The MT2625 platform – the world’s smallest NB IoT module – is spearheading the deployment of IoT tech, with first product launches in association with China Mobile’s eSIM and supporting OneNET, China Mobile’s IoT open platform. (Note, however, that MediaTek’s major competitor, the Huawei Group already delivered such a solution with China Mobile, the M5310 module of only 19 × 18.4 × 2.7mm size using the HiSilicon Hi2110 chip. The already announced MediaTek based module would be only 16mm × 18mm in size)
eSIM – What’s it all about? (eSIM YouTube channel, Nov 27, 2015)
This makes it easy for device makers to quickly develop and bring innovative NB-IoT devices to market. For an understanding of a current view on eSIM potential see a recent 3d party (in the sense of no direct interest in any chip, device or operator companies) video:
It is all about connectivity! eSIM (Giesecke & Devrient* YouTube channel, Feb 23, 2017)
* Giesecke+Devrient is a global company that offers security technologies, both in the physical and digital spheres.
MediaTek Announces Interoperability Tests with SoftBank to Drive NB-IoT Development in Japan (company press release, TOKYO and HSINCHU, Taiwan – Oct. 3, 2017)
MediaTek furthers its commitment in NB-IoT technology to meet market demand
MediaTek Inc. today announced it will conduct a series of interoperability tests of NarrowBand IoT connectivity (NB-IoT) with SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”), a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp., in the first quarter of 2018 to pave the way for development of NB-IoT commercial applications in Japan. This interoperability test will further efforts to advance MediaTek’s NB-IoT technology and ready the connectivity standard for global deployment. “MediaTek is proud to be at the forefront of NB-IoT technology innovation, which has the potential to deliver new ways to connect that are both cost effective and power efficient” said Yoshitaka Sakurai, General Manager of MediaTek Japan. “This initiative with SoftBank, along with the unveiling of our MT2625 NB-IoT SoC solution and our collaboration with leading telecommunications companies around the world, demonstrates MediaTek’s commitment to an exciting new era that’s set to fuel the massive growth of the Internet of Things.”
MediaTek has played a pivotal role in the formulation and implementation of the 3GPP LPWA specification for NB-IoT. The company recently unveiled its highly integrated and ultra-low-power MT2625 NB-IoT System-on-Chip (SoC) and announced its collaboration with China Mobile to build the world’s smallest NB-IoT module (16mm X 18mm) around the chipset.
The company’s MT2625 NB-IoT chipset is built to meet the requirements of cost-sensitive and small IoT devices and leverages MediaTek’s advanced power consumption technology to enable IoT devices to work with batteries for years. The highly integrated SoC combines an Arm® Cortex®-M microcontroller (MCU), pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM), flash memory and power management unit (PMU) into a small package to lower the cost of production while also speeding up time-to-market. The MT2625 supports a full frequency band(from 450MHz to 2.1GHz) of 3GPP R13 (NB1) and R14 (NB2) standards for a wide range of IoT applications including smart home control, logistics tracking and smart meters.
For more information about the MediaTek MT2625, please visit: http://www.mediatek.com/products/nbIot/mt2625
MediaTek’s latest technologies will be showcased at CEATEC JAPAN 2017, being held Oct. 3 – 6, 2017 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. To see demonstrations and learn more, please visit MediaTek’s booth # D081.
How SoftBank head honcho Masayoshi Son thinks:
The crazy world of Masayoshi Son (Tech in Asia YouTube channel, Aug 25, 2017)
China IoT market scale estimated to exceed CNY1.5 trillion by 2020 (DIGITIMES, Sept 22, 2017)
China’s IoT (Internet of Things) market scale has posted an annual expansion of over 20% over the past few years, and the market value is estimated to exceed CNY1.5 trillion (US$227.6 billion) by 2020 from CNY900 billion in 2016, according to the China Annual IoT Development Report (2016-2017) recently released by China Economic Information Service (CEIS).
The CEIS report showed that 36 major IoT enterprises listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange markets, as well as key listed enterprises in three segments, such as smart medicine, smart home and smart transportation, registered aggregate revenues of CNY277.54 billion and combined net profits of CNY16.79 billion in 2016, surging 22.3% and 15.1%, respectively, on year.
The report pointed out that the global IoT development has witnessed some new features and trends. First, the global development of IoT technologies and applications has been in high gear, and is quickly moving into the era of Internet of Everything (IoE). Advanced countries have kept strengthening their strategic IoT deployments, while application scenarios for IoT technologies have been constantly enriched. In addition, the accelerated construction of open source IoT ecosystems has fueled continued expansion of the IoT industrial scale.
