 Low Power Design

Sustainable IoT

Well-being

One Coremark is a single execution or iteration of the program so it lends itself handy in two ways. Both benchmark how many iterations can be executed per clock cycle (MHz) and how many iterations per energy unit (mJ). Typically a CPU will display a certain number for Coremark per megahertz; CM/MHz. Broadly speaking the higher this number is the better or more computational load can be performed by the CPU.When designing digital IPs such as a CPU there is no problem to achieve high computational efficiency if no weight is to be put on how much energy is being used. Now, to use Coremark to also benchmark computational energy efficiency: one measures the number of Coremark per millijoule; ULPMark-CM.Now that we know a bit more about Coremark and what we can use it for - let’s consider a few things.<h2>The Coremark Applicability</h2>There is certainly an argument to be had when it comes to how applicable or representative Coremark is for what you do in your application. Because the benchmark itself is written in a way where the CPU is loaded in a way that is very synthetic, especially for an embedded system. And here we can only nod and say yes, for many applications this is true. However, at the same time Coremark is a nice way to compare between various product offerings in the market. That naturally creates a momentum for pushing as high CM/MHz or CM/mJ. One can certainly see this in the ARM Cortex M lineup, where the M0, M0+, M3, M4 and M33 largely share the same instruction set - but due to implementation differences they yield different Coremark scores.<h2>RISCY ARM wrestle?</h2>At ONiO we utilise the RISC-V instruction set. Everyone will have their own justification for licensing an CPU IP or implementing their own. Certainly, it is very clear that over time ARM’s Cortex M lineup provides some very strong CM/MHz numbers where for instance an M33 in some of the products from ST, Nordic Semiconductor etc. will yield around 4CM/MHz. This is very strong compared to most RISC-V implementations that can be licensed. These seem to offer between 2.8-3.4CM/MHz, something that is certainly not bad scores - but seemingly a bit short compared to ARM. And of course there are some IPs that are better than the numbers listed here! At ONiO we knew pushing beyond 3.2-3.4CM/MHz meant that we had to compromise computational efficiency. Or in other words energy had to be wasted to get more computational power. Being an energy harvested system the gravity is always towards energy efficiency. And thus no such tradeoffs were done.<h2>Gameplay: Upperhand</h2>Luckily a CPU by itself is pretty meaningless - you need a bus system, memories, a clock source and some kind of power management system. And &nbsp;this is where the battle is ultimately going to be won - and where ONiO does its magic. Make all of these pieces really well, fabricate them in a good CMOS process and you have a great combination.For an energy harvesting system like the one implemented on ONiO,there are some disadvantages. Typically when you make a power management system it is easier to achieve a high efficiency number as the power load increases. Simply because at low loads, the quiescent power of the switcher is non negligible. Furthermore - Coremark is run at 3V fixed rail not a solar cell. So while most MCUs will optimise their power delivery system to alway buck down a 3V source to a core voltage and thus have great current translation rate.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/onio/image/upload/v1719475422/CRT_Coremark_2_b7f7a6d9ff.jpg" alt="CRT-Coremark-2.jpg"></figure><h2>Conclusion</h2>ONiO.zero is capable of a very respectable 135CM/mJ and 22uW/MHz while running Coremark from non-volatile memory! A result we are very proud of and an excellent tradeoff between computational and power efficiency. &nbsp;

medium_onio_coremark_results.jpg

preload_onio_coremark_results.jpg

small_onio_coremark_results.jpg

thumbnail_onio_coremark_results.jpg

xsmall_onio_coremark_results.jpg

onio_coremark_results.jpg

preload_onio_coremark_results_t.jpg

small_onio_coremark_results_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_coremark_results_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_coremark_results_t.jpg

