Texas-based electronics company Silicon Labs has revealed a dual-band SoC for long-range networks and protocols such as Amazon Sidewalk, Wi-Sun and other proprietary protocols.

The FG28 includes radios for sub-GHz and 2.4GHz Bluetooth LE, as well as a built-in AI and ML accelerator for machine-learning inference, as well as the firm’s Secure Vault technology.

“The FG28 SoC addresses several key needs for our customers when it comes to developing and deploying low-power wide area networks,” said Daniel Cooley, CTO of Silicon Labs. “By including Bluetooth, it gives users an easy way to provision and deploy new devices onto the network, while the sub-GHz band is designed to support device communications over one mile, allowing for new edge applications in areas like smart agriculture, smart cities and neighbourhood networks like Amazon Sidewalk.”

As connectivity and computing power is being pushed further to the edge, new emerging applications require a Swiss army knife of connectivity options. By providing sub-GHz connectivity using networks such as Wi-Sun, the FG28 can serve as the battery-operated end node in smart cities, for example, as a tracker on dumpsters to help locate them and check the last time they were emptied, or in irrigation systems across multi-acre commercial farming operations, or as livestock trackers and health monitors on sprawling ranches.

Bluetooth connectivity not only allows for devices to be easily deployed on the network, but also allows for operators to connect to the device locally for diagnostics, data downloads and more.

The integrated AI and ML hardware accelerator in a sub-GHz SoC allows for machine-learning inference at the edge to enable predictive maintenance warnings, monitor soil conditions for key conditions such as moisture and pH levels, and more.

Memory includes 1024kbyte of flash storage and 256kbyte of RAM to meet the needs of various protocols and technology stacks.

Secure Vault mid and high support builds trust in the device and allows designers to choose the level of security they need for their applications.

An energy-efficient radio core with low active and sleep currents with fast wakeup times is suitable for battery-operated end nodes.

There are up to 49 GPIO pins for peripheral connectivity.

Amazon Sidewalk is a secure, ubiquitous, always-on community network built by the community, for the community. Using existing smart home devices such as select cameras and speakers as gateways, Amazon Sidewalk offers a secure, reliable and versatile connection that supports long-range use cases.

The FG28 is sampling now with general availability planned before the end of Q3 2023. It will also be available in derivatives optimised for Amazon Sidewalk and Z-Wave Long-Range, and as a standalone MCU.