Two European Chip Makers Launch Miniaturized ICs for Wearables
Two European chipmakers announced integrated circuits designed for use in smart watches and wearables. ConnecteDevice bowed the WatChip, which it called the smallest connected chip dedicated to the watch industry. By introducing an IC measuring 7.8 x 5.5 x 1.3…
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mm, ConnecteDevice eased the burden of smart watch designers by removing “most of the dimension constraints,” the company said Monday. WatChip combines Bluetooth Low Energy, a motion sensor for fitness tracking and a power management processor, it said. The chip can work independently or with the company’s iOS and Android APIs (application program interface) that communicate with a cloud-based backend for data storage and analytics needs, it said. Earlier at Baselworld, various luxury watch makers disclosed smart watch partnerships, involving companies including Google, Intel and TAG Heuer (see 1503190040). Elsewhere, ams introduced the AS3701 integrated power management unit measuring 2 x 2 x 0.4 mm for use in wearables. Power system designers using the AS3701 will be able to realize space savings and provide advanced power management functionality in products supplied by a single lithium-ion cell, such as smart watches, sport bands, wearable medical devices, handheld GPS units and cellphones, the company said. Its power path management lets a device start up with a dead battery, and optimizes power distribution between the battery charging circuit and the system power supply when plugged in to the mains, ams said. A one-time programmable boot sequence gives designers the flexibility to adapt the device’s startup operation for different applications and processors, said the company, which lets original equipment manufacturers use the same power solution in multiple end-product designs.