Hager Group and Silicon Labs collaborated this week to create a smart home platform that enables seamless connectivity for applications using multiple wireless standards including Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), KNX and Sigfox.
The Hager Smart RF module incorporates Silicon Labs’ EFR32 Wireless Gecko system-on-chip (SoC) device to enable versatile, energy-efficient multiprotocol and multiband connectivity at 2.4 GHz, 868 MHz and 433 MHz.
The tiny, stamp-sized Smart RF module is ideal for home automation, ambient assisted living and commercial building automation applications requiring excellent RF performance, ultra-low power, multiprotocol wireless connectivity, easy application development, and interoperability with IoT applications and smartphones.
The flexible, feature-rich Wireless Gecko SoC enables the Hager module to continually adapt to changing automation needs and evolving software requirements through multiprotocol support and over-the-air updates.
Silicon Labs’ EFR32 Wireless Gecko portfolio is the most versatile, feature-rich multiprotocol, multiband platform available for the Internet of Things (IoT).
The Wireless Gecko platform includes SoCs, modules, software stacks (Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth mesh and proprietary protocols) and development tools that enable solutions for efficient switching among different wireless networks. Wireless Gecko supports a range of use cases for home and building automation, connected lighting and industrial IoT.
The Hager Smart RF module integrates all necessary elements for home and building automation applications and services that need 2.4 GHz Bluetooth LE connections, secure KNX RF communications in sub-GHz bands and Sigfox technology for low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) access.
The module incorporates a high-performance ARM Cortex-M4 CPU, 512 kB flash (ample memory for software updates), a multiprotocol RF transceiver with -103.3 dBm sensitivity at 2.4 GHz, built-in hardware cryptographic acceleration for AES 128/256, SHA-1/2 and ECC, and a wide range of low-power peripherals and interfaces. The 20.285 mm x 14 mm x 2.1 mm module fits space-constrained IoT end node designs, and its low energy consumption (1.4 µA in deep sleep mode) makes it a good choice for power-sensitive systems requiring long battery life.
“Multiprotocol connectivity is a critical enabling technology for home and building automation as end users increasingly require solutions that enable them to join and configure multiple wireless networks using smartphone apps and Bluetooth LE,” said François Lhomme, Chief Technical Officer, Hager Group. “Wireless Gecko SoCs provide a best-in-class multiprotocol solution for our Smart RF module, and Silicon Labs’ deep RF expertise, easy-to-use development tools and IoT engineering support are helping us drive innovation for electrical installations and services in residential and commercial buildings.”
“We are proud to partner with Hager Group to help deliver multiprotocol IoT solutions that will protect homes, families and commercial buildings with safe, easy-to-deploy electrical installations,” said Daniel Cooley, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IoT products at Silicon Labs. “We applaud the exceptional design innovation behind Hager’s Smart RF module. Versatile, small-footprint, energy-friendly multiprotocol platforms like this are simplifying and accelerating smart home deployments worldwide.”
