To set up an energy harvesting system, you need a harvester, a storage element, and an AEM. The AEM is the central component of the system. It extracts the maximum power provided by the harvester and stores it in the storage element, so that this energy can be used later — and in some cases, it can even be used to directly power the application.
AEM20940
High-efficiency thermal MPPT boost PMIC with two LDO outputs
e-peas’ AEM20940 is a high-efficiency energy harvesting PMIC that maximizes power extraction from TEG sources. It supports high-efficiency MPP conversion and allows for MPPT ratio configuration ensuring adaptability to various harvesters.
With an optional external cold start module, the AEM20940 can efficiently operate from minimal available voltage. It is also able to cold start using only the storage element’s power. The AEM20940 has fully configurable storage element protection levels and two regulated output voltages that ensure compatibility with various storage element types to simultaneously store energy in a storage element and supply an application circuit.
Additionally, its balancing circuit allows for safely charging a dual-cell supercapacitor, and its configurable primary battery feature provides a backup solution to guarantee continuous operation in any condition.
Product Information
Products
Power converters
- Harvester: Boost Converter
- Load Outputs: Low-Dropout Regulators (LDO)
Low voltage output
- 1.2 V or 1.8 V
- Max. 20 mA
- Buck Used as Input of the LDO for Best Efficiency
- Dynamically Power-Gated by External Control
High voltage output
- 1.8 V to 3.3 V
- Max. 80 mA
- Dynamically Power-Gated by External Control
Harvester input
- Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)
- 50 mV to 3.5 V
- Max. 110 mA
- Open Circuit Voltage: Max. 3.5 V
- Cold Start: Min. 150 µW / 60 mV
Extra features
- Primary Battery Support with Configurable Overdischarge Voltage
- Source Constant Impedance Matching (ZMPPT)
- Possibility to Coldstart from the Storage Element
Storage element
- 2.2 V to 4.5 V
- Configurable Protection Levels
- Dual-Cell Supercapacitor Balancing
Package
- QFN28 5x5mm
Features and benefits
Ultra-Low Power Boost Converter
- Harvest from 50 mV after cold start
- Up to 110 mA current extracted from the harvester
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)
- Configurable MPPT ratio with fixed timings for compatibility with TEG sources
- Source constant impedance matching (ZMPPT)
Low Power Cold Start
- Cold start from 150 µW / 60 mV with the optional externa module
- Cold start from 100 µW / 380 mV without the optional external module
Configurable Storage Element Protection Levels
- Selectable overdischarge, charge ready and overcharge protections to support various types of rechargeable storage elements
Dual-Cell Supercapacitor Balancing
- Balancing circuit to safely charge a dual-cell supercapacitor
Low Voltage Regulated Output for Application Circuit
- LDO regulator with Buck converter used as input for best efficiency
- Selectable output voltage to 1.2 V or 1.8 V
- Output current up to 20 mA
- Dynamically power-gated by external control
High Voltage Regulated Output for Application Circuit
- Selectable output voltage from 1.8 V to 3.3 V
- Output current up to 80 mA
- Dynamically power-gated by external control
Optional Primary Battery
- Automatically switches to the primary battery when needed
- Configurable primary battery overdischarge voltage
Storage Element Cold Start
- Possibility to coldstart the system from the storage element
Low BOM
- Reduced external component requirements
Block Diagram
Evaluation boards
The AEM20940 Evaluation Board (76 mm x 49 mm) offers a complete solution for testing the features and performances of the AEM20940 energy harvesting PMIC in QFN-28 package. It includes the necessary passive components for optimal operation and a set of jumpers for easy configuration.
Designed for flexibility, the board allows full configuration and provides:
- Energy harvester input, with its configuration settings.
- External Cold Start Circuit, allowing low voltage cold start.
- Connection for the storage element, with configurable protection levels and balancing feature configuration.
- Two regulated LDO outputs, with voltages and enabling configuration.
- Connection for the primary battery, with minimum voltage and enabling configuration.
- Status signals pin access.
For detailed setup and advanced features, refer to the AEM20940 datasheet and EVK documentation.
Quick start guide
AEM20940 Evaluation Board Quick Start Guide
User guide
AEM20940 Evaluation Board User Guide
How it works
Basic Functionality
Energy Harvesting Sources
Load Regulation
Storage Element Protection
DC-DC VS LDO
Support
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Our products are suitable for a wide range of applications
Smart Home & Buildings
Smart Locks
Leak detectors
CO2 sensor
Humidity sensors
Security systems
Occupancy sensors
Temperature sensors
Lighting Controllers
Consumer Electronics
Remote controls
Gaming controllers
Keyboard
Mice
Portable speakers
Headphones
E-readers
Smart scales
Webcams
Industrial IoT
Access control
Asset tracking
Metering
Smart factory
Predictive maintenance
Smart HVAC
Remote Control
Webcams
Smart Retail
Electronic shelf labels
Commercial lighting
Advertising anchors
Direction finding
Wearables
Luxury & Smart watches
Smart hospitals
Portable medical devices
Fitness bands
Wellness trackers
They tried it. They signed up for life for their devices.
