New ICs cut Wi-Fi power consumption in half

Designed for the specific needs of IoT applications, the Wireless Gecko portfolio cuts Wi-Fi power consumption in half compared to competitive offerings, providing ideal Wi-Fi solutions for power-sensitive connected products, including battery-operated IP security cameras, point-of-sale scanners, asset trackers and personal medical devices.

Half the power of existing Wi-Fi options: The combination of industry-leading transmit current (TX: 138 mA), receive current (RX: 48 mA) and sleep current (<40 µA) enables significant power-saving advantages for all IoT use cases. High throughput and fewer retransmissions help minimize power consumption by using less channel capacity.

State-of-the-art security: The Wi-Fi portfolio offers an array of built-in security features to protect IoT products from online and physical hacking, including secure boot with anti-rollback, secure link and efficient implementations of industry-standard encryption such as WPA3.

Superior RF blocking performance: Silicon Labs designed its Wi-Fi devices with excellent RF selectivity to block out adjacent channel noise and maintain throughput and connectivity in crowded RF environments such as smart homes with numerous connected devices.

Simple OS, dev tools and certification: Gecko OS, an optional, feature-packed IoT operating system, eases design complexity, allowing IoT developers to focus on their Wi-Fi applications. Developers can get started in minutes using comprehensive development tools and a wireless starter kit with embedded and Linux host drivers. The Wi-Fi modules are pre-certified for worldwide operation to reduce development time, effort and risk.

Silicon Labs’ flexible Wi-Fi portfolio includes three device types:

The WGM160P module – the portfolio’s latest addition – expands design possibilities and offers an easier way to create cloud-connected IoT products by combining an onboard Gecko microcontroller, host support, integrated antenna, precertification, large memory (2 MB flash and 512K RAM), and extensive peripheral capabilities including Ethernet and capacitive touch.

The WFM200 module is the smallest pre-certified Wi-Fi system-in-package (SiP) device with an integrated antenna, making it a perfect fit for space-constrained designs. The module also opens up new industrial and outdoor applications with 105°C temperature support.

The WF200 transceiver IC provides a cost-effective way to add Wi-Fi to existing high-volume designs, works well with a variety of hosts (ranging from 8-bit to Linux-class processors) and supports antenna diversity.

Samples and production quantities of the WF200 transceiver in a 4 mm x 4 mm QFN32 package are available now. Samples of the WFM200 in a 6.5×6.5-mm SiP module are available now, and production quantities are planned for Q2 2019. Samples of the WGM160P in a PCB module are available now, and production quantities are planned for late February. Contact your local Silicon Labs sales representative or authorized distributor for WF200, WFM200 and WGM160P product pricing. For additional information, visit silabs.com/low-power-wi-fi.