onio_coremark_results_t.jpg

ONiO RISC-V Coremark Results

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="VKzFLJ5HiKrG1KApldvN">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs Text to Speech</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>As is the case with nearly everything, there are a number of challenges that the world of IoT and connected technologies face - none bigger than the question of how they will be powered in the future. It became very clear to us as far back as a decade ago that batteries were simply not the answer.&nbsp;You see, the IoT, by design, is intended to be a sprawling network of widely distributed nodes - there is simply no other way. The whole point of IoT is to create an information processing network that is not limited by traditional constraints of large computing devices - it’s IoT’s r<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raison%20d%27%C3%AAtre">aison </a>d'être - IoT technology is at its best when networks are large and spread out over large areas, with as many nodes as is required.&nbsp;This turned out to be the problem with battery-powered IoT - there was simply no way we could unleash the full potential of this technology when we had to watch our steps and be mindful of potential battery replacements. That’s primarily why there was such an urgent need to identify a more elegant power solution for IoT devices - and we got it.&nbsp;In recent years, energy harvesting has become the gold standard for IoT power solutions - they are simply better in every way compared to the traditional battery-based option - they are cheaper, easier to maintain and more environmentally friendly. They are more discrete and don’t come with constraining limits on how and where they can be deployed. These are all great things and we’ve covered all this in detail ourselves, several times in the past.&nbsp;<h2>Batteries Are A Pain</h2>In the past, we’ve written a number of times about how batteries make no sense ecologically. Most modern batteries are of the Li-ion kind, which require rare minerals like Lithium and Cobalt. These minerals are concentrated across a very narrow range of locations on our planet and therefore, mining for these minerals places an enormous amount of pressure on these ecosystems.&nbsp;Cobalt, for instance, is notorious for being mined by child miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moreover, mining these minerals has profoundly adverse effects on the health of the water and soil in these areas. That’s a lot of pain that our planet has to endure just to churn out these batteries - but, it doesn’t end there.When these batteries end their life cycles, they need to be discarded. That comes with its very own list of catastrophic effects on the environment. Most used batteries end up in landfills and oceans. Imagine billions of dead batteries ending up in our oceans, year on year. Sounds truly terrifying doesn’t it?But we know all this. We’ve spoken about it multiple times in the past. Today, we want to focus on an entirely different aspect of why batteries are not a tenable power solution for IoT devices - that is user experience.&nbsp;Batteries cause a ton of friction to users. That’s something that no business wants for their customers. After all, nothing makes a business or a product quite as desirable to consumers than ease of use. Products, in fact, are only bought on the presumption that they remove friction from some part of our lives - when they bring a bunch of friction themselves, there’s nothing quite as irritating.&nbsp;Imagine this, you are sitting with that freshly made bowl of popcorn, all eager to catch the season defining game of your favourite sports team - you’ve been prepping for this day for weeks. You’ve put in extra hours at work, sent off your sports-hating wife on a spa day and you’ve even managed to get your posse together for the big day. Now, imagine if your remote control decided to die on you just as the game was about to kick off - wouldn’t that just send you on a tailspin of rage and irritation?&nbsp;Granted, in the grand scheme of things - this is probably not a huge setback - you just need to run to the nearest store and grab a couple of AAs. But that’s not the point. The product could have still done better in terms of giving you a better and more frictionless user-experience.&nbsp;Nobody likes batteries dying on them. With most of our modern consumer electronics, at least there is the saving grace of rechargeable batteries that also let you know when they are going to die. But with a bunch of devices around us, this is not the case.&nbsp;With mouse controls, keyboards, remote controls and pretty much every other appliance that uses disposable batteries, this pain point is still very much a reality.&nbsp;<h2>Batteryless Is The Answer</h2>This is probably the most underrated benefit that batteryless IoT brings to the table. With batteryless IoT devices, there is simply no need for battery replacements. That might not seem like much to begin with - but in the right circumstances, it can be the difference between you flying off into fits of anger or just carrying on with your plans, as you’d imagined.&nbsp;Companies are always looking for ways to make their products more usable. Less painful to use. When a consumer faces multiple pain points in their interaction with a product, that’s not good for business. From the business’ point of view, the more they can remove friction from the user’s interaction with the product, the better their users’ satisfaction with the business is going to be - as simple as that.&nbsp;And there you go - that’s yet another reason to go batteryless!

medium_onio_ambient_energy_iot.jpg

preload_onio_ambient_energy_iot.jpg

small_onio_ambient_energy_iot.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ambient_energy_iot.jpg

xsmall_onio_ambient_energy_iot.jpg

onio_ambient_energy_iot.jpg

preload_onio_ambient_energy_iot_t.jpg

small_onio_ambient_energy_iot_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ambient_energy_iot_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_ambient_energy_iot_t.jpg

