Ezairo® 7150 SL DSP-based System-on-Chip and Smart Passive Sensors named 2017 Innovation Award Honorees, demonstrating the company’s extensive capabilities in advanced electronic engineering.
ON Semiconductor, driving energy efficient innovations, has been chosen by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ as a CES 2017 Innovation Awards honoree in two different categories. The announcement was made at the CTA’s annual CES Unveiled New York event - with the company’s Ezairo 7150 SL audio processing hybrid module being cited in the Tech for a Better World category, plus its Smart Passive Sensor™ (SPS) solution doing the same in the Embedded Technology category. Having scored highly across all of the judging criteria, Ezairo 7150 SL and the SPS join a small, highly exclusive list of products to be honored this year.
These two accolades, once again underline the breadth of engineering expertise present at ON Semiconductor - one product innovation focusing on improving the lives of hearing aid wearers through wireless technology, and the other addressing wireless sensor networking for Internet of Things (IoT) implementations.
Ezairo 7150 SL is a compact open-programmable digital signal processing (DSP)-based hybrid, which enables wireless connectivity in hearing aids and cochlear implants. By integrating an audio DSP, EEPROM memory, and a radio IC into a single miniature package, the sophisticated hybrid module provides hearing aid manufacturers with the ability to incorporate advanced wireless features into their design without compromising overall system size. This provides the wearer with the convenience of controlling features (volume levels, program changes) of their hearing aid directly with their smartphone through a Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) connection. Using a 2.4 GHz proprietary protocol, Ezairo 7150 SL also allows the wearer to stream audio from any media source (such as a TV or music system) using a remote ancillary device. These features help greatly enhance the user experience and improve the wearer’s quality of life.
The SPS1M and SPS2T Smart Passive Sensors dispense with the need to have a microcontroller or battery at each sensing node (with power, cost and space benefits all resulting). These ultra-thin devices are able to work autonomously to sense key parameters (temperature, moisture, pressure and proximity) in a highly energy efficient manner that allows for all power needs to be satisfied through energy harvesting. They can deliver battery-free wireless networking without requiring periodic maintenance, thereby reducing the associated operational costs.
The upcoming CES exhibition, in Las Vegas, is regarded all across the world as a hotbed of activity for next generation electronics. For two of our products to be among the select few honored just prior to the show is, without question, a great honor. It is a testament to the wealth of engineering talent present at ON Semiconductor and the ongoing investment we have made to provide superior solutions for the connected world.
Bob Klosterboer, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Analog Solutions Group, ON Semiconductor