Low-power IoT Connectivity IP Design Based on FDSOI

Yi Zeng

Verisilicon IoT Connectivity Dept

2019 Sept

Current Progress of IoT Industry ▲ IoT applications grow fast

► In multiple scenarios: Smart Home, Smart City

► With large number and high density

Company Proprietary and Confidential IoT Infrastructure

IoT Nodes IoT Gateways Networking Cloud servers Applications

▲ IoT network deployment is slowing down

► Reuse existing Wi-Fi APs

► BLE Mesh networking is emerging

► NB-IoT: reuse existing 4G cellular network

► LoRa networking for long-range local connection

Current IoT device chips

▲ IoT chip price is pushed down rapidly

► Chip cost is close to or lower than 1$

► Not driven by technology, but squeezed by market

► homogeneity competition, little differentiation

Company Proprietary and Confidential

1$

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

IoT chip cost NB-IoT

LoRa

BTDM

▲Power dissipation keeps almost unchanged

► Require 2 AA batteries, large form size

► Process node is stagnating at 55/40nm

► Reuse existing blocks: ARM core, GSM RF, etc.

► Performance is not as good as expected

Current IoT Networking

▲ IoT networking becomes more expensive

► CAPEX/OPEX increases, when number of IoT devices becomes large

Cellular network structure is designed for human networking

‐ Limited capacity

LoRa is designed for point-2-point communication

▲Value of “IoT Data” is not generated

► Data is collected, not analyzed

► Data is separated, not synthesized

▲Require new architecture with AI

► AI at edge to preprocess raw data to lower networking capacity

requirement

Company Proprietary and Confidential

Typical cellular networking load curves

Requiring Technical Innovations for IoT

▲Hardware platform based on innovative IPs

► Fundamental Innovations for building blocks

Utilize advanced process node for PPA improving

Drive upgrading in system architecture, product form factor etc.

►Platformazation with service

Lower technical/finacial entry bar

Enable differentiation by customization

▲Software platform based on Open Source

► Flexible for misc scenarios

►Adaptive networking structure

►Mine the value of “IoT Big Data”

Company Proprietary and Confidential

RF IP Repository

Data

Digital HW and Firmware

Ctrl i/f

Sensor IPs

SW Resources: OS, Protocol stack, Security …..

Scenarios

Apps

Platform

IP AI HW Engines

AI Algorithms

VSI IoT Connectivity IPs ▲Target Multiple IoT Connectivity Technologies

►NB-IoT System

Digital Baseband IP based on ZSPNano core

RF IP on FDSOI22

‐ Transceiver is verified on test chip

‐ DPA+ADPLL is to be tested

►BLE5.0 System

RF IP on FDSOI22 with silicon proven

LL IP with BQB certification

►GNSS RF IP

Multi-mode RF IP is being developed on FDSOI22

► Sub-1GHz Customizing connectivity system

Customized solutions for specific scenarios

ZSPnano core subsystem

NB-IoT Protocol

Stack

NB-IoT PHY FW

BLE LL FW & stack SW

Trace&debug tool RTOS

BLE RF Sub1G

Customized RF

Digital HW

NB-IoT RF

Digital HW

GNSS RF

Digital HW Digital HW IPs

System

Platform

Company Proprietary and Confidential

Bottom-up: From Process to System

FDSOI

RF Characteristic Advantages

Low Voltage Digital Circuit

Back-gate Biasing

Process Characteristics

Circuit Design SoC Architecting

Power Management Unit

RF Transceiver &

Analog/Mixed Signal

DSP/AP/Baseband “Always On”

Company Proprietary and Confidential

BLE IP

VSI BLE5 System

▲Complete BLE solution for an SoC integration

▲Verified with multiple RF test chips

▲High reliability with BQB certification

BLE Stack

Demodulator

BLE RF

HCI I/F

ZSPnano Core

ACC1

ACC2

ACC3

BLE RF Board

BLE Link Layer System on ZSPnano

Company Proprietary and Confidential

BLE RF IP

▲Completeness

►Self contained IP system

Transceiver + Digital Demodulator

Auxiliary blocks

Clock ,POR, ADC

Integrating BALUN and switch

►Dedicated PMU IP for large range of supply voltage

▲Low Power Optimization

►Core voltage is lowered to 0.8v

►Multiple power saving modes

Separated power management for TX/RX

►Dedicated LPLDO for deep sleep mode

For “always on” block in SoC

Company Proprietary and Confidential

BLE RF Advantages

Area

55nm bulk CMOS

VSI BLE @FDSOI22

40%

Power

55nm bulk CMOS

VSI BLE @FDSOI22

30%

Performance （RX sensitivity）

Market Average

VSI BLE @FDSOI22

>5dB

High-Integration – High-performance – Low-power – Small-area

Company Proprietary and Confidential

BLE Link Layer

Link layer with BQB Certified

▲BLE Link-layer Subsystem

► FW implementation on ZSPnano core

Low power core

Flexible packet scheduling

Support feature upgrading and extending by software update

►HW framework

Real-time RF control I/F

Memory management

Encryption engine

Company Proprietary and Confidential

NB-IoT IP

VSI NB-IoT System Overview

SPI UART I2C

Serial Flash

SIM Card

Xstal Integrated PMIC： Buck， LDOs

3GPP NB-IoT PHY & protocol stack

RF Transceiver

PA

TX

RX

Antenna

Switch

Company Proprietary and Confidential

▲NB-IoT Platform

►Complete modem system

Conform with 3GPP R13 NB-IoT standards

Protocol stack software is ported and integrated

►PMIC

DCDC and LDOs included

LPLDO for deep sleep mode

32K and 26M Xtals are integrated

NB-IoT RF IP

Company Proprietary and Confidential

▲Architecture optimizing with FDSOI process

► Low IF/zero IF configurable RX architecture

► 26MHz DCXO/VCTCXO support high accuracy AFC

► RFPLL covers both HB and LB

► I/Q modulation TX supports LB and integrates BALUN

► 0.8V core voltage

► Silicon proven on FDSOI22

NB-IoT Digital BB IP

▲Single core BB based on ZSPNano core

►Low power low cost core architecture

ISA for both control and signal processing

High code density to save Ins memory

Integrate PS SW and PHY on FreeRTOS

►Whole system integration and verification

Hardware coprocessors/Accs integrated

Co-design with RF

NB-IoT all functionalities validation

►Power consumption Test

Core voltage can be lowered

Leakage optimization by body-biasing

Company Proprietary and Confidential

GNSS

VSI GNSS RF IP

▲Low Power GNSS RF IP on GF22FDX

►Dual band supported:

GPS L1, Beidou B1, Galileo E1 and Glonass G1; L5 bands configurable

► Fully integrated PLL synthesizer, VCO & loop filter

►Highly integrated LNA, Power Manager

Company Proprietary and Confidential