onio_ambient_energy_iot_t.jpg

Eliminating Friction With Batteryless IoT

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="True" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1.0)" data-projectid="s0fMVv3P2RqLEV7lzM4o">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>We live in a world driven by technology - there is simply no escaping the fact that modern information technology has had a decisive impact on the way we live our lives today. First, there was the internet - the internet changed the way we interface with each other and the world - right from the way we buy groceries and plane tickets, all the way to how we find life partners and life-making skills. As information technology kept improving itself, we got the Internet of Things in the last decade - and the world has simply never been the same since.&nbsp;What the Internet of Things did was to take the internet, which had already become a tool of invaluable importance to us and break it free from the shackles of traditional computing devices. With IoT, the boundaries that separated the digital world from the physical world became blurred. We now had the possibility of connecting all manner of everyday objects to the internet and reap all kinds of benefits in the process.&nbsp;So, how does the internet of things do this? How is it able to connect say your air conditioner or your running shoes to the internet?The answer is - sensors. Wireless sensors form the beating heart of any IoT setup - they are best understood as tiny, little computers that can be incorporated into pretty much anything your imagination comes up with. These sensors, or nodes as they are called in IoT parlance, collect various kinds of data from their environment and transmit this information to the web, where it can be processed towards various ends. This, in a nutshell, is how IoT technology works.&nbsp;In the early years of IoT, sensors were battery-powered. This was the best possible configuration for them at the time - there was simply no other viable option to power little nodes wirelessly.&nbsp;However it wasn’t too long until we discovered that powering sensors with batteries was far from an elegant solution - battery-powered IoT sensors came with a laundry list of issues that curtailed the explosive growth that was predicted for IoT just a few years ago - first off, there was obvious problem that batteries tend to run out - if we were to deploy hundreds of millions of sensors to create a connected world, we needed to find a better solution.&nbsp;Then, there was the issue of sustainability - at a time when humanity faces a do or die situation with respect to the ecological health of the planet, it simply made zero sense to power sensors with batteries - after all, the Internet of Things was always intended to be a system of hundreds of millions of interconnected nodes (if not billions) - this would imply hundreds of millions of discarded batteries year on year. The environmental ramifications were staggering to say the least.&nbsp;Battery replacements also represented an additional cost that businesses would have to bear over the lifetime of these systems - that was a big factor in the sluggish adoption of IoT technology at scale in the early years.&nbsp;It was obvious to everyone in the industry that we had to come up with a better power solution for IoT nodes - and as is often the case, necessity drove innovation and we came up with an alternative straight out of science fiction - batteryless IoT powered by energy harvesting technology.&nbsp;Batteryless technology for IoT devices was a pathbreaking development to say the least - in essence, it refers to IoT nodes that can pretty much power themselves - crazy huh?<h3>How do they do this?</h3>Well, that’s thanks to the magic of energy harvesting technology - energy harvesting means that the device is able to draw in tiny amounts of usable power from ambient sources - ambient energy is all around us - in the form of electromagnetic waves, vibrations, heat, light etc. At any given point in time, there is an ocean of ambient energy around us just swirling around. Ambient energy harvesting is a way to put this energy to constructive use.&nbsp;We did tell you - this stuff could be straight out of a sci-fi novel.&nbsp;Ambient energy harvesting proved to be such an elegant solution for IoT devices that it very soon became the gold standard within the industry for ultra-low-power electronics. Very soon, a number of ambient energy modalities were being employed for IoT devices - RF energy harvesting, thermoelectric energy harvesting, piezoelectric energy harvesting, triboelectric energy harvesting etc.&nbsp;In this post, we wanted to take a look at 10 reasons why ambient energy harvesting is truly indispensable for the future of IoT technology -&nbsp;<h2>1. Sustainability</h2>This one has to be at the top of the list. Ambient energy comes with stellar sustainability chops when compared to battery-based solutions. Firstly there’s the e-waste problem that we spoke about earlier - it is estimated that we throw away a <a href="https://www.emterra.ca/blogs/green-factor/recycle-right-what-you-need-to-know-about-end-of-life-batteries#:~:text=Needless%20to%20say%2C%20we've,1%2C000%20tonnes%20are%20recycled%20properly.">mind-numbing</a> 3.3 billion batteries per year - these batteries end up in landfills and oceans - not a pleasant thing to think about by any stretch.&nbsp;With ambient energy, we are able to circumvent this terrible problem - Batteryless IoT devices essentially power themselves for life - this means that over a few years, we will be able to make a serious dent in the number of batteries that end up in our oceans. Moreover, there is also an unsavoury human rights angle to battery production - Lithium-ion batteries require rare minerals such as Lithium and Cobalt. Both Lithium and Cobalt production is mired in environmental and human-rights issues - Cobalt is mined by child miners who work in dangerous conditions in sub-saharan Africa. Lithium mining, on the other hand, ravages entire ecosystems and smashes water tables.&nbsp;Worryingly, we are not anywhere close to getting rid of Li-ion batteries altogether - but at least we can all agree that we shouldn’t rely on them any more than necessary. Thanks to ambient energy, we are at least able to offer a viable green alternative when it comes to IoT microelectronics.&nbsp;<h2>2. Reduced Maintenance</h2>Devices that are powered by ambient energy are super low-frills when compared to their bulky, battery-powered predecessors. The lowest hanging fruit is obviously that they don’t need battery replacements. Over the lifetime of a large IoT deployment, that adds up to a lot of saved maintenance calls. But it’s not just that either - because they have fewer moving parts, energy harvesting powered IoT systems require less maintenance overall. They’re pretty much hassle-free for many years at a time.