Hardware
| Bluetooth | Zigbee | Thread | Proprietary | Wi-Fi | Flash | RAM | Output Power Range (dBm) | RX Sensitivity (dBm) | TX Current (0 dBm) | RX Current (mA) | Security | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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FEATURED
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
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EFR32MG21 Series 2 SoCs
Zigbee and Thread EFR32MG21 SoCs (Series 2)
|
512, 768, 1024 | 64, 96 | -20 20 | — | 9.3 | 9.4 | Yes, — | |||||
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EFR32MG21 Series 2 Modules
Zigbee and Thread EFR32MG21 Based Modules (Series 2)
|
1024 | 96 | -20 20 | — | 16.1 | — | Yes, — | |||||
|
EFR32MG12 Series 1 SoCs
Zigbee and Thread EFR32MG12 SoCs (Series 1)
|
1024 | 128, 256 | -30 19 | — | 8.5 | 8.4, 10.8 | — | |||||
|
EFR32MG12 Series 1 Modules
Zigbee and Thread EFR32MG12 Based Modules (Series 1)
|
1024 | 256 | -30 17 | — | — | — | — | |||||
|
EFR32MG13 Series 1 SoCs
Zigbee and Thread EFR32MG13 SoCs (Series 1)
|
512 | 64 | -30 19 | — | 8.5 | 10.2 | — | |||||
|
EFR32MG13 Series 1 Modules
Zigbee and Thread EFR32MG13 Based Modules (Series 1)
|
512 | 64 | -30 19 | — | — | — | — | |||||
|
EFR32BG21 Series 2 SoCs
Bluetooth Low Energy EFR32BG21 SoCs (Series 2)
|
512, 768, 1024 | 64, 96 | -20 20 | — | 9.3 | 8.7 | Yes, — | |||||
|
EFR32BG21 Series 2 Modules
Bluetooth Low Energy EFR32BG21 Based Modules (Series 2)
|
— | 1024 | 96 | -20 20 | — | 16.1 | — | Yes, — | ||||
|
EFR32BG13 Series 1 SoCs
Bluetooth Low Energy EFR32BG13 SoCs (Series 1)
|
512 | 64 | -30 19 | — | 8.5 | 9.5 | — | |||||
|
EFR32BG12 Series 1 SoCs
Bluetooth Low Energy EFR32BG12 SoCs (Series 1)
|
512, 1024 | 64, 128, 256 | -30 19 | — | 8.5 | 10 | — | |||||
|
RS9116 Wi-Fi Transceiver SoCs
RS9116 Wi-Fi Transceiver SoCs
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
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RS9116 Wi-Fi Transceiver Modules
RS9116 Wi-Fi Transceiver Modules
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
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RS9116 Wi-Fi NCP SoCs
RS9116 Wi-Fi NCP SoCs
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
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RS9116 Wi-Fi NCP Modules
RS9116 Wi-Fi NCP Modules
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Find the Right Use Case for your Multiprotocol Device
Kits and Boards
EFR32xG21 Wireless Gecko Starter Kit
EFR32xG21 Wireless Gecko Starter Kit
Software and Tools
Multiprotocol Software Development
Silicon Labs software includes industry-leading software stacks and development tools for Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth and Proprietary applications. In conjunction with modules, SoCs and reference designs for wireless solutions from Silicon Labs, developers can use software and tools from Silicon Labs to quickly and reliably:
- Develop multi-node mesh networks
- Monitor and debug multiple nodes simultaneously
- Visually analyze system performance
| Bluetooth Low Energy SDK | Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Software Development Kit (SDK) helps designers develop Bluetooth LE, and Bluetooth 5 solutions for the IoT. | |
| Bluetooth Mesh SDK | Bluetooth Mesh Software Development Kit (SDK) helps designers develop Bluetooth mesh solutions for the IoT. | |
| Connect Stack | Silicon Labs’ Connect is an IEEE 802.15.4 based wireless networking stack for broad-based proprietary applications and is optimized for devices that require low power consumption. This full-featured, easily customizable networking stack is designed for compliance with regulatory specifications across worldwide geographic regions and supports both sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. | |
| RAIL (Radio Abstraction Interface Layer) | Silicon Labs’ RAIL (Radio Abstraction Interface Layer) lets you adopt the latest RF technology without sacrificing the investment you’ve made in your wireless protocol. Designed to support proprietary or standards-based protocols, RAIL simplifies and future-proofs the migration of code to new ICs. | |
| Thread SDK | Silicon Labs is a founding board member of the Thread Group with numerous successful customer deployments of mesh networking solutions based on 802.15.4 and Zigbee. Registered customers of the kits can access the Thread SDK and development tools through Simplicity Studio | |
| Zigbee SDK | Silicon Labs EmberZNet PRO Zigbee networking protocol stack is a complete Zigbee protocol software package containing all the elements required for robust and reliable mesh networking applications on Silicon Labs' Ember platforms. The Zigbee stack provides "professional grade" networking for the most challenging applications such as Smart Energy / Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Home Automation, Home Security, Smart Lighting and Building Automation systems. |
Resources
Wireless Tech Library
Access to Data Sheets, App Notes, and more.
