Three new chips for RF4CE market

GreenPeak Technologies has just launched three new chips, allowing the development of robust and low cost ZigBee RF4CE remote control applications for TV’s and set-top boxes, addressing an overall one billion unit annual market.

The three devices all have full RF4CE functionality with ZRC embedded, targeting specific product applications:

GP520

• GP520: front-panel controller for set-top box with SPI/TWI interface
• GP530: front-panel controller for TV with UART interface
• GP540: complete, low-cost “remote control on a chip” including embedded keyboard scanner and full IR functionality

All devices are optimized for low cost, ease of integration and allow fast time-to-market by only requiring a simple configuration step to achieve a complete RF4CE ZRC-compliant end product.

“Bringing the complete RF4CE functionality for each application into a single device makes low cost and reliable RF remote controls a reality,” said Cees Links, CEO of GreenPeak Technologies. “This new series of RF4CE chips brings the cost of the total solution down and makes the choice for RF remote controls even easier. GreenPeak provides a streamlined one-stop-shop offering for RF4CE chips. The integration of advanced RF4CE configurability provides simplicity of integration bringing the development and integration time down to virtually zero.”

GreenPeak’s unique ultra low power and synchronization optimized for remote controls enables single coin cell battery operation for ten years or more. It also enables advanced thin remote control designs not requiring a battery lid and it implements find-me and push functionality.

GreenPeak also takes Wi-Fi coexistence one step further. The GreenPeak RF4CE chips offer an additional 30dB (1000x) better interference robustness against Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other RF signals, which is the result of a superior radio design with antenna diversity technology. This patented technology uses two separate antennas to avoid the typical in-door wave cancellation, essential when more TVs and set-top boxes will be equipped with Wi-Fi internet connections.

Much better than IR (infra-red) based remote controls, RF remote controls provide two-way high-speed communication and do not require line of sight as the radio signal transmits through cabinets, obstacles, walls and floors. A ZigBee RF4CE remote control system (compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, operating in the 2.4GHz global frequency band) is faster, more reliable, includes richer, bi-directional communication and provides a greater range compared to traditional IR remote controls.

Semiconductor veteran joins board

GreenPeak Technologies, a leading fabless semiconductor company, today announced that semiconductor industry figure Hans Rohrer has been appointed Chairman of the Board.

“We are delighted that Hans Rohrer will join GreenPeak as non-executive Chairman of the Board. Mr. Rohrer has a long and successful track record working in executive management roles at a variety of technology companies," said Cees Links, CEO of GreenPeak Technologies.

Mr. Rohrer started his career in the semiconductor industry at Texas Instruments, was Vice President and General Manager leading National Semiconductor Europe, European President of TSMC, and then CEO of Zetex prior to the sale of Zetex to Diodes Incorporated.
Mr. Rohrer currently serves as Senior Vice President Business Development with Diodes Incorporated, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality, application-specific standard products within the broad discrete and analog semiconductor markets, serving the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial and automotive market segments. Mr. Rohrer has considerable international board expertise in publicly as well as privately held companies.

"Hans brings to GreenPeak an unrivalled reputation and invaluable network of contacts at the highest level of the industry worldwide as well as to the channel, suppliers and potential customers. This will provide immediate value and contribution to the growth of our company in preparing it for its next stage,” said Cees Links. “We are confident that Hans has the industry contacts and experience to bring GreenPeak to its next stage of corporate development and beyond.”

“I look forward to supporting GreenPeak as Chairman of the Board,” said Hans Rohrer. “The GreenPeak team is highly experienced and has an extraordinary opportunity to meet the needs of the fast-growing wireless sensor networking market by adding ultra low power features to create maintenance-free and battery-free solutions in remote controls and other residential control and home automation applications. I’m pleased to taking on this role and working with the other members of the Board to helping to overcome challenges and identify opportunities in the marketplace that create further value for GreenPeak.”