Some 400,000 NB-IoT base stations to be operational by year-end
Second, China’s “13th Five-Year” IoT roadmap has been unveiled, with the NB-IoT construction upgraded to a national strategy; and the Information Communication Industry Development Plan-IoT (2016-2020), released early this year, has become a guiding document for the development of China’s IoT industry in the next five years. It’s estimated that NB-IoT networks will cover municipalities, provincial capitals and other key cities in China by the end of 2017, when a total of 400,000 base stations will be operational around the country.
Third, the accelerated integration of IoT and new technologies such as cloud computing, big data, AI (artificial intelligence), 5G and LPWAN (low power wide area network) has significantly driven industrial innovations and upgrades. China’s IoT industry ecology has been optimized comprehensively, and the platform-based development and application of IoT in diverse fields has also been enhanced greatly, while the application value of IoT has been widely recognized to facilitate extensive IoT applications.
Fourth, the open source innovation ecosystems of IoT is taking shape gradually, and business revenues and profits of leading listed enterprises have posted stable growth. With platforms, alliances and open source communities serving as carriers, China IoT enterprises are actively engaged in cross-field and transnational cooperation in IoT R&Ds, applications and promotions.
Fifth, the degree of IoT industry clustering in China cities has been further strengthened, which is conducive to building the cities to smart ones through IoT applications.
NB-IOT: NARROW-BAND IOT (MediaTek subsite, June 21, 2017)
NB-IoT is a 3GPP standardized cellular based low power wide area technology and is potentially part of the ‘5G’ era of connectivity. It is due to empower the explosive growth of IoT devices in the next decade.
Far and Wide Reach
MediaTek NB-IoT platform has the highest temperament for low connection quality, allowing NB-IoT devices to be installed in locations that cannot be served by competing IoT connectivity standards. This particularly benefits device installation in remote or difficult to access locations.
Design Optimization
MediaTek NB-IoT platform advantage is its simplicity. The efficient design of memory, processing, and light modem with single antenna design means products can be highly cost effective – suitable for large scale rollout – and ultra-low power, giving the option of battery powering for extended periods.
MediaTek ‘WorldMode’ Modem
MediaTek’s NB-IoT modem is ‘WorldMode’, supporting a full range of global bands, allowing devices that can be shipped worldwide to support all carriers with NB-IoT compatible networks. This essential feature means only a single NB-IoT device needs to be designed to address worldwide markets, reducing cost and development time.
MT2625 for NB-IoT (MediaTek blog post, July 3, 2017)
NB-IoT is a new 3GPP standard initiated at Release 13, with essential advancements added in Release 14. It’s a cellular based connectivity technology that focuses on ‘low power wide area’ (LPWA). MediaTek’s first NB-IoT product, the MT2625, is already 3GPP Release 14 ready.
To date IoT has had niche success in particular devices such as wearables and Maker tools, partly due to the limitations of existing connectivity standards. Low-power connectivity was limited to short-range (Bluetooth Low Energy) and cellular modems were higher power, complex devices reused from smartphones and tablets. In comparison, the new NB-IoT standard is truly revolutionary. MediaTek’s NB-IoT platform advantage, in particular, is its simplicity. The laser-focus on efficiently designed memory, processing, and a light cellular modem with single antenna means products can be highly cost effective, suitable for large scale roll-out, and ultra-low power giving the option of battery powering for extended periods.
The reuse of soon-to-be retired 2G spectrum, or inter/guard bands of the 4G spectrum means there’s an huge, global cellular infrastructure waiting for NB-IoT devices. MediaTek’s NB-IoT modem is ‘WorldMode’, supporting a full range of global bands, allowing devices that can be shipped worldwide to support all carriers with NB-IoT compatible networks. This essential feature means only a single NB-IoT device needs to be designed to address worldwide markets, reducing cost and development time. The platforms are also designed to have the highest temperament for low connection quality, allowing NB-IoT devices to be installed in locations that cannot be served by competing IoT connectivity standards. This particularly benefits device installation in remote or difficult to access locations.
All these assets allow one design for large-scale roll out, making it highly suitable for international business’, worldwide transportation, municipal or civic use, or consumer products with battery life well beyond that of existing devices.
As such, it’s expected that NB-IoT enabled devices will empower the explosive growth of IoT in the next decade.
In addition, smart wearable devices such as the MediaTek’s MT2511 6-in-1 bio-sensor combined with 5G’s promised zero mobility interruption, could yield more reliable wearable sports and activity tracking devices.
The business case for IoT (MediaTek blog post, Aug 18, 2017)
Tech Wire Asia has investigated the business case for investing and pursuing IoT. The growth results are already impressive, with Gartner reporting 8.4 billion IoT devices worldwide this year. Upcoming 5G technologies and 3GPP Release-14 enhance NB-IoT, both of which are being spearheaded in the Asia region.