Wireless Training
Find all Wireless training resources
Wireless API Documentation
Find all Wireless API documentation
Learn About Multiprotocol
overview
What is Multiprotocol Technology?
Many connected devices can improve consumer experience and enhance functionality by supporting multiple wireless connectivity options. We are used to our smartphones supporting Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other connectivity options to provide streaming media as well as connectivity to headphones and smart watches. The power, size, and cost requirements for many IoT systems has traditionally made supporting multiple protocols challenging. Dynamic multiprotocol wireless connectivity provides a viable means to simultaneously support multiple wireless protocols on a single chip by using a time-slicing mechanism to share a radio between protocols, reducing wireless system cost and simplifying system design.
Benefits
What are the benefits of supporting multiple protocols?
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Reduce wireless subsystem BOM and size by up to 40%
Here's a brief look at the different types of multiprotocol connectivity and their benefits.
Programmable Multiprotocol
Programmable multiprotocol support entails having a chipset that, when programmed with the right software stack, can run any number of wireless protocols. Being able to program a chip in production to support BLE, Zigbee, Thread or a proprietary protocol means you can streamline your hardware design and quickly address different markets. A chip platform that supports multiple protocols via different software images is a fundamental prerequisite for all other multiprotocol use cases.
Switched Multiprotocol
Switched multiprotocol enables your connected device to change which wireless protocol is being used by bootloading a new firmware image when the device is already deployed in the field. Consumer experience of settting up or commissioning your product can be greatly improved by making use of smartphone connectivity to swtich between BLE securely onto Zigbee, Thread and other wireless networks. With the addition of over-the-air (OTA) updates, devices can also be updated in the field to evolve to changing market needs.
Dynamic Multiprotocol
Ultimately, any multiprotocol solution must address the possibility of simultaneously running multiple wireless protocols together on one chip, using a time-slicing mechanism to share the radio. This approach opens up even more use cases, especially when combining BLE with other wireless protocols. The simplest of these use cases involves the periodic use of Bluetooth beacons in retail environments from a device that normally operates on Zigbee, Thread or a sub-GHz wireless protocol.
Multiradio Multiprotocol
Dedicated operation of multiple protocols without any trade-offs, especially where different radio frequencies are used by different protocols, requires two radios. There is a lot of value in an application and networking stack that can operate across two radios that perhaps even utilize two completely different frequency ranges. One example is smart metering in Great Britain, where the government will deploy dual PHY Zigbee communications hubs in 30 million households and businesses by 2020. This effort is to enable a Home Area Network that contains both 2.4 GHz Zigbee devices and sub-GHz Zigbee devices (operating in the 868 MHz band), maintained on the same logical PAN with the communications hub routing traffic between devices on different radio frequencies.
| Single Radio | Multiradio | |
|---|---|---|
| # Antennas | 1 | 2 |
| Operation | Time-sliced | Dedicated |
| Performance | Bandwidth shared across multiple protocols; potential increased latency and missed packets | No compromises |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Size | Smaller | Larger |
Applications
Applications for Multiprotocol Connectivity
The usefulness of connected devices in consumer, commercial, and industrial environments can be enhanced or improved through multiprotocol connectivity. In-home automation, for example, Zigbee provides whole-home wireless coverage with its mesh capabilities and makes it possible to control devices from outside the home via a gateway. When Bluetooth LE is introduced, a smartphone can be used for direct local control and location awareness can be added.
Sub-GHz wireless technologies are ideal for smart metering applications since they propagate over wide areas. By adding simultaneous sub-GHz and Bluetooth communication to metering IoT devices, technicians can utilize mobile apps for local setup, information gathering, and maintenance.
In retail or commercial settings, there is a desire to make use of technologies such as Bluetooth beacons to provide location-based advertisements, track assets, and develop heat maps to track foot traffic. By integrating Bluetooth beacons into connected infrastructure such as lighting, large-scale coverage areas can be created. Instead of having to deploy both connected lights and beacons, a light or luminaire can serve as the means to deploy Bluetooth beacons. This provides a more cost-effective avenue to enable location-based services.