Up till now, networked LED lighting has been reserved for professional lighting installers and architects given the complexities associated with running wires or closed proprietary wireless systems. Recently, the ZigBee Alliance introduced the new ZigBee Light Link standard, working with leading LED bulb manufacturers, to make it easier for consumers to install and manage lighting networks.
So why is having a standards-based solution like ZigBee Light Link so important? There are several benefits, the first being the ability to offer consumers a wide selection of interoperable products including LED bulbs (including color-changing LEDs), fixtures, timers and controls. Currently, there are only proprietary wireless systems that can be costly and harder to implement. With a standards-based system, a consumer can use any ZigBee Light Link certified product in their network. This also will likely make networked LED lighting systems more affordable because of increased competition.
Beyond interoperability, the Light Link Standard also offers energy efficiency from the use of LED bulbs as well as sensors to automatically control the system. Dimming sensors monitor the natural ambient lighting in a room and automatically adjust the amount of light from bulbs so the bulbs may be off or giving off lower levels of light during the day than in the evening. There are also occupancy sensors that turn lights on when someone enters the room and off again once they leave.
Additionally, the ZigBee Light Link Standard improves the wireless networking experience with the ability to control lights from a ZigBee-enabled smartphone or simple gateway. This will enable consumers to easily change settings for mood or task and monitor energy usage. Consumers will also benefit from an improved set-up and the ability to easily retro-fit homes and buildings.
As a leader in the ZigBee market, TI is a major supporter of the new ZigBee Light Link Standard and worked within other companies on the standard. We are proud that our CC2530 ZigBee system-on-chip (SoC) has Golden Unit status for the new standard for interoperability testing. The ZigBee Light Link certification of the TI Light and TI Color Remote reference designs enables our customers to be confident that CC2530-based products will be compliant with the standard.
At Computex Taipei this week, we will be showing ZigBee Light Link in action with a demonstration of two ways to control LED lights – a smartphone outfitted with a CC2530-enabled microSD card and a simple low-cost gateway. We are excited about the abilities consumers and professionals will soon have to gain control of their lighting. Thanks to ZigBee Light Link, wirelessly networked lighting is simple, making the future bright and greener.
Learn more by watching TI’s ZigBee lighting Electronica video
Buy the CC2530-based ZigBee BoosterPack kit now at Mouser Electronics
This Post originally appeared in the ConnecTIng Wirelessly blog on E2E .
For more ConnecTIng Wirelessly blog posts, click here .
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