Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1442793
17 current can be even more important than active current. With higher processing speeds, 32- bit MCUs can conserve power by completing processing tasks faster and entering sleep mode sooner. ARM Cortex-M4 based MCUs with an integrated FPU can further reduce the processing and run-time of complex algorithms. The wireless radio transceiver current consumption in sleep mode, transmit, and receive mode are also important factors in determining overall system power consumption. Selecting devices that allow for peripherals to interact with each other and for sensors to be monitored without waking the CPU can greatly reduce the system's total power consumptions. The integrated EZR32 wireless MCU is an example of such a device, with a peripheral reflex system that allows peripherals to interact with each other without waking up the CPU and low energy sensor interface that allows up to 16 sensors to be monitored while the CPU is in deep sleep mode. The new Preamble Sense Mode of the EZRadioPRO transceivers greatly reduces the channel access time with no degradation in sensitivity while reducing the average receive current significantly. These radios require only 8 bits of preamble to detect a valid transmission, compared to the 32-bit requirement of more traditional Sub GHz transceivers. The radio can automatically wake up from sleep and enter receive mode to evaluate the channel based on preamble detection and only wakes up the MCU if a valid packet is found. If there is no valid packet, the radio automatically returns to sleep mode without interrupting the host MCU. The combination of MCU and transceiver power saving techniques make integrated wireless MCUs such as the EZR32 from Silicon Labs ideal for battery powered sensor node IoT applications. Accelerating Software Development An important consideration when selecting an integrated wireless MCU for IoT applications is the availability of efficient tools, an integrated development environment and software stacks. For most IoT OEMs, such as lighting and appliance manufacturers, designing and building the application from scratch will require networking, wireless, and embedded software expertise. When selecting an integrated MCU designers should evaluate the user friendliness of development tools and the availability of software stacks, device drivers, and sample applications that can serve as building blocks for the final product. Additional tools such as radio configuration software, network analyzers, and packet trace and debug capabilities can speed development significantly. Many semiconductor suppliers provide some of if not all of the mentioned software tools and components listed above. Silicon Labs has integrated both wireless and MCU development into Simplicity Studio™ to provide one development environment for integrated wireless IoT system development. Silicon Labs Simplicity Studio development platform featuring energy optimization tools Conclusion IoT applications have demanding requirements such as high performance, best-in-class RF performance for longer range, lower power for battery powered applications, higher level of integration to reduce component count and BOM costs and a comprehensive toolset of software stacks and sample applications. Fortunately, highly integrated wireless MCU products such as Silicon Labs' EZR32 devices can provide easy-to-implement solutions that offer the high performance needed to satisfy regulatory standards and consumer needs while providing on-chip features and development tools that make it easier to add wireless connectivity to virtually any embedded application.