Sunrise Micro Devices Announces Low-Power Bluetooth Smart Radio Core to Get Billions of IoT Sensors Talking

Sunrise Micro Devices’ sub-volt CORDIO™ BT4 radio core is the communication link to make massive scale IoT networks a reality

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.-- March 26, 2014 --Wireless intellectual property (IP) company Sunrise Micro Devices Inc. (SMD), is announcing CORDIO™ BT4 radio core, the first radio core offering from its CORDIO family of sub-volt wireless products. This low-power radio core is targeted at the billions of battery or energy harvester-powered Internet of Things (IoT) sensors forecast to be shipped in the coming years.

Massive scale IoT network nodes require three core elements: a sensor for measurement, processing power and connectivity to communicate the processed data. SMD’s offering provides the connectivity piece - CORDIO BT4 radio IP incorporates Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.1 with a Low Energy Core Configuration that is suitable for applications where sensors are expected to operate for years without human intervention.

“CORDIO BT4 is a Bluetooth Smart radio building block that is truly low-power and is straightforward to incorporate into a chip design,” said Dr. Fred Martin, president and CEO at SMD. “This offering is aligned with our goal of making wireless connectivity practical for the IoT, by making truly low-voltage, low-power devices a reality.”

“Bluetooth Smart device shipments are projected to grow to over three billion by 2018,” said Suke Jawanda, chief marketing officer for the Bluetooth SIG. “While its power-efficiency makes it perfect for devices needing to run off a tiny battery for long periods of time, the magic of Bluetooth Smart is its ability to work with an application on the smartphone or tablet consumers already own. It’s exciting to see Sunrise join other leading suppliers go all-in for Bluetooth Smart and help power the next wave of Bluetooth innovation.”

This radio core solution is a fully integrated platform that includes a transceiver, baseband and link layer (LL) subsystem for separate and independent execution of the link layer and the host controller interface (HCI). The integrated LL subsystem provides an energy efficient, timing-independent interface to the host processor, enabling easy implementation of the stack and application layers. In addition, the subsystem allows for efficient sleep and wake-up of the host processor leading to lower system-wide power consumption.

CORDIO BT4 is the only native sub-1 Volt platform in the market today - all the core circuits within the SMD radio are designed at 950mV (nominal). It has integrated power management for 1V or 3V battery applications. Due to the lower operating point for the internal circuits, the total power consumed during TX and RX is only 6mW (6mA at 1V) and the radio has a RX sensitivity of -94dBm. The market needs low voltage technologies that allow node devices to operate longer by drawing minimum current and utilizing otherwise unused battery energy. By incorporating the CORDIO BT4 sub-1 volt radio core solution, battery life of IoT devices can be extended by as much as 60 percent compared to 1.2V implementations.

CORDIO BT4 is optimized for the TSMC 55nm process and is delivered as a Hard Macro. In addition to reducing implementation time and facilitating ease of integration into SoCs, a Hard Marco implementation offers distinct advantages in the Bluetooth qualification process. SMD radio core will be a Bluetooth qualified controller sub-system (with a unique QDID) to ease Bluetooth listing of OEM products.

With a single antenna pin, integrated RX/TX switch and integrated capacitive DC-DC down-converter, the BT4 IP is designed with low cost and small size in mind and can be implemented with just nine external components. This will enable customers to offer smaller, less expensive and more reliable devices and position themselves well for adoption in high growth areas such as wearables, sports and fitness.

The CORDIO BT4 Product Brief with detailed specification information can be downloaded at www.sunrisemicro.com/products

Please contact Sunrise Micro Devices for information regarding pricing and availability of the CORDIO BT4 product.

About Sunrise Micro Devices

Sunrise Micro Devices (SMD) is making wireless connectivity practical for the Internet of Things (IoT) by Simplifying Radio Connectivity™. SMD develops standards-based low-voltage radio platforms and delivers these designs as intellectual property (IP). With a rich heritage and know-how in radio, semiconductor, and low-voltage design, SMD’s goal is to develop compelling designs that can steer and enable markets. Technology developed by SMD not only reduces cost and power consumption of today's applications; it also complements new power sources and energy harvesting devices. SMD technology, through its customers and partners, will enable and accelerate the IoT phenomenon. ARM Holdings plc, a worldwide leader in microprocessor IP, is investing in SMD.

Sunrise Micro Devices website: www.sunrisemicro.com