Silicon Labs Secures IoT Nodes with New EFM32 Jade and Pearl Gecko Microcontrollers
Next-Generation Gecko MCUs Combine State-of-the-Art Hardware
Cryptography with Advanced Energy Management Features
Delivering the next generation of Gecko technology for the Internet of
Things (IoT), Silicon
Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) 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.
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Get all the details about the new EFM32JG Jade Gecko and EFM32PG
Pearl Gecko MCUs including pricing and availability, development kits
and data sheets at www.silabs.com/EFM32.
Securing IoT Nodes
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 (1.4 µA 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 200 mA, 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.
“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 at 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.”
Jade Gecko and Pearl Gecko MCU Highlights
-
Choice of 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 and M4 cores scaling up to 40 MHz
-
On-chip hardware encryption/decryption accelerator supporting random
number generator, AES, ECC and SHA technologies
-
Flexible energy management system with a wide range of low-energy modes
-
12-channel peripheral reflex system (PRS) supporting autonomous
interaction between peripherals down to deep sleep mode, as well as
configurable logic functions
-
12-bit, 1 Msps analog-to-digital converter (ADC) capable of sampling
and performing autonomous comparisons down to stop mode
-
Integrated dc-dc buck converter providing a power rail for other
system components
-
Scalable memory options (up to 256 kB flash with 32 kB RAM)
-
Independent I/O rail supporting 1.8V to 5V components
-
Software-compatible with existing portfolio of 240+ EFM32 Gecko MCUs
Simplifying EFM32 Gecko Development
EFM32 Jade and Pearl Gecko system design is powered by Silicon Labs’
comprehensive Simplicity
Studio development platform. Simplicity Studio streamlines the
process of creating IoT applications by providing developers with
one-click access to everything they need to complete their projects,
from initial concept to final product, in a unified software
environment. Simplicity Studio includes an Eclipse-based integrated
development environment (IDE), graphical configuration tools, energy
profiling tools, wireless network analysis tools, demos, software
examples, documentation, technical support and community forums.
Pricing and Availability
Engineering samples of EFM32JG Jade Gecko and EFM32PG Pearl Gecko MCUs
are available now in 5 mm x 5 mm QFN32 and 7 mm x 7 mm QFN48 packages;
production quantities are planned for Q2 2016. Jade Gecko pricing begins
at $1.24 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities, and Pearl Gecko 10K pricing
begins at $1.65 (USD). The SLSTK3401A EFM32PG Pearl Gecko Starter Kit,
priced at $29.99 (USD MSRP), enables developers to jumpstart evaluation
and development of Gecko-based applications. To order samples and
starter kits, visit www.silabs.com/EFM32.
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Explore Silicon Labs’ diverse product portfolio at www.silabs.com/parametric-search.
Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is a leading provider of silicon, software
and system solutions for the Internet of Things, Internet
infrastructure, industrial automation, consumer and automotive markets.
We solve the electronics industry’s toughest problems, providing
customers with significant advantages in performance, energy savings,
connectivity and design simplicity. Backed by our world-class
engineering teams with unsurpassed software and mixed-signal design
expertise, Silicon Labs empowers developers with the tools and
technologies they need to advance quickly and easily from initial idea
to final product. www.silabs.com
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
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involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could
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