Silicon Labs Unveils New SoC Series xG22E To More Effectively Develop Energy Harvesting Products For Battery-Free IoT Devices

xG22E is Silicon Labs' first ultra-low power design for energy harvesting apps, delivering the company's highest energy efficiency

Silicon Laboratories is a leader in secure and intelligent wireless technology for a more connected world. announced its new wireless SoC series xG22E on April 22, 2024 (US time). The xG22E is Silicon Labs' first battery-freeenergy harvestingDesigned to operate at the ultra-low power consumption required by applications.BG22E、MG22E、FG22EThe xG22E series, which consists of By adopting these xG22E series, IoT device manufacturers can recover energy from external light, radio waves, kinetic energy, etc. in indoor and outdoor environments, optimizing the use of batteries or eliminating the need for batteries.Bluetooth Low Energy(THE),802.15.4base,Specific power savingThis makes it possible to develop high-performance wireless devices that support each wireless connection method.

To help device manufacturers build complete energy harvesting solutions, Silicon Labs is a leading company in power managed integrated circuits (PMICs) designed for energy harvesting.e-peasannounced a partnership with the company. Through this partnership, Silicon Labs and e-peas have jointly developed two energy harvesting shields for Silicon Labs' new energy optimization solution, the xG22E Explorer Kit. The xG22E Explorer Kit supports development under the strict constraints required for energy harvesting. It enables developers to customize the best peripherals and debug options for their applications, and obtain highly accurate measurements to better build applications and devices with energy harvesting shields. Energy Harvesting Shields are tailored and optimized for each energy source and energy saving technology and are made specifically to fit into the Explorer Kit slots. It is worth noting that one of the shields is the latest model of e-peas.AEM13920 dual harvesterhas been adopted. This allows energy to be extracted simultaneously from two different energy sources, such as indoor and outdoor light, temperature gradients, and electromagnetic waves, without sacrificing energy conversion efficiency. Also, the second shield is from e-peas.AEM00300 shieldIt has been developed based on , and is specialized in energy recovery using random pulses as an energy source.

"Silicon Labs is thrilled to be partnering with Silicon Labs," said Ross Sabolcik, senior vice president of industry and commercial affairs at Silicon Labs. “The market for energy harvesting and low power solutions continues to expand, and Silicon Labs continues to work to enhance our wireless MCU and radio stack capabilities to advance the development of battery-free IoT solutions. Our focus on prioritizing efficiency and extending the lifespan of our devices underscores our commitment to enabling a more sustainable IoT ecosystem.”

xG22E design meets IoT energy efficiency challenges
Internet of Things (IoT)As technology continues to evolve and become more popular, the challenge is to power small, low-complexity devices. Traditional power sources such as mains power and batteries pose challenges in terms of scalability and maintenance. Ambient IoT, which has emerged, addresses this challenge by enabling connected devices whose primary power source is energy harvested from the surrounding environment, such as radio waves, light, movement, and heat.

Silicon Labs aims to build devices that address one of the key challenges in ambient IoT. This means building a platform that optimizes power consumption and extends lifespan. The xG22E series has the following features to minimize power consumption and make it the perfect platform for energy harvesting.

• Ultra-fast and low-power cold start : For applications that start in a zero-energy state and quickly return to sleep after sending a packet. The xG22E device wakes up in 8ms and consumes only 150 microjoules of power. This power is equivalent to approximately 0.003% of the power consumed per second by a 60 watt equivalent LED bulb.
• Faster wake-up from power-saving deep sleep : Compared to Silicon Labs' previous devices, the device requires 78% less energy to wake up.
• Energy mode transition with excellent power efficiency : When switching energy modes, current spikes and inrush currents that adversely affect energy capacity are reduced, resulting in smooth switching.
• Multiple wake-up methods from deep sleep : RFSense, GPIO, and RTC can be woken up from the deepest EM4 sleep mode, making it ideal for environments that are not used for long periods of time, such as expanded storage.

Enabling a more sustainable IoT with energy harvesting applications
Energy harvesting and energy saving technologies can reduce energy costs, move away from battery dependence, and reduce operational carbon emissions by shifting energy consumption sources and reducing battery waste. This brings significant benefits to a variety of industries, including the reduction of It is also a complementary solution to various existing IoT applications. for exampleElectronic shelf labels (ESL)is rapidly being adopted by retailers around the world as a technology that enables more accurate pricing, inventory management, and even loss prevention, but with thousands of labels at a single location. It also requires a large amount of batteries. Fortunately, ESL consumes little power and does not require constant connectivity, making it an ideal field for energy harvesting. By using ambient IoT energy sources, retailers can reduce the battery requirements of ESL and create battery-free options. Consumer applications include solar-powered TV remote controls, movable wireless lighting, and home appliance switches.

Silicon Labs actively supports companies developing better low-power devices and battery-free designs, and promotes leadership in creating a sustainable environment.

For more information on developing battery-free IoT devices using Silicon Labs solutions, please visit the links below.

• xG22E unboxing at Tech Talk on May 9th (https://jp.silabs.com/about-us/events/tech-talks-wireless-technology-training/bluetooth?source=Public-Relations&detail=Press-Release&cid=pub-prr-blu-042224) registration page
• Silicon Lab'senergy harvesting (https://jp.silabs.com/wireless/energy-harvesting?source=Public-Relations&detail=Press-Release&cid=pub-prr-mlt-042224) New page about
• energy harvesting (https://news.silabs.com/SoC-xG22E-IoT) For more information, visit Silicon Labs' blog .

About Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs is a pioneer in the field of IoT wireless connectivity. The company's corporate values ​​and vision of being a leader in sustainability in the semiconductor industry are the foundation of its sustainability strategy. Silicon Labs' integrated hardware and software platform, intuitive development tools, and unparalleled ecosystem support make the company an ideal and long-term choice for building advanced industrial, commercial, home, and life applications. We have become a strong partner. As an industry leader in high performance, low power, and security, Silicon Labs supports a wide range of multiprotocol solutions. For more information, visit Silabs.com.