CSR Now Brings Bluetooth Smart Connectivity to HVAC

Latest release enables wider range of smart home solutions

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, and SAN JOSE, Calif. — CSR plc has announced the latest version of its Bluetooth® Smart solution for the smart home, CSRmesh® Home Automation. The new software release adds sensor and actuator models to build on the original protocol that was designed for lighting control. This makes it possible for developers to deliver a wider range of home automation solutions including control of HVAC, door locks, and window sensors.

The new flood mesh solution combines a configuration and control protocol based on CSR’s Bluetooth Smart devices, including the CSR101x™ family, which the company said allows for an almost unlimited number of devices to be networked together and directly controlled from a smartphone, tablet PC, or wearable device. The system does not require a hub or router to function locally, or an end-to-end IP connection, offering a simple and seamless user experience, said CSR. An encrypted network key, combined with other measures, ensures security against eavesdroppers, as well as man-in-the-middle and replay attacks.

CSRmesh for Home Automation is also said to significantly extend battery life for sensors and actuators.

“Consumers want a simple, secure smart home experience that works with a wide range of devices and smartphones. The set-up process has to be simple and low maintenance with minimal need to change batteries,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president, Business Group at CSR. “This latest version of CSRmesh meets increasing consumer demand for a much wider range of home automation applications that are seamless and secure. And it’s significantly more cost-effective than other RF technologies designed for the smart home market.”

CSR said the solution can provide whole building coverage, even in RF dead zones, without the need to add relays or set up routing tables for each device. It does this by enabling an almost unlimited amount of Bluetooth Smart sensors and actuators to be simply networked together. CSR is working in the Bluetooth Special Interest Group’s (SIG) Smart Mesh Study Group to help create a global standard for Bluetooth Smart mesh to ensure interoperability of all compatible devices and prevent fragmentation.

To enable developers to get products to market quickly, the CSRmesh Development Kit provides a complete set of tools for evaluation and software development, including Android and iOS source code. New example applications for the HVAC market, including those that allow developers to set thermostats, trigger air conditioning or heating, or display the current temperature, are also available.

For more information, visit www.csr.com.

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