Alif Semiconductor recently launched the Balletto family, claimed as the world’s first Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) wireless microcontroller (MCU), featuring hardware optimization for AI/ML workloads. The family is designed to support the implementation of sophisticated AI/ML functions such as speech recognition, adaptive noise cancellation, vocal targeting and beam forming in true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, and sensor fusion in lifestyle wristbands and other space-constrained devices.
Alif Semiconductor’s Balletto MCUs (Source: Alif Semiconductor)
Key features include high-performance audio and sensor functionality based on DSP and AI/ML capabilities and a large on-die memory. An Arm Cortex-M55 core, with an EEMBC CoreMark score of 704 at 160 MHz, includes the Arm Helium M-profile vector extension, yielding a 500% improvement in DSP performance.
The Balletto MCUs also integrate an Arm Ethos-U55 neural processing unit (NPU), performing up to 46 GOPS, backed by a large 2-MB tightly coupled memory (TCM), for extended audio capabilities with hardware acceleration of AI/ML models. Neural network processing is up to 15× better than a Cortex-M4 processor can achieve, Alif said.
Additional features include digital interfaces including I3C, USB-HS (480 Mbits/s) and twin CAN-FD channels; an analog front-end with high-precision ADCs, including a 24-bit sigma-delta DAC; up to 2 MB of high-speed MRAM and 2 MB of zero-wait state SRAM; an Octal SPI interface, and up to 77 GPIOs including I/O for audio input/output.
Balletto’s radio supports concurrent Bluetooth LE 5.3 and Thread operations via a single on-chip antenna for in-home automation networks and systems, supporting the Matter protocol. A dual-PA architecture includes a high-power amplifier (HPA) that provides a 10-dBm output for maximum range and signal strength, and a low-power amplifier with an output of 4 dBm for optimized power consumption.
The Balletto family also leverages the company’s state-of-the-art multi-layered security fabric first introduced in Alif Semiconductors’ Ensemble family of MCUs and fusion processors. The advanced security platform has its own dedicated processor and memory, providing hardware root of trust and chain of custody.
The new Balletto family is targeting Bluetooth LE challenges faced by the wireless audio and smart homes, providing a platform adapted to high bit-rate audio and the Matter ecosystem, the company said.
The MCU family is housed in an ultra-small WLCSP package. It was launched this week at Embedded World 2024.
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