Industry-leading efficiency MCU family based on innovative mixed-signal technology that minimizes overall system power consumption

January 12, 2012 – Silicon Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB, Country Manager Jong-Chan Lee), a global leader in high-performance analog-intensive mixed-signal ICs, today announced industry-leading efficiency microcontroller (MCU) and wireless MCU solutions for power-sensitive embedded applications. The newly announced C8051F96x MCU and Si102x/Si103x wireless MCU families are based on patented technology that reduces system power consumption by 40% while extending battery life by 65% compared to competing MCU solutions. Designed to meet the unique power requirements of battery-based embedded systems, Silicon Labs' ultra-low-power MCUs are suitable for smart metering (water, gas, and heating measurement), home utility monitoring, wireless security, home and building automation, portable medical devices, and asset tracking products.

Developers of battery-based embedded systems, particularly those using wireless data links, require power optimization strategies tailored to the needs of each application. Silicon Labs’ F96x 8-bit MCU was designed with these ultra-low power and wireless connectivity requirements in mind. The Si102x/3x wireless MCU combines the power-saving capabilities of the F96x MCU with the sub-GHz transceiver 'EZRadioPRO®' in a single-chip solution suitable for battery-based embedded systems that require both energy efficiency and industry-leading RF performance.

To achieve best-in-class low power and optimal wireless, Silicon Labs’ F96x and Si102x/3x product families provide the following three innovations at the system level.

• Outstanding energy transfer efficiency for battery-powered systems. Higher efficiency in transferring energy from the battery reduces energy loss due to heat dissipation, thereby lowering power consumption at the system level and extending battery life. The on-chip DC-DC buck converters in the F96x and Si102x/3x product families provide superior efficiency during voltage conversion compared to linear regulators, increasing energy transfer efficiency by up to 85%. These on-chip buck converters deliver power to the MCU as well as other system circuits, such as RF transceivers, with a maximum power output of 250mW. Silicon Labs is the first semiconductor company to integrate DC/DC buck converters into MCUs to reduce Bill of Materials (BOM) costs by lowering the number of components while maintaining superior energy efficiency.

• Reduced Active Mode Time. Since MCUs consume maximum power in active mode, the F96x and Si102x/3x feature innovative technologies designed to reduce active mode time. The on-chip Dedicated Packet Processing Engine (DPPE), with an integrated hardware acceleration block, increases RF messaging processing speed by five times. This allows the CPU to remain idle during transmit and receive cycles, thereby reducing active time and battery current load. These MCU products also integrate a low-power pulse counter that operates automatically in sleep mode without CPU intervention. On-chip pulse counters are useful for reducing power in utility instrumentation applications using pulse trains or switch closures, particularly while monitoring liquid fluidity.

• Reduced power consumption in standby mode. The new MCU integrates the industry's lowest-power Real-Time Clock (RTC), reducing standby power consumption by 40% compared to competing MCUs. The sleep mode current of the newly released product is 400nA when the RTC is active at 3V, and 70nA when the RTC is not active. It is also possible to provide an extremely low sleep mode current of 10nA at minimum voltage. The newly released MCU also features the industry's fastest transition time from sleep mode to active mode, at 2 microseconds. As a result of cutting-edge low-power design technology, systems based on the F96x and Si102x/3x product families support a battery life of over 20 years.

Mike Salas, Sales Director at Silicon Labs, stated, “The F96x and Si102x/3x product families were developed based on the best mixed-signal innovations in the ultra-low power MCU market. By significantly reducing overall system power consumption, the new MCUs enable developers to deliver industry-leading RF performance to finished products while reducing the size and cost of batteries used in embedded systems or significantly improving battery life.”

Comprehensive development support environment
Silicon Labs’ F96x and Si102x/3x product families are supported by a new Unified Development Platform (UDP) that provides a single motherboard, modular boards, an integrated LCD, and ample space for prototyping, expansion, and system integration. This UDP supports protocol stacks such as MCU code, firmware development, RF design, optimization, and wireless M-bus stacks for network and smart instrumentation applications. Silicon Labs also provides Wireless Development Set (WDS) software to enable developers with little to no RF design experience to easily design effective, powerful, and cost-effective wireless applications. It supports rapid product evaluation by providing detailed documentation, reference designs, runtime MAC/PHY, and code examples. More information about UDP and WDS software can be found at www.silabs.com/UDP and www.silabs.com/WDS .

Price and Product Supply
Silicon Labs' F96x MCU and Si102x/Si103x wireless MCUs are available in large quantities in various small package forms. Prices start at $2.40 for the F96x MCU, $4.39 for the Si102x wireless MCU, and $2.37 for the Si103x wireless MCU, based on a 10,000-unit supply.

Silicon Labs offers a variety of hardware and software development kits ranging from $129 to $829 (US dollars, based on suggested retail prices). For additional product information, samples, and development tools for the F96x and Si102x/3x product families, visit www.silabs.com/pr/lowpower and www.silabs.com/pr/wirelessmcu
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