Our Bluetooth Xpress BGX13 Bluetooth 5 modules make it easy for developers to add Bluetooth to their products without requiring any firmware development. In this Tech Talks session, field applications engineer, Andrew Krenz, describes how easy it is to simply drop-in our BGX modules and connect. Watch our video of this Tech Talks session for an in-depth description of BGX modules and a live-recorded demo. Click here to register for future Tech Talks. Highlights from Andrew's session are below.

What is BGX?

Our fully integrated Bluetooth Xpress (BGX) modules provide the simplest method for adding Bluetooth to your designs. Based on our certified Bluetooth wireless modules, BGX modules are pin-compatible with BGM13 and support all of Bluetooth 5's PHYs (1M, 2M and long-range coded PHYs). They offer multiset advertising and can act in either a central or peripheral role, so they can advertise and scan at the same time.

BGX modules are pre-programmed with software that provides a simple, easy-to-use UART serial interface. They are pre-certified in the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Europe, and are available in the following two sizes:

• BGX13P: 12.9 × 15.0 × 2.2 mm PCB module
• BGX13S: 6.5 × 6.5 × 1.4 mm SIP module

PCB guidelines are easy to follow and compatible with BGM counterparts, giving developers a forward migration path if they ever wish to add more features.

Security and power management are covered by low-energy secure pairing and a simple power management framework that allows the BGX to go into sleep mode while the UART is still active.

The two most common use cases for BGX are:

1. Wire replacement – BGX to BGX connection is simple and only requires a UART connection to the MCU host. At each end of the connection, the BGX modules can act as either a central or peripheral.
2. Adding Bluetooth LE smartphone to an embedded design – the BGX mobile framework API for iOS and Android makes it easy to connect and communicate with a Bluetooth link.

Xpress Mobile Framework Tool Simplifies Design

The Xpress Mobile Framework for iOS and Android enables wireless communication with smartphones and other Bluetooth Xpress devices. This framework abstracts low-level, core Bluetooth API functionalities behind a unified, high-level API and handles everything for the user with a minimum level of complexity. Firmware and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates are attainable with the smartphone app. A recent update involving the Xpress command API enables smartphones to read and write data, thus eliminating the need for an MCU.

Getting Started

Follow these simple steps to get started on your design:

1. Order an evaluation kit from Silicon Labs' Getting Started with Bluetooth Xpress page.
2. Download BGX Commander Mobile App for Android and iOS.
3. Download and install the latest version of Simplicity Studio.
4. Explore development resources, such as docs.silabs.com.

Adding Bluetooth to your products is now easier than ever. Our BGX modules and Xpress Configurator tool help you streamline the design process, enabling a faster time to market for your product.

For more information on our Wireless Xpress modules, contact your Silicon Sales representative.

Our Bluetooth Xpress BGX13 Bluetooth 5 modules make it easy for developers to add Bluetooth to their products without requiring any firmware development. In this Tech Talks session, field applications engineer, Andrew Krenz, describes how easy it is to simply drop-in our BGX modules and connect. Watch our video of this Tech Talks session for an in-depth description of BGX modules and a live-recorded demo. Click here to register for future Tech Talks. Highlights from Andrew's session are below.

What is BGX?

Our fully integrated Bluetooth Xpress (BGX) modules provide the simplest method for adding Bluetooth to your designs. Based on our certified Bluetooth wireless modules, BGX modules are pin-compatible with BGM13 and support all of Bluetooth 5's PHYs (1M, 2M and long-range coded PHYs). They offer multiset advertising and can act in either a central or peripheral role, so they can advertise and scan at the same time.

BGX modules are pre-programmed with software that provides a simple, easy-to-use UART serial interface. They are pre-certified in the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Europe, and are available in the following two sizes:

• BGX13P: 12.9 × 15.0 × 2.2 mm PCB module
• BGX13S: 6.5 × 6.5 × 1.4 mm SIP module

PCB guidelines are easy to follow and compatible with BGM counterparts, giving developers a forward migration path if they ever wish to add more features.

