Silicon Labs' Gecko technology makes ARM mbed OS more energy efficient

     Silicon Labs, a leading provider of silicon chips and software solutions for a smart, connected world, has announced that its energy-efficient EFM32 Gecko MCU portfolio based on ARM Cortex-M processors now has broad support for ARM mbed™OS. Giant Gecko, Happy Gecko, Leopard Gecko, and Wonder Gecko MCUS from Silicon Labs run mbed OS and the mbed power management Application Programming Interface (API). Provide embedded developers with the best technology for energy efficiency, ease of use and security to build battery-powered, ARM-based IoT-connected devices.

     Silicon Labs is showcasing its MBed-enabled development platform in the ARM mbed pavilion at the ARM TechCon technology Forum. These demonstrations included Silicon Labs' popular solutions, including the Cortex-M3-based EFM32 Giant Gecko MCU, Bluetooth® Smart technology, and the Si114x optical sensor for ambient light and heart rate monitoring (HRM). The development platform demonstrates how to easily design energy-efficient, connectable devices that support mbed OS, Bluetooth Smart connectivity, and biometric sensing. Silicon Labs, a pioneer in the use of optical sensors in HRM applications, has developed unique hardware and software technologies to simplify heart rate monitoring design in wearable designs.

     At ARM TechCon, ARM unveiled a wearable reference design that integrates mbed OS, which incorporates a power management API developed in partnership with Silicon Labs and launched earlier this year. These low-power mbed apis now provide basic support for all peripheral interactions in mbed OS. Considering the situation of low-power applications in the real world, the API allows mbed OS developers to optimize ARM Embed-enabled designs for lower power consumption and longer battery life. With the power management API built into mbed OS, Silicon Labs' EFM32 Gecko MCU automatically enables optimal sleep mode based on the use of MCU peripherals, significantly reducing system-level energy consumption.

     Zach Shelby, vice president of Marketing for ARM's iot business, said: "We welcome Silicon Labs' strong support for mbed OS and look forward to our continued collaboration on apis and reference designs to drive the future of ultra-low-power ARM microcontroller platforms. "Silicon Labs' deep understanding of system-level energy optimization and support for mbed OS will enable technological innovation in energy-constrained IoT device technologies, as well as components such as sensing and low-power connectivity."

     Daniel Cooley, vice president of IoT product marketing at Silicon Labs, said, "The Silicon Labs Gecko MCUS, wireless and sensing solutions, and the implementation of ARM's energy-efficient mbed OS provide an unparalleled platform for developing standards-based, low-energy iot products. ARM mbed OS drives the embedded C++ design of IoT by simplifying the complexity of device-to-cloud connectivity, while also providing the security features necessary to secure IoT products."