The extremely small size BB50 MCU reduces development cost and complexity

     Silicon Labs has announced the launch of its new EFM8 BB50 microcontroller (MCU), designed for extremely small Internet of Things (IoT) devices that will increase design flexibility while reducing cost and complexity. The new BB50 MCU also further expands Silicon Labs' EFM8 BB5 8-bit MCU product family to provide more options for embedded application developers.

     The new EFM8 BB50 8-bit MCU improves design flexibility while reducing cost and complexity. While the Internet of Things is built on connectivity, there are still many devices that do not need to be connected, and there are still non-connected models of the same device. The BB50 MCU family of products is designed for extremely small size iot devices, ranging in size from 2mm on the side (about the width of a #2 pencil lead) to 5mm (less than the width of a standard #2 pencil).

     In this minimal size package, the MCU integrates rich analog and communication peripherals, significantly reducing the number of external components and thus significantly reducing the overall bill of Materials (BOM) cost of the product. This combination of features makes the BB50 ideal for small, battery-optimized devices such as connected medical devices, wearables, asset monitoring tags, smart sensors, and simple consumer electronics such as toothbrushes and toys.

     For example, in commercial lighting, an application product may require a simple lighting control mechanism based on ambient lighting or mobile sensors. In the consumer goods sector, many electric toothbrush manufacturers have recently built connectivity into their toothbrushes to provide better opinions and professional insights into the way users brush their teeth. However, some consumers may only want an electric toothbrush and still prefer something that is not connected to the Internet.

     While this seems like an easy problem to solve in theory, it often leads to Stock Keeping units (SKUs) being complicated and the non-networked version of the product being designed differently than the networked version. Add different decorative effects such as color, or if the exterior material is metal or plastic, inventory management and various designs can quickly become expensive and complicated. LED lighting, keyboards, drones, toys, and any other device with a flash or motor still require microprocessors to control these basic functions, whether or not these additional functions are already connected.