Silicon Labs introduces a new generation of 8-bit microcontrollers to embrace the Internet of Things

    Silicon Labs, a provider of energy-efficient microcontroller solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced the launch of a new 8-bit MCU family designed to meet today's ultra-low-power, small-size IoT applications. Silicon Labs' new EFM8 MCU family includes three types of highly integrated, peripheral-rich MCUS that are specifically optimized for cost-effective, ultra-low-power capacitive touch control and streamlined USB connectivity. EFM8 MCUS provide an industry-leading combination of simplicity, energy efficiency, performance, and cost savings for every 8-bit application an embedded developer can imagine, from home and building automation, to wearables, consumer electronics, toys, motor control, and industrial IoT.

    Tom Hackenberg, principal analyst for MCUS at HIS Technology, said: "In order to keep the MCU market booming for the foreseeable future, leading MCU vendors continue to push the power consumption and integration characteristics of 8-bit solutions. According to IHS forecasts, the market size of the 8-digit market will reach $7 billion in 2015 and grow to $7.8 billion in 2018, and the market share will continue to exceed more than one-third of the annual MCU market revenue. This steady growth is attributed to the market demand for MCUS under $0.50 in price, extremely small packages, ultra-low power consumption, low software overhead, and simplified design, which are also prerequisites for IoT devices. Silicon Labs has designed the new EFM8 family with the best features and capabilities in each of these critical application areas.

    The EFM8 MCU family fully meets the needs of IoT developers, offering an unmatched combination of features and performance, including high-speed pipeline 8051 cores, ultra-low power consumption, precision simulation, enhanced communication peripherals, integrated oscillators, small packages, and more. And an advanced Crossbar architecture that provides flexible digital and analog multiplexing and simplifies printed circuit board (PCB) design and I/O pin routing.

    The new EFM8 Bee family includes three MCU products that are optimized to meet specific developer needs and applications. (The Bee family designations emphasize the EFM8 platform's scalable performance, energy efficiency, and high yield.)

    EFM8 Busy Bee: EFM8BB Busy Bee MCUS are designed for cost-sensitive applications and offer the perfect balance of performance, energy efficiency and price. These MCUS feature core rates of up to 50MHz, 2-16kB of flash memory space, and a range of high-performance peripherals including 12-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). These MCUS are ideal for applications such as motor control applications (toys, fans, and tools), voltage suppliers, battery chargers, sensor controllers, consumer electronics, and communication Bridges.

    EFM8 Sleepy Bee: The EFM8SB Sleepy Bee MCU is Silicon Labs' most energy-efficient 8-bit chip, offering industry-leading sleep mode current (50nA with memory content retention and undervoltage detection) and ultra-fast 2μs wake time. These MCUS have a core rate of up to 25MHz and 2-64kB of flash memory space. In addition, these MCUS also integrate the best capacitive induction controller, providing ultra-low power consumption. The 1μA touch wake-up capability eliminates the on/off switch normally required for some products. These energy-efficient MCUS are ideal for industrial applications based on touch-sensitive, battery-powered IoT and human-machine interfaces that require long battery life and excellent energy efficiency.

    EFM8 Universal Bee: The EFM8UB Universal Bee MCU is the industry's premier 8-bit USB connectivity solution with up to 48MHz and 8-64kB of flash memory space. These MCUS incorporate a high-precision internal oscillator, clock recovery circuitry, and an integrated full-speed USB transceiver. The low-power USB MCU version can reduce USB power consumption by up to 90%. The on-chip battery charger inspection module reduces the number of materials (BOM) and system costs. The MCU's superior peripheral integration and small package size greatly reduce the cost and design complexity of adding USB connections to devices such as personal medical devices, wearables, communication Bridges, toys, remote controls, and thermostats.

     "The EFM8 family represents the future of Silicon Labs' 8-bit MCU solutions for IoT," said Daniel Cooley, corporate vice president and general manager of MCU and Wireless products at Silicon Labs. The legacy continues with this perfect integration of price, performance, energy efficiency, peripheral integration and flexibility. Our MCU customers believe that the proven pipeline 8051 core, perfect mixed-signal integration, and superior peripherals combination enable them to create masterpieces in 8-bit applications with very stringent power consumption, cost budgets, and ultra-small dimensions. Developers are also pleased that they can start their 8-bit designs so quickly and easily with our Simplicity Studio development environment."