Nowi Announces Next-Generation Diatom Energy Harvesting Chip, Offering a Big BOM Reduction
Designed to be installed without the need for external inductors or coils, the Diatom is claimed to scale from micro- to milliwatts.
Energy harvesting specialist Nowi has announced a new chip, the NH16D3045 "Diatom" power-management integrated circuit — offering, the company claims, "top harvesting efficiency" from microwatts to milliwatts.
"Diatom’s inductorless design and integrated power management functionalities enable customers to further reduce the implementation cost and area required to achieve top performance," claims Simon van der Jagt, Nowi's chief executive, of his company's latest design. "We are very proud of this new product and look forward to the new customer designs it will make possible."
Measuring 4×4mm (around 0.16×0.16"), the Diatom uses a 28-lead QFN package and is designed to be installed on a board without external inductors or coils — lowering the overall footprint and bill of materials for energy-harvesting projects.
The chip offers support for energy sources ranging from light and solar to kinetic, radio frequencies, and movement, capable of adjusting its operation from microwatts to milliwatts of available energy. Internally, it includes power management capabilities including regulated outputs, over- and under-voltage protection, and support for USB charging — eliminating the need for an additional PMIC.
Nowi's previous-generation energy-harvesting PMIC found its way into an Internet of Things (IoT) development kit jointly developed with Sigfox and HT Micron, unveiled earlier this year. Its Diatom targets many of the same segments: IoT networks, smart home and industrial automation systems, wearables, remote controls, pricing labels, tags, and more.
What Nowi isn't yet sharing, however, is the price: The company is asking anyone interested in the part to fill in a contact form for more details, and has not yet published a datasheet.