CEBus
Encyclopedia
CEBus, short for Consumer Electronics Bus, also known as EIA
-600, is a set of electrical standards and communication protocols for electronic devices to transmit commands and data. It is suitable for devices in households and offices to use, and might be useful for utility interface and light industrial applications.
(EIA) identified a need for standards that included more capability than the defacto home automation standard X10
. X10 provided blind transmission of the commands ON, OFF, DIM, BRIGHT, ALL LIGHTS ON, and ALL UNITS OFF over powerline carrier, and later infrared and short range radio mediums. Over a six year period, engineers representing international companies met on a regular basis and developed a proposed standard. They called this standard CEBus . The CEBus standard was released in September 1992.
CEBus is an open architecture set of specification documents which define protocols for products to communicate through power line wire, low voltage twisted pair wire, coax, infrared
, RF
, and fiber optics.
The CEBus Standard was developed on the foundation of an IR (infrared) protocol developed by GE (General Electric). This work was transferred to the EIA at the beginning of the EIA's involvement, under the plan that it would be expanded then maintained by the EIA.
modulation on the power line. Spread spectrum involves starting a modulation at one frequency, and altering the frequency during its cycle. The CEBus power line standard begins each burst at 100 kHz, and increases linearly to 400 kHz during a 100 microsecond duration. Both the bursts (referred to as "superior" state) and the absence of burst (referred to as the "inferior" state) create similar digits, so a pause in between is not necessary.
A digit 1 is created by an inferior or superior state that lasts 100 microseconds, and a digit 0 is created by an inferior or superior state that lasts 200 microseconds. Consequently, the transmission rate is variable, depending upon how many of the characters are one and how many are zero; the average rate is about 7,500 bits per second. A 400 microsecond burst is an end of frame indicator and also saves time. For example, if the 32-bit destination address field has some of its most significant bits zero, they need not be sent; the end of frame delimits the field and all receiving devices assume the untransmitted bits are zero.
CEBus transmissions are strings or packets of data that also vary in length, depending upon how much data is included. Some packets can be hundreds of bits in length. The minimum packet size is 64 bits, which at an average rate of 7,500 bits per second, will take about 1/117th of a second to be transmitted and received.
, infrared
, radio frequency
, and optical fiber
. The initial offerings supported only a powerline carrier.
and by Domosys Corporation in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Intellon or Domosys sell the chip to other manufacturers for use in their products, and offer to manufacture private label and OEM
products using the CEBus standard. Intellon and Domosys also sell developer kits to develop a CEBus compatible product.
Having moved out of a laboratory and into the market, the CEBus trademark is owned by the EIA. Ongoing developments are conducted by a group known as the CIC (CEBus Industry Council). The CIC is a non-profit organization made up of the representatives of many national and international electronics firms, such as Microsoft
, IBM
, Compaq
Computer Corp, AT&T
Bell Labs
, Honeywell
, Panasonic
, Sony
, Thomson Consumer Electronics, Leviton
, and Pacific Gas & Electric. Anyone can become a member of the CIC by paying an annual fee of $300 to $10,000 and fulfilling certain other requirements.
Although there is no restriction from anyone using the CEBus standard, the CIC is developing a non-profit testing laboratory which will be funded by certification charges. Manufacturers are encouraged to use the testing laboratory to verify the conformance of their product and its performance in a home network environment. When the performance is certified, the manufacturer pays a certification fee and is licensed to include the CEBus logo on their product.
Electronic Industries Alliance
The Electronic Industries Alliance was a standards and trade organization composed as an alliance of trade associations for electronics manufacturers in the United States. They developed standards to ensure the equipment of different manufacturers was compatible and interchangeable...
-600, is a set of electrical standards and communication protocols for electronic devices to transmit commands and data. It is suitable for devices in households and offices to use, and might be useful for utility interface and light industrial applications.
History
In 1984, members of the Electronic Industries AllianceElectronic Industries Alliance
The Electronic Industries Alliance was a standards and trade organization composed as an alliance of trade associations for electronics manufacturers in the United States. They developed standards to ensure the equipment of different manufacturers was compatible and interchangeable...
(EIA) identified a need for standards that included more capability than the defacto home automation standard X10
X10 (industry standard)
X10 is an international and open industry standard for communication among electronic devices used for home automation, also known as domotics. It primarily uses power line wiring for signaling and control, where the signals involve brief radio frequency bursts representing digital information...
. X10 provided blind transmission of the commands ON, OFF, DIM, BRIGHT, ALL LIGHTS ON, and ALL UNITS OFF over powerline carrier, and later infrared and short range radio mediums. Over a six year period, engineers representing international companies met on a regular basis and developed a proposed standard. They called this standard CEBus . The CEBus standard was released in September 1992.
