BANF and Silicon Labs have unveiled a tire-monitoring technology that processes high-resolution data in real time, designed for autonomous vehicles and connected fleet operations. The system integrates Silicon Labs’ ultra-low-power BG22 Bluetooth LE SoC into BANF’s in-tire sensor platform, turning the tire into a connected intelligence node.
Traditional tire pressure monitoring systems alert drivers only when pressure drops significantly, offering limited insight into tire performance. BANF’s solution, by contrast, measures acceleration, pressure, temperature and tread depth at thousands of samples per second inside the tire. Key signals – such as wheel-nut loosening, slip events or reduced friction – are processed within the tire, reducing communication load and improving response time before sending alerts to the vehicle.
“Tires generate terabytes of data related to friction, load and mechanical stress, but until now there was no viable way to capture and transmit that information in real time,” said BANF CEO Adam Sunghan You. “By combining Silicon Labs’ BG22 with our wireless power technology, we have unlocked a new level of tire intelligence.”
The system uses Silicon Labs’ Secure Vault technology to protect tire data from tampering or spoofing, a critical requirement for autonomous vehicles and fleet operators. Powering the sensors has historically been a challenge due to heat, mechanical stress and centrifugal forces inside the tire. BANF addresses this with a proprietary wireless power transfer solution: a Smart Profiler mounted on the vehicle’s fender delivers continuous energy to the battery-free iSensor, enabling uninterrupted data acquisition at thousands of hertz.
“Compute is no longer confined to the CPU – it extends across intelligent peripherals and sensors,” said Ross Sabolcik, senior vice president of product lines, Silicon Labs. “BG22 enables reliable, secure connectivity even in extreme environments, empowering innovators like BANF to digitize traditionally analog systems.”
BANF plans to use the collected data to expand into predictive maintenance, route optimization and insurance-linked services. By converting tires into intelligent, data-generating assets, the company aims to redefine vehicle operations and fleet management.
Related news, Kia focuses on NVH reduction in EV2 development
