Lura Health uses new BG27 SoC to create a
sensor smaller than a tooth to collect salivary data
AUSTIN,
Texas, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/
-- Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in secure,
intelligent wireless technology for a more connected
world, today announced two new integrated circuit families designed
for the smallest form factor IoT devices: the xG27 family of
Bluetooth systems on chips (SoCs) and the BB50 microcontroller unit
(MCU).
Designed for the smallest IoT devices, the xG27 and BB50
families range in size from 2 mm-squared, about the width of a #2
pencil lead, to 5 mm-squared, less than the width of a standard #2
pencil. These offer IoT device designers energy efficiency, high
performance, trusted security, and in the case of the xG27 family,
wireless connectivity. This makes the xG27 SoC family and BB50 MCU
ideal for tiny, battery-optimized devices like connected medical
devices, wearables, asset monitoring tags, smart sensors, simple
consumer electronics like toothbrushes and toys, and more.
"Silicon Labs is the pure-play IoT leader, and our breadth,
depth, and focus enable us to support the broadest range of
wireless connectivity protocols of any semiconductor company," said
Silicon Labs CEO Matt Johnson. "The
xG27 SoCs and BB50 MCUs are helping developers build exciting new
devices while also simplifying their development processes, all
while maintaining the low-power and small form-factor requirements
for extremely small devices."
xG27 SoC Connects One of World's Smallest Wearable
Devices
The new xG27 family of SoCs comprises the BG27, for Bluetooth
connectivity, and the MG27, supporting Zigbee and other proprietary
protocols. Built around the ARM Cortex M33 processor, the BG27 and
MG27 share several common features designed to make them the ideal
SoC for small form-factor devices, including:
- Wafer-level Chip Scale Packaging as small as 2.3 mm x
2.6 mm, ideal for compact and unobtrusive devices like medical
patches, continuous glucose monitors, wearable electrocardiograms,
and asset tags in various settings like retail and
agriculture.
- Integrated DCDC Boost that can allow the devices to
operate on batteries as low as 0.8 V, thereby reducing their
devices' size, form factor, and cost.
- Integrated Coulomb Counter that enables battery
level monitoring to avoid battery depletion during the use of
applications, improving user experience and product safety.
- Advanced security with Silicon Labs Secure Vault with
Virtual Security Engine (VSE) for secure boot and debug hardened
against glitch attacks, tamper protection, and additional features
designed to protect the device and its users' data from local and
remote cyber threats.
- Shelf Mode that reduces energy use to less than 20 nano
amperes so that devices can be transported and stocked on shelves
while maintaining nearly full battery life for the end-user.
Lura Health, a medical device manufacturer and participant in
the Alpha program for BG27, has already selected the new SoC to
form the basis of its new in-development smart wearable. But unlike
some of the most common wearables on the wrist or other external
skin, the new Lura Health monitor goes in a person's mouth.
Specifically, the device is so small that it is glued to a tooth.
With the device, dentists and other clinicians can collect
important data from saliva, which is used to test for over 1,000
health conditions.
"The BG27 is amazing because it's small enough that we can
develop an IoT sensor smaller than a tooth, the power
consumption is low enough to remove battery life as a product
constraint, it has enough memory to store a sophisticated firmware
application, it allows us to perform the data
analysis required to gain insightful information
from what we are monitoring, and it has all the
peripherals we need to interface with our sensors," said
Noah Hill, co-Founder and CTO of
Lura Health. "We spent hundreds of hours searching for a
microcontroller that meets our needs, and the BG27 is the
only solution that checks every box."
The BG27 and MG27 open up and extend a wide range of possible
applications and use cases. You can read blog posts detailing how
the xG27 family enhances the smart home and connected health
markets.
New BB50 8-bit MCUs Increase Design Flexibility While
Reducing Cost and Complexity
While the IoT is built around connectivity, many devices do not
need to be connected, and there are non-connected versions of
connected devices.
For example, in commercial lighting, the application may need a
simple control mechanism for the light based on ambient light or
occupancy sensors. In the consumer goods space, many toothbrush
manufacturers have recently built connectivity into their brushes,
which provides users with friendly reminders and insights about
their brushing patterns. However, some consumers still prefer
non-connected versions of the device and simply want an electric
toothbrush.
While, in theory, this seems like a simple problem to solve, it
can often lead to inventory and SKU sprawl, with the non-connected
version of a product being designed differently than the connected
version. Add in different cosmetic effects like color or if the
outer material is metal or plastic, and very quickly, management of
inventory and various designs becomes costly and complex. Other
devices like LED lighting, keypads, drones, toys, and anything with
flashing lights or a motor still require a processor to control
those essential functions, regardless of whether it is connected
for added functionality.
The new BB50 MCU and the larger BB5x MCU family help address
these challenges with the following:
- Common tools and software for 8-bit and 32-bit, like
Silicon Labs Simplicity Studio and a fully-featured 8-bit
compiler.
- A high-performance core optimized for a large number of
single-cycle instructions to improve operating efficiency.
- Wide operating voltages and low-power modes for battery
applications to improve energy efficiency for a large variety
of battery sizes.
- Various packaging options ranging from 2 mm-squared to 5
mm-squared to optimize for size needs.
- Hundreds of firmware examples allow customers to easily
add functionality to an existing product with little or no
additional firmware development effort.
For more information, visit the BB50 and BB5x MCU family product
pages.
Get Ready For These New Products
- Register for the Silicon Labs Bluetooth Tech Talks
- See the Silicon Labs portfolio of Bluetooth solutions
- Find the right solution Bluetooth solution with the Silicon
Labs Bluetooth Selector Guide
- Learn more about the Internet of Medical Things
- See the full line-up of Silicon Labs 8-bit MCUs
About Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is a leader in secure,
intelligent wireless technology for a more connected
world. Our integrated hardware and software platform,
intuitive development tools, thriving ecosystem, and
robust support make us an ideal long-term partner in building
advanced industrial, commercial, home and life
applications. We make it easy for developers to solve
complex wireless challenges throughout the
product lifecycle and get to market
quickly with innovative solutions that transform
industries, grow economies, and improve
lives. silabs.com
Media contact - Sam Ponedal,
sam.ponedal@silabs.com
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SOURCE Silicon Labs