Internet of Things (IoT): specialty I/O for Ultra-Low Power Applications

The Internet of Things has transformed how chips are designed and deployed. Whether for wearables, smart homes, industrial sensors, or implanted medical devices, IoT chips must be low cost, low power, and reliable for years, often in harsh or remote environments.

While many IoT SoCs are still manufactured on mature nodes (180nm, 130nm), standard foundry ESD solutions often fall short. Applications today demand low leakage, non-standard voltage handling, and specialized protection for wireless and sensor interfaces.

Sofics provides unique ESD and specialty I/O IP designed for the diverse and demanding requirements of IoT devices, proven across more than 150 companies and thousands of designs.

Custom ESD Requirements for IoT Chips

IoT applications challenge conventional wisdom about I/Os and ESD protection. Key design needs include:

• Low capacitance for wireless interfaces
  Bluetooth, NFC, and positioning systems need ESD clamps that do not degrade LNA performance or antenna input Q-factor.
• High ESD robustness in uncontrolled environments
  IoT devices are often exposed to higher risk of ESD/EOS events — including outdoor, industrial, or body-worn use.
• Ultra-low leakage for battery-powered systems
  Devices running 5–10 years on a coin cell must minimize leakage during standby, sleep, and power cycles.
• Support for diverse voltage levels
  Sensor, battery, or RF connections often operate at voltages above (5V+) or below (1V) standard I/O levels.

Sofics IP for Internet of Things

Key Focus Areas

• Wireless interfaces
  ESD IP with low parasitic capacitance and 100x lower leakage for Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and sensor networks
• Battery-powered designs
  Proven in ultra-low power devices with 10+ year lifetimes. Supports always-on and sleep-mode scenarios.
• Non-standard voltage domains
  ESD protection for 5V+ battery interfaces and <1V thin-oxide signaling.
• Harsh and unique environments
  IP used in body-implanted hearing devices, industrial sensors, and more — scalable to IEC-level ESD robustness

Sofics IP has enabled the success of dozens of commercial IoT products across the globe:

• Indoor positioning devices with 10-year battery life – market leaders are customers
• Bluetooth and NFC chips for wearables and access control – market leader are customers
• Body-implanted devices restoring hearing
• Smart home applications including security, automation, and energy control
• Industry 4.0 sensors for monitoring and predictive maintenance
• Ultra-low power devices: Lowest power MCU, edge-AI

Testimonial: ONiO

• Self-powered, battery less microcontrollers
• Run on ambient energy

Vemund Bakken, CTO & Founder

“ONiO zero is the world most energy efficient microcontroller ever made.” “Sofics was the ONLY IP company that made our chip when it comes to external IP.”

Testimonial: DecaWave – Now Qorvo

• DW1000 ultra-wideband radio transceiver
• Indoor positioning for tracking patients in hospitals or locating stock in warehouses

William McFadden, VP Operations

“The chip needs robust protection against the ESD, without compromising its high-speed performance. Sofics was far more cost-effective than other approaches to ESD protection and delivered a customized solution in less than a week.”

These are examples from many IP delivery projects. If you did not find the example you were looking for you should contact us (info@sofics.com) to discuss your application and requirements.

Further reading

• Blog article “5 reasons why IoT chips need custom ESD protection”
• Blog article “Selecting the right ESD protection for IoT applications”
• Press release about our cooperation with DecaWave (now Qorvo)
• Press release about Sofics’ clipping circuit for NFC interfaces
• More information about the Sofics clipping circuit