Compact wristwatch form factor FPGA is smaller than MCUs

Based on the iCE40 Ultra FPGA, Lattice Semiconductor offers a development platform for designing low-power wearable devices.
The FPGA uses a package that is 60% smaller than alternative microcontrollers, says the company. It also supports a low power standby mode for always-on functionality, suitable for wearables that need to operate for days between charges.
Hardware features and sensors supported include a 1.54inch display, MEMS microphone, high-brightness LED, IR LED, BLE module and 32Mbyte of flash memory. There is also support for sensors capable of measuring heart rate/SpO2, skin temperature, and pressure as well as an accelerometer and gyroscope.
The wrist watch form factor measures 1.5 x 1.57 x 0.87inches, with a wrist strap and a built in battery.
A user guide and several demos are included to showcase parallel RGB to MIPI DSI bridging, health monitor, pedometer, IR transmitter or flashlight functions.
http://www.latticesemi.com/ultrawearable

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Six-axis sensors are power-sensitive

Two six-axis accelerometer-gyroscopes, the KXG07 and the KXG08 are described by Kionix as a significant technological leap forward in reducing the power consumption of six-axis devices.

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Mouser offers ADI’s step-down regulators

Distributor Mouser. is now stocking the ADP5301 low power, step-down regulators from Analog Devices. The company buck regulators enable designers to extend battery life in portable devices with one of the highest ultra-light-load power conversion efficiencies in the industry, claims the company.
Delivering a 90% efficiency rating and consuming only 180nA of quiescent current, the regulators are suitable for IoT applications.
The step-down regulator provides an input start-up voltage range from 2.15 to 6.5V, enabling designers to incorporate a variety of battery sources or other power sources and architectures. There is an integrated voltage supervisory function that increases overall system reliability, and output voltage is selectable from 0.8 to 5.0V through an external VID resistor and factory fuse.
Flexible power management capabilities are achieved through the user-selectable sync/mode pin. This pin allows the regulator to run between hysteresis mode and a low-noise forced PWM mode. In PWM mode, the regulator produces a lower output ripple and supplies up to 500mA of output current; in hysteresis mode it achieves excellent efficiency at a power of less than 1mW and provides up to 50 mA of output current. This switchable configuration during operation provides efficient power management to extend battery life and lower system noise requirements. Other key features include separate enabling and quick-output discharge, as well as safety features such as over-current protection, thermal shutdown, and input under-voltage lockout.
The regulators are available now in a nine-ball, 1.65 × 1.87mm WLCSP that requires less than 3.1mm² for mounting.
Target applications are IoT, including energy (gas and water) metering, wearable devices, wireless sensor networks, portable and battery-powered equipment, medical devices and keep-alive power supplies. An evaluation board, the 584-ADP5301-EVALZ, is also available through the distributor website.
http://www.mouser.com/new/Analog-Devices/adi-adp5301-regulator

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Mouser ships TE Connectivity’s USB Type-C receptacles

TE Connectivity’s USB Type-C receptacle is available from Mouser Electronics.
The mid-mount connector provides data, power, and audio/video connectivity and transmission functions. The receptacle complies with USB Type-C specifications and is small enough for handheld devices yet robust enough for industrial applications, says the company.
It features a reversible mating interface designed to accept a plug in any direction and supports a variety of protocols and, with the use of adapters, is backwards-compatible to HDMI, VGA, DisplayPort and other types of connections from the single USB Type-C port. The connector supports scalable power charging, delivering up to 100W at 20V, and meets USB 3.1 protocols, giving it high throughput speeds up to 10Gbit/s plus backward-compatibility with USB 3.1 Gen 1, Gen 2 and USB 2.0.
It also features enhanced EMI shielding on the receptacle shell to help eliminate unwanted leakage and offers additional connector board retention features compared to the industry standard footprint. The receptacle can be used in factory automation, power chargers, medical devices, automotive infotainment systems, smartphones, tablets and wearable devices.
http://www.mouser.com/new/teconnectors/te-connectivity-usb-type-c/

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