Compared to the explosive growth of smartphones and other tech industries, IoT is a long-term investment and growth market, requiring some unique ideas and potentially new channels of development. For example, while fitness trackers and bio-sensors are already popular, they are a subset of the medical industry at large, which will can benefit from IoT devices at everything from a personal through to local(clinic/hospital) through to national(government) level.
MediaTek’s latest IoT devices include the MT8516 for cloud-connected voice assistants and the MT2511 6-in-1 biosensor.
MediaTek Internet of Things (IoT) (MediaTek YouTube channel, Feb 22, 2017)
MediaTek MWC 2017: Internet of Things (MediaTek YouTube channel, Apr 10, 2017)
MORE INFORMATION
MT2625 Ultra-low power, 3GPP Release-14 enabled NB-IoT platform for wide-ranging home, civic, industrial or mobile applications (MediaTek product page, June 21, 2017)
MT2625 is an NB-IoT R14 enabled SoC that will enable ultra-low power and cost effective IoT devices for a wealth of applications ranging through home, civic, industrial or mobile use. It’s highly integrated design incorporates an NB-IoT modem DSP, antenna RF and base-band analogue front-end. Other integral components include an ARM Cortex-M MCU with internal RAM, plus Flash, PSRAM, and a power management unit (PMU). Extensive peripheral I/O extensions include SDIO, UART, I2C, I2S, SPI and PCM. Despite its high functionality, its tiny package size and low pin-count yields cost and size effective designs for many applications, while its highly integrated platform simplifies the product design process for partners.
With a Real time operation system (RTOS) base, it’s easily customizable for applications such as home automation, cloud beacons, smart metering and many other static or mobile IoT implementations.
Its wideband front-end module is designed to support all ultra-low/low/mid bands defined by the 3GPP Rel-14, including up to Quad-band operation, allowing a single design to address worldwide markets, reducing cost and development time.
Industry Standards 3GPP Release: 14
Interfaces IO: I2C, I2S, PCM, SDIO, UART
Processor Storage CPU Type: ARM Cortex-M with FPU
CPU Frequency: 104MHz
CPU Cores: Single (1)
Embedded Memory: 4MB PSRAM
Flash: 4MB NOR
Platform Features Integrated PMU: Yes
Integrated Baseband: Yes
Integrated RF: Yes
Integrated Modem DSP: Yes
MediaTek Unveils its First NB-IoT SoC and Announces China Mobile Collaboration to Build Industry’s Smallest NB-IoT Module (company press release, HSINCHU, Taiwan – June 29, 2017)
New highly integrated and ultra-low-power MT2625 SoC supports a full range of global network connectivity standards to further the advancement of NB-IoT commercial applications
MediaTek Inc. today unveiled its first narrow band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) System-on-Chip (SoC), the MT2625, and announced a collaboration with China Mobile to build the world’s smallest NB-IoT module (16mm X 18mm) around the chipset. MediaTek’s new ultra-low-power MT2625 SoC supports a full frequency band(from 450MHz to 2.1GHz) of 3GPP R13 (NB1) and R14 (NB2) standards for a wide range of IoT applications including smart home control, logistics tracking and smart meters.
Since existing cellular networks like 2G, 3G and 4G do not have the capacity to meet the needs of billions of IoT devices, Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) networking was developed to accommodate the increased connectivity needs across the globe. MediaTek has been a key player driving the formulation and implementation of the 3GPP LPWA specification for NB-IoT, which is designed to support large-scale connectivity, reduce equipment complexity and minimize power consumption to prolong battery life for years.
“LPWA has the power to truly unleash the potential of the IoT, representing a huge market opportunity,” said Jerry Yu, MediaTek Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Home Entertainment Business Group. “MediaTek was the first in the industry to support the full frequency band of 3GPP NB-IoT standards, and we are committed to continuing to invest in NB-IoT technology to meet the global market demand. By providing highly integrated, low power and robust connectivity technologies over the years, along with full-featured IoT software and hardware development platforms, MediaTek aims to enable developers and device makers of all sizes to quickly bring to market innovative NB-IoT devices.”
MT2625 is MediaTek’s first NB-IoT chipset built to meet the requirements of cost-sensitive and small IoT devices. The highly integrated MT2625 combines an ARM® Cortex®-M microcontroller (MCU), pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM), flash memory and power management unit (PMU) into a small package to lower the cost of production while also speeding up time-to-market. The chip leverages MediaTek’s advanced power consumption technology to enable IoT devices to work with chargeable batteries for years.
Committed to taking advantage of the huge growth opportunity in China, MediaTek and China Mobile have collaborated to build the industry’s smallest NB-IoT module based on MediaTek’s MT2625 SoC. The module integrates with China Mobile’s eSIM card and supports OneNET, China Mobile’s IoT open platform, which makes it easy for device makers to quickly develop and bring to market innovative NB-IoT devices.
