Internet of Things company Silicon Labs unveiled a number of new energy-efficient Wi-Fi solutions for various IoT devices, having announced them in the form of the WFM200 module and WF200 transceiver. The Austin, Texas-based firm claims its latest platforms have the potential to reduce the average power consumption of Internet-enabled tech in half due to their extremely low transmit (138mA) and receive (48mA) power. With the transceiver measuring in at 4 x 4mm and the module being 6.5 x 6.5mm in size, both offerings are meant to allow for a wide variety of applications, allowing original equipment manufacturers to design their products without being limited by much more robust physical footprints of alternative solutions, the company suggested.
The diverse antenna configurations of the new products should allow for reliable 2.4GHz performance even in highly “crowded” environments, whereas support for hardware-level cryptography acceleration compatible with the AES, TRNG, and PKE standards is meant to enable a high level of security. The offerings have already been pre-certified by the United States Federal Communications Commission and a number of other telecom regulators around the world, which should significantly accelerate development times, Silicon Labs said. The technologies also come bundled with a wireless starter kit meant to allow OEMs and developers to begin creating their IoT solutions in a matter of minutes after getting their hands on the chips.
Silicon Labs says its latest platforms have the potential to be implemented in a broad range of environments, from retail and security systems to consumer healthcare solutions and smart home setups. Manufacturers interested in adopting the technologies as soon as possible can do so by referring to the banner below and joining the company’s Early Access program. Select customers are already able to sample the products, whereas mass-production is presently planned to start in the final quarter of the year. Pricing details haven’t been disclosed as they presumably vary depending on customers and order volumes, as is usually the case with business-to-business solutions. With the advent of IoT, more firms are expected to launch their own low-power connectivity hardware over the course of 2018.
Silicon Labs Early Access Program