile). Certification guidelines and tools are provided to ensure an efficient RF4CE and USB certification process. GreenPeak’s patented radio architecture makes it very robust against Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference.
“There are two big challenges with controlling home entertainment consumer devices. One is that things don’t interoperate well and the other is that you generally have to be in the same room as most of the devices you are trying to control,” said Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst for the Enderle Group. “The brilliance of ZigBee RF4CE is that it aggressively addresses both problems because it can be added to any existing USB capable device and the remote uses the ZigBee network to provide location independent control”.
According to Cees Links, CEO of GreenPeak: “This RF4CE USB stick approach offers the optimal combination of cost-efficiency, ease of integration and performance. OEMs can use the USB stick for an RF4CE product launch or for test marketing purposes. Our reference design will help prototyping and will allow a quick time to market. As RF4CE is continually gaining market momentum, the USB stick approach will allow further adaption for various applications and consumer electronics products that have previously been restricted by volumes.”
RF4CE mentioned in the press release above refers to the ZigBee RF4CE industry standard.
ZigBee and ZigBee RF4CE are trademarks of the ZigBee Alliance.
RF4CE on Twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/RF4CE
About GreenPeak
GreenPeak Technologies is a fabless semiconductor company and is a leader in highly integrated IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee RF4CE silicon solutions for consumer electronics.
GreenPeak is headquartered in Utrecht, The Netherlands and has offices in Belgium, Japan and Korea.
GreenPeak is backed by venture capitalists: Gimv (Belgium), DFJ Esprit (UK), Robert Bosch Venture Capital (Germany) and Allegro Investment Fund (Belgium).
For more information, please visit www.greenpeak.com
