IEC Sets Household Appliance Communication Standard

A new standard about to be published by the Geneva-based International Electrotechnical Commission will foster dialogue between household appliances. The standard sets the stage for networking appliances with personal computers and audio-visual equipment. The television, for example, will be able to display when the washing machine finishes a cycle, while the air conditioning can be turned on from a personal computer. Originally, the communications networks established for household appliances and for audio-visual equipment were set up separately due to different product lifecycles. Audio-visual equipment and computers are replaced faster than slow-evolving household appliances that stay in use for several years. The Home Network Communication Protocol over IP for Multimedia Household Appliances (IEC 62457) specification can be used with existing home networking standards. It is expected to be published in October 2007. Some IEC 62457 products are currently on the market in Japan.