For more about the MediaTek MT2625, please visit: http://www.mediatek.com/products/nbIot/mt2625
Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networking to fuel the explosive growth of IoT (MediaTek blog post, Mar 23, 2017)
The progression of personal computing technologies such as desktop PCs and laptops, to the mobile phone or smartwatch, intelligent devices have gradually penetrated every aspect of our lives at the personal level and internet connectivity via short or long-range communication has become an essential factor in this technology evolution. For a modern personal computing device, the first priority is to establish a reliable, smooth connection to the outside world. CompTIA predicts an annual compound growth rate from 2014 to 2020 of all internet connected devices is expected to be as high as 23.1%, reaching a total of 501 billion units by 2020, where each connected device uses at least one chip-based module.
The next wave of computing, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, absolutely relies on communication technologies, using a combination of connections that is either human-to-device or machine-to-machine. Because IoT products are anticipated to be mass distributed on the scale of billions in order to achieve feasibility of mass production and economies of scale, an appropriate communication technology must be used to accommodate future connectivity capacity without overwhelming it.
In the home, office, shopping malls or industrial entities, the use of short-range communication technology is currently predominant as communication infrastructure is tightly integrated in these environments. However, IoT is expected to act far beyond the existing use model. It must serve to work in a wide range of settings that include potentially remote, long-distance locations, or in places where a wireless connection is typically very poor.
The development of Low-power Wide area (LPWA) Internet of Things technology is in response to the needs of IoT devices that will be installed in places that would have previously been unimaginable. In large-scale, mass deployments, is expected to further replace the short distance communication technology applications by allowing a single mass produced device to be applicable in any scenario.
Thanks to the technology foundation laid by mobile devices, global telecom operators have already established a worldwide network infrastructure. Although these mobile devices use progressive generations of networking (2G / 3G / 4G, etc.), these connectivity standards are designed for high throughput, fast response and come with high power consumption and high cost of implementation.
In contrast, IoT devices only require low throughput, and are less sensitive to connectivity intervals or delays. However, they are focused on an economical design that is both as power and cost efficient as possible, and tolerant of low connection quality.
After the evaluation of how to adapt the global network infrastructure to meet the needs of IoT devices, the low-power wide-area networking technology has been divided into two groups; one uses unlicensed spectrum of Lora and SigFox, the other is operating in the 3GPP licensed spectrum that supports 2G / 3G / 4G mobile technologies, through new standards of LTE Cat-M and NB-IoT. Of these two, NB-IoT is anticipated to be the major technology.
The unlicensed spectrum cannot be solely relied upon so it must be supported by 3GPP licensed spectrum to ensure the feasibility of global standards that meet the needs and rapid popularization of LPWA technologies. As we look forward to 2020, MediaTek research has determined NB-IoT will represent the dominant technology with explosive deployment potential of over 150 million units per year.
The main markets of LPWA networking technology are expected to be transportation (logistics and automotive), smart metering, remote control and sensors, and point of sale devices. However, the breadth of potential applications of LPWA-enabled IoT devices is vast; with the potential for large-scale deployment through industrial, commercial, municipal and even agricultural use.
LPWA devices fall into two core applications: fixed and mobile.
In fixed applications the data transmission rate is usually less than 10 Kbps, with ‘long’ intervals between updates anywhere between every few minutes to several hours. It can be flexible to work around network availability and can operate in very low power states between connection intervals. It is anticipated that device deployment will reduce the need for manual maintenance and functional operation, or open up new monitoring areas that are potentially hazardous, difficult and/or expensive to get to. Therefore the demand for a device that can run on battery power, without human interaction, for several years is expected.
Sensor technologies will be a crucial part of fixed IoT devices; continually collecting information the surrounding environment. Agricultural applications could monitor soil, air or water quality, or eventually remote, autonomous vehicle control. A municipal example would be city council monitoring the water or gas pipes for leaks, street lighting use and crime prevention. In daily life, smart meters will send out water, gas, and electrical readings autonomously to improve efficiency of billing and to avoid alert home owners or industrial overseers to unnecessary waste or unexpected peak demand.
In mobile applications the data demand is expected to be much higher, between 12.2 Kbps to 120 Kbps, due to the support for voice messaging in wearable applications. With the 3GPP Release 14 of the NB-IoT specification, mobile devices will also support location awareness via modem, so the frequency of online updates will be in the second interval. While low power operation is still essential, devices are expected to have semi-frequent charging windows when supported by battery.
