How wireless design keeps pace with smart hardware

Under the wave of the Internet of Things, from smart bracelets, smart watches to smart medical and smart homes, from small to fine to large and complete, a series of smart hardware startups have sprung up, and well-known manufacturers are also vying to lay out. "Draft research." How to make better communication of various smart devices is the key to IoT applications. At present, the intelligent hardware device interconnection communication is mainly based on wireless connection, among which Wi-Fi based on 802.11 protocol is the most common, in addition, Bluetooth, NFC (RFID), Zigbee, Z-wave, UWB, IrDA, etc. are also in different scenarios. There are applications in it. Despite the different standards for wireless connectivity, there is no sign of relaxation for hardware design or software design for wireless connectivity.

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How to deal with wireless connection technology standards

In the face of different wireless connection technology standards, manufacturers are actively expanding their own wireless product camp while actively seeking better communication protocols. Silicon Labs, a well-known semiconductor manufacturer that has been in the mixed-signal field for many years, offers a variety of wireless connectivity solutions for connected device applications, including support for 802.15.4 ZigBee, Thread network protocols, and multiple emerging and proprietary protocols in the sub-GHz band. Various products (such as wireless M-Bus and Wi-SUN). In addition, Silicon Labs recently acquired the Bluetooth (Bluetooth and Bluetooth Classic) and Wi-Fi protocols through the acquisition of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi module solution leader Bluegiga.

According to Daniel Cooley, vice president and general manager of microcontrollers and wireless products at Silicon Labs, ZigBee technology provides a robust mesh network that allows for a wide range of devices in the home and provides trouble-free operation, so Silicon Labs has launched two ZigBee wireless chips, the Ember ZigBee Wireless SoC and the EmberZNet PRO ZigBee, which are used in home automation and home security systems.

Protocols in the sub-GHz band are typically used for smart metering and other applications that require longer distances, higher performance, and ultra-low power consumption. Silicon Labs' EZRadio and EZRadioPRO wireless ICs (transceivers, transmitters and receivers) and sub-GHz wireless MCUs provide the ideal solution for these types of applications.

For mesh network applications that directly connect to IPv6, the Thread protocol is an ideal choice, and this is an emerging protocol that the industry has invested in in recent years. As a major contributor to the Thread specification, Silicon Labs plans to bring Thread-licensed products to market in 2015. A key advantage of Thread is that Silicon Labs' existing 802.15.4 SoC supports this protocol. For developers, the current Silicon Labs 802.15.4 ZigBee SoC can be seamlessly upgraded to Thread software in the future.

Daniel Cooley, Vice President and General Manager, Microcontrollers and Wireless Products, Silicon Labs

Daniel Cooley currently serves as Vice President and General Manager of Microcontrollers and Wireless Products at Silicon Labs, focusing on the development of the company's 32-bit EFM32 Gecko microcontroller family, Blue Gecko Bluetooth Smart product line, 8-bit microcontroller, wireless micro-control And Ember ZigBee system single chip and other products.

How to low power and small size

In addition to focusing on the connectivity of intelligent hardware wireless ICs, Silicon Labs also pays great attention to the small size design and long battery life of the chip. Daniel Cooley pointed out that consumers will find it very cumbersome to take off their smart watches or trackers every day or every two days. They prefer to wear them without knowing them. They can wear them. On the wrist, you can also wear it for weeks or even months without worrying about battery replacement or charging.

Consumer-oriented for small form factor and long battery life, Daniel Cooley said: "Silicon Labs' ultra-low-power wireless SoC provides an ideal solution for wearable designs like our new Blue Gecko Bluetooth Smart SoC. Wireless SoC products combine an energy-efficient ARM MCU core and ultra-low-power wireless transceivers in a single chip to minimize power consumption and reduce component count and design complexity."

The first wireless SoC family optimized for IoT applications, the Blue Gecko SoC combines Silicon Labs' energy-efficient EFM32® Gecko MCU technology with an ultra-low-power Bluetooth Smart transceiver. Daniel Cooley pointed out that this multi-protocol single-chip SoC can eliminate the need for multiple transceivers and wireless MCUs in IoT systems, thereby reducing bill of materials (BOM) costs and design complexity. For example, with SoCs that support multiple protocols, developers can quickly build connectable device applications simply by adding power management, a battery and antenna, and a software stack. Blue Gecko SoC is a Bluetooth Smart connectivity solution for a wide range of applications in consumer electronics, audio, automotive infotainment, home networking, health and fitness (wearable products) markets.

Multi-mode, multi-band wireless SoC will be sought after

Daniel Cooley believes that the future IoT market will be integrated according to the technical characteristics and application areas of 802.15.4 mesh network technology (ZigBee and Thread), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart. For applications that have a large number of interoperable nodes and require low power, control, and automation, such as home networking, ZigBee and Thread meet the needs of such applications. Wi-Fi is the best choice for high data rate applications, such as audio and video streaming in the home. Bluetooth is ideal for personal area devices (such as wearable health and fitness products) that can be worn on or around the body, as well as smartphones or tablets.

Different wireless connection technologies have their own advantages, and the Internet of Things system is inseparable from the interconnection communication between intelligent hardware. Daniel Cooley said, "We expect huge demand for multi-mode, multi-band wireless SoC devices in the near future. Despite the difficult development of multi-mode wireless SoCs, they will bring system-level and material management to consumers and developers. Benefits. For example, a connectable device can be configured with a smartphone using Bluetooth and then become part of a home automation network using the ZigBee or Thread protocol. Ultimately, multimode wireless SoCs will greatly simplify the development of connectable device designs. Mission." Therefore, multi-mode wireless SoCs will be sought after in the future. Developers can get a lot of benefits, including design simplification, smaller form factor, lower BOM cost and faster time to market, while consumers can benefit from better usability and more with seamless multi-protocol wireless communication. Rich features.

This article is selected from the "Intelligent Hardware Special Issue" in April. More high-end interviews can be downloaded from the special issue page !

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