August 7, 2015 – CSR (http://www.csr.com), a global provider of innovative semiconductor ICs and software solutions in the fields of location awareness, multimedia, and cloud connectivity, announced CSRmesh® Home Automation, the latest version of its Bluetooth Smart solution dedicated to smart homes. The latest version of CSRmesh® adds models supporting sensors and actuators to the existing protocol designed for lighting control. This enables developers to provide a wide range of home automation solutions, including monitoring and control of heating, cooling, ventilation, air conditioning, door locks, and window sensors.

Seamless connection and security

New versions of mesh solutions, including the CSR101x™ family, combine configuration and control protocols based on CSR's proven Bluetooth Smart ICs. A large number of devices can be interconnected without quantity limitations and controlled directly via smartphones, tablets, or wearable devices. This system does not require a local hub, router, or end-to-end IP network connection to operate, thereby providing a simple and seamless user experience. Furthermore, enhanced encryption key delivery methods and data encryption ensure security against eavesdropping, Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attacks, and Replay attacks.

Extended battery life

CSRmesh for home automation has extended battery life for sensors and actuators (such as door locks) to enable application in a wider range of fields. Multiple devices can be grouped, and controllers containing sensors or LED lights can act as proxies to maintain control data and facilitate easy control. Proxy devices can transmit information at low power without the need for 'waking' sensors to save battery power. Unlike the existing version of CSRmesh, the new version can reduce the RF duty cycle to as low as 2% depending on the product or application, thereby enabling the configuration of a low-power mesh. In addition to the low-power method of controlling the RF duty cycle, battery-powered devices such as specific sensing sensors or light switches provide very long battery life by transmitting control data only when activated by a user, such as when a window is opened or a switch is operated.

seamless user experience

According to a recent study by CSR, while consumer interest in home automation is on the rise, 26% of respondents believe connected devices will be too difficult to set up, and another 25% think they will be too complex to use. On another note, 26% of respondents expressed concerns about devices being vulnerable to hacking.

"Consumers want to be able to simply and safely control a wide range of diverse devices within their homes or buildings using a smartphone. The setup process must be simple, and maintenance should be as simple as replacing a battery," said Baek Seung-cheol, Director of New Business Development at CSR Korea. "The latest CSRmesh version 1.3 is designed to meet these consumer demands while being applicable to a wider range of home automation applications." "And, it has the advantage of being much more economical than other RF technologies designed for the smart home market," he said.

Standardization to prevent the proliferation of non-standard protocols

The CSRmesh solution simplifies network configuration and eliminates the need to set up separate routing tables for devices, thereby minimizing management effort when adding or removing devices. Furthermore, in a CSRmesh network, Bluetooth Smart sensors and actuators can not only act as controlling entities or targets, respectively, within large control areas such as buildings, but also serve as connecting links acting as data carriers to eliminate RF dead zones on the network. To ensure the interoperability of mesh networks and prevent compatibility issues arising from the emergence of various mesh protocols based on the same BT Smart platform, CSR is pursuing global standardization of Bluetooth Smart Mesh through the Smart Mesh Study Group within the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

Ready developer

CSR provides the CSRmesh Development Kit to help developers shorten product development timelines and accelerate time-to-market. This kit includes Android and iOS source code, as well as toolkits and test boards for verifying and developing software. In addition to existing lighting control examples, new example code is added to provide functions for the HVAC market, such as HVAC control, temperature display, and thermostat settings.

Detailed information regarding the new product launch, technology, or implementation methods for key applications will be available in a report to be published within a few weeks. You can receive a copy by pre-registering for the CSR.