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Asahi Glass Enhances Home Security with Glass System Using Freescale's Wireless Platform (9/10/2006)

IEEE(R) 802.15.4-Compliant RF Transceiver Enables Power-Saving Wireless System for Home Security

Underscoring the broad adoption of wireless technology in home security applications, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. has selected Freescale Semiconductor's (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) RF solutions for its sensor-integrated security glass. Showcased in Tokyo this week at Freescale's Technology Forum, this glass is used in windows for home security systems. Asahi Glass is leveraging Freescale's 2.4-GHz MC13192 RF transceiver, which is compliant with the IEEE(R) 802.15.4 standard, to enable low-power wireless communication.

Asahi Glass' sensor-integrated security glass detects breakage and is designed to report the event to the coordinator, a security panel that notifies the homeowner, via a low-power wireless communication device. The coordinator also identifies the location of breakage. This system uses a resistive detection scheme to help ensure accurate reports and only requires attaching a thin transmitter to the glass for installation.

"Many conventional security-glass sensors require wire lines for communication and power supply, making it difficult to make glass design sophisticated and sometimes obstruct window opening and shutting," said Masahiro Takeda, Marketing Manager of Japan Division, Flat Glass company, Asahi Glass. "Using Freescale's 2.4-GHz RF transceiver, our security glass sensors now enable wireless communication and operation with batteries, eliminating wire lines. The wireless technology helps to enable a more sophisticated design and ensures the opening and shutting of windows. Additionally, network construction is relatively easy with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard compliant wireless technology and we recognize this technology as a key to the future smart window systems."

Freescale's MC13192 is a low-power and small form-factor 2.4-GHz RF transceiver supplied in the QFN-32 package. It incorporates a physical layer (PHY) modem designed in accordance with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard supporting the star and mesh network topologies. The MC13192 combined with a microcontroller creates a stand-alone transceiver conforming to the 802.15.4 MAC standard.

"Leveraging a low power RF solution for home automation continues to deliver innovative products," said Brett Black, commercial wireless manager for Freescale Semiconductor. "By eliminating the wires, Freescale's RF products are enabling more sophisticated designs in home automation and are key to the future of smart security systems."

The MC13192 provides a cost-efficient solution for near-field data link and networking. It uses a four-line SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) to interface with the microcontroller. The combination of MC13192, microcontroller and software allows a variety of applications from a simple point-to-point system to a large-scale network.

In addition to Asahi Glass's security glass, Freescale will demonstrate various systems supporting home security applications such as wireless camera, lighting and door sensors at its Technology Forum in Tokyo.

www.freescale.com