&nbsp;<h3>3. Increased Device Lifespans</h3>Self-powered IoT devices typically have significantly longer lifespans than traditional battery powered devices. This is a great incentive for small to medium businesses, in particular - they don’t need to fork out uncomfortable sums of money every now and then towards replacements and upgrades - this makes self-powered devices a much safer bet, economically speaking.&nbsp;<h3>4. Budget Friendly</h3>The sustainability angle is all well and good but at the end of the day, businesses make decisions that are primarily driven by economic incentives - and this is where ambient energy comes through as that rare eco-friendly alternative that actually makes economic sense as well.&nbsp;Because they don’t use batteries, like we said earlier, batteryless IoT devices save businesses a sizable chunk of change in terms of battery replacement costs. Moreover, they also save businesses a ton of money in terms of reduced maintenance costs. But it’s not just that - batteryless sensors are cheaper to manufacture than their traditional battery-powered counterparts. Because they tend to be lighter and sleeker, they come with a much cheaper bill of materials (BOM) cost.&nbsp;A few cents saved on each sensor adds up to a significant amount when you have to account for a large deployment of sensors over a farm or a factory - this makes business owners much less queasy about making a large investment in an IoT setup.&nbsp;<h2>5. Enhanced Functionality</h2>Because of their sleeker builds and power autonomy, batteryless IoT devices are able to go places where their bulky cousins simply can’t. Batteryless IoT opens the floodgates in terms of what’s possible for IoT devices - applications like smart implants, tree-top sensors and fully-automated predictive maintenance systems can only really work with ambient energy.&nbsp;This allows for a greater level of freedom when it comes to innovating newer IoT solutions. It also allows product designers to work with a greater level of abandon, having to account for fewer constraints in terms of size and design.&nbsp;<h2>6. No lags, No interruptions</h2>Ambient energy offers the guarantee of reliable and consistent power supply. It is hard to overstate the value this brings to the table - after all, the very point of IoT is to allow us to have eyes where humans can’t easily reach - think about sensors on windmills or predictive maintenance systems tucked away in the deep recesses of an industrial rig - these are places that are hard to access.&nbsp;With battery powered sensors, there is always the problem of power interruptions which could result in expensive downtimes - this problem is entirely eliminated with batteryless sensors. Because they are able to offer consistent power supply, data collection isn’t interrupted. THis allows these devices to collect and transmit information much more reliably while also contributing significantly to the quality of the data streams gathered.&nbsp;<h2>7. Better Scalability</h2>Ambient energy allows for IoT solutions to be scaled much&nbsp; more easily - this is because power constraints don’t have to be accounted for and like we mentioned earlier, cost isn’t as much of a barrier either. This makes it an easier proposition to deploy a large number of nodes - new nodes can be deployed into networks without much thought as each node is energy-independent and doesn’t need a centralised grid.&nbsp;<h2>8. Greater Flexibility</h2>Batteryless IoT offers a greater degree of flexibility as to the location of node devices - devices can be deployed in far-flung and remote locations without much hassle. With battery powered devices, the harder the device is to access, the more it will present problems later during its lifespan in terms of battery replacements and maintenance visits.&nbsp;But with ambient energy, this issue is completely circumvented. Devices can be deployed pretty much anywhere.&nbsp;<h2>9. Supports Higher Density Networks</h2>Ambient energy allows us to deploy high-density sensor networks - this is advantageous for a number of reasons. With IoT, the name of the game is data collection - the better and more granular the data that is collected, the more utility the solution is going to offer in the long run - as simple as that.&nbsp;With ambient energy, this is made practical and tenable. Let’s take the example of smart cities - this is an IoT use-case that is extremely storied and spoken about - in this kind of a complex setup, a large number of nodes of various kinds need to be deployed over a large area. The more nodes we manage to squeeze into a design like this, the better it is going to serve its intended purpose - this is only realistically possible with batteryless node devices.&nbsp;Environmental monitoring is another popular IoT use-case where the same principles apply - if we’re unable to get a high density of sensors, the whole point of the exercise is undermined. In these kinds of use-cases, batteryless IoT really comes to the fore as a very practical and robust solution.&nbsp;<h2>10. Energy efficiency</h2>In addition to individually being power autonomous, batteryless sensors also contribute significantly towards reducing the overall power consumption of large IoT networks - this opens the doors to a more energy efficient and sustainable digital ecosystem.&nbsp;With ambient energy, we are able to create models of high-efficiency networking that will stand us in good stead as we move towards newer technological innovations to combat the largest issues of our time.&nbsp;<h2>Summing Up</h2>Ambient energy is not just a cool, environmentally friendly power alternative for IoT devices. Far from being a gimmick, this technology is actually the only viable option we’ve got if IoT is to truly spread its wings and realise its massive potential. But it’s not just about microcontrollers and sensors either. It’s much more than that - ambient energy represents a step in the right direction when it comes to approaching our world with a more sustainable and holistic mindset.Today, we see a number of ticking time bombs that threaten our survival on this planet - in the form of ecological disasters, food shortages, pollution etc. Our shortsightedness and haphazardness as a species is what got us here. It is very clear that if we are to right these wrongs and create a better world for our future generations, we need to avoid the mistakes that got us here in the first place - and batteryless IoT stands testament to the fact that this is not only possible, but already taking place.&nbsp;By offering an alternative to a sub-standard model without skimping on cost-effectiveness and reliability, ambient energy harvesting stands as a ray of hope for the future of technology as a whole. If we are able to come up with such an elegant and environmentally sound solution to a difficult problem, then it stands to reason that we might actually be able to do the same against the other existential issues that confront us today. aAs the tech evolves, ambient energy will no doubt be harnessed in more significant ways, paving the way for a greener and more sensible future.&nbsp;

