Silicon Labs launches BB50 MCU with minimal size to reduce development cost and complexity

Silicon Labs, a global leader in building a more connected world with secure, smart wireless connectivity technologies, has announced the launch of a new EFM8 BB50 microcontroller (MCU), designed for extremely small Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can improve 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 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.

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. 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.

The new BB50 and larger BB5x MCU series assist in addressing these challenges by:
• Available for 8 - and 32-bit general purpose tools and software, such as Simplicity Studio for Silicon Labs and full-featured 8-bit compilers.
• High performance kernel, optimized for a large number of single cycle instructions, improving operation efficiency.
• Wide operating voltage and low power mode, suitable for battery applications, improves energy efficiency of all battery sizes.
• A variety of packaging options, ranging from 2 to 5 mm in side length, can be optimized for size requirements.
• Hundreds of firmware use cases that enable customers to easily add functionality to existing products with little or no additional firmware development effort.