Lightfair: NXP gets serious about Internet-enabled smart lighting

May 16, 2012 // Christoph Hammerschmidt

What if every light bulb had an Internet IP address? Since NXP Semiconductors N.V. first raised the question at Lightfair International (LFI) nearly one year ago, interest in IPv6-enabled smart lighting has soared. The potential energy and cost savings – as well as the comfort, convenience and lifestyle benefits for the consumer – have mobilized a growing ecosystem of innovators in lighting, connectivity, energy management and home automation to enable and support wirelessly controlled intelligent lighting.

Past week at LFI 2012 in Las Vegas, NXP showcased two wireless smart lighting solutions based on IEEE 802.15.4 standards, including: 

1. JenNet-IP network layer software for the Internet of Things. Based on the open 6LoWPAN standard, JenNet-IP is fully IPv6-compliant, and makes it possible to extend secure connectivity, two-way communication and control to a broad network of up to 500 devices in the home. Supported by an open ecosystem including lamp manufacturers such as TCP, Inc. and Leedarson, gateway manufacturers such as Belkin, and energy management solutions provider GreenWave Reality, JenNet-IP is helping to drive down the cost of adding “smart” functionality into devices ranging from light bulbs to air-conditioning systems – and enabling interoperability with other communication standards in the home. In Q3, NXP will launch a certification program for JenNet-IP, and will be delivering its first JenNet-IP evaluation systems. Later this year, NXP will also announce its roadmap for the open-source release of JenNet-IP, as well as the retail availability of the first Internet-enabled lamps.
   
2. ZigBee Light Link. NXP today announced that it has achieved product certification for a ZigBee Light Link Color Scene Remote Control and an Extended Color Light. Both products are based on the JN5148-001 single-chip wireless microcontroller which has been certified as a ZigBee Compliant Platform and is a suitable development platform for the various ZigBee profiles. NXP supports ZigBee Light Link as a solution for smaller, short-range, room-based lighting applications with plug-and-play functionality.

“While the 'smart home' as a concept has been around for decades, it has traditionally remained in the domain of luxury homes. Now the availability of Internet-enabled light bulbs at a compelling price point – and the potential to connect lighting to a broader network of hundreds of devices – are helping to bring the smart home mainstream,” said Sean McGrath, general manager, smart home and energy product line, NXP Semiconductors. “We envision that the smart home of the not-so-distant future will have a mixed network topology, including high-bandwidth nodes using Wi-Fi, alongside ultra-low-power JenNet-IP nodes using only one-tenth the power. By also supporting ZigBee, we remain committed to promoting interoperability in a more affordable, more accessible smart home environment.”

Additional demos by NXP at LFI 2012 included solutions for a wide range of lighting applications, including:

1. New development platforms for wired lighting control systems using DALI for commercial lighting networks and DMX512 for architectural and entertainment lighting, powered by NXP's low-cost, extra-low-power 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 microcontrollers (LPC1100XL)
2. High-efficiency SSL drivers for both dimmable and non-dimmable LEDs, for retrofit as well as non-retrofit lamps, based on GreenChip technology – including the latest SSL2109 and SSL21101 driver ICs
3. Higher-power LED solutions for high bay and low bay lights in commercial and industrial applications, as well as street lighting
4.  Plasma street lighting, powered by NXP's solid-state RF technology – which can also be wirelessly controlled.

Further information on NXP solutions for lighting applications is available at http://www.nxp.com/applications/lighting/

Technical papers     

• AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation Field Analyzers
• 16-Bit, 100 kSPS Low Power Successive Approximation ADC System
• Replacing the Candle in the Candelabra
• Adaptive Cell Converter Topology Enables Constant Efficiency in PFC Applications

December 15, 2011 | Texas instruments | 222901974

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