medium_onio_ambient_energies.jpg

preload_onio_ambient_energies.jpg

small_onio_ambient_energies.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ambient_energies.jpg

xsmall_onio_ambient_energies.jpg

onio_ambient_energies.jpg

preload_onio_ambient_energies_t.jpg

small_onio_ambient_energies_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_ambient_energies_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_ambient_energies_t.jpg

onio_ambient_energies_t.jpg

Ambient Energy: The Key to Sustainable IoT Revolution

<div class="raw-html-embed"><div id="elevenlabs-audionative-widget" data-height="90" data-width="100%" data-frameborder="no" data-scrolling="no" data-publicuserid="6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391" data-playerurl="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html" data-small="true" data-textcolor="rgba(0, 0, 0, 1)" data-backgroundcolor="rgba(245, 245, 245, 1)" data-projectid="2RvVGdPfyAu4SjQZobYu">Loading the <a href="https://elevenlabs.io" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elevenlabs</a> AudioNative Player...</div><script src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/audioNativeHelper.js"></script></div>Imagine you’re back home from a well-deserved week's vacation. You’re a cautious fellow, so left all systems down before leaving the house: curtains closed, lights off, Wi-Fi router unplugged, because, hey, even internet routers need a break right? Now you’ve just turned systems on, turned your back on the unpacked bags and, you’re ready to melt into your sofa for a well deserved TV-binge. But then, plot twist! Your trusty remote control decides it’s its turn for a vacation - dead as a doornail! Humm… this is the moment you kind of start regretting having fallen for the whole tale of ditching batteries for the sake of Mother Earth!&nbsp;This is also the worst nightmare of your TV OEM… Yes, they’ve been dreaming of being crowned the greenest of the green in the whole tech-universe. Yet, let’s face it, those pesky little triple A’s jumping out of your remote and into your trash bin every couple of years are not helping their cause. But, above all, they want to keep customers happy! Tough call, right?In their quest for sustainability and a green profile, major brands have been growing an appetite for energy harvesting options. Hence, it is nowadays possible to find remote controls powered by <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/power-of-light-ambient-energy-for-iot.html">photovoltaics (PV)</a> or <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/how-do-rf-harvesting-work.html">radio frequency (RF)</a> waves harvesting. Yet, when you look closely, most will still have a rechargeable battery and backup options, like a USB-C port for fast charging. One of the main reasons is the sort of corner cases as described in our intro, i.e. what happens when the remote stays in complete darkness and/or away from RF sources for long, completely draining all its energy reserve.<h2>Mastering Cold Start</h2>Starting or restarting an electronic system from zero energy available (power off) is what electronic engineers usually call “cold start”. The power necessary to kick start the system is generally called “cold start power“ or “startup power”. If you’re running your electronics from a battery, this is not a major concern - the comfort of a constant energy source is granted (at least until it’s time for the next battery change or recharge!). But if you’re relying only on energy harvested from the ambient, then you want your cold start to be as economic in power as possible. In addition, you need your system to live with a relatively small energy buffer - as the time to charge an energy storage element, say a capacitor, determines the cold start time. Without proper attention to these you run into the dead remote control situation: if your PV-powered remote hasn’t seen light for a while, because all lights are off or it’s been forgotten under a pillow, it will simply not work before you expose it to light for tens of minutes. This is simply not acceptable for most users - you don’t want to be light-bathing your remote to make it start!&nbsp;Basically, you want your remote ready in a couple of seconds, or even milliseconds, after you rescue it from under that pillow! For this to be possible from energy harvesting, the electronics in such remote need to be prepared for extremely low cold start power and energy buffer at any time and condition. For instance, we need to make sure we’re getting power from the PV panel extremely quickly once it’s seen any bit of light and that we’re filling up quickly our energy buffer element - &nbsp;while obviously making extremely efficient use of such energy to run the electronics.<h2>From Remote Controls to Electronic Shelf Labels</h2>Problems with cold start are not exclusive to remote controls. We’ve been hearing similar complaints across many other applications and use cases. Let’s look into another favourite in energy harvesting and <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/power-of-light-ambient-energy-for-iot.html">indoor PV communities</a>: ESLs, short for <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/batteryless-electronic-shelf-labels.html">Electronic Shelf Labels</a>.&nbsp;When deploying tens of thousands of ESLs in a store, retailers do not want to be kept waiting for the devices to wake up from their zero-energy beauty sleep. Once they pop out of the box, they should be up and running in a few seconds. Also, retailers want their ESLs to be active virtually at all times, being able to push updates at any time of the day. In fact, early morning updates on pricing and/or product information on the ESL screens are common. Hence, quickly after the lights in the store are turned on, ESLs shall be fired up and ready to display that new update. Even those ones on the bottom shelf taking the dimmest light.In turn, retailers do not like big PV panels messing up the arrangement of their shelves. Hence, PV-powered ESLs must respect the design and sizing that the industry is used to. This means very small panels seamlessly integrated into the ESL casing/frame, and the consequent need for rigorous use of the little energy these will feed into the ESL system.All things considered, just like the remote controls, self-powered ESLs must be able to wake up fast from very little amounts of harvested energy - i.e. extremely efficient cold start is a must!The list could go on and on - from all kinds of smart home gadgets and building automation sensors to asset tracking and smart labelling devices. In all these, very efficient cold start is a keystone for batteryless operation.We have recently heard from an emerging player in the energy harvesting ecosystem stories about unboxing experiences where devices take tens of minutes to become awake. And we’re not talking about configuration troubles here - rather just about gathering enough energy to turn electronics on. These are definitely issues that the energy harvesting communities need to solve in order to beat the dominance of battery-powered devices.<h2>Sleep Power</h2>Another key parameter for energy harvesting systems is sleep power. We’re all familiar with the sleep mode or standby mode in computers, printers, TVs and all other sorts of electronic devices. This means that, once it is not used for a certain amount of time, the electronic system will go into a low power mode, saving very significantly on energy consumption compared to fully active mode. For wireless devices, typically powered by a battery, it is important that systems enter into a deep sleep mode whenever not in active use, in order to save energy. This becomes way more critical in batteryless systems powered by energy harvesting - where energy is even more precious.&nbsp;Many IoT applications typically have a long duty cycle, i.e. the time between actions is very long. Let’s take for instance a smart water meter. It may only need to measure and communicate once per day, meaning it will be inactive, i.e. in sleep mode, for the vast majority of its time. Another example could be an ESL, calling for a couple of updates per day or even less than that. The ESL only requires significant power during update actions (i.e. to wirelessly receive data and change the info on the e-screen accordingly), so the rest of the time it can be sleeping. Even remote controls can be sleeping most of the time, although their duty cycle is typically shorter and much less predictable. Bottom line, most IoT and small electronic devices that can possibly be powered by energy harvesting must be put to sleep for a substantial part of the time - for an efficient management of the precious energy resources available. And, at the end of the day, sleep power can actually be the largest responsible for overall energy consumption in many use-case scenarios.When entering the realm of true ultra low power, one of the major contributors to sleep power consumption is leakage current, also known as quiescent current. Leakage current corresponds to electric current that flows in a circuit through alternate pathways, namely parts normally viewed as insulating. So, leakage might be for instance the spontaneous discharge of a charged capacitor or a battery, or the flow of current across a transistor in the “off” state. In semiconductors, leakage corresponds to mobile charge carriers (electrons or so-called holes) tunnelling through insulating regions. Keeping an efficient energy harvesting operation means minimizing leakage across all system components. Without proper attention to it, one could end up in a situation where leakage gets close or even supersedes sleep power consumption - which will obviously ruin any energy budgeting intentions.<h2>Power obsessed: Redefining Ultra Low Power</h2>At ONiO we have an obsession for power efficiency. Our technology has been crafted from the very beginning and across all aspects for self-powered operation, using energy harvested from surrounding ambients - which called for such an obsession! Accordingly, we’ve put quite a lot of effort into minimizing leakage current across all subsystems, enabling very low power deep sleep modes, and quick start-up/wake-up with minimal power/energy needs. In doing so, we are literally redefining the benchmarks of ultra low power electronics.As an example, in a cold start test, <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/power-of-light-ambient-energy-for-iot.html">ONiO.zero</a> was up and running in just a few seconds from a 2 cm2 PV panel with 20 Lux indoor LED lighting. At normal office illumination (400-500 Lux), <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/power-of-light-ambient-energy-for-iot.html">ONiO.zero</a> starts in the sub-second range. At 1000 Lux, it could start from as little as 5 mm2 PV active area. This level of performance allows us to solve the corner cases across applications - like the remote control between pillows, the bottom shelf ESL, or the unboxing experience.As discussed in this article, low sleep and cold start power consumption are key fundamentals to enable energy harvesting and batteryless operation. <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/power-of-light-ambient-energy-for-iot.html">ONiO.zero</a> stands right at the sweet spot, boasting impressively low cold start and sleep power consumption levels. It's so efficient that it can jolt a PV powered remote control to life in just a few seconds, hinting at incredibly low energy requirements. These figures are so minimal that they pave the way for a new era of self-powered IoT and small electronic devices, setting a new standard in the field.

