Silicon and software company Si Labs is targeting easy Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity with its new Wireless Xpress solution. The company promises to help developers get IoT applications hooked up to the network without having to write any specialized code, thereby saving precious time that would otherwise go to tweaking software.
“Wireless Xpress greatly reduces the design learning curve without compromising sophisticated Bluetooth or Wi-Fi functionality,” said Matt Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of IoT products at Silicon Labs. “Developers will spend less time learning how to add wireless connectivity to their IoT devices and more time designing innovative, distinctive products and getting them to market ahead of the competition.”
Silicon Labs is releasing two modules. One connects to Bluetooth 5 Low Energy (LE) fields, while the other is for Wi-Fi. This makes the product effective for devices that consume less power but need lots of bandwidth to transfer large amounts of data. As with all Bluetooth and Wi-Fi IoT solutions, what is gained in bandwidth and power is lost in range.
Features of the modules include over the air (OTA) remote management and update capabilities using Si Lab’s Zentri device management service. Updates, device monitoring and settings can all be managed with the mobile app.
These apps will run Gecko OS, Si Lab’s own IoT operating system, which they are still developing to include more products and solutions.
The Bluetooth 5 BGX13 module comes with secure connections, including encrypted communication, bonding and passkey pairing.
The Wi-Fi module supports Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure. It is intended for applications such as home appliances, sensors, thermostats, IP cameras and health monitoring.