Imec, Holst Centre Develop New Low-Power Radio Chip

Imec and Holst Centre presented a low-power wide-area (LPWA) multi-standard radio chip at imec’s annual technology forum in Brussels (ITF Brussels 2016). The new radio chip is a best-in-class product, which can operate with a lower level of power consumption than any other radio chip technology released to date for long range connectivity in sensor networks.
 
The sub-GHz radio chip’s technology can serve a multitude of protocols including IEEE 802.15.4g/k, W-MBUS, KNX-RF, as well as the LoRa and SIGFOX networks, and future cellular IoT for applications such as smart metering, smart home, smart city and critical infrastructure monitoring.
 
The radio chip operates in industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) and short-range devices (SRD) bands, covering a frequency range from 780MHz to 930MHz. The radio is implemented as a complete System-on-Chip (SoC).
 
“With the foreseen release of the NB-IoT protocol in June 2016 by the 3GPP, it is clear that protocols such as NB-IoT, SigFox and LoRA are here to stay for the coming years,” said Kathleen Philips, program director perceptive systems at imec/Holst Centre. “Our novel sub-GHz radio chip can serve multiple of these protocols and is an ideal solution for long-range wireless connectivity  for IoT applications.”
 
Imec’s Industrial Affiliation program on the Intuitive Internet-of-Things (IoT) focuses on developing the building blocks for the future. The program explores an intuitive IoT, with sensor systems that can detect and assist with the needs and wants of people in an unobtrusive way. Along with low-power radio chips, imec also develops ultra-small, low-cost, intelligent, and ultra–low power sensors and heterogeneous sensor networks. Interested companies are invited to partner with imec on its varied research initiatives. Companies can also connect with imec to request access to imec’s technological advances to further develop their projects through licensing programs with imec.