nPZero SENTINEL IPMIC
Offers up to 99% reduction in power consumption
75 nanowatt
Consumption
50-99%
Reduction
The nPZero SENTINEL IPMIC, Intelligent Power Management Integrated Circuit, is set to revolutionize the power consumption of battery and energy-harvesting powered devices, offering install-and-forget capabilities.
Introduction
The nPZero SENTINEL IPMIC with the nPZero architecture redefines low power.
The nPZero architecture represents a completely new way of thinking when designing battery-constrained systems. An active system without an active microcontroller is now a possibility:
The IPMIC can operate the entire system without an active host, e.g., MCU, processor, or wireless SoC. It can take over the controller role and manage peripherals like sensors, and later hand the controller role back to the host based on user-configurable rules. This enables the power-hungry host to be completely shut down while keeping functions and responsiveness intact. As a true power manager, the peripherals’ power consumption is also optimized.
Main functions and features
What differentiates the IPMIC from other products on the market:
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Unique low power
consumption through a full subthreshold design.
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Compatible
with a range of peripherals (I2C and SPI) and hosts (MCU, processor, or wireless SoC).
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Standalone operation
enables the host to be powered off while the system is still operating. Peripherals are managed without an active host. The IPMIC takes over the controller role in the system; powering up, configuring, and reading peripherals. When required, the controller role is handed back to the host.
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Intelligent functions
with the ability to act dependent on user-defined rules. A programmable logic with a reconfigurable state machine that enables actions based on events. For example, sensor values above/below a set threshold can trigger actions, including, e.g., waking up the host to initiate wireless communication.
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Peripheral power optimization
by individual power cycling of peripherals to ensure the lowest possible power consumption.
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Internal low-power memory
to store commands, peripheral and host configurations, and sensor values.
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Internal clock
with different alternatives depending on accuracy requirements.
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Configurable
for specific applications with API for programming via the host.
