BG29 is Here – Powering the Smallest and Smartest Bluetooth LE Devices

The IoT landscape is constantly evolving, with device makers striving to bring connectivity to new applications and industries, where innovation previously seemed out of reach. One of the most challenging aspects in this pursuit, however, is enhancing device performance and adding features while also decreasing the size. Device makers are constantly looking for ways to create solutions that deliver the highest performance without making devices impractical for everyday use.

At Silicon Labs, we asked ourselves,: what if we made a device that delivers powerful compute, high-performance wireless, and low power consumption in a compact form factor, without trade-offs? The result is the new BG29 Bluetooth LE SoC– the latest addition to the Series 2 family of SoCs. BG29 combines high compute, ultra-low power consumption, and an ultra-compact form factor. It has been engineered to meet the power and performance needs of modern IoT applications while fitting into the smallest spaces. This makes it ideal for devices where space is limited but expectations for efficiency and capability remain high.

What Makes the BG29 Perfect for Your Bluetooth Device?

Decreasing the size of a device often means giving up important features, whether it’s memory, power consumption, battery life, or security. With the BG29, we’ have built an Bluetooth LE SoC that allows you to shrink the size of your device without sacrificing the features that ensure exceptional performance and durability. This tiny Bluetooth chip is designed to support a long battery life while maintaining strong connectivity, security, and performance to build reliable, scalable IoT products, all in a compact form factor that fits the most space constrained designs.

• High Memory and Compute
  With 1 MB Flash and 256 KB RAM, the BG29 helps deliver superior performance and robust processing capabilities for advanced, demanding applications while maintaining low power consumption. This makes it ideal for applications like HMIs, medical devices, and asset trackers where local data storage is essential for uninterrupted data tracking to enable functionality and performance even during network interruptions.
• Secure Vault™ High
  The BG29 is equipped with Secure Vault High which is designed for PSA Level 3 and protects against local and remote attacks by offering advanced encryption, key management, and authentication. This is crucial for applications in the medical and healthcare industry, as medical device manufacturers remain vigilant against risks like counterfeit devices or someone potentially hacking into personal medical equipment such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). This may result in serious data breaches and even harm patients. Consequently, the security and privacy standards are strict and non-negotiable.
  Secure Vault High offers advanced encryption, key management, authentication, and other features to address these concerns
• DCDC Boost
  The BG29 also supports DCDC Boost, which allows operation at lower battery voltages, down to 1.2 V. It also enables support for single-cell alkaline, silver oxide, button cell, and other small form factor battery technologies. This enables longer battery life, smaller battery size, and disposability, which is an important feature for energy and size constrained applications like battery operated patches and CGMs.
• Boost Enable Pin (BOOST_EN) for ultra-low power standby
  Available on select OPNs with integrated boost, this feature lets the device stay in a deep sleep mode consuming <20 nA during transit or storage. This helps preserve battery life during periods of device inactivity.
• Coulomb Counter
  The BG29 features a Coulomb Counter for accurate battery level monitoring, essential for applications like portable medical devices where uninterrupted power supply is important. It increases reliability by helping avoid battery depletion during critical health application usage.
• Ultra- Low Power with High Performance Radio
  It offers ultra-low power (1.5 µA sleep current with 16 kB RAM retention) with a high performance 2.4 GHz radio with a transmit power of up to 8 dBm and high RX sensitivity (-99 dBm sensitivity @ 1 Mbit/s GFSK). This maintains reliable wireless communication even in challenging RF environments, ideal for devices like body worn sensors.

BG29 – Redefining Tiny Bluetooth LE Device Connectivity

With the BG29, we are redefining tiny connectivity and expanding the possibilities of ultra-compact Bluetooth devices. You no longer have to choose between performance, size, compute, or security. With the BG29, you get them all in a single package.

Are you ready to start building with the BG29 tiny Bluetooth chip? Visit our webpage or contact us to learn more.