Silicon Labs has introduced a new line of secure, ultra-low-power Zigbee system-on-chip (SoC) devices specifically designed for eco-friendly IoT products deployed in mesh networks. The EFR32MG22 (MG22) family expands Silicon Labs’ Zigbee portfolio by delivering the smallest and lowest power SoCs optimized for Zigbee Green Power applications.
Energy-friendly Zigbee Green Power technology can help address environmental concerns by reducing residential, commercial, and industrial energy footprints with the focus on one IoT device at a time. Also, the 802.15.4 PHY and MAC of the energy-efficient Zigbee 3.0 protocol enable Zigbee Green Power to further reduce the power consumption by decreasing the amount of data required for wireless transmission.
Based on Silicon Labs’ Wireless Gecko Series 2 platform, the MG22 SoCs are apt for Zigbee devices powered by coin cell batteries or energy-harvesting sources. Smart home sensors, lighting controls, and building and industrial automation are its target applications.
The MG22 SoCs ensure high-performance and low-power 76.8 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with TrustZone. Moreover, the ultra-low transmit and receive power (8.2 mA TX at +6 dBm, 3.9 mA RX), 1.4 µA deep-sleep mode power and low-power peripherals ensure energy efficiency. In addition to this, Silicon Labs has also implemented a suite of security features in the Series 2 products.
The EFR32MG22 SoCs are scheduled to start shipping in March 2020 in 5 x 5 mm QFN40, 4 x 4 mm QFN32, and slender 0.3 x 4 x 4 mm TQFN32 packages. The EFR32MG22 SoC starter kit will also be available in March, with prices starting at $99. Developers can download Simplicity Studio, including network analyzer, energy profiler tools, Zigbee 3.0 stack, demos, and mobile apps free of cost.
