Silicon Labs: Talking Tech

This episode provides a great introduction to Bluetooth Mesh.  Max Palumbo, Vice-Chair of the Bluetooth Mesh working group, shares why Bluetooth Mesh is being considered in Wireless Control applications.

The following questions are covered:

• With all the wireless connectivity options, why is Bluetooth Mesh getting attention?  What are the main benefits?
• What use-cases would someone be better off considering a protocol other than Bluetooth Mesh?  What is Bluetooth Mesh bad at?
• What are the main challenges customers face when getting started with Bluetooth Mesh
• What does Silicon Labs provide to help customers with Bluetooth Mesh?

This episode is a follow-up to our Automotive podcast from a few episodes back. Senior Product Manager, John Wilson, returns to take a deeper dive into the applications using our isolation within the Electric Vehicle space. We also analyze on-board chargers which make a wide use of Silicon Labs' isolation portfolio in:

-High Speed Switching

-Digital Communications

-Voltage and Current Sensing

This episode is all about the Friends of Hue program of Signify.  Started to help customers develop products that integrate seamlessly with Philips Hue. Nathan Nunley, Product Manager for Devices in the IoT Home and Consumer business unit, provides details on the purpose and benefits of the program.  This following questions are covered:

• What exactly is the Friends of Hue program? 
• What is the partnership between Silicon Labs and Signify?
• Who is the program for?
• How do interested customers join the program?
• What does Silicon Labs provide participants of the program?
• What is the future of The Friends of Hue program?

Visit:

• www.silabs.com/friends-of-hue
• www.MeetHue.com/integrate

In this episode we continue our Smart Home discussion with Johan Pedersen, Product Marketing Manager for the Smar Home IoT group at Silicon Labs.  We turn our attention to questions regarding the wireless connectivity options available for the Smart Home.  The episode covers the following questions:

• What are the largest growth markets for the Smart Home? 
• How does Silicon Labs' wireless connectivity portfolio help an Engineer working on product for the Smart Home?
• Are there markets or applications where one or more protocols have advantages over others?
• What are the most common mistakes or misconsceptions about the Smart Home you see at customers?

In this episode we meet with Johan Pedersen, Product Marketing Manager for the Smar Home IoT group at Silicon Labs.  We discuss the markets for Z-Wave and recent events that have helped trigger its growth.  Answers to the following questions are covered:

• How would you quickly describe Z-Wave? 
• What are the most exciting opportunities for Z-Wave in the future?
• What markets and applications are the focus for Z-Wave?
• What are key design criteria that customers must consider when developing a Z-Wave product?
• How and when does a customer begin the certification process for a Z-Wave product?
• What development tools are available for engineers designing with Z-Wave?

Visit: 

• www.silabs.com/zwave
• www.z-wavealliance.org
• www.zwave.com

In this episode, Transphorm connects us with their applications engineer, Jenny Cortez to discuss Transphorm's emerging GaN technology.  We discuss applications currently in production using GaN as well as why a customer may choose a GaN solution as opposed to existing technology like Si or especially SiC.  Transphorm uses Silicon Labs on their reference designs to achieve the performance needed to win.

In this episode Mark Beecham covers the sensor solutions from Silicon Labs.  There are new opportunities that benefit from using these products.  This podcast helps you understand what those are.  The topics covered include:

• Easier reference design resources
• New RHT and Heart Rate solutions to evaluate
• Example markets that are using the Magnetic sensor

In this episode Mark Beecham provides updates on the Silicon Labs MCU product families.  There are new developments that will help customers use the 8-bit and 32-bit solutions. The topics covered include:

• Popular reasons for using the MCUs
• Improvements to help simplify MCU development
• A low cost option for getting started

In this episode Ashish Gokhale reviews the differences between GaN and SiC technologies and what type of end applications tend to use each respectively .  We also introduce our new GaN FET reference design partners page on www.silabs.com.

In this episode Parker Dorris provides a 6 month update on the Silicon Labs Bluetooth Xpress product family.  The information will help customers with information to quickly design Bluetooth into their next design.  The topics covered include:

• Most common customer use cases for BGX13P and BGX13S
• How to resolve issues with connecting to older Android phones
• How to add Multi-device connect functionality
• How to reprogram BGX eval board to be recognized by tools
• A new example project using the Long Range PHY