CEBus is an open architecture set of specification documents which define protocols for products to communicate through power line wire, low voltage twisted pair wire, coax, infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
, RF
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
, and fiber optics.
The CEBus Standard was developed on the foundation of an IR (infrared) protocol developed by GE (General Electric). This work was transferred to the EIA at the beginning of the EIA's involvement, under the plan that it would be expanded then maintained by the EIA.
Powerline carrier
The CEBus standard includes such things as spread spectrumSpread spectrum
Spread-spectrum techniques are methods by which a signal generated in a particular bandwidth is deliberately spread in the frequency domain, resulting in a signal with a wider bandwidth...
modulation on the power line. Spread spectrum involves starting a modulation at one frequency, and altering the frequency during its cycle. The CEBus power line standard begins each burst at 100 kHz, and increases linearly to 400 kHz during a 100 microsecond duration. Both the bursts (referred to as "superior" state) and the absence of burst (referred to as the "inferior" state) create similar digits, so a pause in between is not necessary.
A digit 1 is created by an inferior or superior state that lasts 100 microseconds, and a digit 0 is created by an inferior or superior state that lasts 200 microseconds. Consequently, the transmission rate is variable, depending upon how many of the characters are one and how many are zero; the average rate is about 7,500 bits per second. A 400 microsecond burst is an end of frame indicator and also saves time. For example, if the 32-bit destination address field has some of its most significant bits zero, they need not be sent; the end of frame delimits the field and all receiving devices assume the untransmitted bits are zero.
CEBus transmissions are strings or packets of data that also vary in length, depending upon how much data is included. Some packets can be hundreds of bits in length. The minimum packet size is 64 bits, which at an average rate of 7,500 bits per second, will take about 1/117th of a second to be transmitted and received.
Other media
Other media besides powerline carrier are specified: coaxial cableCoaxial cable
Coaxial cable, or coax, has an inner conductor surrounded by a flexible, tubular insulating layer, surrounded by a tubular conducting shield. The term coaxial comes from the inner conductor and the outer shield sharing the same geometric axis...
, infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
, radio frequency
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
, and optical fiber
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
. The initial offerings supported only a powerline carrier.
Addresses
The CEBus standard involves device addresses that are set in hardware at the factory, and include 4 billion possibilities. The standard also offers a defined language of many object oriented controls which include commands such as volume up, fast forward, rewind, pause, skip, and temperature up or down 1 degree.Manufacturers
Presently, all of the communications hardware, language, and protocol is available on a chip produced by Intellon Corporation in Ocala, FloridaOcala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
and by Domosys Corporation in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Intellon or Domosys sell the chip to other manufacturers for use in their products, and offer to manufacture private label and OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
products using the CEBus standard. Intellon and Domosys also sell developer kits to develop a CEBus compatible product.
Having moved out of a laboratory and into the market, the CEBus trademark is owned by the EIA. Ongoing developments are conducted by a group known as the CIC (CEBus Industry Council). The CIC is a non-profit organization made up of the representatives of many national and international electronics firms, such as Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Compaq
Compaq
Compaq Computer Corporation is a personal computer company founded in 1982. Once the largest supplier of personal computing systems in the world, Compaq existed as an independent corporation until 2002, when it was acquired for US$25 billion by Hewlett-Packard....
Computer Corp, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
, Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
, Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Thomson Consumer Electronics, Leviton
Leviton
Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc., is the largest privately held manufacturer of electrical wiring equipment in North America. It produces electrical products: light sockets, receptacles , dimmers and other lighting control systems, wire, power cables, power cords, wall and ceiling occupancy...
, and Pacific Gas & Electric. Anyone can become a member of the CIC by paying an annual fee of $300 to $10,000 and fulfilling certain other requirements.
Although there is no restriction from anyone using the CEBus standard, the CIC is developing a non-profit testing laboratory which will be funded by certification charges. Manufacturers are encouraged to use the testing laboratory to verify the conformance of their product and its performance in a home network environment. When the performance is certified, the manufacturer pays a certification fee and is licensed to include the CEBus logo on their product.
See also
- Electronic Industries AllianceElectronic Industries AllianceThe Electronic Industries Alliance was a standards and trade organization composed as an alliance of trade associations for electronics manufacturers in the United States. They developed standards to ensure the equipment of different manufacturers was compatible and interchangeable...
- C-Bus (protocol)C-Bus (protocol)C-Bus is a proprietary communications protocol for home and building automation that can handle cable lengths up to 1000 meter using Cat-5 cable. It is used in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, USA, South Africa, the UK and other parts of Europe including Greece and Romania...
, a similar protocol with similar applications, but lacking a powerline carrier option, used mostly in Australia