Global Ultra-low-power Microcontroller Market By Peripheral Device (Analog Devices, Digital Devices), By Packaging Type (8-bit Packaging, 16-bit Packaging, 32-bit Packaging), By End-Use Industry (Consumer Electronics, Manufacturing, Automotive, Healthcare, Telecommunications, Aerospace & Defense), By Region, and Key Companies - Industry Segment Outlook, Market Assessment, Competition Scenario, Trends and Forecast 2021-2031

An Ultra-Low Power Microcontroller (ULP MCU) is a single integrated circuit that combines a processor, programmable input/output peripheral, and memory to allow edge nodes to process localized data while using the least amount of device power possible.

ARM Cortex processor cores in ultra-low-power low-cost MCUs enables integrated power management for processing, control, and connectivity. As it incorporates smaller battery sizes and extensive data retention capability, it is scalable, allowing for large-scale use in the consumer electronics industry for laptops, smartphones, gaming devices, and home automation systems.

In energy-efficient applications of industrial embedded systems, ultra-low power microcontrollers enable a proper balance between cost-effectiveness, security, power, and performance. In the test & measurement, as well as sensing application arenas, ultra-low power microcontrollers are integrated into analogue and digital peripherals.

Microcontrollers with ultra-low power consumption levels are ideal for applications that require a long battery life, a large coding space, and cryptographic algorithms. Additionally, interior cabin motors, capacitive touch screens, infotainment systems, steering, and headlights are just a few of the applications for ULP MCUs in the automotive industry, as they improve fuel efficiency and battery life.

Furthermore, this flexible device aims to reduce power domains of leakage in standard cells and offers high security, reduced noise, low latency, and multiple communication capabilities, all of which contribute to higher product quality standards. With increased investments towards R&D activities supporting the use of smart, portable battery-operated devices, the ultra-low power microcontroller market is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

Detailed Segmentation

Based on Peripheral Device:

• Analog Devices
• Digital Devices

Based on Packaging Type:

• 8-bit Packaging
• 16-bit Packaging
• 32-bit Packaging

Based on End-Use Industry:

• Consumer Electronics
• Manufacturing
• Automotive
• Healthcare
• Telecommunications
• Aerospace & Defense
• Other End-Use Industries

Based on Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Market Dynamics

The ultra-low power microcontroller market is expanding due to the increasing adoption of low battery-powered IoT-enabled smart devices such as wireless sensor networks, office machines, and automobile engine control systems. Devices such as temperature sensors, smart meters, and connected home consoles also fetch real-world signals such as temperature, pressure, speed, acceleration, and convert these signals to digital signals, thereby further contributing to additional market growth.

For example, blood glucose monitors, wearable heart rate monitors, and retinal implants use ultra-low power microcontroller embedded devices with smaller battery sizes to monitor patients via wireless technologies for eventual transfer of this data to cloud-based storage solutions. Because of their low power consumption levels, MCU-embedded analog peripheral devices are becoming increasingly popular, opening up new avenues for the ultra-low power microcontroller industry.

However, market growth for the ultra-low power microcontroller industry is hampered by the device’s complex design, as well as intense competition resulting out of a large presence of solution providers.

Ultra-low-power microcontrollers are available with separate MCU development boards from manufacturers. These development boards allow businesses to quickly investigate and implement every aspect of ultra-low power microcontrollers.

Manufacturers are including consistent low-power features in their MCUs, peripherals, with tools make migration easier, which is another factor that is expected to accelerate the adoption of ultra-low-power microcontrollers. Owing to influential factors such as this, the global presence of ultra-low power microcontroller solution providers are expected to boost this market’s overall economic growth accordingly.

Competitive Landscape

• Texas Instruments
• Microchip Technology Inc.
• NXP Semiconductors
• STMicroelectronics
• Renesas Electronics Corp.
• Atmel Laboratories
• EPSON Semiconductor
• Silicon Laboratories Inc.
• Infineon Technologies AG
• Maxim Integrated
• among other industry players

Key developments

• In April 2020, Renesas Electronic Corp. announced the release of an open-source ventilator system that includes 20 Renesas ICs, a low-power microcontroller, and analog ICs that address a ventilator’s signal chain electrical functions. A sensor board, motor control board, and Bluetooth connectivity in a given system allow professionals to monitor multiple infected patients simultaneously using any mobile device. Each board has a Microcontroller (MCU) that controls its specific task while also monitoring the status of the connecting board, ensuring patient safety, and customers can quickly design ready-to-assemble boards for medical ventilators using an open-source ventilator system, which is also portable.
• In May 2020, the K32W061/41 family of ultra-low power, multiprotocol wireless MCUs from NXP Semiconductors maximizes performance with a single coin battery and multiple low power modes. The IEEE 802.15.4 radio in the K32W061 and K32W041 supports Thread and Zigbee networking protocols, as well as Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and integrated NFC NTAG for tap-to-pair installations. The wireless MCUs have a 48MHz Arm Cortex M4 Microcontroller Core, 640KB of on-board flash, and 152KB SRAM for storage and flexibility in complex applications. With IoT connectivity and low-power consumption levels, this device can withstand temperatures ranging from -400°C to +1250°C, making it ideal for applications such as automatic automobile engine control, remote-controlled office machines, and implantable medical devices.

For the Ultra-low-power Microcontroller Market research study, the following years have been considered to estimate the market size: