Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation partnered with VTT to validate and refine their groundbreaking customisable System-on-Chip for Beyond 5G IoT communications.
Key facts
Commercial System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions are optimised for smartphones, functioning as closed platforms that lack the customisation required for diverse industrial IoT needs.
Sharp collaborated with VTT to validate its open, customisable Beyond 5G IoT chipset using VTT Connectivity Lab and multidisciplinary expertise.
The early-stage prototype validation proved successful, providing use-case scenarios and moving Sharp closer to developing a product for the global market.
Headquartered in Nara, Japan, Sharp Semiconductor Innovation Corporation (SSIC) builds on its parent company’s 60-year history of semiconductor innovation – including the world's first all-transistor calculator and advancements in LCDs and solar power generation. SSIC specialises in semiconductor solutions and flexible SDR platforms, contributing to innovation primarily in the fields of AI, IoT, 8K and 5G/Beyond 5G products.
The growing need for specialised IoT connectivity
IoT communication (Internet of things) is inherently more challenging than human-to-human mobile communication because industrial devices have vastly different requirements depending on how they are utilised.
To fully harness the power of Beyond 5G (B5G) and emerging 6G networks, industries need specialised, adaptable electronic components designed explicitly for machine-to-machine communication. From automated guided vehicles and drones to surveillance cameras, Fixed Wireless Access and automotive applications, the diversity of these connections requires flexible solutions that standard consumer-grade technology cannot provide.
We wanted to collaborate with VTT because of their extensive testing experience for various IoT use cases and excellent connections with potential customers.
From closed chipsets to an open SDR platform
According to Satoshi Shibata, Senior Manager of the Product Planning Division at SSIC, the market is currently dominated by major players offering wireless SoCs primarily targeted at the smartphone business and not optimised for IoT use cases.
“These conventional baseband and RF chips function as closed ‘black boxes’, meaning that users wanting to create their own solutions cannot access the deeper layers of the software for customisation,” Shibata notes.
To bridge this gap, Sharp has developed the ‘iMorph’ (trademark pending) SDR platform and the ‘ASUKA’ SoC chipset, with the aim of making B5G IoT communications more accessible and widespread. Sharp operates as part of a national project in Japan to promote the R&D of a SDR platform (Software Defined Radio) enabling the development of solutions in an open environment*.
“Our platform offers a flexible and open alternative that is highly customisable by software for diverse IoT use cases,” Shibata says.
Testing the prototype in a world-class environment
To validate this ambitious technology for the European market, Sharp turned to VTT as a neutral research organisation with deep expertise in current and future wireless networks.
“We wanted to collaborate with VTT because of their extensive testing experience for various IoT use cases and excellent connections with potential customers. Also, Finland has world-leading expertise in B5G, including the 6G Flagship research programme at Oulu University,” Shibata says.
VTT Connectivity Lab provided Sharp with a state-of-the-art 5G and 6G environment, allowing early physical validation of their prototype.
Delivering value beyond standard testing
During the cooperation, VTT has provided Sharp with:
Cutting-edge 5G and 6G facilities at VTT Connectivity Lab for early prototype validation
Deep technical understanding to support the project beyond validation
Networks and experience in collaborating with major telecommunications companies.
According to VTT’s Senior Scientist Olli Apilo, VTT’s role extended far beyond simply providing a test environment.
“Our team was able to support the project as a whole. Our flexibility as a multidisciplinary organisation enabled us to adapt the validation even beyond what was originally agreed upon,” Apilo points out. He adds that VTT’s experts facilitated on-site collaboration with Sharp’s own engineer, allowing for flexible modification of the prototype’s functionality.
This deep level of engagement meant VTT helped define practical validation parameters and scenarios based on real-world industrial applications.
Towards the “Raspberry Pi” of IoT
The initial validation provided Sharp with crucial feedback for their next development phases, proving the value of early-stage testing.
Mika Rantakokko, Connectivity Lead at VTT, summarises the successful synergy: “I believe this is a good example of our capabilities, both in terms of VTT Connectivity Lab environment and our multidisciplinary expertise.”
Looking forward, Sharp plans to continue testing with VTT this year and next, targeting a commercial product launch in 2028. Shibata says the ultimate vision is to make their SDR platform as ubiquitous, open and developer-friendly as popular single-board computers.
“Our aim is that the device could be comparable to a small, easily customised PC – a kind of ‘Raspberry Pi’ for the IoT field,” Shibata concludes.
*The research results were obtained through a commissioned study (JPJ012368C00801) by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
