Advanced Bluetooth low energy remote control reference design with unparalleled voice input options and ultra-low power performance.
An advanced, highly featured smart remote is needed to enhance the user experience and simplify the control of various electronic devices. Managing multiple remotes becomes cumbersome with the increasing number of devices in our homes, such as TVs, sound systems, gaming consoles, and smart home appliances. A smart remote offers a consolidated solution by providing seamless integration and control over multiple devices through a single interface. To simplify the design process Nordic Semiconductor has launched the advanced, highly featured smart remote reference design with unparalleled voice input and power performance. The nRFready provides a comprehensive reference design for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled remote controls in modern media centres. It caters to various media devices, including Smart TVs, set-top boxes (STB), and various available media provision products. This design delivers exceptional voice input capabilities and performance while maintaining remarkable ultra-low power consumption.
The reference design architecture is intentionally modular, encompassing hardware (HW) and software (SW) components. This modularity empowers remote control Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators to effortlessly choose specific aspects and features according to their preferences without encountering any challenges or compromises. The design prioritises ultra-low power operation and incorporates efficient deep sleep behaviour, minimising power consumption during active usage and ensuring minimal power consumption during idle periods. Despite its focus on power efficiency, the design maintains excellent latency performance upon wake-up. The reference design presents developers with unparalleled voice input options, enabling the creation of highly advanced and efficient voice input solutions for remote controls used with TVs and media boxes. The reference design incorporates two digital microphone inputs with a built-in noise and echo cancellation capabilities to support voice input. This ensures improved sampling of audio input, leading to superior compression techniques and a reduced number of data packets transmitted over the air.
The design also includes a variable audio compression bit-rate selection. With a 6-axis motion-sensing feature, it enables enhanced motion control. Including a multi-touch trackpad and a remote control keypad matrix further enhances user interaction. Additionally, the design features an ultra-low power wake-up accelerometer and hardware support for infrared (IR) functionality. Its compatibility with the Arduino Uno interface enables easy integration with existing systems. The comprehensive suite of profiling and debugging tools, along with a configuration wizard, facilitates rapid prototype development. Lastly, a host-side software library is available for Linux systems, enhancing the overall usability of this advanced remote control reference design.
Nordic Semiconductor has tested this reference design. It comes with a Bill of Material (BOM), user guide, etc. You can find additional data about the reference design on the company’s website. To read more about this reference design, click here.
