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Kit hosts sensor-to-cloud, end-end IoT package

Kit hosts sensor-to-cloud, end-end IoT package

New Products |
By Jean-Pierre Joosting



The sensor-to-cloud development kit provides all the hardware and software developers need to create battery-powered wireless sensor nodes. Silicon Labs’Thunderboard Sense “inspiration kit” includes six onboard sensors, a Wireless Gecko SoC for multiprotocol cloud connectivity, 8 MB of external flash for over-the-air updates and a built-in Segger J-Link to simplify programming and debugging. Thunderboard Sense comes with Silicon Labs’ ready-to-use cloud-connected IoT mobile apps, to collect and view real-time sensor data for cloud-based analytics and business intelligence. Onboard sensors measure data, such as motion, light and environmental conditions, and then transmit this data wirelessly to the cloud. An intuitive Android or iOS mobile app displays the data on the developer’s mobile device for data aggregation and cloud analytics.

The 30 mm x 45 mm board includes the following components:

  • Silicon Labs EFR32 Mighty Gecko multiprotocol wireless SoC with a 2.4 GHz chip antenna, with an ARM Cortex-M4 core plus support for Bluetooth low energy, ZigBee, Thread and proprietary protocols;
  • Silicon Labs EFM8 Sleepy Bee microcontroller enabling fine-grained power control;
  • Silicon Labs Si7021 relative humidity and temperature sensor;
  • Silicon Labs Si1133 UV index and ambient light sensor;
  • Bosch Sensortec BMP280 barometric pressure sensor;
  • Cambridge CCS811 indoor air quality gas sensor;
  • InvenSense ICM-20648 6-axis inertial sensor;
  • Knowles SPV1840 MEMS microphone;
  • Four high-brightness RGB LEDs;
  • Onboard Segger J-Link debugger for easy programming and debugging;
  • USB Micro-B connector with virtual COM port and debug access;
  • Mini Simplicity connector for access to energy profiling and wireless network debugging;
  • 20 breakout pins for easy connection to external breadboard hardware;
  • CR2032 coin cell battery connector and external battery connector.

The energy-friendly components on the Thunderboard Sense board enable developers to create wireless sensor nodes powered by small coin-cell batteries. Silicon Labs has optimized the provided firmware and mobile app to limit power consumption. Onboard sensors and LEDs can be turned on and off by the application as needed.


Developers can program Thunderboard Sense using the USB Micro-B cable and onboard J-Link debugger. A USB virtual COM port provides a serial connection to the target application. Thunderboard Sense is supported by Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio tools, and a board support package (BSP) gives users a head start in application development. Developers do not need RF design expertise to develop wireless sensor node applications with Thunderboard Sense. After connecting the board to a laptop with a USB cable, developers can get up and running with Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio tools, free mobile apps and IoT demos.

The Thunderboard Sense kit (SLTB001A) is priced at $36. All hardware schematics, open-source design files, mobile apps and cloud software are included at no charge to developers. Visit the Apple Store and Google Play to download Thunderboard mobile apps visit www.github.com/siliconlabs to download Thunderboard mobile app and cloud software source code. A video is here.

Silicon Labs; www.silabs.com/thunderboardsense

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