Wearables, logistics and transportation are key applications. For example, bike sharing is a hot trend in the Chinese market, and embedding NB-IoT devices into shared bicycles allows companies to keep track of their bike stock and react to over- or under-served rental stations. Industrial logistics companies can keep track of their vehicles, get real-time traffic updates to divert their fleet away from gridlocked streets and work in conjunction with municipal entities to report road conditions. Even very important packages could have their own sensors embedded to track their exact progress and help ensure they’re not misplaced.
Personal use applications of wearables such as smart watches will benefit from the small, ultra-low power and low cost of LWPA. It will allow much longer battery life and connectivity independent of smartphone, in places even where your typical smartphone modem will have trouble connecting.
From the analysis of a lot of market research and trends, we can clearly perceive the support for the Internet of Things is booming. The ability to tailor connectivity in different scenarios to support the most appropriate technology is almost here; whether high performance, but at higher cost and with complex design, or at low speeds, low cost, with infrequent updates, but with the power of large-scale deployment.
Why NB-IoT is the best answer to the 5G LPWA future (MediaTek blog post, Mar 31, 2017)
The 5G generation is already here! You see, 5G isn’t just for smartphones, it covers a wide range of applications, which can be attributed to two parallel directions of wireless network coverage: one enables ultra high bandwidth with short-range, directional communication, and the other covers a wide area and uses ultra-low power.
Ultra high speed bandwidth network makes the transmission of high data rate and ultra low latency finally becomes feasible, exceeding even landline broadband performance. Because such high performance requires a very complex modem and high power consumption, it will mainly used in personal or large devices such as vehicles.
Low power wide area networking (LPWA) is the blanket description being used for future IoT connectivity infrastructure, where a large number of low power devices are placed virtually anywhere, even in previously unimaginable locations. The potential of this large-scale device roll-out can bring huge commercial value, but it’s not without its challenges; there are potentially a huge variety of IoT applications, some of which will be deployed for many-year periods and require almost zero manual interaction or maintenance. This will require a resilient design powered often by battery throughout its install period. Existing commercial carrier infrastructure (2G/3G/4G) and unlicensed frequencies such as Wi-Fi are unable to cope with the needs of potentially billions worldwide of devices.
After the initial stage of research and discussions regarding how to reuse available network space to best accommodate the IoT future, wide area networking technologies gradually divided into two groups.
One focuses on the unlicensed spectrum of Lora and SigFox, the other operates within the licensed spectrum areas of 2G/3G/4G mobile technologies and is supported by 3GPP as LTE-Cat-M and NB-IoT.
In the standards competition, Lora and SigFox have already been running for several years, so there are existing advocates using the technology, however, it relies on the use of unlicensed spectrum to support its service. As such, this technology cannot effectively appeal to a global audience. But the limitations of Lora and SigFox are more significant than this; with data security, network construction costs, supporting industry verticals and network coverage lacking versus the 3GPP alternatives. Simply: the 3GPP LPWA technologies can reach more customers, with less cost, and with greater scale and support.
With the march of evolution in telecommunications standards, the retirement of older GPRS/GSM technologies has given a timely opportunity for LPWA networking to reuse this space. In this area, 3GPP technology has three main standards: LTE Cat-M, EC-GSM and NB-IoT. All these technologies have a significant advantage over Lora and SigFox, with clever (re)use of globally licensed spectrums. Despite starting later, 3GPP LPWA is expected to both limit and replace earlier developments of the Lora or SigFox market.
LTE Cat-M is predominantly focused on Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices and as the name suggests will work through use of the existing 4G LTE spectrum, offering the option of larger bandwidth at the expense of higher power use and less range compared to the other LPWA technologies. In comparison, NB-IoT requires much simpler hardware than LTE Cat-M; the memory requirement is lower, and the modem and RF complexity is less. This allows a much more cost-focused product that can be scaled easily for large deployments.
Alternatively, EC-GSM (Extended Coverage-GSM) is solely based on upgrading the traditional 2G GSM technology for IoT applications. Like NB-IoT it also uses a narrow band (200 kHz) networking technology, while offering broader coverage than traditional GPRS 20dB. But the original GSM communication protocol is outdated and needs to be redefined in order to achieve a ‘clean’ communication environment that can efficiently support thousands-thru-millions of connected devices. The result of this clean-slate rethinking is NB-IoT.
As such, NB-IoT is regarded as the dominant force in LPWA networking. It can achieve the five crucial demands of the IoT-era:
- Enhancing the performance of indoor coverage and bring coverage to making previously unconnectable areas
- Support a very large scale of connections,
- Reduce equipment (modem predominantly) complexity,
- Minimize power consumption
- Reduce time delays.
NB-IoT, as a global telecom grade coverage technology, is superior to other technologies in low power consumption, low cost, wide coverage and greater reach. Coupled with a breakthrough in the amount of data transmission, NB-IoT is already gaining increasing support from telecoms operators. We have observed that speed of NB-IoT network construction is already being accelerated in different regions.
