Ambiq Micro, a leader in ultra-low power integrated circuits, announces the Apollo family of four 32-bit ARM® Cortex-M4F microcontrollers (MCUs). In real-world applications, their energy consumption is typically 5 to 10 times lower than that of MCUs of comparable performance, resulting in far longer battery life in wearable electronics and other battery-powered applications. The dramatic reduction in energy consumption is achieved using Ambiq's patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT) platform.

1. Apollo
How Disruptive Technology Has
Redefined 'Low Power MCU'
January 2015

2. Revolutionary Advances in Ultra-Low Power
• Ambiq Micro is introducing the Apollo family of microcontrollers
• Redefining ‘low power’ with up to 10x reduction in energy consumption
• Core technology based on innovative subthreshold voltage operation

3. Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (“SPOT”)
3
Subthreshold operation can reduce energy usage by up to 13X
Energy (E) consumed is directly proportional to the square of the voltage (V) used:
E ~ V2
1.8 V
0.5 V
Voltage
Time
0 0 0
1 1
ENERGY
ENERGY
Conventional Semiconductors
1.8 V
0.5 V
Voltage
Time
0 0 0
1 1
ENERGY
ENERGY
Ambiq’s SPOT approach
Threshold
Voltage
ENERGY SAVINGS

4. Proven Technology
• Uses standard, mainstream CMOS manufacturing process
• Proven over 8 years of development
• Extreme low power real-time clock (RTC) in production today
2005 2006 2007 2009 2010
processor
memory
244m
305m
122m
181m
processor
memory
244m
305m
122m
181m
253 µm
IMEM IMEM
DMEM DMEM
CORECORE
715 µm
Proc CProc A
IMEM
CORE
DMEM
Proc B
253 µm
98 µm
2013 2014
RTC MCU

5. Introducing the Revolutionary Apollo MCU
Active Mode
30µA/MHz
Sleep Mode
100nA
High Performance
Cortex-M4F core
Apollo MCUs deliver unrivaled combination of power and performance
• Ambiq’s technology optimizes both active and sleep mode power
• ARM CortexTM
-M4F core at power levels below competing M0+ solutions

6. Competitive Comparison: ARM Cortex-M4F
Ambiq STMicro
Device Apollo STM32F401
Core Cortex-M4F Cortex-M4F
Max VDD 3.8V 3.6V
Active Mode
840uA
@ 24Mhz
35 uA/MHz
7100uA
@ 20 MHz1,2
355 uA/MHz
Sleep Mode 100nA 2800nA
Conditions:
a. CoreMark algorithm unless otherwise noted
b. Run from Flash (not SRAM) at 3.3V
c. Peripherals disabled
d. Power reduction techniques allowed as noted
e. Typical numbers
f. Sleep mode numbers assume timers are ON and
no memory is retained
Notes:
1. “Measurements performed with a reduced code that
gives a consumption equivalent to CoreMark code”
2. STMicro’s adaptive real-time accelerator (ART)
power reduction technique enabled
Ambiq Atmel
Device Apollo SAM4L
Core Cortex-M4F Cortex-M41
Max VDD 3.8V 3.6V
Active Mode
840uA
@ 24Mhz
35 uA/MHz
186 uA/MHz
@ 36 MHz2
100 uA/MHz
@ 12 MHz3
Sleep Mode 100nA 1500nA4
10x better
28x better
5.3x better
15x better
Conditions:
a. CoreMark algorithm
b. Run from Flash (not SRAM) at 3.3V
c. Peripherals disabled
d. Typical numbers
Notes:
1. Atmel’s SAM4L devices DO NOT include the floating point unit
2. Best-case values using all power scaling methods (24MHz not listed)
3. Best-case values using all power scaling methods (24MHz not listed)
4. Uses Atmel’s lowest-power “BACKUP” mode with 1KHz clock running
3x better

