EM358x
Rev 1.0
5
General Description
The Ember EM358x is a fully integrated System-on-Chip that integrates a 2.4 GHz, IEEE 802.15.4-2003-compliant
transceiver, 32-bit ARM
®
Cortex
TM
-M3 microprocessor, flash and RAM memory, and peripherals of use to
designers of ZigBee-based systems.
The transceiver uses an efficient architecture that exceeds the dynamic range requirements imposed by the IEEE
802.15.4-2003 standard by over 15 dB. The integrated receive channel filtering allows for robust co-existence with
other communication standards in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, such as IEEE 802.11-2007 and Bluetooth. The integrated
regulator, VCO, loop filter, and power amplifier keep the external component count low. An optional high
performance radio mode (boost mode) is software-selectable to boost dynamic range.
The integrated 32-bit ARM
®
Cortex
TM
-M3 microprocessor is highly optimized for high performance, low power
consumption, and efficient memory utilization. Including an integrated MPU, it supports two different modes of
operation—privileged mode and user mode. This architecture could allow for separation of the networking stack
from the application code, and prevents unwanted modification of restricted areas of memory and registers
resulting in increased stability and reliability of deployed solutions.
The EM358x has either 256 or 512 kB of embedded flash memory and either 32 or 64 kB of integrated RAM for
data and program storage. The Ember software for the EM358x employs an effective wear-leveling algorithm that
optimizes the lifetime of the embedded flash.
To maintain the strict timing requirements imposed by the ZigBee and IEEE 802.15.4-2003 standards, the EM358x
integrates a number of MAC functions, AES128 encryption accelerator, and automatic CRC handling into the
hardware. The MAC hardware handles automatic ACK transmission and reception, automatic backoff delay, and
clear channel assessment for transmission, as well as automatic filtering of received packets. The Ember Packet
Trace Interface is also integrated with the MAC, allowing complete, non-intrusive capture of all packets to and from
the EM358x with Ember development tools.
The EM358x offers a number of advanced power management features that enable long battery life. A high-
frequency internal RC oscillator allows the processor core to begin code execution quickly upon waking. Various
deep sleep modes are available with less than 2 µA power consumption while retaining RAM contents. To support
user-defined applications, on-chip peripherals include optional USB, UART, SPI, TWI, ADC, and general-purpose
timers, as well as up to 24 GPIOs. Additionally, an integrated voltage regulator, power-on-reset circuit, and sleep
timer are available.
Finally, the EM358x utilizes standard Serial Wire and JTAG interfaces for powerful software debugging and
programming of the ARM Cortex
TM
-M3 core. The EM358x integrates the standard ARM
®
system debug
components: Flash Patch and Breakpoint (FPB), Data Watchpoint and Trace (DWT), and Instrumentation Trace
Macrocell (ITM) as well as the advanced Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM).
Target applications for the EM358x include:
Smart Energy
Building automation and control
Home automation and control
Security and monitoring
General ZigBee wireless sensor networking
This technical data sheet details the EM358x features available to customers using it with Ember software.