MIT Develops Energy-Efficient 5G Receiver to Boost IoT Device Longevity and Reliability

Researchers at MIT have developed an ultra-efficient 5G receiver chip that could significantly extend the battery life and reliability of smart devices such as wearables, environmental sensors, and industrial monitors. This tiny chip, with an active area of less than 0.05 mm², is designed to resist wireless interference up to 30 times more effectively than conventional receivers. It consumes less than one milliwatt of power and features a novel design based on stacked capacitors connected by ultra-low-power switches. These innovations allow the chip to block unwanted harmonic signals early in the signal chain and use the Miller effect to simulate larger capacitors, reducing overall component size. The chip is especially suitable for Internet of Things (IoT) applications in densely packed or noisy signal environments, such as smart cities or manufacturing plants. Additionally, the design enables wide frequency tuning and could be produced cost-effectively. MIT researchers plan to explore ways to power the receiver autonomously by harvesting energy from surrounding signals. This breakthrough could drive the next generation of compact, low-cost, and energy-efficient IoT technologies.