Security and power management are covered by low-energy secure pairing and a simple power management framework that allows the BGX to go into sleep mode while the UART is still active.

The two most common use cases for BGX are:

1. Wire replacement – BGX to BGX connection is simple and only requires a UART connection to the MCU host. At each end of the connection, the BGX modules can act as either a central or peripheral.
2. Adding Bluetooth LE smartphone to an embedded design – the BGX mobile framework API for iOS and Android makes it easy to connect and communicate with a Bluetooth link.

Xpress Mobile Framework Tool Simplifies Design

The Xpress Mobile Framework for iOS and Android enables wireless communication with smartphones and other Bluetooth Xpress devices. This framework abstracts low-level, core Bluetooth API functionalities behind a unified, high-level API and handles everything for the user with a minimum level of complexity. Firmware and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates are attainable with the smartphone app. A recent update involving the Xpress command API enables smartphones to read and write data, thus eliminating the need for an MCU.

Getting Started

Follow these simple steps to get started on your design:

1. Order an evaluation kit from Silicon Labs' Getting Started with Bluetooth Xpress page.
2. Download BGX Commander Mobile App for Android and iOS.
3. Download and install the latest version of Simplicity Studio.
4. Explore development resources, such as docs.silabs.com.

Adding Bluetooth to your products is now easier than ever. Our BGX modules and Xpress Configurator tool help you streamline the design process, enabling a faster time to market for your product.

For more information on our Wireless Xpress modules, contact your Silicon Sales representative.

At first glance, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) might seem like the most cost-efficient option for your wireless design. However, the hidden design costs of using an SoC could mean that a wireless module is the better choice. In this Tech Talks session, product marketing manager, Joe Tillison, outlines the criteria for making the best choices for your design. Click here to watch the entire session and register now for future Tech Talks. Here are some of the key takeaways from Joe's presentation.

Start with a Break-Even Analysis

Today's highly integrated SoCs provide the lowest possible bill of materials (BoM) cost option. However, SoCs are more challenging to design with and thus require research and development (R&D) budget, specialized measurement equipment, and staff expertise in RF design and compliance testing. While modules are more expensive, they are easier to use and come pre-certified for RF compliance agencies, enabling faster time to market. So, how do you decide which option to use? Joe recommends starting with a break-even analysis.

The following break-even analysis table shows that, at lower volumes, the SoC profit is negative due to the upfront costs of using an SoC in your design.

The annual break-even volume between SoCs and modules in this example is around 300,000 units. Although the break-even point may seem surprisingly high, there is a simple reason: as chip pricing has come down, so has the gap between chip pricing and module pricing. At high volumes, there can be as little as $1 price difference between chips and modules.

SoC and Module Price Comparisons Ignore Other Hidden Costs

If you're only comparing chip pricing to module pricing, you're ignoring some hidden costs. Development with SoCs requires RF engineers with specialized skills, which adds to overhead development cost. Additionally, SoCs must undergo compliance testing and require the use of specialized lab equipment and facilities. Any issues discovered during compliance testing can be costly to fix in terms of redesign and lab expenses, all of which can cause time to market delays.

Wireless modules eliminate many of the risks associated with SoCs. They are easy to use in designs and involve only a few simple guidelines. Additionally, modules are fully tested and characterized by the vendor. End products using pre-certified modules inherit the module's certifications. Overall, modules provide a faster path to revenue.

Decision-Making Criteria

When choosing between an SoC or a module for your wireless design, consider the following important factors:

• Volume versus cost – what is your break-even point?
• Availability of resources – RF expertise, software and lab equipment
• Time to market costs – SoCs require longer development times
• Risk tolerance – lost time to market and market share if the project is delayed

Silicon Labs offers the best of both worlds. Our module and SoC families use the same tools and software, so the developer experience is the same no matter which option you choose. Our pre-certified modules, which have already been tested to meet alliance standards and RF regulatory requirements, ensure certification of your end products. Silicon Labs’ reference designs, technical documentation and support teams assist experienced RF engineers in efficiently designing with our SoCs and enable developers with little to no RF experience to add wireless connectivity to their IoT products using modules.

