Startups target subthreshold to solve IoT power consumption challenge
While the internet of things has the potential to place intelligent sensors on our bodies, in our homes, within our distribution centers and at our stores, one problem remains: how to power IoT. To date, wireless sensors have been energy hogs, consuming a few volts of electricity and needing to be recharged after several hours.
Startup suppliers are beginning to tackle this issue and design products that require little to no power. Their work is in the early stages of development, but the outlook for subthreshold to satisfy IoT power consumption is favorable.
“Energy has been an issue for IoT device suppliers, and these new subthreshold systems hold a great deal of promise,” said Rob Lineback, senior market research analyst at IC Insights Inc., a semiconductor market research company.
As vendors dabble with smaller IoT device form factors, power emerges as a key gating factor. Suppliers want to push more intelligence out to the network edge, but that goal means that, somehow, energy needs to be available to support the device’s processing. Read more…
