SPARK Microsystems, a Canadian fabless semiconductor company specializing in next-generation ultra-wideband (UWB), and UBITO, part of FRABA group and offering components for magnetic sensing, energy harvesting and wireless transmission, have partnered to develop a range of UWB-based wireless sensing and IoT solutions. This partnership will allow UBITO to leverage SPARK Microsystems’ UWB technology for wireless, battery-less sensor applications in multiple industries, including smart home, industrial automation, and condition monitoring.
“A revolution in sensing technology – sensors with no wires or batteries – is achievable today thanks in part to innovations like SPARK UWB that deliver extreme energy efficiency to significantly reduce overall sensor power requirements,” said Raphael Mehrbians, CMO, SPARK Microsystems. “The combined benefits of SPARK’s UWB technology and UBITO’s energy harvesting make this partnership ideal for short range wireless communications targeting sensors and IoT applications.”
UBITO’s products are based on its unique Wiegand energy harvesting technology for contactless, battery-less, and wireless sensors. The expanded product portfolio of UBITO solutions will generate sufficient energy to power wireless data communications and other sensing and IoT technologies over the UWB spectrum.
These solutions will leverage SPARK Microsystems’ UWB technology to wirelessly transmit data at low-power, ultra-low latency, and high-speeds. UWB is an ideal wireless transmission technology solution because its transmitting power is only consumed by short pulses instead of a constantly powered frequency generator.
The joint solutions will support the rapid development of IoT applications and are more sustainable because they will not require batteries to operate. The aggregate energy savings and reduced battery usage will ultimately help reduce landfill waste, CO2 emissions and other toxic environmental contamination.
“With SPARK’s UWB, a single pulse provides enough energy to wirelessly transmit data from a wireless sensor node supplied by energy harvesting from a Wiegand generator,” said Toby Best, General Manager, UBITO.
SPARK is offering demonstrations of the joint UWB-based wireless sensing and IoT solutions at CES 2023. The demonstrations will show how SPARK’s UWB technology is used to wirelessly transmit data at low-power, ultra-low latency, and high-speeds in UBITO Wiegand wireless IoT solution.
About SPARK Microsystems
SPARK Microsystems is a fabless semiconductor company that is leading the way towards ultra-low power wireless communications for consumer and IoT-connected devices. With its patented technologies, SPARK Microsystems is bringing to market a high-performance wireless transceiver that allows for orders of magnitude improved power consumption, latency and more accurate ranging and positioning, while providing higher data rates than competing technologies. For more information, please visit www.sparkmicro.com.
About UBITO
UBITO is a newly formed enterprise that specializes in the development and promotion of Wiegand technologies for commercial and industrial applications. It functions as a concept incubator, while also marketing Wiegand sensor products for industrial application such as fluid meters and multiturn rotary encoders. UBITO is a member of the international FRABA group, whose history dates back to 1918, when its predecessor, Franz Baumgartner elektrische Apparate GmbH, was established in Cologne, Germany to manufacture relays. Since then, the company has played a trendsetting role in the development of rotary encoders, inclinometers and other sensor products. For more information, please visit www.ubito.com.
