IoT design space challenges: Circuits and systems

TLDR

The Internet of Things is a rapidly expanding application domain poised to become the largest electronics market, with devices centered on sensing and actuating across a nearly unlimited range of uses. This paper investigates the IoT application space to identify two pervasive challenges: achieving ultra‑low power operation and enabling system design with modular, composable components. The authors review recent low‑power techniques and present a low‑power bus that facilitates modular design. They conclude by illustrating three ultra‑low‑power, millimeter‑scale IoT system examples.

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly emerging application space, poised to become the largest electronics market for the semiconductor industry. IoT devices are focused on sensing and actuating of our physical environment and have a nearly unlimited breadth of uses. In this paper, we explore the IoT application space and then identify two common challenges that exist across this space: ultra-low power operation and system design using modular, composable components. We survey recent low power techniques and discuss a low power bus that enables modular design. Finally, we conclude with three example ultra-low power, millimeter-scale IoT systems.