Silicon Labs announces a new family of Zigbee system-on-chip (SoC) devices designed for eco-friendly IoT products deployed in mesh networks. The EFR32MG22 (MG22) family expands Silicon Labs’ Zigbee portfolio by delivering, according to the company, the smallest, lowest power SoCs optimized for Zigbee Green Power applications. Based on Silicon Labs’ Wireless Gecko Series 2 platform, the MG22 SoCs are an ideal choice for Zigbee devices powered by coin cell batteries or energy-harvesting sources. Target applications include smart home sensors, lighting controls, and building and industrial automation.

Energy-friendly Zigbee Green Power technology can help address environmental concerns by reducing residential, commercial, and industrial energy footprints. Using the same 802.15.4 PHY and MAC of the energy efficient Zigbee 3.0 protocol, Zigbee Green Power further reduces power consumption by decreasing the amount of data required for wireless transmission. Zigbee Green Power was designed to be an efficient protocol enabling IoT devices, whether powered by batteries or by “battery-less” energy harvesting options. Silicon Labs optimized the new MG22 SoCs to provide a connectivity solution for wireless applications.

The MG22 SoCs incorporate a 76.8 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with TrustZone. The SoCs’ combination of ultra-low transmit and receive power (8.2 mA TX at +6 dBm, 3.9 mA RX), 1.4 µA deep-sleep mode power and low-power peripherals provides energy efficiency. 

Silicon Labs delivers a suite of security features implemented in Series 2 products including the new MG22 SoCs. For more information details, visit silabs.com/security.

Pricing and Availability

The EFR32MG22 SoCs are planned to start shipping in March 2020 in a choice of 5 mm x 5 mm QFN40, 4 mm x 4 mm QFN32 and slender 0.3 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm TQFN32 packages. The EFR32MG22 SoC starter kit is planned to be available in March, with end device kit pricing starting at $99.00 (USD MSRP). Developers can download Simplicity Studio, including network analyzer and energy profiler tools, the Zigbee 3.0 stack, demos and mobile apps, at no charge.

For more information, visit silabs.com/mg22.