There are several subsets of ZigBee 3.0, including ZigBee RF4CE and ZigBee
Green Power. ZigBee RF4CE was initially an offshoot of ZigBee developed to replace the infrared remote controls for consumer electronics (TVs, stereos) with
radio-based controls without aiming at the control device. It provides a simple
networking layer and application profiles for multi-vendor interoperable solution
that operates in 2.4GHz band. Now the standard has been expanded to
(ZRC 2.0) which is fully integrated with the entire ZigBee application library. This
means that a remote control designed for a TV or a set-top box can also control
lamps, lights, curtains, sun shades,etc.
ZigBee RF4CE also provides full backward compatibility with older IR-controlled
electronics. ZigBee RF4CE controllers automatically detect and download the
required code-sets for legacy equipment that originally needed an IR controller.
RF4CE makes ZigBee a key enabler for the smart home and a major new service
opportunity for the cable and TV operators. In addition to ultra-low power requirements
(comparable to BLE), ZigBee RF4CE is also in low latency that provide
a better user experience.
The RF4CE product test program is implemented following all existing ZigBee
procedures for certification.