IP Communications

Green Plug, a developer of digital technology which enables collaboration between electronic devices and their power sources, has announced a joint development agreement with Imagination Technologies.

According to a press release, the partnership entails Green Plug (News - Alert) to implement its Greentalk technology in new chips and processors which are based on Imagination’s IP. This allows consumer electronic devices to leverage the protocol to exchange power information via the power line between power adapters and electronic products, explained Green Plug sources.

This dynamic communication provides necessary interoperability and reusability and ensures new power monitoring and control applications to be built on top of the protocol. This results in a smarter DC power adapter that reduces eWaste, shuts down power when not required, and can also be configured to concurrently supply power to two or more Greentalk-enabled products.

Green Plug plans to develop two new products using Imagination’s IP, the Green Plug Power (News - Alert) Processor chip for power devices and the Greentalk Load Processor macro for consumer electronic devices.

Using the Greentalk Load Processor or GLP, devices can communicate with Greentalk-enabled power supplies over the power cable and connector on the device. Greentalk is the company’s digital protocol for communication between devices that need power and their power sources.

The GLP also enables CE product manufacturers to include a smart power interface at less cost. This kind of interface will accept power from conventional power adapters or new Greentalk-enabled power adapters and hubs. Company sources added that consumers will be able to choose between a device-specific power adapter and a dynamic green power solution.

“Imagination is committed to continued innovation and investment in green technologies,” said Hossein Yassaie, CEO of Imagination Technologies (News - Alert), in the release. “For us, low power and power efficient solutions are essential for the industry moving forward. We believe the Green Plug approach and GreenTalk technology are significant leaps forward towards smart power management and a more energy efficient world.”

Frank Paniagua Jr., CEO and founder of Green Plug, said that Imagination serves CE device manufacturers as it makes it easy to turn on the functionality necessary for products to work with smart, universal and reusable power adapters. Green Plug can now have access to Imagination’s innovative META processor IP and extensive ecosystem through the new agreement, he added.