Dolphin Design enables Orca's RF SoCs for direct-to-satellite communications

Grenoble -- August 1, 2023 -- Dolphin Design, a leader in semiconductor IP solutions for power management, audio, and processing with ASIC design services, announces today it has partnered with Orca Systems, a fabless semiconductor company for the development of ORC3990, a highly integrated wireless system-on-chip (SoC) to provide Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity over satellite and Orca’s new-generation RF SoC products. Orca’s wireless SoCs include a power management unit (PMU) based on Dolphin Design’s full suite of power management IPs tailored for ultra-low power applications such as Satellite IoT endpoint SoC and other power-sensitive SoC devices for direct-to-satellite and other industrial applications.

Orca Systems RF SoC for satellite IoT application includes Dolphin Design’s Power Management IPs panoply. (Credits: Orca Systems)

With the advantage of providing connectivity anywhere, the race for satellite IoT connectivity for everything from shipping container and pallet tracking to livestock tracking and smart agriculture is starting to heat up, but it requires meeting challenges around performance, power consumption, price, and size.

Orca’s RF SoC integrates all required system functions, including RF transceiver, digital modem, CPUs, and power management, for satellite IoT connectivity in a small package that can operate with a couple of AA batteries for up to 10 years – a game-changing technology for satellite IoT connectivity.

The RF SoCs contain fully integrated functions and, in particular, the power management unit (PMU) subsystem including all the analog blocks provided by Dolphin Design, such as a low-frequency crystal oscillator, a switching regulator, two linear regulators, an over-voltage protection module and, a combined power-on and power-off reset.

“We are very pleased to embed Dolphin Design’s IPs inside our SoC product family, including ORC3990, the world’s first fully integrated solution for direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity,” said John McDonough, CEO of Orca Systems. “Our company partners closely with Dolphin Design for the well-known ultra-low-power IPs needed for the satellite industry and our SoC. Their expertise in power management empowers our SoC with the best-in-class low-power performance and This is just the beginning of a great adventure together.”

“At Dolphin Design, our core expertise lies in power management and ultra-low power technologies, which are deeply ingrained in our company’s DNA,” said Hakim Jaafar VP of Marketing and Application. “We aim to provide the best solution to any energy-caring and challenging markets such as consumer and industrial IoT. The close and strong collaboration with ORCA was a mutual benefit for both companies leading to the success of Orca systems’ SoC products”.

About Orca Systems

Orca Systems is a champion of always live wireless connectivity, delivering a groundbreaking low-power digital RF transceiver portfolio for the exploding IoT semiconductor market. Patented Orca Live Wireless RF™ digital radio and digital power amplifier (DPA) technology provide ultra-low power consumption to extend the battery life of IoT devices. Silicon-proven Orca Live Wireless RF™ digital transceivers are available to select customers as IP cores, known good die (KGD), and packaged integrated circuits. IP cores are optimized for integration into SoC devices for the lowest cost, smallest silicon area, and lowest power IoT SoC products. Orca Systems is headquartered in San Diego, California, with an exceptional research and development center and state-of-the-art lab facility in Bangalore, India.

About Dolphin Design

Dolphin Design is a leading provider of semiconductor IP solutions, specializing in ASIC and IP design targeting markets such as Defense, Automotive, industrial, Personal electronics, and IoT. Dolphin Design cutting-edge technology IPs in AI computing, Power management, High-quality Audio, Power metering, and Design Safety/robustness, allow their thousand customers and partners to accelerate design cycles, fosters faster time-to-market, and build products/solutions that address the challenges of any industries and support a more sustainable world.

With a customer-centric approach, Dolphin Design provides exceptional support for successful project outcomes.

Visit www.dolphin-design.fr for more information.