When it comes to adding wireless functionality to your products, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Let us help you find the best choice for your wireless development needs. To learn more about our wireless module and SoC solutions, contact your Silicon Labs sales representative.

Navigating the various requirements for qualifying and certifying your Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave-based IoT products can be challenging. In this Tech Talks session, Silicon Labs field applications engineer, Marius Turculet, walks you through each stage of the RF regulatory qualification and standards certification process for these wireless protocols and explains how Silicon Labs can support these procedures. Click here to watch the entire Qualifications session and register now for future Tech Talks. Here’s a summary of Marius's key points.

Wireless certification requirements fall into two categories: 

• RF regulatory certification requirements – driven by the market where the product is sold
• Wireless standards certification – driven by the specific alliance or special interest group (SIG)

RF Regulatory Certification

Regional RF regulatory bodies set the standards for testing requirements. Certification requirements vary slightly by country or region and involve one of the following approaches:

• Classic – applies to the U.S., Canada, Japan and Korea, and involves testing at an accredited lab, then applying for certification from an official certification body.
• Declaration of Conformity (DoC) – applies to the EU. This approach does not require approval from a regulatory body if the product meets defined standards.

Silicon Labs provides numerous solutions to ease the RF certification process. We maintain our own documentation and offer pre-certified modules for the U.S., Canada, Japan and Korea. Our supporting collateral includes module data sheets, application notes, test reports, layout guidelines and installation instructions with tips pertaining to regulatory certification. These materials, as well as RF certification instructional videos, are available on our website.

Wireless Standards Certification – Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave

Wireless certifications are defined by the respective wireless alliance groups for Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave. These requirements ensure conformance to the alliance standard and promote interoperability of devices. Certification from an alliance comes with several benefits, including guarantees of interoperability with alliance devices; licensed IP; access to logos and trademarks that you can use on your products, marketing materials and website and the ability to market your product through the alliance group's website.

While each alliance has its own unique certification requirements, they all involve the following procedures:

1. Membership in the alliance, which is required for certification.
2. Testing at an accredited testing house to demonstrate compliance with the latest standard.
3. Application for certification through an alliance web portal.

Once the application for certification is approved, the product is listed on the alliance website, and all benefits associated with the alliance become available.

As a member of the Bluetooth SIG, Zigbee Alliance and Z-Wave Alliance, Silicon Labs offers a complete solution for your wireless development needs, including qualification and certification expertise. We provide the following components to streamline the certification process:

• Certified stacks and modules already listed on alliance websites
• Supporting collateral such as test reports, layout files and technical documentation
• Detailed tutorial videos for Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave qualification procedures

Certification and testing processes can be time consuming and costly and can delay development. Support from your silicon provider is crucial because it provides peace of mind, knowing that your final product will pass certification tests without delaying time to market or adding costs.

To learn more about our wireless solutions, including certification and qualification support, contact your Silicon Labs sales representative.

Adding a power management IC (PMIC) to your design is a great way to enhance system energy efficiency and configurability while increasing your battery choices. Yet selecting the right PMIC from among the thousands of parts offered by catalog distributors can be challenging and time consuming, adding more complexity to the development process while increasing time-to-market pressures.

At Silicon Labs, we’ve got your power management needs covered. Our new, energy-friendly EFP01 PMIC family gives you a flexible, system-level power management solution for a wide range of battery-powered applications including IoT sensors, asset tags, smart meters, home and building automation, security, and health and wellness products. The feature-rich PMICs enable developers to choose the optimal battery type and chemistry for their applications while controlling a product’s power supply over multiple output rails and voltages.

