Universal Remote Control's KP-900 Wireless Keypad

By RS Staff, 7.30.2008

The new KP-900 Wireless Keypad from Universal Remote Control provides an eye-opening level of versatility for custom electronics installers and their end-user clients.

With the KP-900, an installer can provide a wall-mounted home entertainment and automation controller experience for the end user without the need to break into walls or pull wires. The wireless keypad can be mounted via a bracket with four simple screws on any surface, including brick, sheetrock and plaster, making the KP-900 perfect for retrofit installations. Unlike hard-wired in-wall controllers, the KP-900 also can be easily removed from its wall bracket for convenient handheld use as an IR or RF remote control. The device even sports built-in magnets that allow it to stick to metal surfaces, including most refrigerators. Power is provided by four easy-to-replace AAA batteries, so there is no need to dock the keypad for recharging.

The KP-900 is the result of a well-considered evaluation of end user preferences and installer needs, said Jon Sienkiewicz, director of marketing for URC. Its also a reflection of the evolving nature of the digital home environment. End users increasingly expect high levels of portability, versatility and functionality from their control devices, and the KP-900 enables our network of professional installer dealers to deliver all that and much more to their clients.

As is typical with its products, URC asked for feedback from its dealers when developing the KP-900. One innovative feature that emerged from those discussions is the keypads ability to coexist with conventional in-wall volume controls. Users might be confused about which control to use to adjust volume; often, an in-wall dial serves as the master volume control for a particular room, so adjusting volume on the keypad can lead to some sticky sound level situations. To eliminate this confusion for the user, the KP-900 ships with the three center keys in its top row empty, and three sets of keycaps are included: one for volume control (Volume Up, Mute, Volume Down), one for transport control (Seek-, Shuffle, Seek+), and one blank set. The installer thus can implement the KP-900 with no volume control option, although the user can still use the KP-900 to turn the system on or off, select a song or source, or harness previously unused features their components might already possess, like second zone outputs.

Weighing eight ounces with batteries, the KP-900 can control virtually all home entertainment and automation functions in a home, and is iPod-compatible. It operates using Infrared (IR) signals with a range of 30 to 50 feet, or Radio Frequency (RF) signals with a range of 50 to 100 feet when used with URCs optional MRF-350 or MRF-260 RF Base Station. The advantage of RF is the ability for components to be controlled without pointing at them, even if they are in other rooms or hidden in cabinets. The KP-900 also is compatible with URCs pioneering MSC-400 Master System Controller, which provides installers with options and advantages not otherwise available, including triggered macros, RS-232 and relay control, and video and voltage sensors.

The KP-900 boasts a bright, easy to read, backlit LCD screen and injection-molded backlit buttons with laser-etched labeling. Six buttons to the right of the screen can be associated with a selected activity such as Watch TV. Four megabits of configurable flash memory allow the KP-900 to support up to 400 full pages of commands that can be distributed into as many as 255 devices. Additional features include a 255-color backlighting palette for the LCD display, one-touch blue backlighting for all hard buttons, the ability to learn new IR commands, a small integrated speaker for audible feedback, a built-in sleep timer and a USB cable.

The KP-900 must be properly programmed by a professional installer using free, downloadable Windows-based URC software through any PC equipped with a USB port. Although basic set-up takes only a few minutes, an installer creating a fully automated digital home system will also need a detailed knowledge of the involved equipment, the home network and the users preferences.

The list price of the KP-900 is $499. It is available now in three design-friendly finishes: white, black and light almond.

Visit www.universalremote.com.