The Z-Wave 700 smart home device. Source: Silicon LabsMarket research firm IDC forecasts that by 2022, 1.3 billion smart home devices will be shipped annually.
Much of this adoption will be driven by sensors that leverage artificial intelligence and edge computing applications to drive features such as security, aging-in-place, energy, voice control and insurance, according to IDC.
Anticipating the rise of these devices, Silicon Labs has launched a new platform based on its Wireless Gecko chip that improves security, energy efficiency and longer range RF capabilities for internet of things (IoT) devices.
The Z-Wave 700 follows the company's roadmap to new smart home components after its acquisition of Z-Wave technology in April of this year. The platform allows designers to create new classes of smaller, more intelligent smart home products at a lower cost with faster time-to-market.
The Z-Wave 700 combines an ARM processor with on-chip memory while delivering 10-year coin-cell battery life for wireless sensor applications. The smart home device enables interoperability with thousands of devices and includes SmartStart, which provides an easy way to automatically create and configure Z-Wave networks for instant device installation success, Silicon Labs said.
