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Atmosic and MATRIX Partner to Bring TEG Power to Wireless IIoT Devices

September 11, 2019 by Paul Shepard

Atmosic™ Technologies and MATRIX Industries announced a partnership to provide the lowest-power connected thermoelectric solutions for industrial IoT (IIoT) applications and consumer IoT devices. Atmosic and MATRIX will collaborate with leading industrial and consumer device customers to implement connected solutions powered through thermoelectric and other energy harvesting techniques for a new level of efficiency and productivity. A MATRIX PowerStation is illustrated above.

“Atmosic and MATRIX are committed to reducing the industry’s reliance on batteries to power IoT devices,” said Atmosic CEO David Su. “Atmosic’s innovative lowest power connectivity solutions, combined with MATRIX’s cutting-edge thermoelectric technology, will enable customers to significantly reduce or even eliminate the use of electrical/wired or battery power in a variety of applications and enjoy cost savings as a result.”

Reducing the use of wired, electric and battery power in IoT applications provides a number of economic and environmental advantages. Unlike many connected devices that need their batteries to be replaced frequently, low-power IoT solutions with energy harvesting have significantly longer battery life – or are completely battery free – which streamlines maintenance operations and reduces maintenance costs.

According to the companies; Atmosic and MATRIX’s technologies are ideal for a wide range of industrial applications for agriculture, manufacturing and building systems (including heating, cooling and lighting), along with consumer devices such as wearables and home automation products.

“Atmosic’s goal to deliver Forever Battery Life and Battery-Free connected IoT perfectly aligns with our mission to change the way the world is powered,” said MATRIX CEO and co-founder Akram Boukai. “With Industry 4.0 on the rise, there’s an incredible opportunity to deliver more value to our IoT customers and expand our international footprint.”

In just a few years it’s estimated there will be more than 35 billion connected devices worldwide. Partnering with MATRIX enables Atmosic to extend its reach and serviceable available market into untapped IIoT segments, as well as expand its presence in the consumer device segment. In turn, Atmosic’s wireless technology enables MATRIX to deliver more full-service solutions with the ultra-low-power connectivity vital to the IoT experience.

MATRIX PowerStation

A MATRIX PowerStation supplies hundreds of microwatts of power to IoT nodes by harvesting energy simply from time-varying temperature fluctuations in the environment. PowerStation never needs to be charged or plugged in nor does it ever require battery replacement. It is the world’s only standalone energy source ready-to-use for IoT applications.

At the heart of PowerStation is the MATRIX Luna proprietary thermal storage material that converts time-varying temperature fluctuations into a spatial temperature gradient. The combination of MATRIX Luna and a MATRIX Gemini TEG (thermoelectric generator) module converts even tiny ambient temperature changes (~2°C) into electricity.

MATRIX proprietary PMICs then harvest and regulate the electricity to usable levels. MATRIX energy harvesting PMICs feature unprecedented conversion efficiency and nanopower quiescent current to minimize power transfer losses.

The maximum output voltages of PowerStation can be set between 2V to 5V, making it an adaptive energy source for a wide range of electrical systems. Integrated output regulation prevents voltage overshoot, ensuring reliable operations with all common battery types. PowerStation comes in various sizes and shapes to meet the rigid space requirements of IoT systems.