Seamless CE/Imaging Wi-Fi Connectivity? It’s Really On The Way

Seamless CE/Imaging Wi-Fi Connectivity? It’s Really On The Way

Within the imaging world, wireless digital cameras have begun dotting the retail landscape, and the idea of wirelessly printing images out in one room while the user is shooting in another is sure to have mass appeal to CE/Imaging customers.

The word “wireless” is all the rage these days, and consumers are beginning to understand the possibilities of sharing and making actionable their digital content in a wireless environment. Within the imaging arena, the technology is still in its infancy but the foundation for an explosive future is currently being laid.

Enter Texas Instruments and a recent announcement they made regarding their new Consumer Electronics WLAN Developer Kit (CE WLAN DK) 2.0. The company claims that their latest development kit, “provides manufacturers with the systems-level building blocks they need to add Wi-Fi connectivity to battery-operated devices from digital still cameras and portable media players (PMPs) to emerging communications and entertainment applications.”

TI tells us they have brought a complete development platform for manufacturers to embed Wi-Fi in future CE/Imaging devices. The company has enabled leading broadband providers to add WLAN to their DSL, cable and voice products and is extending this systems-level approach to the CE/Imaging market. Texas Instruments is claiming that their WLAN Developer Kits will enable consumers to enjoy the Wi-Fi experience regardless of their location. “TI technology allows users to easily configure their WLAN and exchange audio and video files or other data wirelessly between devices like PMPs, without the fear of dropped signals or loss of battery power,” they explain.

With regard to the many considerations that have gone into the kit’s development, TI’s Steve Schnier, CE WLAN product line manager with TI’s Residential Gateway and Embedded Systems business unit explains, “Manufacturers must offer products with WLAN that are easy to use, seamlessly compatible with other devices and extend battery life at reasonable price points. TI enhances the consumer’s Wi-Fi experience with simple configuration, robust connections and improved battery life.” Schnier added that TI’s extensive consumer research studies played a major role in this initiative as well.

Interested manufacturers needn’t travel this road alone as TI adds they can leverage the company’s partner network to speed development time and further differentiate. Portable partners include Cadenux, eSOL, Ittiam, Ingenient, JorJin who offer products from simple operating system (OS) ports to complete end-equipment reference designs.

“By collaborating with TI, we deliver a fully tested and calibrated module that is easily embedded in a variety of CE devices, enabling CE manufacturers to reach the market faster,” said Tom Liang, CEO of Jorjin Technologies, Inc., a company that specializes in embedded WLAN in broadband devices. To find out more on this CE WLAN initiative, visit www.ti.com/cewlan.

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