7. Competitive Comparison: ARM Cortex-M0+
Ambiq Atmel
Device Apollo SAM D20
Core Cortex-M4F Cortex-M0+
Max VDD 3.8V 3.6V
Active Mode
840uA
@ 24Mhz
35 uA/MHz
2374uA
@ 24 MHz
99 uA/MHz
Sleep Mode 100nA 3800nA
Conditions:
a. CoreMark algorithm
b. Run from Flash (not SRAM) at 3.3V
c. Peripherals disabled
d. Typical numbers
e. Sleep mode numbers assume timers are ON and
no memory is retained
Ambiq Silicon Labs
Device Apollo EFM32 “Zero”
Core Cortex-M4F Cortex-M0+
Max VDD 3.8V 3.8V
Active Mode
840uA
@ 24Mhz
35 uA/MHz
2760uA
@ 24 MHz1
115 uA/MHz
Sleep Mode 100nA 900nA2
2.8x better
38x better
3.3x better
9x better
Conditions:
a. CoreMark algorithm unless otherwise noted
b. Run from Flash (not SRAM) at 3.3X
c. Peripherals disabled
d. Typical numbers
e. Sleep mode numbers assume timers are ON and
no memory is retained unless otherwise noted
Notes:
1. Silicon Labs does not publish CoreMark numbers in its datasheet –
only prime number calculations are given (this is misleading since
CoreMark performs a larger variety of tasks)
2. Uses EM2 “Deep Sleep Mode” with timers on

8. Bringing Apollo to Wearable & IoT Devices
• Wearables & IoT a key focus for Ambiq’s product family
• Great proxy for all applications requiring low power
• Extreme low power + high performance Cortex M4F core ideally suited
to the emerging needs of these devices:
– “Always on” sensors
– Real context detection
– Sensor hubs

9. Apollo MCUs Enable New Possibilities
• Extend life from hours / weeks to months / years
• Application can be in active mode and/or sleep
mode as much as needed  both are optimized
Longer battery
life
More
functionality
More design
options
• Expanded power budget can be used to reduce
the size and/or number of batteries
• Enables creative design and packaging options
• Expanded power budget can be used to add new
features
• Enables more appealing end products
IMAGINE
the possibilities

10. Ambiq Micro
Apollo
MCU
Host
Processor
(optional)
Radio
Sensor
#1
Sensor
#2
Sensor
#3
SPI / I2C Master, UART
SPI / I2C
Slave
Port
System Diagram Example
Bluetooth
802.15.4
Wi-Fi
Sub-GHz
Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Optical,
Pressure, Microphone, Temperature, etc.

11. Family Summary
Flash RAM Features Packages
Apollo-512 512K 64K
ARM Cortex M4F
24MHz
10-bit, 13-channel, 1MS/s ADC
±2ºC temperature sensor
Low leakage comparator
SPI master x 8
I2C master x 2
SPI / I2C slave
UART
RTC, LFRC, HFRC, XTAL
Timers x 8
1.8V to 3.8V
-40ºC to 85ºC
64-pin BGA
50 GPIO
4.5 x 4.5mm
and
42-pin CSP
27 GPIO
2.4 x 2.77mm
Apollo-256 256K 32K
Apollo-128 128K 32K
Apollo-64 64K 16K

12. Apollo MCU Status and Pricing
Sampling now to key partners
Production in spring 2015
10K prices starting at $1.50

13. Summary
Ambiq delivers revolutionary advances in energy consumption
Reduce or eliminate
need for batteries
Lower overall
system power
Maximize design
options

14. Backup

15. Company Background
• Founded in 2010
• Based on research performed at Univ. of Michigan from 2005-2010
• Investors include Kleiner Perkins, Austin Ventures, ARM Holdings

16. Measured Apollo Power Numbers
3.8V 3.3V Conditions
CoreMark
32
µA/MHz
35
µA/MHz
Typical silicon
25ºC
Integer Math
29
µA/MHz
33
µA/MHz
Sleep
with no RAM
retained
100
nA
100
nA
Sleep
with RAM
retained
130
nA
130
nA
ACTIVEMODESLEEPMODE