ON Semi releases energy-harvesting BLE switch platform for IoT apps

By Alex Pluemer, contributing writer

ON Semiconductor recently introduced its new Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) switch reference design, a platform that operates entirely on harvested energy. The BLE switch, based on the ultra-low RSL10 System-in-Package (SIP), integrates energy-harvesting technology developed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG to provide a platform for a variety of IoT applications such as asset tracking, wall and lighting control, and building automation.

The platform demonstrates how the RSL10 SIP can enable Bluetooth 5 devices that are battery-less and entirely self-powered. The RSL10 SIP itself features an RSL10 radio, a fully integrated antenna, and all of the necessary passive components to minimize the bill of materials (BOM) and simplify system design.

ZF’s energy-harvesting technology captures the energy transferred when the user depresses a button, which the switch then converts from kinetic energy into electromagnetic energy and stores it for use by the RSL10 SIP.  Each depression of the button generates 300 μJ of energy, more than enough to satisfy the RSL10 SIP’s extremely low power needs — 62.5 nW in deep-sleep mode and 10 mW while transceiving.

The switch offers a few new design features, including a smart dimming function and the absence of a buck/boost converter for simplified design-in and better performance. The switch reference design is accompanied by schematics, PCB layout, Gerber files, and a complete BOM in addition to free access to the switch-side firmware.  Source code, which offers a platform for developing application code, is also available, as well as documentation that provides the details necessary to customize the firmware and connect the reference design to a Bluetooth Low Energy scanner application on a phone or tablet.

The energy-harvesting Bluetooth Low Energy switch is compatible with the ON Semiconductor IoT Development Kit and Bluetooth Low Energy IoT Development Kit, both of which feature a complete portfolio of sensors, actuators, and connectivity devices.