industry news
Subscribe Now

QuickLogic Delivers First Smartphone and Wearable Sensor Hub with Under 150 microWatt Active Power and Programmable Flexibility

  • ArcticLink 3 S2 delivers 2X Customer Specific Programmable Logic Capacity, 4X Computational Performance, 4X Algorithm Capacity, 8X Sensor Data Buffer
  • Industry leading active power consumption of <150uW at 1.2V
  • Fully pin-for-pin and software-compatible with previous generation ArcticLink 3 S1

Sunnyvale, CA September 3, 2014 – QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK), the innovator of ultra-low power programmable Customer Specific Standard Products (CSSPs), today introduced its new ArcticLink® 3 S2 platform, the second CSSP solution in its Sensor Hub roadmap.  This next-generation platform delivers double the customer-specific programmable logic capacity, four times the computational performance, four times the on-board algorithm capacity, and eight times the sensor data buffer storage while consuming 40% less power than the previous generation ArcticLink 3 S1. 

Some of the specific key benefits of this platform include:

  • Second-generation Flexible Fusion Engine (FFE) – Four times faster than previous generation, allowing it to process more algorithms, more quickly
  • 95% less active power than typical MCU-based sensor hubs, and 40% less power than the previous generation
  • Dual, hardwired 32-bit multipliers for lowest power sensor algorithm math functions
  • Increased memory stores eight times more batched sensor events for longer periods between processor wake-up, resulting in lower system power
  • Hardwired SPI and I2C interfaces for optimized communication to sensors and to host Application Processors and/or Microcontrollers (MCUs)
  • On-chip oscillators remove the need for external clock sources, reducing Bill-of-Material (BOM) costs and PCB space required for sensor hub
  • Programmable logic cells can be used to integrate customer-specific functions such as IR remote control, LED control and IrDA bar code transmission – removing the need to use additional MCUs or mobile FPGAs
  • Pin and software-compatible with the ArcticLink 3 S1, providing full backward and forward-compatibility for existing S1 users
  • Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and Flexible Fusion Engine Algorithm Tool (FFEAT) supports QuickLogic-developed, 3rd party-, and/or OEM-developed sensor algorithms

The demand for sensor-based applications such as health and wellness, indoor navigation/Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) and gaming is a drain on battery life.  The MCU- based approach is based entirely on software, which uses significantly more power than hardware.  Alternatives such as ASSPs do not have the inherent flexibility to adapt sensor hub algorithms to emerging mobile requirements for additional gesture and contextual awareness applications.  QuickLogic’s hardware-based solution enables greater power efficiency while the programmable fabric offers flexibility to add more sophisticated functions and adapt to design changes.  This unique architecture, coupled with increased memory, performance and capability, makes the ArcticLink 3 S2 platform ideal for a wide range of advanced sensor-based applications for smartphones and wearables. 

ArcticLink 3 S2 Gesture and Context Catalog CSSP

The ArcticLink 3 S2 is available in CSSP and Catalog CSSP variants.  The CSSP variant provides OEMs the opportunity to develop customized versions of the S2, and choose from QuickLogic-developed, 3rd party, and/or OEM-developed sensor algorithms to address specific end product requirements for best-in-class performance.  The first Catalog CSSP variant, called the ArcticLink 3 S2 Gesture and Context Catalog CSSP, provides out-of-the-box support for gestures such as tap-to-wake and rotate-to-wake, along with providing enhanced context and significant motion detection, sensor calibration functions, and enhanced pedometer (including differentiation and step counts of running, jogging, and walking).

“Consumers are demanding more sophisticated, sensor-based applications that don’t compromise on battery life,” said Brian Faith, VP of worldwide sales and marketing.  “Moreover, OEMs want sensor hub solutions to have hardware and algorithmic flexibility to adapt to future market requirements.  Our new ArcticLink 3 S2 sensor hub addresses these demands by offering a solution with ultra-low power consumption, high performance, design flexibility and ease of integration, enabling developers to quickly and easily bring compelling solutions to the market that enhance the end user experience.”

Availability

The ArcticLink 3 S2 and Context and Gesture Catalog CSSP are sampling now.  For more information, visit www.quicklogic.com/sensorhub

Stay up to date with QuickLogic:
http://blog.quicklogic.com/
http://www.youtube.com/QuickLogicCorp
http://twitter.com/QuickLogic_Corp
http://www.facebook.com/QuickLogic

About QuickLogic

QuickLogic Corporation is the inventor and pioneer of innovative, customizable semiconductor solutions for mobile and portable electronics OEMs and ODMs.  These silicon plus software solutions are called Customer Specific Standard Products (CSSPs).  CSSPs enable our customers to bring their products to market more quickly and remain in the market longer, with the low power, cost and size demanded by the mobile and portable electronics market.  For more information about QuickLogic and CSSPs, visit www.quicklogic.com

 

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Apr 15, 2024
With increasing complexity, ascertaining performance in Arm-based SoCs design has become challenging, as it involves system-wide protocols connecting multiple IP in collaboration to deliver the expected performance. Verification teams must do the performance verification at t...
Apr 11, 2024
See how Achronix used our physical verification tools to accelerate the SoC design and verification flow, boosting chip design productivity w/ cloud-based EDA.The post Achronix Achieves 5X Faster Physical Verification for Full SoC Within Budget with Synopsys Cloud appeared ...
Mar 30, 2024
Join me on a brief stream-of-consciousness tour to see what it's like to live inside (what I laughingly call) my mind...

featured video

MaxLinear Integrates Analog & Digital Design in One Chip with Cadence 3D Solvers

Sponsored by Cadence Design Systems

MaxLinear has the unique capability of integrating analog and digital design on the same chip. Because of this, the team developed some interesting technology in the communication space. In the optical infrastructure domain, they created the first fully integrated 5nm CMOS PAM4 DSP. All their products solve critical communication and high-frequency analysis challenges.

Learn more about how MaxLinear is using Cadence’s Clarity 3D Solver and EMX Planar 3D Solver in their design process.

featured chalk talk

Medical Grade Power
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and RECOM
In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton and Louis Bouche from RECOM explore the various design requirements for medical grade power supplies. They also examine the role that isolation and leakage current play in this arena and the solutions that RECOM offers in terms of medical grade power supplies.
Nov 9, 2023
20,460 views