TI provides a building block of the IoT with Zigbee lighting development kit
The Internet of Things, according to Texas Instruments’ sector director of marketing Richard Kerslake, can be viewed as an evolution of connected objects; firstly discrete objects connected point-to-point without internet connectivity, then connected point-point via the internet, and finally as a series of intelligent and connected nodes all with internet access and the abiility to use cloud-based resources.
One of the sectors that has been proposed as an early model for such connectivity, implementing control and reporting, is lighting. As mesh networking (ZigBee, etc.) emerged, lighting – domestic, commercial and, especially, retail – was frequently cited as an area where connectivity could contribute to improving the user experience, and to increasing the scope for creative effects. Now, TI has moved to offer that flexibility plus internet connectivity.
According to Kerslake, “TT has all the blocks – microcontrollers, ZigBee, power control – and also higher-level functions in the IoT concept such as internet gateway reference designs.” He adds, “[You need command of] a wide variety of wired and wireless standards – TI has all of the standards used in the IoT.”
The ZigBee Light Link development kit is intended to simplify development and control of wirelessly connected LED lighting products. The kit includes a remote control and supports smartphone and tablet connectivity through gateways including Ninja Blocks, which are cloud-enabled computers based on the BeagleBone open-source computer platform hosting TI’s Sitara AM335x ARM processors. Through simplified control, users are able to dynamically configure colours, groups and scenes. With a simple connection to a cloud gateway, the new kit makes it easier to connect LED bulbs and other lighting products to the Internet of Things (IoT) using ZigBee networking.
For consumers, a ZigBee wirelessly connected lighting system delivers richer user interfaces and more flexible control on top of the basic on, off and dim operations. There is absolute flexibility to place and move switches and other controls anywhere in the home versus wire-controlled products. This enables the design of lighting systems for home and office environments that allow individual task lighting for desk, table or countertop to be placed anywhere. Additionally, through use of a gateway, users can control lighting from anywhere using a smartphone or tablet app.
TI’s ZigBee Light Link development kit includes everything designers need to get new lighting products to market quickly:
– Three Zlights programmed as ZigBee Light Link colour lights. The Zlights are based on the SimpleLink CC2530 wireless MCU and also include TI’s TPS62730 DC/DC converter. They incorporate tri-colour high-power LED chips from Osram.
– One ZigBee Light Link colour scene remote control. The remote is based on the SimpleLink CC2531 wireless MCU and also includes TI’s TPS76933 LDO and TPS62290 DC/DC converter.
– Optional CCdebugger to program and debug the system.
– TI Z-Stack ZigBee software that supports the latest ZigBee stack and is ZigBee Light Link 1.0-ready.
Systems are interoperable with other ZigBee products and offer direct control of LED bulbs with the remote control; you can demonstrate portable control for consumer lighting applications that is scalable beyond the lights provided in the kit.
The ZigBee Light Link development kit (CC2530ZDK-ZLL) is $$9 from TI’s eStore.
TI; www.ti.com/lprf-zllkit-pr-eu
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