CIE Components in Electronics
I-Rocks Technology, a supplier of PC peripherals and which based in Taiwan, has selected Cypress’s PRoC-UI (Programmable Radio-on-a-Chip–User Interface) solution for its RF6496 wireless keyboard with built-in trackpad. PRoC-UI lowers bill-of-materials costs for the keyboard and is able to support Windows 8 compatible multi-touch gestures along with best-in-class wireless connectivity in a single chip. The RF6496 also employs Cypress’s enCoRe V low-voltage companion microcontroller for its mechanical buttons.
PRoC-UI’s robust wireless connectivity means that the I-Rock RF6496 Touchpad Keyboard can operate up to 10 meters from a computer. This allows users to connect a PC to their TV and surf the web, play music, and watch films from the comfort of their couch. The solution combines the 2.4-GHz proprietary WirelessUSB-NL Radio with Cypress’s CapSense and TrueTouch capacitive touch technologies. The one-chip solution also offers standard HID microcontroller functionality, effectively combining three chips into one to save BOM cost, board space, and power, while increasing reliability compared with multi-chip implementations.
“PRoC-UI eliminates the need for us to purchase capacitive touch controllers and wireless radios from multiple vendors for our RF6496 touch keyboard,” said Toby Lin, general manager of I-Rocks.
Commenting Jayant Somani, senior director of worldwide marketing for Cypress’s Data Communication Division said, “PRoC-UI helped simplify the design and shorten time to market, while enabling its trackpad to support a variety of gestures for a differentiated user experience.”
PRoC-UI boasts a -87 dBm receive sensitivity at 1 Mbps. This enhanced sensitivity enables longer range operation and allows for lower-power transmit signals. The device features low active and standby currents, which enable longer battery life. It also offers superior performance in the presence of 2.4-GHz interference from common sources such as WiFi, Bluetooth, cordless phones, and microwaves.
PRoC-UI supports Cypress’s AgileHID protocol that allows existing WirelessUSB-NL customers to get started quickly on their designs without any additional effort. Customers who have existing designs with WirelessUSB-NL can reuse the same dongles for new PRoC-UI based touch products. PRoC-UI comes with free software to enable end-product customisation.