The EFP01 family provides a dedicated power management companion for our EFR32 wireless SoCs and EFM32 MCUs and is supported by our Simplicity Studio tools, reference design materials, sample applications and ”PMIC-aware” wireless stacks for easy development. Because the EFP01 is optimized for use with our IoT connectivity platforms, there is no need to merge multiple vendor reference designs into a single schematic or layout.

Configurable PMIC Solution Enhances Power Efficiency and Extends Battery Life

Our EFP01 PMICs simplify power system design and reduce power consumption through enhanced control. The PMICs include the following key features:

• Flexible input/output voltage: A wide input voltage range (0.8 to 5.5 V) supports an array of batteries; wide output voltages support a variety of peripherals, MCUs and radios.
• Flexible use cases: The PMICs enable buck and boost voltage conversion as well as combined boost and buck (“boost bootstrap”) for IoT products requiring coin cell batteries and higher transmit power (up to +20 dBm).
• Multiple output power rails: This feature allows an entire IoT product to be powered by one low-cost PMIC, using less board real estate and simplifying software/hardware design.
• Low quiescent current: Unlike many PMICs, the EFP01 is optimized for sleepy devices, with quiescent current as low as 150 nA to reduce sleep current and enhance battery life.
• Coulomb counting: The EFP01 supports coulomb counting (a feature offered by few PMIC solutions), offering vital information for battery life estimation and preventive maintenance.

Getting Started with the EFP01 PMIC

Samples and production quantities of EFP01 PMICs in a 3 x 3 mm QFN20 package are available now. Prices start at $0.55 (USD MSRP) in 10,000-unit quantities. Three development boards that accelerate system design include the SLWRB4179B radio board priced at $39 (USD MSRP) and two PMIC evaluation boards, each priced at $49 (USD MSRP).

To order PMIC samples and boards, visit silabs.com/efp01. For more information about our EFP01 PMIC devices, contact your Silicon Sales representative.

Adding a power management IC (PMIC) to your design is a great way to enhance system energy efficiency and configurability while increasing your battery choices. Yet selecting the right PMIC from among the thousands of parts offered by catalog distributors can be challenging and time consuming, adding more complexity to the development process while increasing time-to-market pressures.

At Silicon Labs, we’ve got your power management needs covered. Our new, energy-friendly EFP01 PMIC family gives you a flexible, system-level power management solution for a wide range of battery-powered applications including IoT sensors, asset tags, smart meters, home and building automation, security, and health and wellness products. The feature-rich PMICs enable developers to choose the optimal battery type and chemistry for their applications while controlling a product’s power supply over multiple output rails and voltages.

The EFP01 family provides a dedicated power management companion for our EFR32 wireless SoCs and EFM32 MCUs and is supported by our Simplicity Studio tools, reference design materials, sample applications and ”PMIC-aware” wireless stacks for easy development. Because the EFP01 is optimized for use with our IoT connectivity platforms, there is no need to merge multiple vendor reference designs into a single schematic or layout.

Configurable PMIC Solution Enhances Power Efficiency and Extends Battery Life

Our EFP01 PMICs simplify power system design and reduce power consumption through enhanced control. The PMICs include the following key features:

• Flexible input/output voltage: A wide input voltage range (0.8 to 5.5 V) supports an array of batteries; wide output voltages support a variety of peripherals, MCUs and radios.
• Flexible use cases: The PMICs enable buck and boost voltage conversion as well as combined boost and buck (“boost bootstrap”) for IoT products requiring coin cell batteries and higher transmit power (up to +20 dBm).
• Multiple output power rails: This feature allows an entire IoT product to be powered by one low-cost PMIC, using less board real estate and simplifying software/hardware design.
• Low quiescent current: Unlike many PMICs, the EFP01 is optimized for sleepy devices, with quiescent current as low as 150 nA to reduce sleep current and enhance battery life.
• Coulomb counting: The EFP01 supports coulomb counting (a feature offered by few PMIC solutions), offering vital information for battery life estimation and preventive maintenance.

