New MCUs deliver next generation technology for the Internet of Things

Delivering the next generation of Gecko technology for the Internet of Things (IoT), Silicon Labs has introduced two new EFM32 Gecko microcontroller (MCU) families that provide advancements in security and energy management technologies. The new Jade Gecko and Pearl Gecko MCUs combine a state-of-the-art hardware cryptography engine, flexible low-energy modes, an on-chip dc-dc converter and scalable memory options backed by Silicon Labs’ developer-friendly Simplicity Studio™ tools. EFM32 Jade and Pearl Gecko MCUs target an array of energy-sensitive and battery-powered devices including wearable health and fitness trackers, smart door locks, point-of-sale devices, security sensors and other IoT node applications. Jade and Pearl Gecko MCUs address the growing need to equip IoT-connected devices with the latest security technologies to thwart hackers. The new MCUs feature a hardware cryptography engine providing fast, energy-efficient, autonomous encryption and decryption for Internet security protocols such as TLS/SSL with minimal CPU intervention - and without sacrificing battery life. The on-chip crypto-accelerator supports advanced algorithms such as AES with 128- or 256-bit keys, elliptical curve cryptography (ECC), SHA-1 and SHA-224/256. Hardware cryptography enables developers to meet evolving IoT security requirements more efficiently than with conventional software-only techniques often required by competing MCUs. Minimizing Energy Consumption - Based respectively on ARM Cortex-M3 and M4 cores, Jade and Pearl Gecko MCUs provide ample performance for connected devices while enabling developers to optimize battery life or use smaller batteries for space-constrained designs. The new MCUs feature an enhanced peripheral reflex system (PRS) that lets low-power peripherals operate autonomously while the MCU core sleeps, allowing connected devices to sleep longer, thus extending battery life. Energy-saving low active-mode current (63 µA/MHz) enables computationally intensive tasks to execute faster. Low sleep-mode current (1.4µA down to 30 nA) and ultra-fast wake-up/sleep transitions further minimize energy consumption. Jade and Pearl Gecko MCUs also integrate a high-efficiency dc-dc buck converter. Offering a total current capacity of 200mA, the on-chip converter can provide a power rail for other system components in addition to powering the MCU. This power management innovation reduces bill-of-materials (BOM) cost and board area by eliminating the need for an external DC-DC converter, says the company. “IoT developers are seeking not only advanced power management architectures to extend the battery life of connected devices but also next-generation cryptography technologies to help secure IoT node applications,” said Daniel Cooley, vice president of marketing for IoT products, Silicon Labs. “With connected devices facing ever-increasing security threats, developers must safeguard their IoT products with leading-edge hardware cryptography. We designed our Pearl and Jade Gecko MCU families from the ground up to address these two critical IoT application requirements – energy efficiency and security.”