Silicon Labs' new module provides pre-certified wireless connectivity for a wide range of iot applications

Silicon Labs, a leading provider of chips, software and solutions for a smarter, more connected world, has announced the expansion of its portfolio of pre-certified wireless modules specifically designed to meet the development needs of modern iot applications. The product family includes the industry's unique full-stack multi-protocol solution modules for both commercial and consumer iot applications, with flexible packaging options and highly integrated device security.

Matt Saunders, vice president of iot Marketing and Applications at Silicon Labs, said: "Silicon Labs has overcome the challenges that come with adding wireless connectivity to iot devices. Our new module provides a simple and effective solution to the complex problems of RF engineering and testing, enabling iot device manufacturers to quickly bring pre-certified and secure wireless devices to market."

Silicon Labs' highly integrated modules are available in a variety of packaging options, including system-level packages (SiP) and traditional printed circuit board (PCB) packages. SiP modules contain micro-components, space-constrained iot design through a modular based solution that eliminates the need for complex RF design and certification. PCB modules enable flexible pin access and other options such as scalable RF performance.

The new Silicon Labs modules include xGM210PB, BGM220, MGM220 and BGX220 Xpress:

The xGM210PB features Secure Vault, ARM PSA Level 2 certified iot device security, robust support for dynamic multi-protocol Bluetooth, Zigbee and OpenThread, and Wi-Fi co-existence. The xGM210PB module is optimized for iot applications, including connectivity to lighting, gateways, voice assistants, and smart meter home displays, providing a maximum output power of +20dBm and a sensitivity better than -104 DBM.

BGM220 microminiature Bluetooth module is the first to support Bluetooth direction finding. The integrated pre-certified Bluetooth 5.2 module provides up to ten years of uptime using a button battery, making it ideal for a wide range of Bluetooth LE applications, including home appliances, asset tags, beacons, portable medical, fitness and Bluetooth grid low-power nodes.

With its low power consumption and low cost, the MGM220 is ideal for environmentally friendly, ultra-low power iot products, including lighting control, building and industrial automation sensors. This series of modules is ideal for Zigbee Green Power and energy harvesting applications.

BGX220 Xpress includes an onboard Bluetooth protocol stack, Xpress command interface, and pre-programmed cable replacement firmware to provide a serial-to-Bluetooth LE solution without firmware development. These modules are ideally suited for industrial applications, including human machine interface (HMI) devices, addressing the challenges posed by size, safety and environment.

These modules are fully supported by Silicon Labs Simplicity Studio 5, a free, complete integrated development environment that includes a comprehensive software protocol stack, application demos, and mobile applications, among other advanced features. Examples include network analyzers and patented energy consumption analyzers. Customers can also take advantage of the Silicon Labs Xpress module's simplified API to further speed up wireless development.