Jan 12, 2020 15:00:00

Microcomputer chip `` ONiO.zero '' perfect for `` batteryless IoT '' that produces electricity by itself appears

In 2020,

5G, the next-generation communication standard, will start in Japan, and it is expected that IoT that connects things to the Internet will attract more and more attention, but IoT devices also need power supply, and power is required. Being able to place devices only where they can be secured is one of the factors that reduces the potential of IoT. Meanwhile, microcontroller chips that operate without batteries by energy harvesting using electromagnetic waves are emerging from ONiO .

Technology-ONiO
https://www.onio.com/technology.html

ONiO.zero Offers Up to 24MHz of RISC-V Microcontroller Performance on Nothing But Harvested Energy-Hackster.io
https://www.hackster.io/news/onio-zero-offers-up-to-24mhz-of-risc-v-microcontroller-performance-on-nothing-but-harvested-energy-70285321d50d

ONiO.zero is a battery-less microcomputer chip developed by ONiO . It has very low power consumption and can generate its own power, so it does not require batteries such as coin-type batteries or lithium-ion batteries. Battery-based devices require battery replacement maintenance, but ONiO.zero can power sensors and devices for years without having to worry about such maintenance. In addition, small batteries do not need a battery that occupies most of the capacity, and high affinity with clothes, watches, and medical devices is attracting attention.

The architecture employed is RISC-V, where the clock frequency varies with the available input voltage, 24 MHz at 1.8 V, 6 MHz at 1.0 V, and 1 MHz at 0.8 V.

Bluetooth low energy is adopted as the wireless communication standard, and industry standard communication standards such as I2C , SPI , and UART can be used for communication with peripheral devices.

The key energy source is the high-frequency rectifier inside the chip, which corresponds to the frequency band of 800/900/1800/1900 / 2400MHz. In Japan, bands 8, 18, and 19, which are the frequency bands of mobile phones, are compatible, so it can be operated without batteries by energy harvesting unless it is in a very mountainous area.