As the core NB-IoT standardisation process completes very soon, silicon device makers, like MediaTek, are actively cooperating with global network operators to field test deployments in readiness. With such a commitment of support, the NB-IoT industry chain will mature fast, truly uncapping the potential of IoT.
Why 3GPP Release 14 enabled NB-IoT products is essential (MediaTek blog post, July 19, 2017)
NB-IoT is a low power, wide area (LWPA) technology due to empower the explosive growth of IoT devices in the next decade. NB-IoT’s advantage over alternatives is its simplicity. The low memory and processing requirement, with a simple modem and single antenna design is ultra power efficient, giving the option of battery powered for extended periods. Products can be highly cost and size effective; suitable for large scale roll-out.
3GPP Release 14 Advantage
NB-IoT specification was set at 3GPP Release 13 (R13), however it misses some essential feature that the subsequent Release 14 (R14) addresses. MediaTek NB-IoT products will launch as the global first with R14 specification, this advantage gives early NB-IoT adopters piece of mind to create devices that will be the most current for the longest period, which is crucial when designing products and system for extensive install periods.
3GPP Release 14 imbues essential features for NB-IoT mobile applications such as:
- Location accuracy via just modem (UTDOA/OTDOA)
- Mobility enhancements from seamless cell re-selection
- Push-to-talk voice messaging services
- Higher efficiency by lowering power consumption for wearables
- Supports massive industrial or city-wide deployments with multicast
NB-IoT Cellular Advantage
By reusing (soon to be) retired 2G networking space or the inner-bands or guard bands within the existing 4G LTE spectrum, so as not to compete with 4G LTE device bandwidth, it gives NB-IoT the advantage of already working in known networking infrastructure. Combined with the simplicity of its design, it will accelerate carrier certification. MediaTek’s NB-IoT modem supports the full range of Global bands, allowing a single device to be shipped worldwide, reducing cost and development time.
The bandwidth (128kbps download/18-158kbps upload at half-duplex) is sufficient for voice messaging, location updates and reports or diagnostics from IoT devices. These are small sized, regular and time-tolerant (~seconds update) data packets.
Next-gen semiconductors revolutionize Asian Internet-of-Things (Tech Wire Asia report on MediaTek’s IoT devices (sponsored by MediaTek), Aug 17, 2017)
While the Americas, Africa and Europe struggle even to make 4G ubiquitous, the 5G revolution is being positively embraced in Asia: the hosts of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are offering 5G mobile service to visitors via KT and NTT DoCoMo, respectively, ahead of projected widescale roll-outs.
But while your teenage sons and daughters may well look forward to streaming the latest 4K content on-the-go, it is the wider picture that interests business, and of key interest to the current tech world is the Internet of Things (IoT).
NB-enabled (Narrow Band) IoT devices are poised to change the way we think about IoT, for several simple reasons: they’re low power, they cover wide areas, the tech is physically small (16mm X 18mm, for instance – see below) and crucially, boasts the capacity to carry data from billions of devices.
MediaTek, a Taiwanese company that celebrates its 20th birthday this year, are 5G pioneers and are investing significantly throughout the APAC region; and where this region is leading, the rest will soon follow.
With the company’s MT2625 platform, MediaTek has spearheaded the deployment of IoT tech in China with the world’s smallest NB IoT module. The module works with China Mobile’s eSIM card and supports OneNET, China Mobile’s IoT open platform. This makes it easy for device makers to quickly develop and bring to market innovative NB-IoT devices.
“LPWA [Low Power Wire Area] [technology] has the power to truly unleash the potential of the IoT, representing a huge market opportunity,” noted Jerry Yu, MediaTek Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Home Entertainment Business Group.
The MT2625’s advanced power efficiency technology enables IoT devices to work for years between battery recharges. This aspect alone is a key breakthrough, allowing devices to be installed in remote and difficult-to-access situations where constant maintenance would significantly increase running costs.
3GPP Release 14-capable products are thought to be key in the widespread acceptance and spread of IoT to the point of the projected billions of instances. The standard is essential for NB IoT products to achieve market longevity and wide market reach, and all MediaTek’s NB-IoT products are Release-14 standard.
The headline smart device of latter years has been the wearable and its transmutation into the healthcare industry as a whole. MediaTek’s MT2511 6-in-1 bio-sensor is the world’s most comprehensive sensor. The device and hardware development kit blend together with MediaTek’s MT2523 platform to create a complete SiP (System-in-Package) for wearables with GPS, dual-mode Bluetooth LE (Low Energy), support for high-resolution screens and a highly-efficient CPU.
