EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R - 40MHz ARM Cortex-M4 MCU, 128KB Flash | Silicon Labs
MPN: EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.18 | $4.18 |
| 10 | $3.76 | $37.60 |
| 100 | $3.35 | $335.00 |
| 500 | $2.94 | $1,470.00 |
| 1,000 | $2.52 | $2,520.00 |
EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R Overview
ARM Cortex-M4 microcontrollers are 32-bit processor cores designed for deterministic, low-power embedded applications. They belong to the wider ARM Cortex-M family (Cortex-M0/M0+/M3/M4/M7/M33), which in turn sits within the Cortex processor portfolio and the broader microcontroller (MCU) category of system-on-chip semiconductors. The Pearl Gecko family layers on Silicon Labs' proprietary low-energy peripheral architecture, including energy modes (EM0-EM4), autonomous peripherals that run while the core sleeps, and a hardware crypto engine supporting AES, ECC, and SHA — making this MPN a balanced mix of processing throughput and ultra-low standby current.
Key features include the integrated FPU for floating-point math, an AES/ECC/SHA crypto accelerator, a 12-bit ADC, low-energy sensor interfaces, multiple timers, USART/UART, I2C, SPI, and USB-friendly peripherals. The 32-QFN package provides a compact 5x5 mm footprint with a thermal pad that enhances heat spreading during sustained 40 MHz operation.
The Pearl Gecko architecture decouples peripherals from the core clock, allowing sensor sampling, communication, and LCD driving to continue in EM2 deep-sleep. This design, plus short wake-up time from energy-saving modes, makes the EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R ideal for any battery-powered application, including wearables, smart sensors, and IoT edge nodes.
Typical applications include IoT sensor nodes, wearable fitness/health devices, smart metering, secure connected endpoints, industrial sensor hubs, and battery-powered HMI panels. The integrated crypto engine is particularly attractive for nodes requiring secure TLS-style authentication or firmware attestation. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, Pearl Gecko family drop-in alternatives, and practical low-energy design notes not found on a single manufacturer page.
Drop-in alternatives for EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EFM32PG1B200F128GM32
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EFM32PG1B100F256GM32
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EFM32PG1B100F128IM32
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EFM32PG1B200F256GM32
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU and DSP instructions |
| Maximum CPU Frequency | 40 MHz |
| Program Memory (Flash) | 128 kB (128K x 8) |
| RAM Size | 32 kB (32K x 8) |
| Supply Voltage (Vdd) | 1.85 V to 3.8 V |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C (industrial) |
| Package | 32-pin QFN (5x5 mm) with exposed pad |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Series | Pearl Gecko (EFM32PG1) |
| Cryptographic Accelerator | AES, ECC, SHA hardware engine |
| ADC | 12-bit ADC included |
| Communication Interfaces | USART, UART, I2C, SPI |
| Low-Energy Modes | EM0-EM4 with autonomous peripheral operation |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Reel Packaging Indicator | Yes ('R' suffix denotes Tape & Reel) |
EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | VDD — Digital supply voltage |
| Pin 2 | PA0 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 0 |
| Pin 3 | PA1 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 1 |
| Pin 4 | PA2 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 2 |
| Pin 5 | PA3 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 3 |
| Pin 6 | PA4 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 4 |
| Pin 7 | PA5 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 5 |
| Pin 8 | PA6 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 6 |
| Pin 9 | PA7 — GPIO / ADC0 channel 7 |
| Pin 10 | PB0 — GPIO / debug SWO |
| Pin 11 | PB1 — GPIO |
| Pin 12 | PB3 — GPIO |
| Pin 13 | PB4 — GPIO |
| Pin 14 | PC0 — GPIO |
| Pin 15 | PC1 — GPIO |
| Pin 16 | PC2 — GPIO |
| Pin 17 | PC3 — GPIO |
| Pin 18 | PC4 — GPIO |
| Pin 19 | PC5 — GPIO |
| Pin 20 | PC6 — GPIO |
| Pin 21 | PC7 — GPIO |
| Pin 22 | PD0 — GPIO |
| Pin 23 | PD1 — GPIO |
| Pin 24 | PD2 — GPIO |
| Pin 25 | PD3 — GPIO |
| Pin 26 | PD4 — GPIO |
| Pin 27 | PD5 — GPIO |
| Pin 28 | PD6 — GPIO |
| Pin 29 | PD7 — GPIO |
| Pin 30 | RESETn — Reset input, active low |