Getting Started with the EFP01 PMIC

Samples and production quantities of EFP01 PMICs in a 3 x 3 mm QFN20 package are available now. Prices start at $0.55 (USD MSRP) in 10,000-unit quantities. Three development boards that accelerate system design include the SLWRB4179B radio board priced at $39 (USD MSRP) and two PMIC evaluation boards, each priced at $49 (USD MSRP).

To order PMIC samples and boards, visit silabs.com/efp01. For more information about our EFP01 PMIC devices, contact your Silicon Sales representative.

One of the most exciting recent developments for the IoT is the new Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP), which brings innovative technology to unify device communication across different ecosystems and networks. In this Tech Talks session, Mark Hallam, Senior Field Applications Engineer, explains why it’s more important than ever to future-proof your smart home. Click here to catch the entire session and register now for future Tech Talks. Here’s a brief summary of Mark’s informative session.

The IoT market is set for rapid growth, with a projected installed base of more than 52 billion devices by 2028. Yet several challenges are impeding this growth. There are still too many incompatible protocols; numerous smart home devices don’t work effectively across multiple ecosystems; and most end users don’t know which devices or ecosystems to choose for easy, effective installation.

Imagine what can happen if we make the IoT simpler. According to Mark, we need three things to drive market growth:

1. Simplicity – one of Silicon Labs’ core tenets – for end customers, developers and manufacturers.
2. Robust, end-to-end security as new attack vectors can bring companies and economies to a halt.
3. Inclusiveness and openness for smart home products to work together and across ecosystems.

To address these challenges, we need Project Connected Home Over IP. A working group within the Zigbee Alliance, the Project is developing a free, open-source connectivity standard to improve security and interoperability between devices and ecosystems. The collaborative effort is led by Amazon, Apple and Google, along with the Zigbee Alliance. Silicon Labs, as a Zigbee Alliance board member, is also fully engaged in this development. With more than 90 companies across multiple industries actively contributing to this development, the Project will have a massive positive impact on the IoT.

The Project’s application layer is based on market-tested technologies running on multiple network protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 802.15.4. The Project brings together a combination of features of the Zigbee Alliance’s Dotdot data model, Google Weave, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa’s Smart Home ecosystem. The Project aims to improve the customer and developer experience by creating a protocol widely adopted across ecosystems and assistants. The initial focus is the smart home, later expanding to other applications areas.

Why Choose Silicon Labs as Your Wireless Solution Provider?

Silicon Labs has a broad portfolio of wireless SoCs and modules with industry-leading RF performance and security features. We offer decades of experience in mesh networking, play a leading role in Zigbee and Thread specification development, and have the largest deployment of Zigbee devices worldwide. We have also worked with leading Wi-Fi vendors to develop industry-leading coexistence solutions. Moreover, we have developed robust multiprotocol technology enabling a single wireless device to run multiple wireless networks. We offer a scalable platform, our own wireless stacks, and extensive real-world test networks and tools. As your trusted ecosystem development partner, we offer extensive expertise and relationships that can help you accelerate your IoT project.

Key Takeaways: How to Future-Proof Your Application for Project Connected Home over IP:

• Start your development on Zigbee or OpenThread, knowing that the new protocol will complement these existing wireless technologies.
• Select larger memory variant wireless devices from Silicon Labs to support seamless over the air (OTA) updates to future-proof your design for this new application layer.
• Incorporate the required security features into your IoT devices.
• Join Project Connected Home Over IP as part of Zigbee Alliance so that you can stay up to date on the Project’s new developments.

Click here for a transcript of this Tech Talks Q&A session.

With their longer range, low power and low cost, proprietary wireless protocols for sub-GHz connectivity offer many advantages over other standard protocols. In this Tech Talk session, Silicon Labs field applications engineer, Chris League, explains why developers should consider using proprietary sub-GHz solutions for their IoT applications. Click here to watch the entire session and register now for future Tech Talks. Highlights from Chris’s presentation are below.

Why Proprietary?

