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Freescale opens Synkro™ protocol to leading consumer electronics manufacturers


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Release of RF entertainment control platform specification to help drive standardization of remote control products for home entertainment

LAS VEGAS (Consumer Electronics Show) .– With the advent of radio frequency (RF) entertainment control network technology, infrared (IR) based remote controls will soon become as antiquated as buggy whips in the automotive age. To help accelerate the transition from IR- to RF-based technology in the consumer electronics world, Freescale Semiconductor has announced an initiative to offer its RF entertainment control network technology as an open industry specification to leading consumer electronics manufacturers.

Freescale is currently defining the entertainment control network specification, known as Synkro™, in collaboration with an elite group of consumer electronic manufacturers. Freescale plans to make the Synkro protocol broadly available to the industry through an open and global standards forum designed to enable wide adoption of the technology. The standards forum and entertainment control network specification are being defined and finalized simultaneously.

“Opening the Synkro protocol to the world’s foremost consumer electronics makers underscores Freescale’s commitment to deliver industry-standard platforms to the market,” said Henri Richard, senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer for Freescale Semiconductor. “We are committed to driving the Synkro entertainment control network platform forward as a global standard to improve overall usability of home entertainment products for hundreds of millions of consumers around the world.”

About Synkro™ protocol
Synkro is the networking protocol software stack written on top of the IEEE® 802.15.4 global standard to be used in the design of home entertainment products, such as digital televisions, DVD players, audio/video receivers, set top boxes, docking stations and remote controls. The Synkro protocol provides a software and hardware migration path for future product line extensions designed to revolutionize the way consumers control their home entertainment devices.

The entertainment control networking layer was developed with the consumer in mind. This technology addresses a growing concern among today’s electronics manufacturers: the technology limitations and interruptions caused by IR-based solutions that are not compatible with their consumer product roadmaps. This comprehensive platform enables advanced control capabilities, such as two-way communication between entertainment devices. It eliminates the need for line-of-sight control devices and provides the foundation for a universal remote control for any consumer electronic component.

About Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. The privately held company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale is one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies with 2006 sales of $6.4 billion (USD). www.freescale.com

Media Contacts:

Dale Weisman
Freescale Semiconductor
(512) 895-2795
dale.weisman@freescale.com

Emilie Harris
Lois Paul & Partners
(512) 638-5321
emilie_harris@lpp.com



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