| Pin 31 | VSS — Ground |
| Pin 32 | VREGVDD — Voltage regulator supply |
| Pin 33 | EP — Exposed thermal pad (ground reference) |
Typical Applications
EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R is suitable for 6 applications: Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes, Wearable Fitness & Health Devices, Smart Metering (Gas/Water/Electric), Secure Connected Endpoints (TLS / Authenticated Boot), Industrial Sensor Hubs & Predictive Maintenance, Battery-Powered HMI Panels.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensor Nodes
The EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R is purpose-built for coin-cell or Li-ion powered wireless sensor nodes. Its Pearl Gecko energy modes (EM0-EM4) drop active current to single-digit uA in EM2 while keeping peripherals and sensor interfaces live, and EM4 hibernation with RTC-only retention draws under 1 uA. The integrated AES/ECC/SHA hardware accelerator executes TLS handshakes while the CPU sleeps, allowing authenticated firmware boot without burning flash cycles. At 40 MHz with the FPU and DSP instruction set, the Cortex-M4 core handles on-node sensor fusion (accelerometer + temperature + humidity) in real time. Operating from 1.85 V to 3.8 V directly off a Li-ion cell removes the external regulator, shrinking BOM. Compact 32-QFN (5x5 mm) enables sub-1 cm² sensor PCBs.
Recommended
Wearable Fitness & Health Devices
Pearl Gecko's low-energy architecture fits wearable fitness bands and continuous health monitors that spend most of their life in sleep. The EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R's autonomous ADC + sensor path samples heart-rate or SpO2 signals while the core sits in EM2, waking only for buffer fill or BLE packetization. The Cortex-M4 FPU accelerates pedometer DSP and Kalman-filter motion fusion without taxing the 128 kB flash budget. 32 kB SRAM comfortably buffers raw PPG samples plus algorithm state. A 1.85 V minimum Vdd supports direct coin-cell operation without boost regulators. The 5x5 mm 32-QFN footprint fits wristband form factors, and the exposed pad provides thermal relief during high-duty sensing bursts.
Recommended
Smart Metering (Gas/Water/Electric)
Smart utility meters demand 10+ year operation from a single primary cell — exactly the use case the EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R was designed for. EM4 hibernation with RTC and tamper-pin wake-up draws well under 1 uA, extending battery life across the meter's deployed lifetime. The hardware crypto engine enables authenticated firmware updates and signed metering data, satisfying utility cybersecurity requirements. 128 kB flash holds the metrology application plus secure bootloader, while 32 kB SRAM captures metering accumulator tables between LoRa/Wi-MBel transmissions. The 32-QFN (5x5 mm) footprint fits meter enclosures alongside tamper-detection switches, and the 1.85-3.8 V Vdd accepts a single lithium thionyl chloride cell directly.
Recommended
Secure Connected Endpoints (TLS / Authenticated Boot)
IoT endpoints that must perform mutual TLS, signed firmware boot, or secure element handshakes benefit directly from the EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R's hardware AES/ECC/SHA engine. The crypto accelerator executes ECC P-256 signing in single-digit milliseconds while leaving the Cortex-M4 core free for application logic, drastically reducing the energy cost of every TLS handshake. Combined with Silicon Labs' secure-boot ROM and hardware Unique ID, this MPN is a strong fit for an authenticated gateway connecting to cloud platforms. The 128 kB flash holds TLS stack + application, 32 kB RAM covers connection state, and the 32-QFN footprint suits compact gateway or endpoint modules.
Recommended
Industrial Sensor Hubs & Predictive Maintenance
Industrial sensor hubs aggregate vibration, temperature, and current data from multiple analog and digital sensors — a workload well suited to the EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R's Cortex-M4 with FPU + DSP. The integrated 12-bit ADC captures multi-channel sensor data while autonomous timers trigger DMA transfers in EM1, leaving the CPU free to run FFT-based vibration analysis. The AES/ECC/SHA engine authenticates data before upload to the plant's historian. 1.85-3.8 V operation supports battery-backed installation, while the 32-QFN footprint simplifies mounting inside motor junction boxes. Pearl Gecko's industrial operating range covers plant-floor thermal environments.
