As the IoT landscape grows more complex and connected, the demands placed on wireless devices are shifting. It is no longer just about getting data from point A to point B – todays devices need to be smarter, more power-efficient, and purpose-built for the tasks at hand. Whether it is enabling predictive maintenance on industrial equipment, tracking assets in dense environments, or running for years on a coin cell battery in ultra-low power sensors, developers need solutions that are lean, reliable, and ready to scale with emerging use cases.
In talking with customers and keeping a close eye on where the IoT space is headed, one thing has become clear: there is a growing need for Bluetooth SoCs that are purpose-built for specific applications. Not every device needs every feature under the sun. Sometimes, it is about finding the right balance of performance, power, and cost for the job at hand. That is exactly why Silicon Labs created the BG22L and BG24L Bluetooth Lite SoCs. These parts are lean, focussed, and thoughtfully engineered for emerging use cases across different industries – from ultra-efficient beaconing to lightweight AI at the edge. They give you exactly what you need to build reliable, efficient products without over-engineering or overspending your design.
BG24L SoC
The BG24L low power Bluetooth SoC is designed with a clear mission: to power the next generation of sensor-based IoT applications that need Bluetooth 6.0 features, edge intelligence, and ultra-low power – all in one lean package.
At the heart of it is support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding. This feature, introduced in Bluetooth 6.0, allows devices to determine distance using two-way ranging, enabling sub-meter level accuracy. BG24L is ideal for devices that act as reflectors in this process – compact tags or end nodes that do not need to perform heavy calculations, just respond accurately and efficiently to the initiating host device. Think asset tracking in warehouses, room-level presence detection in smart homes, or secure proximity-based access systems.
What makes the BG24L a great fit for this role is how well it balances radio performance, responsiveness, and power efficiency. It maintains a low 1,3 µA EM2 current with 16 kB RAM retention, while offering solid -98 dBm RX sensitivity and +10 dBm TX power to ensure reliable communication even in dense or noisy environments.
Where the BG24L really sets itself apart is in its AI/ML capabilities. The built-in Matrix Vector Processor (MVP) enables on-device inferencing up to 8x faster and at 1/6th the power compared to CPU-only processing. That unlocks a whole range of applications where real-time data from sensors is used to detect patterns, learn over time, and trigger events without needing to stay connected to the cloud. This makes the BG24L an excellent fit for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and condition monitoring in industrial or agricultural settings.
BG22L SoC
The BG22L was built for one thing: efficiency. Whether it is for beacons, simple sensors, or connectionless applications, this small Bluetooth LE SoC is designed to do more with less – using less power, taking up less space, and requiring fewer external components.
On the power side, we are looking at 4,1 mA transmit current, 3,6 mA receive, and just 1,2 µA in EM2 with 8 kB RAM retention. That is serious low-power performance for devices that need to run for years on something as small as a coin cell.
A standout feature is RFSense, which lets the device stay in deep sleep (EM2 or EM4) and only wake up when it detects RF energy - no need to turn on the main radio. And it is not limited to Bluetooth frequencies. RFSense works across a wide range, from 100 MHz to 5 GHz. In selective mode, it can even recognise specific On-Off Keying (OOK) patterns, so the device only wakes up when it sees exactly what it is programmed to respond to. That is a big advantage in noisy RF environments where battery life really matters, such as sensors or even complex applications like tire pressure monitoring systems.
Bluetooth Lite SoCs: A smarter strategy for IoT design
With BG22L and BG24L, Silicon Labs set out to do something simple: build Bluetooth Lite SoCs that are laser-focussed on solving real-world problems. Whether it is ultra-efficient beaconing, sensor-based anomaly detection, or precise location tracking using Channel Sounding, these new ‘Lite’ SoCs are designed to meet the growing needs of IoT developers without unnecessary overhead.
They are lean, cost-effective, and built with just the right features for IoT applications that are rapidly gaining momentum across industries – from asset tracking and smart agriculture to predictive maintenance and secure wireless control.
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