Printed Circuit Board Case Studies

Embedded RF Remote Control

A few years ago, the leader in the steam bath industry approached us to design a remote controlled steam bath. The project not only needed to generate steam, but also support a long list of upgrades including a CD player and mood lights.

Making steam from water requires a lot of current, and switching a lot of current makes a lot of noise for low voltage electronics. Throw in an RF remote control and you begin to see the design issues that we overcame to make the world's first and only high-end, RF controlled steam bath.

This product is designed to be installed in your personal shower area and includes fully remote controlled features such as CD player, speakerphone, four color mood lights and proportionally controlled steam (time & temperature). Each feature is sold separately. The unit self-configures itself and the RF remote accordingly on power-up.

Extensive software programming and hardware design was required for this elaborate project consisting of up to 6 microprocessors working in unison. After the design was completed, it was submitted for FCC part 15 (wireless link) and part 68 (telephone). After a few minor adjustments, the system passed both FCC requirements.

This design was a success for the customer, and many units are now in operation across North America and Europe.

Download PDF: Embedded RF Remote Control

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