Multiband SoCs support full Bluetooth 5 connectivity

16th June 2017

Alice Matthews

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Datasheet

With the introduction of new multiband SoCs supporting full Bluetooth 5 connectivity and more memory options, Silicon Labs has expanded its Wireless Gecko system-on-chip (SoC) portfolio. Silicon Labs’ new EFR32xG13 SoCs offer developers greater flexibility and more capabilities for applications using a single wireless protocol or requiring more memory for multiprotocol solutions, larger customer applications or for storage of over-the-air (OTA) images.

The EFR32xG13 devices also offer an advanced on-chip oscillator to reduce bill of materials (BOM) cost, security acceleration, capacitive sensing, low-power sensing and enhanced RF performance.

The new EFR32xG13 family supports all Bluetooth 5 features and capabilities, enabling four times the range, twice the speed and eight times greater broadcasting capacity than Bluetooth 4, as well as improved co-existence with other wireless protocols. The EFR32xG13 SoCs feature a 2Mbps PHY that supports faster throughput or reduced power consumption due to lower transmit (TX) and receive (RX) times. The SoCs also integrate a new 125 and 500kbps coded PHY that enables much longer communications, quadrupling the range of Bluetooth connections compared to existing devices running Bluetooth 4.

The EFR32xG13 SoCs provide sufficient flash memory (512kB) and RAM (64kB) to run applications using zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth 5 in single-protocol mode and to support multiprotocol combinations of Bluetooth with zigbee, Thread or proprietary stacks (running on sub-GHz or 2.4GHz networks). The EFR32BG13 family is a suitable choice for Bluetooth mesh applications as the SoCs are designed to run both Bluetooth mesh and Bluetooth 5 stacks and to support both smartphone and Bluetooth mesh connectivity.

The new SoCs include an on-chip oscillator that eliminates the need for an external 32KHz crystal typically required for Bluetooth low energy devices. This integrated precision low-frequency resistor-capacitor (RC) oscillator (PLFRCO) enables developers to save approximately $0.15 in BOM cost when used in high-volume designs requiring a 32KHz crystal to meet Bluetooth low energy sleep clock accuracy specifications. The PLFRCO is differentiated from similar integrated oscillators offered by other Bluetooth devices as it guarantees robust, reliable Bluetooth low energy connections across the devices’ entire operating temperature range.

The EFR32xG13 SoCs’ energy efficiency enables longer battery life and lower vampire current for Energy Star compliant devices. Sleep current is now six percent lower than EFR32xG12 SoCs and 44% lower than first-generation Wireless Gecko devices.