Summary of Energy-harvesting power management ICs for wireless sensor nodes
Cypress Semiconductor has launched the S6AE101A, the industry's lowest-power single-chip Energy Harvesting PMIC, designed for battery-free solar-powered wireless sensor nodes. With a startup power of just 1.2 µW and consumption as low as 250 nA, it enables compact 1 cm² designs using tiny solar cells. Paired with the EZ-BLE PRoC module and supported by Easy DesignSim software, this solution facilitates efficient IoT applications.
Parts used in the Solar-Powered IoT Device Kit:
- S6AE101A Energy Harvesting PMIC
- EZ-BLE PRoC module
- Bluetooth Low Energy-USB bridge
- Solar module
- Baseboard
Cypress Semiconductor has introduced what it believes to be the lowest-available-power PMICs that enable an integrated module size of 1 cm² for solar-powered wireless sensor node (WSN) designs.
Intended to manage solar-powered wireless sensors for Internet of Things (IoT) applications
, these parts are said to be the lowest-power, single-chip Energy Harvesting PMICs, and can be used with solar cells as small as 1 cm². Cypress offers a complete, battery-free energy harvesting solution that pairs the S6AE101A PMIC, the first device in the new family, with the EZ-BLE PRoC module for Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, along with supporting software, in a $49 kit.
The Cypress Energy Harvesting PMIC devices offer a startup power of 1.2 µW – one-quarter that of the nearest competitor, Cypress asserts, and consumption current as low as 250 nA, maximising the power available for the sensing, processing and communications functions of a target application. The fully-certified, small-form-factor EZ-BLE PRoC module, which is based on Cypress’s PRoC BLE Programmable Radio-on-Chip solution, works with the PMIC devices to contribute to the low power and ease-of-use of an energy harvesting system solution.
The Cypress S6AE101A Energy Harvesting PMIC is sampling now, with production expected in the fourth quarter of 2015. Cypress offers the $49 Solar-Powered IoT Device Kit that contains a baseboard with a solar module and a Bluetooth Low Energy-USB bridge. Cypress PMICs are supported by the Easy DesignSim, a free, web-based simulation tool for Cypress’s PMIC solutions used to validate Energy Harvesting System (EHS) designs, including the bill-of-materials (BOM), schematic and the power consumed (µW) by the sensing, processing and communications functions of a target application.
For more detail: Energy-harvesting power management ICs for wireless sensor nodes
- What is the startup power of the Cypress Energy Harvesting PMIC?
The startup power is 1.2 µW, which is one-quarter that of the nearest competitor. - Can these PMICs work with very small solar cells?
Yes, they can be used with solar cells as small as 1 cm². - How much does the complete kit cost?
The $49 Solar-Powered IoT Device Kit includes the baseboard, solar module, and Bluetooth Low Energy-USB bridge. - What tool helps validate Energy Harvesting System designs?
Easy DesignSim is a free web-based simulation tool used to validate designs including BOM and power consumption. - When was production expected for the S6AE101A?
Production was expected in the fourth quarter of 2015. - Does the solution require a battery?
No, Cypress offers a complete battery-free energy harvesting solution. - What connectivity does the EZ-BLE PRoC module provide?
The module provides Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity.
