Atmosic Introduces Multifunctional, Power-Efficient SoC with Energy Harvesting Capability
Atmosic has expanded its BLE product range with the introduction of an advanced SoC, as revealed at CES, which now encompasses 802.15.4 protocol compatibility for Thread and Matter integration.
Continuing our coverage of CES 2024 highlights, Atmosic has unveiled a cutting-edge SoC.
The anticipated surge in IoT installations to several billions by the year 2030 raises questions about the ecological footprint of these devices. The vast quantities of batteries required for such electronics could have a considerable environmental toll if not managed correctly.
In response to these sustainability concerns, Atmosic has launched the ATM34/e at CES—a high-performance, versatile SoC that boasts integrated energy-harvesting capabilities alongside its support for multiple protocols.
Compute and Connectivity: Dual Focuses of the ATM34/e SoC
The ATM34/e SoC by Atmosic Balances High-Performance Computing with Enhanced Wireless Connectivity
The Atmosic ATM34/e series is purpose-built to tackle the sophisticated computational needs of modern IoT devices while ensuring consistent and strong connectivity.
This series is equipped with an Arm Cortex M33F processor incorporating a digital signal processing (DSP) extension, which is crucial for handling intensive data processing tasks like voice recognition and analyzing sensor data efficiently. With processing speeds reaching up to 64 MHz, these processors are adept at powering diverse IoT scenarios, ranging from straightforward tracking gadgets to intricate smart home management systems.
Offering support for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the 802.15.4 wireless communication standard, the ATM34/e series is versatile in facilitating smart home protocols such as Zigbee and Thread. This twin wireless proficiency guarantees easy incorporation of devices equipped with the ATM34/e SoC into established smart ecosystems, while also keeping them adaptable to new and upcoming standards. The onboard +10 dBm power amplifier augments the wireless range and fortifies the signal strength, thus enhancing connection stability in environments that pose connectivity challenges.
The superior connectivity features of the ATM34/e chip are further supplemented by an array of I/O-centric peripherals. These include numerous UART, SPI, and I2C interfaces to establish concurrent connections with a variety of sensors and actuators. With up to 31 GPIO pins and multiple PWM channels at its disposal, the ATM34/e series is more than capable of juggling numerous operations, enabling complex IoT infrastructures that necessitate simultaneous monitoring and actuation of various devices.
Internal block diagram of the ATM34/e.
Atmosic addressed security with dedicated hardware cryptographic engines for AES, SHA-256, RSA-2048, and ECC, ensuring that data transmitted and received by devices powered by the ATM34/e is protected against cyber threats. These features, alongside secure boot and debug capabilities, make the ATM34/e series potentially useful for applications where data integrity and device authenticity are critical.
Power Management and Energy Harvesting
Power management is another central design focus of the Atmosic ATM34/e SoC.
The series employs a power management unit (PMU) that can operate across a wide voltage range of 1.1 to 4.2 V. Along with integrated LDOs, the SoC can adapt to various power sources and conditions, optimizing energy usage for battery-powered devices.
Atmosic claims its SoCs consume up to 50% less active energy than similar market offerings. This is primarily due to its radio design, which reportedly operates under 1 mA in receive mode. Additionally, the series' power amplifier can be tuned from -20 dBm to +10 dBm, extending the battery life of devices or, in some scenarios, allowing battery-free operation by relying solely on energy harvesting.
The SoC can harvest energy from RF, light, thermal, and motion sources. This is complemented by dedicated RF wake and wakeup timers, which allow the device to remain in a low-power state until needed, significantly reducing idle power consumption. With support for both RF wake (WURX) and external energy harvesters, the ATM34/e series ensures that IoT devices can have extended, or in some cases, indefinite operational periods without manual intervention or external power sources.
Availability and Packaging
The new SoC will be available in two package options—a 5×5 40-pin QFN and a 7×7 56-pin QFN—both of which maintain pin-to-pin compatibility with the company's earlier ATM33/e series Bluetooth SoCs. Samples of the SoC will be available in the first quarter of 2024.
Atmosic will be exhibiting at CES this week at Tech West, Venetian/Palazzo Hospitalty Suites—booth 267
All images used courtesy of Atmosic
