STMicro and Tatung collaborate for smarter homes

Working together, the two companies have developed an array of smart-home appliances that can be interconnected to form a smart-home ecosystem. The products, implemented by Tatung using a variety of platforms and reference designs developed by ST, are designed to leverage the popular HomePlug powerline communication (PLC) protocols and hybrid networks. The HomePlug technology transforms ordinary electric wires into a high-speed communication network available in every power outlet. Hybrid networks are based on the emerging IEEE 1905.1 standard and allow devices to take advantage of all available communication media including HomePlug and WiFi. All of the modules are based on a communication hub/gateway System-on-Chip (SoC) technology from ST that integrates both the powerline modem and an applications processor based on an ARM926EJ-S core running at 330MHz. Because the connected homes of the future will leverage many wired and wireless communication technologies, ST’s new hub/gateway solution was designed to support the emerging IEEE P1905.1 standard. For the initial roll-out, ST has worked with Tatung to develop some prototype products that could be easily commercialized and customized and/or branded by Tatung for other OEMs. This family of HomePlug powerline-enabled products, all targeting smart-home applications, includes a smart meter, a smart plug capable of controlling and measuring the electrical product plugged into it and its power consumption, and video surveillance cameras supporting H.264 and MJPEG video streaming. Additional products include a smart-Home Services Gateway supporting HomePlug, ZigBee, WiFi, NFC, and other communication standards, a smart In-Home Display, a Touch Control Panel, and a revolutionary LED Light, Speaker, and WiFi Access Point. “This ecosystem of connected products brings the “Internet of Things” into the smart home, enabling the convergence of energy management, entertainment, surveillance and monitoring, and other functions such as Electric Vehicle charging,” said Matteo Lo Presti, STMicroelectronics Group VP and Industrial and Power Conversion General Manager. “We believe that working with a strong and well-known OEM such as Tatung will accelerate the market availability of products that leverage the unique combination of PLC modem and powerful application processor in a single SoC solution.”