When a standard protocol does not fit your use case, or when your design has unique requirements, proprietary networks can be the right solution. With proprietary protocols, you can design specifically for your use case, thus reducing memory and processing requirements and resulting in lower power and lower development cost. Additionally, proprietary networks are innately more secure than other standards-based protocols due to the hidden nature of their of data rates, modulation, and packet structure. These parameters are more widely known for standard protocol networks, making them more vulnerable to security threats.

Proprietary wireless solutions are ideal for the following applications:

• Smart meters
• Home automation and security
• Garage door openers
• Public infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Asset tracking
• Electronic shelf labels (ESL)

Why Sub-GHz?

One advantage of using sub-GHz frequencies in your designs is longer range. Sub-GHz radio waves can easily pass through walls and other obstacles and can bend around buildings with much lower attenuation. Sub-GHz frequencies also have less interference than the 2.4 GHz band, which is crowded with colliding signals from other radio sources such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled devices. Less interference means fewer retries, which saves battery life. Because batteries with long shelf life chemistries can be one of the most expensive part of a system design, the energy-saving advantages of using sub-GHz can mean a significant cost-savings for developers.

Why Silicon Labs for Proprietary Sub-GHz?

With 12 years of experience and trusted partnerships with market leaders in metering, security, lighting, home and industrial automation, Silicon Labs is a leading expert in proprietary wireless networks. Our extensive portfolio of Wireless SoC solutions and RF transceivers offers excellent link budgets up to 148 dBm for long-range connectivity, superior performance in the presence of blockers, industry-leading integrated +20 dBm power amplifiers (PA), and fully featured radio configuration software and networking stacks.

Our advanced software and development tools enable developers of all skill levels to simplify wireless and MCU design. The Flex SDK is a complete software suite for proprietary wireless applications. It includes an easy-to-use Radio Abstraction Interface Layer (RAIL) API, a feature-rich and scalable Connect networking stack, sample applications and extensive documentation. The Simplicity Studio IDE includes a powerful suite of tools for energy profiling, configuration and wireless network analysis, as well as demos, software examples, documentation, technical support and community forums.

Getting started is easy with the Quick Start Guide for Flex SDK, and we offer all the support you need with the right tools, supporting documentation and numerous examples.

To learn more about our proprietary sub-GHz portfolio, contact your Silicon Labs sales representative. Click here for a transcript of the Tech Talks Q&A session.

With their longer range, low power and low cost, proprietary wireless protocols for sub-GHz connectivity offer many advantages over other standard protocols. In this Tech Talk session, Silicon Labs field applications engineer, Chris League, explains why developers should consider using proprietary sub-GHz solutions for their IoT applications. Click here to watch the entire session and register now for future Tech Talks. Highlights from Chris’s presentation are below.

Why Proprietary?

When a standard protocol does not fit your use case, or when your design has unique requirements, proprietary networks can be the right solution. With proprietary protocols, you can design specifically for your use case, thus reducing memory and processing requirements and resulting in lower power and lower development cost. Additionally, proprietary networks are innately more secure than other standards-based protocols due to the hidden nature of their of data rates, modulation, and packet structure. These parameters are more widely known for standard protocol networks, making them more vulnerable to security threats.

Proprietary wireless solutions are ideal for the following applications:

• Smart meters
• Home automation and security
• Garage door openers
• Public infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Asset tracking
• Electronic shelf labels (ESL)

Why Sub-GHz?

One advantage of using sub-GHz frequencies in your designs is longer range. Sub-GHz radio waves can easily pass through walls and other obstacles and can bend around buildings with much lower attenuation. Sub-GHz frequencies also have less interference than the 2.4 GHz band, which is crowded with colliding signals from other radio sources such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled devices. Less interference means fewer retries, which saves battery life. Because batteries with long shelf life chemistries can be one of the most expensive part of a system design, the energy-saving advantages of using sub-GHz can mean a significant cost-savings for developers.

Why Silicon Labs for Proprietary Sub-GHz?