Recommended
Battery-Powered HMI Panels
Low-segment-count HMI panels in portable test gear or appliance user interfaces map well to the EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R's autonomous peripheral architecture — the MCU stays in EM2 while segment LCD, capacitive touch, and rotary encoder peripherals keep scanning. Wake-on-touch interrupts bring the Cortex-M4 back to 40 MHz within a few microseconds to drive UI animations or update the display. The FPU accelerates any graphical element rendering via software framebuffer. 32 kB SRAM fits a UI framebuffer for small monochrome panels, while 128 kB flash holds UI logic and bitmaps. The 32-QFN (5x5 mm) and 1.85-3.8 V range fit battery-powered handheld enclosures.
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Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0 | EFM32PG1B200F128GM32 | EFM32PG1B100F256GM32 | EFM32PG1B100F128IM32 | EFM32PG1B200F256GM32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Silicon Labs | Silicon Labs | Silicon Labs | Silicon Labs | Silicon Labs | Silicon Labs |
| Package | 32-QFN (5x5) | 32-QFN (5x5) - same | 32-QFN (5x5) - same | 32-QFN (5x5) - same | 32-QFN (5x5) - same | 32-QFN (5x5) - same |
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 40 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 40 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 40 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 40 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 40 MHz | ARM Cortex-M4 @ 40 MHz |
| Flash | 128 kB | 128 kB | 128 kB | 256 kB | 128 kB | 256 kB |
| RAM | 32 kB | 32 kB | 32 kB | 32 kB | 32 kB | 32 kB |
| FPU | Yes (single-precision) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware Crypto | AES / ECC / SHA | AES / ECC / SHA | AES / ECC / SHA | AES / ECC / SHA | AES / ECC / SHA | AES / ECC / SHA |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +85C | -40C to +125C (industrial) | -40C to +85C |
| Supply Voltage | 1.85 V to 3.8 V | 1.85 V to 3.8 V | 1.85 V to 3.8 V | 1.85 V to 3.8 V | 1.85 V to 3.8 V | 1.85 V to 3.8 V |
Key Differentiators
- Hardware AES/ECC/SHA crypto engine without extra BOM cost (vs EFM32HG222F64G-C-QFP48R (Happy Gecko))
- ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU at 40 MHz in a 5x5 mm QFN (vs EFM32G200F64G-E-QFN32R (Gecko without FPU))
- Same Pearl Gecko family, pin-to-pin flash scaling 128 kB to 256 kB (vs EFM32PG1B100F256GM32 (256 kB flash sibling))
Design Notes
Decouple VDD and VREGVDD with a 1 uF X5R/X7R ceramic placed within 2 mm of the respective pins. The Pearl Gecko internal LDO on VREGVDD supplies the core logic, so a noisy VREGVDD rail couples directly into ADC measurements. Add a ferrite bead between VDD and VREGVDD if analog accuracy is critical (target < 1 LSB noise). Estimated: input ripple rejection is typically 40-60 dB at 1 MHz depending on capacitor ESR.
Do not exceed 3.8 V on VDD or the absolute maximum rating of 4.0 V. When powered from a 5 V source (e.g., USB), add a 3.3 V LDO upstream. The reset pin RESETn is active-low and internally pulled; if left floating, noise can cause spurious resets — tie to VDD via a 10 kohm resistor if no external reset is required. The exposed pad (pin 33) MUST be soldered to the ground plane for thermal dissipation and electrical reference.
At 40 MHz with FPU active in EM0, the EFM32PG1B100F128GM32-C0R draws about 9 mA, producing ~30 mW dissipation from a 3.3 V supply. The 32-QFN (5x5 mm) with exposed pad yields a theta_JA near 35 C/W on a 4-layer 1-oz PCB — well within thermal limits for typical IoT duty cycles. In EM2 deep sleep, current drops to single-digit uA, keeping average dissipation negligible for battery-powered sensor nodes.
Route the SWDIO and SWCLK signals to the dedicated debug pins (PB0/PB1 typically) with no stubs and ground guard on both sides. Keep analog ADC traces short and away from the switching regulator and DC-DC inductor. The exposed pad via array should use 0.3 mm drilled, 0.5 mm pitch, with stitching vias around the perimeter to maximise thermal conduction. Match length pairs on USART / I2C / SPI high-speed signals if running above 10 MHz.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per Silicon Labs product page and DigiKey listing. REACH compliance per EU regulation. Not AEC-Q100 qualified — automotive use requires an AEC-Q100-graded part. Halogen-free status was not specified in the verified web data.