If such innovation were to be combined with 5G’s promised zero mobility interruption, 100 percent reliable wearable sports tracking devices would be just one of the smaller benefits we could all enjoy; companies with MediaTek’s vision are leading us to a better-connected future.
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MediaTek Expands Wearables Portfolio with MT2511 for Health and Fitness Devices (company press release, SPAIN, Barcelona – February 22, 2016)
As the global demand for mobile health devices continues to grow, MediaTek today announced the MT2511, MediaTek’s first bio-sensing analog front-end (AFE) chip designed for health and fitness devices. The MT2511 enables bio signal acquisition through electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) simultaneously.
MT2511 is extremely power efficient, providing a lower active mode power consumption of less than 0.6mA while capturing PPG. In addition, MT2511 is equipped with MediaTek’s exclusive built-in heart beat interval technology and 4KB SRAM to optimize overall system power consumption for sleep heart rate monitoring. Finally, MT2511 also integrates LED boost driver circuit for saving layout space.
“The mobile health market is one of the fastest growing technology sectors. We can only begin to imagine how health-related wearables will improve both medical care and everyday wellness all around the world,” said JC Hsu, MediaTek’s Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the IoT business unit. “With support for ECG and PPG and limited power needs, the fully integrated MT2511 is ideal for a variety of devices, including fitness trackers, active lifestyle smart watches and sports bands.”
With its support for a greater than 100db dynamic range and high sample rate from 64 to 4KHz, the MT2511 eliminates interference and motion artifacts when collecting the heart’s electric signals. Because the MT2511 gathers accurate pulse data, it enables a variety of applications including electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), pulse oximetry (SpO2) and blood pressure.
The flexible design of the MT2511 means it works seamlessly with MediaTek’s existing IoT and wearables platforms, including the MT2502, MT2523, and MT2601 for Android Wear, allowing device manufacturers to cater to a variety of needs. Advantages of the design range from simple to rich applications, with or without touch screens, or paired with a SoC or microcontroller unit (MCU).
The MediaTek MT2511 is expected to begin mass production in the first half of 2016. At Mobile World Congress 2016, MediaTek will show the MT2511 and the hardware development kit that combines it with MediaTek’s MT2523 platform. Together, this will demonstrate a complete system-in-package (SiP) for wearables with GPS, dual-mode Bluetooth LE, support for high-resolution screens and a highly-efficient Cortex M4 CPU.
Highlighted specifications:
- ECG+PPG for easy data synchronization (Internal PLL)
- Active power
- 0.6mA for PPG (sample rate 125Hz .w/o LED )
- 0.6mA for ECG
- 1.25mA for PPG+ECG
- Heart beat interval + Built-in 4KB SRAM
- Integrated LED boost driver circuit
- High accuracy: Greater than 100dB dynamic range
- SPI/I2C interface support for connectivity
- 3mm×3.4mm, 56-ball, 0.4mm pitch, WLCSP package
MT2511 Ultra-small, highly-integrated companion chipset offering an ultra-low power analog front-end (EKG+PPG) (MediaTek product page in the wearables category, Jan 31, 2017)
MediaTek MT2511 is a bio-sensing analog front-end (AFE) chip designed for health and fitness devices. It’s an ideal companion chip for the
MT2325DMT2523D or MT2523G in health wearables, but can be used with many MCU chips. MT2511 enables bio signal acquisition through electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) simultaneously, with high sensitivity and sampling rates.
General Features Memory: 4KB
Additional Features Power Management Unit: Yes
Connectivity Interfaces: I2C, SPI
Packaging Package Size: 3.0 x 3.4 mm
Related Products
MT6280 A UMTS modem for IoT solutions that require cellular data connectivity from HSDPA to DC-HSPA+
MediaTek Announces MT2523 Series Designed for Smart Watches (company press release, TAIWAN, Hsinchu – January 4, 2016)
MediaTek today announced the MT2523 series. Designed for active and fitness smart watches, it is the world’s first system-in-package (SiP) to offer GPS, dual-mode Bluetooth Low Energy, and a MIPI-supported high-resolution mobile screen.
The MT2523 combines long battery life, high-quality display technology, and small chip size to provide for optimum user experience. The SiP’s printed circuit board area is 41 percent smaller than competitors’ solutions. In comparison to other wearables, devices powered by MT2523 can last more than a week on one battery charge.
“The MT2523, with its combination low power and rich features, marks a significant step forward for the smart watch and wristband industries, said JC Hsu, MediaTek’s corporate vice president and general manager of IoT business unit. “Power combined with efficiency has always been the hallmark of MediaTek technology solutions and we are leading the charge in bringing this know-how to IoT products.”
