Wireless SoC targets battery-free energy harvesting

This is Silicon Lab's most energy-efficient wireless SoC to date, designed to operate in the ultra-low-power envelope required for battery-free energy harvesting.

It allows users to develop Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), 802.15.4-based or proprietary 2.4GHz wireless devices for IoT applications that harvest energy from external sources.

The SoC family has three variants: the EFR32BG22E, the EFR32MG22E, and the EFR32FG22E.

Each variant features an integrated Arm Cortex M4 MCU and a high-performance 2.4GHz radio.

These SoCs are ideal for devices that require immediate activation and efficient power management, featuring EM4 wake-up of 1.83 milliseconds and power consumption of just 16.6 microjoules (µJ). The SoCs also support multiple power sources and power management devices, allowing users to explore new battery technologies such as supercapacitors.

The EFR32BG22E wireless SoC enables Bluetooth 5 networking in IoT devices that demand fast startup, including asset tags and beacons, consumer electronics, and Bluetooth Mesh low-power nodes. It also offers a Bluetooth 5 direction-finding feature.

The EFR32MG22E SoC is designed for Zigbee green power and home automation, lighting and building controls, and smart building sensors. The optimized Zigbee SoC includes a 12-channel peripheral reflex system that allows for autonomous interaction among MCU peripherals, reducing latency and power consumption.

The EFR32FG22E proprietary wireless 2.4 SoC features RFSense and delivers energy efficiency and increased lifespan for products with limited battery resources. This SoC is a single-die solution for electronic shelf labels, home and building automation, and commercial lighting.

The Silicon Labs EFR32xG22E wireless Gecko SoCs are supported by the xG22 Development Tools: the EFR32xG22E wireless Gecko radio boards and starter kit. The xG22 tools provide developers with everything they need to evaluate the EFR32xG22E wireless Gecko SoCs and build scalable wireless IoT applications.