[October 05, 2015] |
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Silicon Labs Reduces Cost and Complexity of Voice-Enabled ZigBee Remote Controls
Silicon
Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leading provider of microcontroller, sensing
and wireless connectivity solutions for the Internet
of Things (IoT), today released the industry's most cost-effective
solution for voice-enabled ZigBee (News - Alert)® remote controls. This comprehensive
reference design solution significantly reduces the need for costly
external hardware by implementing a high-quality, software-based audio
codec into a single-chip wireless SoC. The new software codec is a key
part of Silicon Labs' form-factor reference design for voice-enabled,
ZigBee-based and proprietary remote controls, bringing the power of
voice to TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), over-the-top (OTT) boxes and
connected home products.
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As many "things" for the IoT grow smarter and more connected, it becomes
increasingly difficult to incorporate feature-rich user interfaces into
small form-factors. Voice enablement is transforming how we control and
interface with connected devices by providing an easier, hands-free way
to search, explore and experience content and services. By combining the
power of voice-over-RF technology and cloud-based speech recognition,
voice-enabled remotes free consumers from the line-of-sight, push-button
limitations of legacy infrared (IR)-based controls. Silicon Labs' new
voice codec technology and complete reference design simplify the
process of designing truly smart remotes.
Silicon Labs' new ZigBee Remote Control (ZRC) reference design provides
all of the hardware and software needed to develop full-featured,
voice-enabled remote controls. The reference design is based on Silicon
Labs' EM34x
wireless SoCs and ZRC 2.0 Golden Unit-certified software stack,
which provides an industry-standard way to implement interoperable,
low-power RF remote controls. The reference design includes complete RF
layout and design files, an acceleration sensor for backlight control, a
buzzer for "find me" capabilities, support for IR control, a digital
microphone and the ability to transmit voice commands over RF.
Silicon Labs engineered the reference design to support voice control
using either an external hardware codec or the company's software codec
technology. The hardware codec reduces the processing load on the EM34x
SoC while the software codec trades off increased CPU utilization for
the lowest possible bill of materials (BOM) cost. Both design options
meet the stringent voice quality requirements of leading cloud-based
speech recognition software providers.
"As the leading supplier of ZigBee silicon and software solutions for
the IoT, Silicon Labs has helped thousands of wireless developers
simplify and accelerate their RF designs," said Daniel Cooley, vice
president of marketing for Silicon Labs IoT products. "We're excited by
the growing trend of voice control in the connected home, and we have
developed a comprehensive reference design solution that reduces the
cost and complexity of creating voice-enabled ZigBee remote controls for
a wide range of connected home products."
Two new Silicon Labs development kits are available for the
voice-enabled reference design:
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EM34X-VREVK Voice Remote Evaluation Kit -
This basic kit features pre-programmed devices and a simple GUI to
demonstrate remote control capabilities including RF, voice commands
and legacy IR support.
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EM34X-VRDK Voice Remote Development Kit -
Providing an "out-of-the-box" design experience, this full-featured
kit simplifies development of the remote control and target devices
and comes with an EM34x voice-enabled remote control, USB stick, EM34x
development board, EM34x wireless modules and ISA3 debug adapter.
Silicon Labs' EM34x wireless SoCs at the heart of the reference design
handle all remote control functions. The EM34x SoCs deliver unmatched
performance, low power and code density in a single-chip design based on
the industry's best-selling ZigBee
mesh networking SoC architecture. The SoCs combine a 2.4 GHz IEEE (News - Alert)
802.15.4 transceiver with an ARM® Cortex®-M3 processor, flash memory,
RAM and peripherals. The transceiver's efficient architecture delivers a
link budget of 110 dB, providing a robust link for ZRC applications
without an external power amplifier (PA) or low-noise amplifier (LNA).
Integrated receive channel filtering and multi-level retries support
co-existence with other 2.4 GHz standards such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Silicon Labs' comprehensive wireless development tools provide the
fastest path to ZRC-certifiable remote control products. The AppBuilder
tool enables developers to configure remote control applications using a
set of easy-to-use plug-ins that support key features such as keyboard
drivers, LEDs, acceleration sensing and voice control. Silicon Labs also
offers a Desktop Network Analyzer that, unlike traditional wireless
sniffers, provides full visibility of all wireless networking activity
by using the EM34x wireless SoC's packet trace port.
Pricing and Availability
Silicon Labs' ZigBee remote control development kits are available now.
The EM34X-VREVK Voice Remote Evaluation Kit is priced at $249. The
EM34X-VRDK Voice Remote Development Kit is priced at $399. (All prices
in USD MSRP.) Samples and volume quantities of Silicon Labs' EM34x SoCs
are available today, with prices beginning at $1.68 (USD) in 10,000-unit
quantities. Software development tools and ZRC 2.0-certified software
are available to developers at no charge. Developers can download the
software codec from Silicon Labs' ZigBee remote control portal. For more
information and to order development kits and EM34x SoC samples, please
visit www.silabs.com/zigbee-remote-control.
Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is a leading provider of silicon, software
and system solutions for the Internet of Things, Internet
infrastructure, industrial automation, consumer and automotive markets.
We solve the electronics industry's toughest problems, providing
customers with significant advantages in performance, energy savings,
connectivity and design simplicity. Backed by our world-class
engineering teams with unsurpassed software and mixed-signal design
expertise, Silicon Labs empowers developers with the tools and
technologies they need to advance quickly and easily from initial idea
to final product. www.silabs.com
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
Silicon Labs' current expectations. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could
impact Silicon Labs' financial results and cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, please
refer to Silicon Labs' filings with the SEC (News - Alert). Silicon Labs disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Note to editors: Silicon Labs, Silicon Laboratories (News - Alert), the "S" symbol, the
Silicon Laboratories logo and the Silicon Labs logo are trademarks of
Silicon Laboratories Inc. All other product names noted herein may be
trademarks of their respective holders.
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151005005264/en/
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