Samsung’s new Exynos i S111 IoT chip can communicate over long distances with very little power

Being a dominant force in the semiconductor market, Samsung sees a huge potential in the IoT space. The company has been launching many IoT-specific solutions to cater to a wide range of customers and use cases. The newest in these launches is the Exynos i S111 NB-IoT chip that can communicate over long distances with very little power.

IoT devices in confined spaces rely on connectivity standards like Bluetooth and ZigBee for transferring data. They work well for short-range scenarios but are not fit for long-range IoT connectivity, which is where the NB (Narrowband)-IoT comes into the picture. NB-IoT is a low-power 3GPP connectivity standard for transferring small amounts of data reliably, securely and power efficiently over long distances.

As an NB-IoT solution, Samsung’s Exynos i S111 chip combines wide coverage, low-power, accurate location info, and security to make it suitable for long-range IoT scenarios. It packs a modem, processor, memory, and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) into a single chip for efficiency and flexibility in manufacturing.

The Exynos i S111 IoT solution boasts long standby times

The Exynos i S111 can cover distances of 10 kilometers or more by sipping very little power. The chip boasts long standby times through power saving mode (PSM) and expanded discontinuous reception (eDRX) that can keep the device dormant for ten years or more under certain conditions. The modem inside is capable of transmitting data at 127 kbps for downlink and 158kbps uplink, which is more than enough for IoT use cases.

“IoT will be able to evolve to offer new features beyond the conventional household space with IoT-dedicated solutions that present a broad range of opportunities. Exynos i S111’s highly secure and efficient communication capabilities will bring more exciting NB-IoT applications to life,” said Ben Hur, VP, System LSI Marketing, Samsung Electronics.