Our customers share their experiences.
Toshiya Yamamoto
Vice-President Business Development at Nichicon
The long history of partnership between Nichicon and e-peas proves that both companies can mutually enhance their presence in strategic projects with key customers and at global business events, and that both companies can find great synergy.
Nichicon has developed an energy harvesting evaluation board and provided it to customers. e-peas’ excellent low-power PMIC can maximize battery performance.
Read more 
Niklas Forsgren
FAE Director at Epishine
Collaborating with e-peas has been both rewarding and impactful. Their broad range of configurations, and technical expertise have been instrumental in advancing energy harvesting technologies.
By working together, we’re not just addressing market needs but actively shaping its future. I’m excited to deepen this collaboration as we continue to build a strong ecosystem for sustainable innovation.
Read more 
Hao Yin
CEO of TEGnology
TEGnology and e-peas have had several years’ collaborations in the field of Thermal Energy Harvesting, and there is no reason not to believe the collaboration will continue.
Combining TEGnology’s superior thermal energy harvesters with e-peas’ high efficiency PMICS is enriching each other field presence and customer value proposition. We count on each other’s expertise and reputation, when we propose solutions to the market. By standing together, we can close the deals with better offers. This turns out to be an exciting and fruitful way of collaborating.
Read more 
Giampaolo Marino
Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Energous
“e-peas PMICs are an integral part of a wireless power network, enabling RF harvesting for battery-free IoT devices such as sensors and tags. The combination of Energous' PowerBridge transmitter systems and IoT devices powered by e-peas' technology will revolutionize the way organizations power and interact with their connected technologies.”
Read more Contact us
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Any questions?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS REQUIRED TO BUILD AN ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEM?
WHAT ARE THE POWER RANGES IN AN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT?
The power generated depends on the type of harvester, its size, and the environment.
For example, in the case of Photovoltaic energy harvesting, the output power will depend on the size of the photovoltaic cell, the light intensity, and the PV cell technology used.
- Indoor Photovoltaic energy harvesting generates power in the range of hundreds of microwatts. (These values may vary depending on the size of the cell.)
- Outdoor Photovoltaic energy harvesting generates power that can reach tens of milliwatts. (These values may vary depending on the size of the cell.)
Other types of harvesters include thermal, RF, and vibration harvesters.
- Thermal energy harvesting (TEG) relies on temperature differences and typically generate power in the range of a few microwatts to several milliwatts, depending on the thermal gradient and the efficiency of the thermoelectric materials.
- RF (Radio Frequency) harvesting capture energy from ambient radio waves, such as those emitted by Wi-Fi, GSM, or TV signals. The power levels are usually very low, often in the microwatt range, and highly dependent on the distance from the emitter and the frequency band.
- Vibration or piezoelectric harvesters convert mechanical vibrations into electricity. The harvested power can vary from a few microwatts up to several milliwatts, depending on the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations as well as the mechanical structure of the harvester.
Each harvester type has its strengths and limitations, and the choice depends on the available energy in the environment and the application’s power requirements.
CAN I HARVEST ENERGY FROM MY WIFI?
Wi-Fi transmissions are limited by regulations to a maximum of +20 dBm at the transmitter. In most cases, this power level is insufficient for effective energy harvesting.
Significant losses occur as RF energy propagates through the air and along the RF path on the PCB. These losses are frequency-dependent and tend to be lower at lower frequencies.
To have full control over the emitted power, antenna characteristics, and transmission duty cycle, we recommend using a dedicated RF transmitter.
CAN THE APPLICATION BE POWERED DIRECTLY BY AN AEM?
Some AEMs have a regulated output to power an application circuit. Depending on the AEMs, different converter architectures are available. Some are designed with an LDO, with a BUCK, or with a BUCK_BOOST architecture.
Sometimes, the application circuit can also be supplied directly from the storage element or thanks to an external DCDC connected on the storage element and driven by the status of the AEM. In this case, a regulated output is not mandatory.
HOW CAN WE CONFIGURE AN AEM?
AEMs can be configured using the GPIO pins by connecting them to a high state or to GND. However, some AEMs include I²C communication for the configuration and monitoring. This allows overriding the configurations set by the configuration pins and allows accessing to all the AEMs configurations, enabling wider range of settings and allowing live system monitoring