The ZigBee RF4CE specification offers an immediate, low-cost, easy-to-implement solution for control of products and opportunity for a couple of standards including ZigBee Remote Control and ZigBee Input Device. The ZigBee RF4CE specification is designed to control a wide range of products including home entertainment devices, garage door openers, keyless entry systems and many more.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

The ZigBee RF4CE specification defines a remote control (RC) network that defines a simple, robust and low-cost communication network allowing wireless connectivity in applications for consumer electronic (CE) devices.

The ZigBee RF4CE specification enhances the IEEE 802.15.4 standard by providing a simple networking layer and standard application layer that can be used to create a multi-vendor interoperable solution for use within the home.

Some of the characteristics of ZigBee RF4CE include:

• Operation in the 2.4GHz frequency band according to IEEE 802.15.4
• Frequency agile solution operating over three channels
• Incorporates power saving mechanisms for all device classes
• Discovery mechanism with full application confirmation
• Pairing mechanism with full application confirmation
• Multiple star topology with inter-personal area network (PAN) communication
• Various transmission options including broadcast
• Security key generation mechanism
• Utilizes the industry standard AES-128 security scheme
• Specifies a simple RC control profile for CE products
• Support Alliance developed standards or manufacturer specific profiles

To learn more details about ZigBee RF4CE, please review our Technology Paper.