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ON Semiconductor & RFMicron Unveil Multifaceted IoT Sensor Platform Supporting Battery-Free Operation

Compact, highly integrated solution utilizes multiple connectivity modules to provide accurate “sense data” onto any cloud platform

BARCELONA, Spain — (BUSINESS WIRE) — February 22, 2016 — ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ON), driving energy efficiency innovations, teamed with RFMicron, and developed a game-changing ‘plug-and-play’ development tool to speed the deployment of wireless passive sensor solutions onto any Internet of Things (IoT) cloud platform. The IoT Platform Development Kit brings together a series of performance-optimized computing and connectivity modules to facilitate quick and effective deployment of battery-free wireless sensing technology and IoT hardware in locations where power and space constraints are of particular concern. This streamlined and flexible solution takes the approach of moving much of the system’s intelligence away from where the sensors are situated, and placing it on the cloud.

Each IoT Platform Development Kit incorporates ON Semiconductor’s battery-free wireless sensor tags, which use RFMicron’s Magnus® S2 Sensor IC, and can perform temperature, moisture, pressure, or proximity sensing functions. The platform also features a UHF RFID reader module with 32 decibels-milliwatt (dBm) power rating and an 860 megahertz (MHz) to 960 MHz frequency range. Localized data processing is performed by the ARM® Cortex-A8 based AM335x system-on-chip (SoC). The platform has the capacity to transfer captured data either wirelessly (via WLAN, Zigbee, Z-Wave, UHF Gen 2, etc.) or using wireline infrastructure (via KNX, CAN, SPI, Ethernet. etc.). This development kit complements ON Semiconductor’s existing wireless sensor evaluation kit, SPS1M-EVK, which provides a set of tools to test our sensor capabilities.

“This IoT Platform Development Kit opens up greater opportunities for IoT-based data-acquisition/monitoring enabling the implementation of wireless sensors quickly and effectively into many applications. Using it, the data from multiple sensors can rapidly be accessed, analyzed and used on multiple backend networks,” states Gary Straker, Vice President and General Manager of Protection and Signal Division at ON Semiconductor. “As a result of this platform, wireless sensing technology can now be deployed into application scenarios where a mains supply is simply not available or where replacing batteries would be too difficult and costly to undertake. This ground-breaking product will markedly broaden the scope of IoT deployment and this development kit offers a tool that makes evaluating the technology simple for multiple application use cases. Through this wireless sensing technology we will be able to connect what was previously un-connectable.”

The platform also possesses an intuitive touch-enabled user interface, plus LEDs, headers and switches designed to enhance its configurability and expand its operational potential. The sophisticated accompanying software allows the platform to fit seamless into any supported network, serving as a dedicated node. Built-in application firmware will assist engineers in implementing more effective IoT-based data-acquisition/monitoring systems irrespective of their experience level.

The combination of all the functions above in a single self-contained board creates an integration tool IoT platforms can use to easily evaluate wireless sensing technology in their ecosystems.

Availability

The wireless sensor IoT Platform Development Kit, SensorRFGEVK, and the wireless evaluation kit, SPS1M-EVK, are immediately available directly from ON Semiconductor’s website or through all franchised distributors.

About RFMicron

RFMicron produces ICs that enable a new class of low-cost, wireless, microcontroller-free, battery-free sensors. These autonomous chips incorporate RF energy harvesting and sensing circuits that detect and respond to a variety of environmental stimuli. These sensors provide the economies of scale necessary to drive pervasive deployment into very-high-volume applications, e.g. for the automotive, construction, energy and healthcare industries.

About ON Semiconductor

ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq:  ON) is driving energy efficient innovations, empowering customers to reduce global energy use. The company is a leading supplier of semiconductor-based solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of energy efficient power and signal management, logic, standard and custom devices. The company’s products help engineers solve their unique design challenges in  automotive, communications, computing, consumer, industrial, medical and military/aerospace applications. ON Semiconductor operates a responsive, reliable, world-class supply chain and quality program, and a network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and design centers in key markets throughout North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions. For more information, visit  http://www.onsemi.com.

ON Semiconductor and the ON Semiconductor logo are registered trademarks of Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC. All other brand and product names appearing in this document are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. Although the company references its Web site in this news release, such information on the Web site is not to be incorporated herein.


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