SEMITECH PLC FOR HOME AUTOMATION AND CONTROL DEVICES

MELBOURNE, Australia and VIENNA, Austria
Joint PR with Semitech Semiconductor

Theobroma Systems Selects Semitech Power Line Communications to Deliver Flexible, Elegant Solution for Home Automation and Control

Semitech Semiconductor, a provider of narrowband power line communication (N-PLC) solutions that enable the transformation of the electricity grid into a – smart grid, today announced that its SM2400 – SM2400 N-PLC modem is used in Theobroma Systems’ – Theobroma Systems’ new ‘Platypus‘ family of products for home and industrial control, which will debut at Embedded World 2015 – Embedded World 2015 in Germany this week. The Platypus platform provides high-speed, flexible, reliable communication by integrating the SM2400 in a variety of form factors and devices – addressing many market needs with a single solution. Typical applications include energy-aware ‘smart’ homes, bridging between N-PLC and other networks, pay stations and other industrial devices.

A multi-standard OFDM based PLC transceiver, Semitech’s SM2400 combines cost-effective design optimized for N-PLC applications with a high level of flexibility, programmability and power efficiency to address a multitude of communications schemes suited for several different applications and geographies.

“Energy management and control inside the home is an important concept. Consumers are increasingly looking to implement it, and Theobroma Systems is at the forefront of this trend,” noted Zeev Collin, CEO of Semitech.

“We are excited to partner with Theobroma Systems in enabling their innovative new platform and be a part of their flexible, user- friendly designs.”

“Platypus is a true platform-based approach that combines multiple form factors and devices into a unified networked solution,” noted Dr. Philipp Tomsich, chief technology officer for Theobroma Systems. “We selected the SM2400 as the ideal communication backbone for our Platypus platform due to its flexibility and power efficiency. These attributes complement the flexibility of our entire solution, as the home and industrial control is a fragmented market for which there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. Semitech’s state-of-the-art software system approach and the support that they offer make them an ideal technology partner.”

A complete solution, Theobroma Systems’ new platform, includes three customizable devices that address various deployment scenarios:

• A wall plug, which enables communication with the PLC network for almost any non-PLC device by providing a variety of interfaces, such as USB, UART, CAN, I2C, SPI.
• A small form factor flush-mounted module that can be installed into a flush-mounted box and includes an integrated circuit breaker, enabling the switching of connected appliances. It can be used for energy measurement and control.
• A PLC modem device, which acts as a ‘network adapter,’ enabling communication with the PLC network and providing power for a non-PLC device through a USB interface. The network adapter can connect to a PC or a gateway device, such as Theobroma Systems’ smart energy gateway.

Theobroma Systems’ new platform is currently undergoing field trials and will be available for customer projects at the end of this quarter.