medium_onio_cold_start_remote.jpg

preload_onio_cold_start_remote.jpg

small_onio_cold_start_remote.jpg

thumbnail_onio_cold_start_remote.jpg

xsmall_onio_cold_start_remote.jpg

onio_cold_start_remote.jpg

preload_onio_cold_start_remote_t.jpg

small_onio_cold_start_remote_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_cold_start_remote_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_cold_start_remote_t.jpg

onio_cold_start_remote_t.jpg

Batteryless Electronics: Starting Cold and Sleeping Deep

medium_onio_photovoltaic_indoor.jpg

preload_onio_photovoltaic_indoor.jpg

small_onio_photovoltaic_indoor.jpg

thumbnail_onio_photovoltaic_indoor.jpg

xsmall_onio_photovoltaic_indoor.jpg

onio_photovoltaic_indoor.jpg

preload_onio_photovoltaic_indoor_t.jpg

small_onio_photovoltaic_indoor_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_photovoltaic_indoor_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_photovoltaic_indoor_t.jpg

onio_photovoltaic_indoor_t.jpg

The Power of Light: Ambient Energy for Batteryless IoT

<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="100%" height="90" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html?publicUserId=6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391&amp;projectId=XWQV1zB7xPQJ34oeHDYU&amp;small=true&amp;textColor=rgba(0,%200,%200,%201)&amp;backgroundColor=rgba(245,%20245,%20245,%201)"></iframe></div>The Internet of Things is to this age what the production line was to the early 20th century or say the world wide web to the early 90s - it represents the absolute cutting edge of technology. IoT technology has made it possible for all manner of everyday objects to be connected to the internet, opening up possibilities previously unheard of.&nbsp;When the things around us that we employ for various purposes get internet access, they are able to do a lot more things and with a lot more efficiency. For instance, let’s take the example of a running shoe - it’s essentially a commodity product that’s been around for a long time - but when fitted with IoT sensors, they are able to offer a lot more value to the user - smart shoes can, for instance, allow users to track their miles, running style, calories burned etc. This is just a simple example that shows how value can be unearthed simply by giving things around us access to the internet.&nbsp;<h2>The IoT power problem</h2>To understand ambient energy in the right context, it is essential to take a brief look at the history of IoT technology. Around 2010, the idea of an internet that transcends traditional screen-based devices became wildly popular. In the decade that followed, we saw this nascent technology generate incredible amounts of interest globally.&nbsp;These heady days saw many massive projections for growth in this sector - some <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gilpress/2016/01/27/internet-of-things-iot-predictions-from-forrester-machina-research-wef-gartner-idc/">dizzying</a> numbers were thrown around. It was estimated that within a decade and a half, we’d have a world with a staggering 1 trillion sensors connected to the internet. It soon became clear however that this wouldn’t be a walk in the park. It wasn’t because the demand wasn’t there, because it was. The sheer scope of utility that IoT brought to the table was undeniable - the problem was in powering these sensors.&nbsp;Since their inception, batteries have been the default power solution for IoT devices. Lithium-ion battery prices were falling through the 2000s and by the time the 2010s rolled around, they were ubiquitous, finding application in nearly every kind of electronic device. But for IoT devices, or nodes as they are called, batteries came with a laundry list of limitations. It is fair to say that the battery problem represented the biggest bottleneck that IoT technology faced, severely stunting its chances of living up to the trillion sensor predictions.&nbsp;Firstly, there’s the <a href="https://www.onio.com/article/environmental-cost-of-batteries.html">environmental</a> costs associated with Li-ion battery production. Lithium and Cobalt are both extremely rare minerals that are endemic to small areas in the world. Both of these minerals are essential raw-materials for battery production. Lithium mining has some disastrous effects on the ecosystem, ravaging the water table and decimating the surrounding biodiversity.&nbsp;Most of the world’s cobalt deposits are localised to one country in sub-Saharan Africa - The Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation plagued by widespread conflict and political instability. Child miners are mercilessly sent into artisanal Cobalt mines for amounts ranging from 1-3$ a day! A disproportionate number of these child miners go on to develop severely debilitating health conditions thanks to the appalling conditions they have to put up with. Moreover, Cobalt mining doesn’t do any favours to the surrounding environment either. Much like in the case of lithium mining, Cobalt mining comes with some substantially pernicious environmental effects.&nbsp;The environmental issues that come with batteries don’t stop there. If producing them is harmful for the environment, discarding them is probably even worse. Even the best-made, longest-lasting batteries have a limited lifespan. At the end of their life-cycles, they are typically discarded into oceans and landfills. This is the very definition of an unsustainable practice.&nbsp;While the environmental issues that came with battery-powered IoT sensors were obviously a huge concern, there were other problems to be considered as well.&nbsp;For one, setting up large-scale IoT networks requires a sizeable initial investment. In the early years of IoT technology, a lot of businesses were apprehensive about coughing up these amounts especially when battery-replacements and periodic maintenance were factored in. The cost of periodic checks and manual battery replacements failed to justify the benefits that these systems brought to the table, in many cases. It neither made sense from a logistics standpoint, nor from a purely economic standpoint.&nbsp;There was a growing cry from within the industry to try and find an alternative power solution that could circumvent these challenges and help IoT technology continue its explosive growth trajectory towards the prophesied 1 trillion sensor mark!<h2>Enter ambient energy</h2>Ambient energy, or energy harvesting technology, emerged as the most viable alternative for batteries in the world of microelectronics.