High-Volume Consumer Electronic OEM of wireless remote controls selects DA14580 SmartBond(TM) as its energy-efficient Bluetooth Smart technology of choice
Dialog Semiconductor plc , a provider of highly integrated power management, AC/DC, solid-state lighting and Bluetooth(R) Smart wireless technology, today announced the company’s further expansion into the Smart Home and Human Interface Device (HID) market with a design win that will feature in a number of OEM wireless Remote Control Units (RCUs) for Smart TVs and set-top boxes from SMK Corporation. This further strengthens Dialog’s position in high-volume connected home devices, having recently deployed its Bluetooth Smart Technology in wireless PC peripherals.
The market for Bluetooth Smart applications is growing at a rapid pace as the technology delivers on its promise of ultra-low power wireless connectivity, making it the ideal solution for next-generation Smart TV controls. This trend is further accentuated by the push of Bluetooth Smart into the endlessly expanding Internet of Things.
One of the world’s leading manufacturers of remote controls and consumer electronics accessories, SMK Corporation, has based its latest product designs on Dialog’s DA14580 Bluetooth Smart System-on-Chip (SoC), the world’s smallest, lowest-power and most integrated Bluetooth Smart solution. Their new remote control model has been selected by a tier one set-top box manufacturer, while a modified product will be offered as a generic product in SMK’s RF (radio frequency) RCU lineup.
The DA14580 chip’s outstanding features have allowed OEMs to design remote controls that significantly reduce the product bill of materials (BOM) thanks to a single-layer FR1 PCB, a reduced number of external components, and the elimination of the need for a 32kHz crystal oscillator – all of which adds up to a significantly lower production cost. In addition, energy efficiency is improved to the point where a single CR2032 battery now allows up to 5 years of continuous operation.
“Dialog strives to bring state-of-the-art connectivity solutions such as the highly efficient, low power DA14580 SmartBond to a wider market, providing OEMs with the benefit of minimised development cost and drastically reduced time-to-market,” said Sean McGrath, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Connectivity, Automotive & Industrial Business Group at Dialog. “With the continuing success of the SmartBond DA14580, we have shown that we are ideally positioned to take advantage of the tremendous growth of Bluetooth Smart applications for the HID market, which helps to validate the company’s diversification strategy.”
“Through our partnership with Dialog, SMK is positioned to offer the Digital Television market remote control solutions utilizing the most advanced wireless technologies in the industry,” added Patrick Delanoeije, Vice President, SMK Europe. “Enabled by these technologies, SMK remotes offer exciting new user interface options including Voice Command, Gesture-Sensing and Pointing-Enabled models, many of which will be demonstrated at IBC2014 in Amsterdam this week.”
“SMK produces 70 million remote controls annually,” continued Mr. Delanoeije. “Supported by eight ISO factories, thirty sales offices and dedicated R&D sites across Europe, North and South America as well as Asia, SMK is uniquely positioned to supply solutions that reduce development time and costs, while enriching subscriber engagement with new digital television products and services.”
Dialog’s SmartBond is recognized for its ease of use due to a highly integrated solution requiring fewer external components than any other Bluetooth Smart solution available today while enabling fully hosted applications without an external microcontroller. With support for the latest Bluetooth 4.1 specification, designers are empowered to develop pioneering applications targeting an accelerating range of markets including HID, Wellness & Fitness Wearables, Medical, Proximity and Smart Home. With world-leading low power consumption, SmartBond is also perfectly positioned to enable the billions of battery-powered Internet of Things devices, without the need for compromise in product design.
Company Contact:
Lauren Ofstedahl
Dialog Semiconductor
Phone: +1 (408) 845-8518
lauren.ofstedahl@diasemi.com
Web: www.dialog-semiconductor.com
Twitter: @DialogSemi
SMK Europe N.V.
Telephone: +32 (0)2 720 9883
Fax: +32 (0)2 721 3447
Email: support@smkeurope.com
Media Contact:
Sophie Waterfield
Racepoint Global
Phone: +44 (0)208 811 2125
sophie.waterfield@racepointglobal.com
About Dialog Semiconductor
Dialog Semiconductor creates highly integrated, mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs), optimised for personal portable, short-range wireless connectivity, LED solid state lighting and automotive applications. The company provides flexible and dynamic support, world-class innovation and the assurance of dealing with an established business partner.
With its focus and expertise in energy-efficient system power management and a technology portfolio that also includes audio, short-range wireless, AC/DC power conversion and multi-touch, Dialog brings decades of experience to the rapid development of ICs for personal portable and digital consumer applications, including smartphones, tablets, Ultrabooks(TM) and emerging wearable type devices.
Dialog’s power management ICs increase the performance of portable devices by extending battery lifetime, enabling faster charging and enhancing the consumer’s experience. With world-class manufacturing partners, Dialog operates a fabless business model.
Dialog Semiconductor plc is headquartered in London with a global sales, R&D and marketing organisation. In 2013, it had approximately $910 million in revenue and was one of the fastest growing European public semiconductor companies. It currently has approximately 1,100 employees worldwide. The company is listed on the Frankfurt (FWB: DLG) stock exchange (Regulated Market, Prime Standard, ISIN GB0059822006) and is a member of the German TecDax index. It also has convertible bonds listed on the Euro MTF Market on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange (ISIN XS0757015606).
