IoT is diverse and multifaceted when it comes to connectivity. There are multiple options, depending on specific use cases, including LPWA, satellite, 5G and LTE (News - Alert), as well as hybrid options, and more. However, one concern IoT service providers bring up with IoT devices, regardless of connectivity, is power consumption.
Think about it. Excessive power consumption negatively impacts the user experience and the device’s intended purpose. It can also reduce the useful lifespan of sensors and devices when battery drain is faster than anticipated. It is vital to optimize power to ensure IoT devices work as intended and to maximize value of IOT deployments.
Sony Semiconductor Israel's new ALT1350 chipset is designed to support the market needs of utilities, vehicles, tracking devices, smart cities, connected health and other verticals while taking into consideration those power consumption concerns brought up by IoT service providers.
With the ALT1350, device manufacturers across all verticals can take advantage of its low power consumption, long-lasting battery life, mature LTE-M/NB-IoT software stack and future compatibility with 3GPP.
Related to the low power consumption, the ALT1350 features an optimized standby mode that reduces power consumption by 80% when compared to existing generations, and by 85% when using it to send short messages. What this means is that the system’s power consumption enables four times longer battery life for a typical device, which then enables additional functionalities and use cases with smaller batteries.
The cellular LTE-M/NB-IoT solution also enables additional LPWA communication protocols as well as satellite connectivity, in a single chipset, opening the door to further innovation in the connected world.
The ALT1350 contains additional LPWA radio transceiver with targeting operation in <1GHz and 2.4 ISM bands for universal connectivity options. The ALT1350’s sub-GHz and 2.4GHz integrated transceiver enables hybrid connectivity for smart meters, smart cities and trackers.
This means that coverage is enhanced, costs are reduced and power consumption, again, is further decreased by utilizing IEEE (News - Alert) 802.15.4-based protocols, such as Wi-Sun, U-Bus Air and wM-Bus, in additional point-to-point and mesh technologies.
Additionally, the chipset provides advanced on-the-edge low-power processing capabilities, ranging from data collection, low-power AI/machine learning processing of the data and MCU to enable IoT applications on the chip.
“The market demand for this multiprotocol, ultra-low power IoT chipset is intensifying,” said Nohik Semel, CEO at Sony Semiconductor Israel. “This is the game changer we’ve been waiting for, which will enable IoT deployments, utilizing universal connectivity on edge processing and multiple location technologies.”
The device, which also includes a secure element for application usage and integrated SIM, designed for PP-0117 to meet GSMA (News - Alert) requirements, is expected to become commercially available during 2023.