&nbsp;So, what is ambient energy?Ambient energy essentially refers to the vast untapped reservoir of energy all around us - in the form of heat, sound, electromagnetic waves etc. Ambient energy harvesting is the harnessing of this energy and converting it into usable electrical energy.&nbsp;How does this work, you ask?Imagine this - at this very moment, you are surrounded by an invisible ocean of electromagnetic energy, swirling all around you. The electronic devices that we use emit this energy in the form of radio-frequency waves. Ambient energy harvesting aims to harness small quantities of this ambient energy and store it for later use in capacitors. This, in a nutshell, is how RF (radiofrequency) energy harvesting works. Other energy harvesting modalities use the same principles to harvest energy from other sources of ambient energy.&nbsp;With ambient energy, we are able to completely eliminate the need for batteries in microelectronics. The long list of difficult problems posed by battery-powered IoT is basically eliminated in one fell swoop.&nbsp;When IoT devices use ambient energy instead of batteries, their ecological footprint is dramatically reduced. Moreover, they make a whole lot of sense from an economic standpoint - no replacement costs, slashed maintenance costs and longer-lives.&nbsp;As we entered the second half of the last decade, it was becoming clear as daylight to everyone within the industry that ambient energy was here to stay. As the years rolled along, more and more players started throwing their hats into the ring, coming up with highly compelling energy harvesting powered IoT-products.&nbsp;<h2>Types of ambient energy</h2>There are various kinds of ambient energy around us and we’ve managed to find ways to harvest quite a few of them.&nbsp;The most popular kinds of ambient energy employed in energy harvesting based devices are RF energy harvesting, solar energy harvesting, piezoelectric energy harvesting, thermoelectric energy harvesting and acoustic energy harvesting.&nbsp;We’ve already taken a look at RF energy in the example from the previous section. Solar is pretty self-explanatory too - light from the sun is a huge, untapped source of energy and with the right device, this energy can be converted into electrical energy and stored for later use. Similarly, various everyday appliances put out a lot of energy in the form of vibrations. This vibrational energy can be harvested in a similar way and used in electronic devices - this is called piezoelectric energy harvesting.&nbsp;Today, the market is flooding with many other kinds of niche energy harvesting technologies that are market-ready and being featured in some compelling products - Here are a few examples<h2>Advantages of ambient energy</h2>Ambient energy allows microelectronics to go completely batteryless, enabling a host of advantages to both consumers and businesses alike. Let’s explore some of these massive benefits that ambient energy brings to the table.&nbsp;First and foremost, there are the environmental benefits - as we saw earlier, the battery industry is mired in some serious humanitarian and ecological problems that are hard to look past. After all, no amount of technological progress can justify wanton destruction of life. Ambient energy enables IoT node devices to be 100% self-powered. When adjusted for scale, this makes a huge difference - if hundreds of billions of IoT-devices go batteryless and opt for self-powered, ambient energy based solutions, that will represent a serious dent in the number of batteries produced per year and perhaps more importantly, in the number of batteries that will end up in landfills and oceans.Furthermore, ambient energy scores big in terms of convenience, ease-of-use and practicality. After all, no one likes replacing batteries. We all know how annoying it is to remember to buy batteries for our remote controls when they die.&nbsp; Now imagine having to do the same for hundreds or even thousands of IoT node devices deployed across various locations in a large facility - it can be a major nuisance. This challenge is simply inevitable with battery-based solutions. After all, batteries have a finite lifespan and no matter how durable they are, when there are hundreds of them, they are always going to be a nuisance.&nbsp;It’s not just a matter of convenience though. As far as businesses are concerned, the biggest priority is always going to be centred around the economic side of things. And this is where ambient energy really shines in comparison to its battery-powered peers - think about it - an IoT network typically consists of multiple types of sensors deployed in various locations. The costs associated with performing periodic maintenance and battery replacements on these nodes can be prohibitive for businesses. With batteryless IoT, these costs are simply eliminated.&nbsp;Furthermore, opting for ambient energy harvesting slashes the material costs associated with IoT node devices. After all, battery-powered IoT devices need to account for a battery-hatch in which the battery is housed. With ambient energy, there is simply no need for a battery-hatch, which in turn dramatically reduces the BOM (Bill of Materials) cost. What this means for business owners is that they are able to simultaneously reduce manufacturing and operational costs, which in turn, translates to bigger profits.&nbsp;And the sleekness of energy harvesting based devices also means that product designers are afforded a greater level of freedom and creativity.<h2>The future is batteryless</h2>People all around the world are waking up to the terrible reality of ecological damage. There is growing alarm worldwide and a widespread sense of urgency to try and find solutions to prevent a full-blown ecological collapse.&nbsp;Companies are catching up to this reality and are themselves waking up to the fact that modern consumers have uncompromising standards that they expect businesses to live up to. In this climate of extreme environmental concern and widespread anxiety, there is immense pressure on companies and businesses to embrace sustainable business practices at every level of operation.&nbsp;This points to a future where we will increasingly see low-power and ultra-low-power devices switching to ambient energy harvesting. Today, the power of IoT to foster innovation and bring about disruption is plain for all to see. There is no doubt that the market for IoT is going to grow exponentially over the next few decades. As the number of connected devices grows to many hundreds of millions or even billions, the need to go batteryless will be an imperative, not a choice.&nbsp;All this points to one thing and one thing only - the future of IoT is 100% batteryless!.&nbsp;

