Channel Sounding, Security, and CAN-FD Integration Enable Extended Battery Life and Compact IoT Devices

Silicon Labs has introduced a new System-on-Chip (SoC) targeting next-generation Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) applications. The solution is characterized by ultra-low power design, enhanced security features, and integrated peripheral functions that improve battery efficiency and development convenience for IoT devices.

Silicon Labs announced on the 6th the launch of BG2B, a Bluetooth LE wireless SoC based on Series 2 architecture.

The BG2B integrates Channel Sounding, Secure Vault High security technology, CAN-FD, LED driver, and dual ADC into a single chip based on Bluetooth 6 support. The company states this enables the development of smaller, longer battery life IoT devices.

The BG2B achieves improved power efficiency through dual-output DC-DC power architecture and multi-core design.

According to Silicon Labs, the BG2B reduces MCU operating current and Bluetooth receive current by approximately 14-15% compared to the company's existing low-power Bluetooth LE SoCs, and consumes 1.1µA current in EM2 sleep mode.

The device is designed for applications requiring extended battery operation, including wireless sensors, asset tracking tags, smart locks, wearable devices, and electronic shelf labels (ESL).

The BG2B supports Bluetooth channel sounding functionality, enabling secure distance measurement and location-aware services.

The device is also designed to support Bluetooth channel sounding specifications from Apple and Google, with related software and development support systems provided.

Integrated peripheral functionality has been enhanced. With built-in CAN-FD capability, wireless diagnostics and monitoring functions for vehicles and industrial equipment can be implemented without requiring a separate bridge device.

LED driver, dual 12-bit ADC, and battery status measurement functions are integrated to reduce the number of system components and simplify design.

Security features have also been strengthened.

The BG2B incorporates Secure Vault High technology designed to protect device IDs, encryption keys, firmware, and sensitive data. Additionally, it is developed to meet PSA Level 3 requirements, enabling compliance with strengthened security regulations including the European Union's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

Daniel Cooley, CTO of Silicon Labs, stated, "We designed the BG2B to support secure distance measurement and location-aware functionality while maintaining requirements for low power consumption, compact form factor, and cost efficiency. It enables support for higher-level functionality and connectivity while reducing the need for external components."