MediaTek’s MT2523 product family is based around a highly integrated system in package (SiP) that contains a micro controller unit (MCU), dual-mode Bluetooth, GPS and a power management unit (PMU). The MCU enables wearable devices with lower power consumption and smaller form factors than Android Wear. The display component supports MIPI-DSI and serial interfaces, resulting in a high-resolution mobile screen. It includes 2D capabilities of true color, per pixel alpha channel and anti-aliasing fonts, plus 1-bit index color to save memory and computing power. MT2523’s low power comes from its ARM® Cortex®-M4 processor, which combines high-efficiency signal processing functionality with low power, low cost and ease-of-use benefits.
The SiP will be available to device makers starting in the first half of 2016.
Overview
MediaTek MT2523 product family (MT2523D/MT2523G) is based around a highly integrated system in package (SiP) design that contains a micro controller unit, a low power GNSS chip (MT2523G), dual mode Bluetooth, and a power management unit (PMU). The micro controller unit is an ARM Cortex-M4F MCU with integrated 4MB PSRAM and 4MB flash memory. MT2523 also supports interfaces such as UART, I2C, SPI, I2S, PWM, SDIO, MSDC, USB, PCMIF, ADC and dual digital MIC.
Key features
- High integration with RF+MCU+Memory
- Low power mode with RTC
- Supports multiple frequency and voltage modes to achieve an improved and extended battery life while maintaining high performance
- Fast switching time from sleep mode to active mode under 10μs
The GNSS companion chip is a multi-GNSS RF SoC aimed to achieve the industry’s highest level of sensitivity, accuracy and Time-to-First-Fix (TTFF) with lowest power consumption. It supports various location and navigation applications, including autonomous GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BEIDOU, SBAS ranging (WAAS, EGNOS, GAGAN, and MSAS), QZSS, DGPS (RTCM) and Assisted GPS (A-GPS). It also includes up to 12 multi-tone active interference cancellers.
The Bluetooth subsystem supports Bluetooth 2.1 and Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy (dual mode). It contains the Bluetooth radio, baseband and link controller.
The display component supports MIPI-DSI and serial interfaces. It includes 2D capabilities of true color, per pixel alpha channel and anti-aliasing fonts, plus 1-bit index color to save memory and computing power. The camera component supports DDR mode with a maximum clock rate of 48MHz, up to VGA.
Platform
- ARM Cortex-M4 MCU with FPU
- Embedded 4MB memory + 160KB SRAM and 4MB flash
- 25 DMA channels
- Low power RTC mode with 32 kHz crystal support
- Dual mode Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy, large TX power and excellent RX sensitivity for best coverage
- Supports high battery voltage (4.8V) for extended battery life
- Multiple frequency and voltage modes for low power and computing power balance: High speed (1.3V, 208MHz), Full speed (1.1V, 104MHz), Low speed (0.9V, 26MHz)
- Low power crystal oscillator clock sources down to 40μA
Connectivity
- UART, I2C, SPI, I2S, PWM, SDIO, MSDC, USB, PCMIF, ADC, and dual digital MIC
GNSS (2523G only)
- GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO/BEIDOU
- Supports multi-GNSS including QZSS and SBAS ranging
- Supports WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS/GAGAN
- 12 multi-tone active interference cancellers (with ISSCC2011 award)
- RTCM ready
- Indoor and outdoor multi-path detection and compensation
- Supports FCC E911 compliance and A-GPS
- Maximum fixed update rate up to 10 Hz
Bluetooth
- Bluetooth specification 2.1+EDR
- Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy (LE)
- Integrated BALUN and PA
- Scatternet support: Up to 7 piconets simultaneously with background inquiry /page scan
- Up to 7 simultaneous active ACL links
- Supports SCO and eSCO links with re-transmission
- Channel quality driven data rate adaptation
- Channel assessment for AFH
Display
- DBI interface: Simultaneous connection to 2 serial LCD modules and maximum resolution up to 320 x 320
- DSI interface: Supports sync-event, sync-pulse, and burst mode video modes, plus ultra-low power mode with low frame-rate (LFR) technique and high-speed mode with 500 Mbps
Technology and package
- Highly integrated 55nm ultra low power technology
- 6.2mm x 5.8mm 165-ball VFBGA package with SiP Serial Flash and PSRAM for MT2523D
- 9.2mm x 6mm 242-ball VFBGA package with SiP Serial Flash, PSRAM and GNSS for MT2523G
HDK
LinkIt 2523
The LinkIt 2523 HDK is a fully functional demonstration board for IoT and Wearable applications powered by MediaTek MT2523G, an ARM Cortex-M4 core-based microcontroller unit (MCU). It enables rich connectivity features, communication with cloud services and real-time control. LinkIt 2523 HDK supports development on Keil IDE and provides additional libraries to integrate a variety of peripherals that enables a new class of highly connected applications.
Experiencing the Cloud 