Ambient Energy is Taking the World of IoT by Storm

large_onio_mcu_future.jpg

medium_onio_mcu_future.jpg

preload_onio_mcu_future.jpg

small_onio_mcu_future.jpg

thumbnail_onio_mcu_future.jpg

xsmall_onio_mcu_future.jpg

onio_mcu_future.jpg

preload_onio_mcu_future_t.jpg

small_onio_mcu_future_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_mcu_future_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_mcu_future_t.jpg

onio_mcu_future_t.jpg

Beyond Batteries: How Energy Harvesting Microcontrollers are reshaping IoT

<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="100%" height="100" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://elevenlabs.io/player/index.html?publicUserId=6c21a9b7ad57703231dc05932a21048d408feec7404ccb881f833127d05d8391&amp;projectId=zcvQ4oAOOvapqEXWRuri&amp;small=true&amp;textColor=rgba(0,%200,%200,%201)&amp;backgroundColor=rgba(245,%20245,%20245,%201)"></iframe></div><h2>The ARM Legacy</h2>What was always clear was that the ARM Cortex-M3 made a big splash in the market in the early to mid-2000s. It made a clear demarcation between the 8/16-bit world at the time and what seemed like overly complex 32-bit architectures. Not to step on too many toes, but with the 8/16-bits of the time, you could “just sit down and code” while it was actually a bit more painful to do so pre-Cortex-M3. AVR32 was another favorite of the early 2000s. A few years later, we saw the birth of the Cortex-M0 and, quickly thereafter, the Cortex-M4 and Cortex-M0+. The last two CPUs arguably being pretty damn good for what they were intended for; embedded applications where energy efficiency, code density, and ease of use are the most sought-after features. Lineup topped with the brutal Cortex-M7 behemoth of a CPU.<h2>The Cortex Conundrum</h2>With most any market and performance profile covered - what came next seemed like a solar eclipse and a 180-degree turn of direction. The introduction of TrustZone into the embedded world. The seemingly unstoppable Cortex-M bonfire ran out of premium fuel, and in came the “security” ready Cortex-M23 and Cortex-M33. Anyone that has ever touched the topic of CPUs and security knows that it is better to make that part of the initial plan of a device - not an afterthought. It is pretty near impossible to just retrofit a Cortex-M23/M33 device into an existing device. It is not a simple swap. And based on the speed at which secure enclaves, secure islands etc., popped up, it became pretty clear what embedded in reality wanted was safe and secure storage of encryption keys and use of these. Being able to run trusted and not trusted code in an embedded device is a bit of an elusive idea, to say the least. So as a consumer of embedded devices, you find yourself left with the ONLY option to fix your product’s security by classifying code as secure and not, it begs the question if product security was really well understood at all.<h2>The Dawn of RISC-V</h2>Now being well primed on ARM’s deliverables and a basic understanding of there being many better venues to solve device security than the CPU itself - in the CPU diary, we are now at 2015. Lo and behold, the RISC-V Foundation is created and the definition of the RISC-V architecture is being put in very fertile soil; strong industry players come aboard as backers, and CPU extensions for various application profiles are being defined. Slowly sprouting, it is clear that this is a great platform for embedded devices - and what’s there not to like? &nbsp;Its appeal stems from an open instruction set architecture (ISA), the complete absence of fees or royalties, a versatile range of profiles for a perfect match, stellar performance alongside efficient code density, and the straightforward process of integrating bespoke instructions.<h2>Why RISC-V Shines</h2>And especially for what ONiO is doing, it was a match made in heaven. We have always believed embedded machines were all about; energy efficiency, code density and ease of use. But also being able to tweak the RTL implementation to our own liking, adding instructions to set us apart in applications we know well has tremendous value. If we as a collective pause for a second and reflect upon what a microcontroller is really up against:<div class="raw-html-embed"><ul class="ul--navi">
 <li>
 1
 
 Full custom ASICs that can be completely fixed function and super optimized for a single purpose. Can be very cheap and low power.
 
 </li>
 <li>
 2
 
 FPGA/CPLD: ASICs without the cost of a tapeout. But high cost per device and high power consumption.
 
 </li>
 <li>
 3
 
 Microcontroller: Great tradeoff between, resources available, computational power, flexibility, applicability, physical size and cost.
 
 </li>
<li>
 4
 
 Micro computer/Industrial PC/PLC: Best performance, best flexibility, physically large and costly. Power hungry.
 
 </li>
 </ul> </div>It is clear that a great embedded CPU for a microcontroller has not one key feature to rule. It has a wide list of things to master well enough - it does not have to be perfect in all. But if the designer of the CPU can implement it, customize it, add and subtract from it to solve a specific application; there is tremendous potential and value in RISC-V.<h2>Tailored for ONiO</h2>And that is why we have chosen RISC-V as our CPU of choice at ONiO. We could have made a whitepaper about how well we stack up against an ARM Cortex-M4 with our RV32IMC implementation - but it defeats the purpose - and let’s face it there will always be pros and cons and multiple views on the topic of code editors and choice of CPUs (Pun intended). But being left with the option:<div class="raw-html-embed">

<ul class="ul--navi">
 <li>
 1
 
 To make our own RTL implementation
 
 </li>
 <li>
 2
 
 With instructions tuned for our applications
 
 </li>
 <li>
 3
 
 At no cost
 
 </li>
<li>
 4
 
 Instantiated as many times we want
 
 </li>
<li>
 5
 
 With a free validation environment
 
 </li>
 </ul> </div>Made our choice being beyond Coremark/MHz, Dhrystone score or implementation size, supported standard cell library etc. - but rather based on freedom. By choosing RISC-V we gained the freedom to have energy efficiency, code density, ease of use, tweak the RTL implementation and instructions. And not to forget – the freedom to solve embedded security where it should.

medium_onio_riscv_future.jpg

preload_onio_riscv_future.jpg

small_onio_riscv_future.jpg

thumbnail_onio_riscv_future.jpg

xsmall_onio_riscv_future.jpg

onio_riscv_future.jpg

preload_onio_riscv_future_t.jpg

small_onio_riscv_future_t.jpg

thumbnail_onio_riscv_future_t.jpg

xsmall_onio_riscv_future_t.jpg

onio_riscv_future_t.jpg

ONiO is ARMed for the future with RISC-V

ONiO is an IoT company specializing in crafting self-powered microcontrollers that run on nanowatts harvested from their surroundings.

Footer - sub menu 2

Footer - sub menu

Policy

ONiO is a fabless IoT company specialising in batteryless microcontrollers that run on energy harvesting. We are deeply committed to crafting viable clean-energy solutions for IoT devices, breaking them free from the battery. ONiO.zero can use virtually any RF, thermal, solar, piezo signal as a power source. 

Products

Reference Designs

Watch:
The Power of Zero

A greener future:

Products

Reference Designs

Watch:
The Power of Zero

A greener future:

Articles

Low Power Design

Related Pages

Get Started

Technology Redefined

Products

Reference Designs

Watch: The Power of Zero

A greener future:

Articles

Low Power Design

Related Pages

Get Started

Technology Redefined

Watch:
The Power of Zero