12.29.2006 — Don't call Remote Technologies Inc. (RTI) a remote-control company.

While the manufacturer does produce some of the most highly lauded universal remotes in the home systems business, RTI is moving ever closer to being a full-fledged home-control company.

"Many installation companies think of RTI as a handheld remote control manufacturer and not a control systems manufacturer," says Pete Baker, vice president of sales and marketing. "With the introduction of our new products, we have almost just as many in-walls as handhelds."

Indeed, RTI's RK3 touchscreen/keypad recently won a CE Pro High Impact Product of the year award. The unit is essentially an in-wall version of the company's T3 universal remote, so programs created for the T3 can easily be ported to the keypad. The same can be said of RTI's K4 in-wall controller—it's a lot like the T4 wireless touchpanel, which won a coveted Manufacturer's Excellence Award from CEDIA in September.

"It's a great feature for installers that once they program the remote, they can convert it [the programming] for the in-wall," says Baker.

While the in-wall models may mimic their wireless counterparts, the built-in products boast even more capabilities because of their hardwired components, making them much more suited to whole-house control.

For example, the RK3 features an Ethernet port that allows the keypad to display full-motion video, say, from a networked security camera or YouTube.com. The port is also used to communicate two-way with Escient's Fireball music server. Users can view cover art, select playlists and perform any of the other music-related feats that used to be reserved for ultra-expensive touchscreen systems.

"I like it as an alternative to other control system touchpanel choices such as AMX’s assortment," says Dan Beckstrom, a system designer with Master Media Systems, Bloomington, Minn. "It’s affordable, has a relatively small footprint, and is easy to use and program."

Available exclusively to custom installers, the RK3 "retails" for $999—a price tag that is even smaller than it may appear since the keypad is a self-contained controller—no separate hub is required to enable a full host of control capabilities. In addition to the IP connection, the RK3 features an IR output (and receiver for pass-through) for controlling A/V gear directly, and two power status input ports for gathering feedback from controlled devices.


Taking More Control
And the RK3 is just the entry-level control system from RTI. The higher-end K4 touchscreen ($2,500) closes the gap even further between RTI and the other touchscreen guys. The K4 boasts a bright 6.4-inch TFT LCD with full VGA resolution and a 300:1 contrast ratio.

Like the RK3, it has an onboard Ethernet port, but it also features multiple video inputs—four composite or two S-Video—for streaming content from any number of sources including televisions, security cameras, or an Escient Fireball. "It really can double as a TV," says RTI's Baker.

As capable as the keypads and touchscreens are as standalone controllers, though, they are even more useful when paired with any number of RTI accessories like the RP-6, which enables control via RS-232, IR, or contact closure.

In the first quarter of 2007, the company is expected to ship an even hardier CPU, the XP-8 ($1,500). The Win CE device features more I/Os than the RP-6, plus the ability to communicate two-way via eight RS-232 ports. RTI already supports the most popular subsystems (lighting, thermostats and A/V devices, for example) for one-way communications, and the company is busy writing the drivers for two-way control. The XP-8 will ship with one-way functionality for starters, and the two-way feature set will be available through a free firmware update.

To help populate its driver database, RTI is launching an integration development program.

XP-8 Specs

• 32-bit, 200MHz XScale processor


• 32MByte of non-volatile Flash memory


• Front panel controls/display (11 Buttons for front panel control).


• Two USB ports


• Eight multi-purpose I/O ports designed for RTI modules as well as industry-standard IR emitters


• Eight programmable relay outputs


• Eight two-way RS-232 ports (RJ-45)


• Eight sense inputs


• Variable IR output on all ports.


• Non-volatile Flash memory stores system configuration even when power is not present.


• Field upgradeable firmware.


• USB and Ethernet programming.


• Input for connection of multiple RF receiver modules


• RS-485 communications port for future expansion.


• System clock built in


• Rack mountable or free standing

Note: see product updates on the XP-8.