Silicon Labs introduces new 32-bit Sub-GHz wireless MCUS that simplify IoT connectivity

     SiliconLabs has announced a new family of 32-bit wireless MCUS designed to simplify the development of a wide range of IoT connected applications. With optimal energy efficiency and sub-GHzRF performance, the new EZR32 wireless MCU meets the needs of all applications for longer battery life, increased wireless transmission distance, small form factor and flexibility, and supports proprietary protocols in a single chip as well as industry-standard wireless protocols. The EZR32 family of products targets applications such as smart meters, wireless sensor networks, home and building automation, security systems, remote surveillance and asset tracking.

     By integrating the EFM32™MCU core and the EZRadio/EZRadioPROsub-GHz transceiver, the EZR32 wireless MCU provides developers with significant advantages over conventional discrete MCU and RF chip-based system designs. Seamless "MCU+RF" integration allows developers to get rid of the design challenges associated with interconnecting the MCU and radio, resulting in an easier design process, simplified board design, and less signal interference. Developers can start their wireless designs with more confidence because they get a field-proven, single-chip wireless MCU solution that also helps reduce the number of devices and the board area, especially in space-constrained applications.

     The EZR32 series offers industry-leading ultra-low power, high-performance sub-GHz connectivity. Wireless MCUS offer a wide frequency band covering all geographic areas, +20dBm output power for longer transmission distances, and industry-leading receive sensitivity, selectivity, and anti-interference. The EZRadio and EZRadioPRO transceivers' low standby power, low transmit and receive power, combined with EFM32MCU's ultra-low power operating mode and fast wake up time, make them the ideal solution for battery-powered wireless applications without any RF performance loss. The multi-protocol EZR32 chip supports wireless applications based on IEEE802.15.4/4g, WirelessM-Bus, Wi-SUN, and various proprietary wireless protocols.

     The EZR32 family of products provides developers with maximum flexibility and scalability to develop different applications, with little need for redesign. The family includes two pin-compatible product lines: the EZR32LG chip based on the ARMCortex-M3 kernel and the EZR32WG chip based on the ARMCortex-M4 kernel with floating point and digital signal processing capabilities. Flash memory capacity options support 64-256kB. Both product lines support 32kB of RAM and a wealth of peripherals, including timers and counters, multiple communication interfaces, ADCs and Dacs, Low Energy Sensor interfaces (LESENSE), USB, and 128-bit AES accelerators for advanced security and data protection.

     Both the EZR32LG and EZR32WG chips have EZRadio and EZRadioPRO transceiver options to meet the needs for different RF performance. The EZRadio version meets the needs of most simple and low-cost "push-button" wireless designs, such as remote control, garage door switches, and other point-to-point network configurations. The EZRadioPRO version is targeted at applications that require high-end radio features and higher RF performance to support narrowband connections over very long transmission distances, as well as complex packet formats and network protocols. The powerful EZRadioPRO transceiver architecture supports advanced packet processing and modulation features such as automatic frequency compensation (AFC), leader detection and automatic gain control (AGC), and frequency hopping.

     DanielCooley, vice president and general manager of MCU and Wireless products at SiliconLabs, said, "The sub-GHz connectivity market is evolving to meet the power consumption, size and cost savings required for today's IoT applications. Successful connected device design requires three things: high integration, low power consumption, and simplicity. "To meet these customer needs, we designed the EZR32 family to provide seamless MCU/RF integration, best-in-class energy efficiency, and an industry-best development environment with a software protocol stack that greatly simplifies the development process of adding sub-GHz connectivity to battery-powered IoT applications."