Partnership Aims for Endless IoT Device Battery Life

Ultra-low-power wireless technology provider Atmosic and OEM electronic component manufacturer SMK Electronics Corporation announced earlier this month a new partnership to integrate Atmosic’s M3 system-on-chip (SoC) into a variety of connected devices SMK makes. The devices — which include IoT sensors and remote controls — will use Atmosic’s Controlled Energy Harvesting, On-Demand Wake-Up Receiver, and Lowest Power Radio to create forever battery life. Battery replacement will become a thing of the past.

The companies are also working on an IoT module for use with commercial and industrial applications.

See also: When the Implantable Internet of Things Gets Under Our Skin

“One of the major challenges for IoT adoption continues to be the cost and hassle of battery replacement,” said Alex Davies of Rethink Research. “There is a strong market demand for BLE [Bluetooth Low Energy] products with integrated energy harvesting technology to solve the customer experience headache of having to change batteries in dozens to hundreds of smart home devices such as remotes and other types of connected devices used in consumer products.”

Only Atmosic offers BLE and energy harvesting in an integrated SoC. This technology reduces costs and increases storage and procurement of energy radio frequency (RF), photovoltaic, thermal, or mechanical sources. The company’s M3 Series Bluetooth 5 SOC uses these stored resources to extend battery life and even eliminate the need for batteries.

“Imagine not ever having to worry about replacing the batteries in your remote. Atmosic and SMK are committed to drastically reducing the battery dependence of IoT devices to make this a reality,” said Srinivas Pattamatta, Vice President of Business Development at Atmosic. “Eliminating the need for battery replacement cuts maintenance costs and can help prevent equipment failures caused by battery life issues.”