ARM-Based ZigBee SoCs Expand Memory For Smart Energy, Home Automation
Next-generation ZigBee applications for the Internet of Things (IoT) can take advantage of the mesh networking platform provided by Silicon Labs’ Ember systems-on-a-chip (SoCs). The ARM-based EM358x family of six SoCs combine a 2.4-GHz IEEE 802.15.4 RF transceiver, an ARM Cortex-M3 processor, 256 or 512 kbytes of flash memory, and 32 or 64 kbytes of RAM with hardware-supported, network-level debugging. The larger flash and RAM memory options will help developers future-proof smart-energy applications, such as smart meters. An on-chip USB peripheral simplifies system programming and eliminates the need for an external USB controller. It also can be used to download new firmware images onto the device. A local storage bootloader, which eliminates the need for external flash memory, helps facilitate application development and allows embedded software to be field-upgraded after the Ember Zigbee-enabled product leaves the factory. The SoCs have a configurable total link budget up to 110 dB, and feature 8-dBm transmit power. They’re housed in 48-pin, 7- by 7-mm packages.