STMicroelectronics introduces Smart Home software platform

Friday, September 13th, 2013
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STMicroelectronics Introduces Smart Home Software Platform Closely Integrated with Set-Top Box ICs to Support Innovative Energy, Comfort and Security Services

  • New software and comprehensive hardware portfolio provide catalyst for new class of smart-home boxes hosting exciting high-value services

GENEVA — STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications and a leader in set-top box System-on-Chips (SoCs), introduces its Smart Home software platform at IBC Amsterdam, September 13-17. ST Smart Home will empower set-top boxes to transition to a new class of device, the smart home box, capable of managing home energy, automation and security systems in addition to providing access to digital multimedia content throughout the home.

ST’s Smart Home software will be supplied pre-integrated on set-top box and home-gateway SoCs such as the STiG105 and STiG112, which are dedicated smart home devices, as well as multimedia gateway devices such as the popular STiH416 (‘Orly’) and the newly introduced Monaco family (STiH407, STiH410, STiH412). With this new framework ST is enabling its customers to build next-generation products supporting innovative and differentiated services for energy management, surveillance, home automation and other capabilities. Ultimately, this will enable operators to deliver extra value for subscribers and enable operators to grow revenues.

“Adding support for smart-home applications and services is a natural progression for the set-top box, enabling operators to deliver innovative new services and delivering benefits such as a consistent user experience to subscribers,” said Gian Luca Bertino, Executive Vice President, General Manager Digital Convergence Group, STMicroelectronics. “The combination of our Smart Home software platform and our large selection of ICs such as Home Gateway SoCs, connectivity devices, sensors and actuators now provides everything developers need to unleash the potential of this exciting new opportunity.”

Based on open standards such as Linux, Java Virtual Machine and the OSGi framework, Smart Home supports popular digital-home standards such as Home Gateway Initiative (HGi), Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). All major wireless connectivity protocols for smart-home applications are also supported, such as ZigBee®, including the latest Smart Energy Profile 2.0, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi including IEEE 802.11n, and Near-Field Communications (NFC). The software is also Bluetooth® Smart Ready, and features 2G, 3G or LTE cellular support.

A reference implementation is available comprising hardware based on the STiG105 SoC and the Smart Home software is available to help OEMs, operator and application developers begin quickly to develop smart-home applications and services.

ST demonstrates its Smart Home platform at IBC, showing how users can control and interact with security video cameras, home lighting and heating, and multimedia devices via a smart-home box running the ST Smart Home software. An alpha version Product Development Kit (PDK) will be released during September 2013, followed by the full PDK scheduled for release in December 2013.