Subthreshold IC Boosts Low-Power Device's Battery Lifetime
Nanopower's nPZero power-saving IC increases a device's battery life while keeping monitoring functions intact, with the ability to configure and check sensors at extremely low power levels to wake up the microcontroller on events. Extending low-power modes while staying responsive, the nPZero IC can wake up a device based on a schedule or at a specific time. Advanced power management includes fast and flexible power cycling of sensors, reducing power consumption in active modes.
Subthreshold IC design operates transistors at voltage levels below their threshold voltage (VTH), enhancing the efficiency of low-power and low-frequency electronic devices, extending battery life while cutting costs. The subthreshold or weak inversion region occurs when the gate-to-source voltage of a MOSFET is below its threshold voltage, resulting in a small amount of current between drain and source.
Compared to its operation in the superthreshold region, the time required to charge or discharge internal nodes is greater, which limits the operating frequency. Since dynamic consumption is increasing approximately with the square of the voltage supply (VDD), the reduced power of this supply becomes advantageous circuit and system design.
