The new Semtech integrated solution is a key component of Sonova's latest generation hearing aids with significantly enhanced connectivity and battery efficiency. It delivers an ultra-small, ultra-low power 2.4GHz wireless radio and power management integrated circuit (IC) that significantly enhances Bluetooth connectivity. Its multiprotocol capability also improves reliability, extends transmission distance, and enhances battery efficiency to deliver real-life benefits for people with hearing loss.
Known as the ERA chip, the new Semtech IC is a key component of Sonova's latest generation hearing aids with significantly enhanced connectivity and battery efficiency. "Semtech's deep expertise in low power wireless communications and power management enabled Sonova to design and create the ERA chip, which pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with hearing instrument technology," says Amre El-Hoiydi, senior director of wireless technology at Sonova.
"Continued innovation is part of Semtech's DNA. This design integrates Semtech’s leading low-power radio frequency connectivity functions with a unique single-inductor multiple-output power management unit on a single system-on-chip and optimized for battery-operated devices. We expect these innovative technologies will directly enhance Semtech's LoRa IoT technology solutions," adds Thierry Melly, vice president of R&D, Wireless ICs for Semtech’s Analog, Mixed Signal, and Wireless Products Group.
Semtech is a manufacturer of connectivity devices for smart home, smart building, and industrial applications, specializing in LoRa (from "Long Range"), a proprietary radio communication technology based on spread spectrum modulation techniques derived from chirp spread spectrum (CSS) technology. It was originally developed by Cycleo, a French company that was acquired by Semtech in 2012.
LoRa is a low-power wireless technology and one of the leading technologies used for wide area network (LWPAN) connected devices (also named "Internet of Things” or IoT) implemented in the LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) communication protocol and system architecture. LoRaWAN is an official standard of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ITU-T Y.4480, managed by the open, non-profit LoRa Alliance organization, of which Semtech is a founding member.
Semtech's wireless radio frequency (RF) product line consists of gateways, transceivers, receivers, and transmitters that cover the radio frequency spectrum from sub-GHz up to 2.4GHz, with devices that deliver 10x the range and 3x less power than other connectivity technologies.
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