An ultra-low energy microcontroller for Smart Dust wireless sensor networks

Abstract

A 12pJ/instruction microcontroller with embedded SPAM designed specifically for use in mm/sup 3/ wireless sensor nodes is described. It features highly independent subsystems for sensor sampling, transmission, and receiving that maximize the datapath sleep time as well as 100nW integrated oscillators with rapid power-cycling. Designed in 0.25/spl mu/m technology, the 0.38mm/sup 2/ core consumes 5.9/spl mu/W from a 1V supply when running at 500kHz.