With 12 years of experience and trusted partnerships with market leaders in metering, security, lighting, home and industrial automation, Silicon Labs is a leading expert in proprietary wireless networks. Our extensive portfolio of Wireless SoC solutions and RF transceivers offers excellent link budgets up to 148 dBm for long-range connectivity, superior performance in the presence of blockers, industry-leading integrated +20 dBm power amplifiers (PA), and fully featured radio configuration software and networking stacks.

Our advanced software and development tools enable developers of all skill levels to simplify wireless and MCU design. The Flex SDK is a complete software suite for proprietary wireless applications. It includes an easy-to-use Radio Abstraction Interface Layer (RAIL) API, a feature-rich and scalable Connect networking stack, sample applications and extensive documentation. The Simplicity Studio IDE includes a powerful suite of tools for energy profiling, configuration and wireless network analysis, as well as demos, software examples, documentation, technical support and community forums.

Getting started is easy with the Quick Start Guide for Flex SDK, and we offer all the support you need with the right tools, supporting documentation and numerous examples.

To learn more about our proprietary sub-GHz portfolio, contact your Silicon Labs sales representative. Click here for a transcript of the Tech Talks Q&A session.

With their longer range, low power and low cost, proprietary wireless protocols for sub-GHz connectivity offer many advantages over other standard protocols. In this Tech Talk session, Silicon Labs field applications engineer, Chris League, explains why developers should consider using proprietary sub-GHz solutions for their IoT applications. Click here to watch the entire session and register now for future Tech Talks. Highlights from Chris’s presentation are below.

Why Proprietary?

When a standard protocol does not fit your use case, or when your design has unique requirements, proprietary networks can be the right solution. With proprietary protocols, you can design specifically for your use case, thus reducing memory and processing requirements and resulting in lower power and lower development cost. Additionally, proprietary networks are innately more secure than other standards-based protocols due to the hidden nature of their of data rates, modulation, and packet structure. These parameters are more widely known for standard protocol networks, making them more vulnerable to security threats.

Proprietary wireless solutions are ideal for the following applications:

• Smart meters
• Home automation and security
• Garage door openers
• Public infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Asset tracking
• Electronic shelf labels (ESL)

Why Sub-GHz?

One advantage of using sub-GHz frequencies in your designs is longer range. Sub-GHz radio waves can easily pass through walls and other obstacles and can bend around buildings with much lower attenuation. Sub-GHz frequencies also have less interference than the 2.4 GHz band, which is crowded with colliding signals from other radio sources such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled devices. Less interference means fewer retries, which saves battery life. Because batteries with long shelf life chemistries can be one of the most expensive part of a system design, the energy-saving advantages of using sub-GHz can mean a significant cost-savings for developers.

Why Silicon Labs for Proprietary Sub-GHz?

With 12 years of experience and trusted partnerships with market leaders in metering, security, lighting, home and industrial automation, Silicon Labs is a leading expert in proprietary wireless networks. Our extensive portfolio of Wireless SoC solutions and RF transceivers offers excellent link budgets up to 148 dBm for long-range connectivity, superior performance in the presence of blockers, industry-leading integrated +20 dBm power amplifiers (PA), and fully featured radio configuration software and networking stacks.

Our advanced software and development tools enable developers of all skill levels to simplify wireless and MCU design. The Flex SDK is a complete software suite for proprietary wireless applications. It includes an easy-to-use Radio Abstraction Interface Layer (RAIL) API, a feature-rich and scalable Connect networking stack, sample applications and extensive documentation. The Simplicity Studio IDE includes a powerful suite of tools for energy profiling, configuration and wireless network analysis, as well as demos, software examples, documentation, technical support and community forums.

Getting started is easy with the Quick Start Guide for Flex SDK, and we offer all the support you need with the right tools, supporting documentation and numerous examples.

To learn more about our proprietary sub-GHz portfolio, contact your Silicon Labs sales representative. Click here for a transcript of the Tech Talks Q&A session.