Highly Integrated Sub-GHz Si106x/8x Family Ideal for Power-Sensitive,
Battery-Powered Systems with RF Connectivity
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Silicon
Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in high-performance, analog-intensive,
mixed-signal ICs, today announced that it has expanded its family of
8-bit Si10xx wireless microcontrollers (MCUs) with two new options
optimized for both cost-sensitive and performance-intensive designs. By
combining its ultra-low-power MCU technology with its sub-GHz EZRadio®
and EZRadioPRO® transceivers in a single-chip solution, Silicon Labs has
created new energy-friendly wireless MCUs that achieve industry-leading
RF performance with the lowest overall power consumption in their class.
Supporting worldwide frequency bands from 142 to 1050 MHz with low-power
sleep and active modes for extended battery life, the Si106x and Si108x
wireless MCUs address the low energy and RF connectivity requirements of
home automation, security and access control, sensor networks, asset
tracking and long-range control applications for the Internet of Things.
The highest performance and smallest wireless MCU solutions on the
market, the Si106x and Si108x devices integrate an energy-efficient 8051
MCU and a sub-GHz RF transceiver into a 5 mm x 6 mm QFN package. This
compact footprint makes the Si106x/8x wireless MCUs an ideal fit for
space-constrained applications that require wireless connectivity as
well as ultra-low power for long battery life. The exceptional
single-chip integration and small package help reduce system cost,
design complexity, board size and component count. The devices also
feature a priority crossbar decoder that gives designers complete
control over a variety of functions including a 10-bit analog-to-digital
converter (ADC), dual comparators, four 16-bit timers as well as UART,
SPI and 12C serial interfaces. This flexible crossbar configurability
eliminates the tradeoffs that often must be made with small packages.
Si106x/8x wireless MCUs based on the EZRadio transceiver provide a
cost-effective, high-value solution for the majority of embedded
wireless designs. Other more demanding connected device applications can
benefit from the higher wireless performance offered by the Si106x/8x
devices containing the EZRadioPRO transceiver, which offers greater
sensitivity (-126 dBm) and higher output power (+20 dBm) for
longer-range applications. The EZRadioPRO transceiver's resulting 146 dB
link budget maximizes wireless range, and its 60 dB adjacent channel
selectivity with 12.5 kHz channel spacing ensures robust operation in
harsh RF conditions. The EZRadioPRO transceiver is designed to comply
with the industry's most stringent wireless standards including FCC,
ETSI and ARIB, while offering frequency coverage in all major bands up
to 1050 MHz and supporting data rates from 100 bps to 1 Mbps.
The Si106x/8x family is the most energy-efficient sub-GHz wireless MCU
offering available. Both wireless MCU family options feature ultra-low
power consumption when the radio is active, 18 mA when transmitting at
+10 dBm and 10.7 mA in low-power receive mode. Low power modes enable
dramatically reduced power consumption when the radio is idle or off: 30
nA shutdown, 50 nA standby and 600 nA in sleep mode. Built-in dc-dc
boost support allows operation down to 0.9 V for single-cell battery
operation, which reduces system cost while extending the life of
battery-powered products.
"Offering an unparalleled combination of extreme energy efficiency,
industry-leading RF performance and link budget, and the smallest
package size in its class, the Si106x/8x wireless MCU family provides an
ideal sub-GHz connectivity solution for space-constrained,
power-sensitive wireless applications," said Geir Førre, senior vice
president and general manager of Silicon Labs' Microcontroller products.
"The new wireless MCU family also gives developers the flexibility of
choosing cost-effective and high-performance options, backed by a
wireless development suite that brings unprecedented simplicity and ease
of use to wireless design."
The Si106x/8x wireless MCU family supports a range of device
configurations including a choice of cost-effective EZRadio and
high-performance EZRadioPRO transceivers, flash memory scaling from 8 to
64 kB, and 768 bytes to 4 kB of RAM. Additionally, wireless MCU devices
are available with +13 dBm or +20 dBm maximum output power.
Simplified Wireless Development Support
Silicon Labs offers a rich set of hardware and software tools to
accelerate the development of applications based on the Si106x/8x
wireless MCUs. Designed to support RF evaluation, range testing and
application code development, the kits include two wireless
motherboards, two Si106x pico-boards, and all necessary antennas, cables
and batteries.
Silicon Labs' Wireless Development Suite (WDS) greatly simplifies radio
configuration for the entire Si106x/8x wireless MCU family. WDS software
provides an intuitive interface that makes it easy to select design RF
parameters and automatically generate the commands needed to configure
the wireless MCU with the desired settings. The software also eases RF
evaluation and range testing while providing code examples that
accelerate application development.
Pricing and Availability
Samples and production quantities of the Si106x/8x wireless MCUs are
available now in a 36-pin 5 mm x 6 mm QFN package. Si106x/8x product
pricing starts at $2.25 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities. Six wireless
MCU development kits, spanning the 434 to 915 MHz frequency range, are
available now for $299 each (USD MSRP). For additional Si106x/8x product
information and to purchase samples and development tools, visit www.silabs.com/wirelessmcu.
Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs is an industry leader in the innovation of
high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a
world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal
design, Silicon Labs' diverse portfolio of patented semiconductor
solutions offers customers significant advantages in performance, size
and power consumption. For more information about Silicon Labs, please
visit www.silabs.com.
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
Silicon Labs' current expectations. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could
impact Silicon Labs' financial results and cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, please
refer to Silicon Labs' filings with the SEC. Silicon Labs disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
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Silicon Labs
Dale Weisman, +1-512-532-5871
dale.weisman@silabs.com
Source: Silicon Labs
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