Pico-X: 24.9-nW State-Retention Light Weight MCU for Year-Scale Autonomous Operation in Flexible Landing-Pad Sensor Networks

Pico-X: 24.9-nW State-Retention Light Weight MCU for Year-Scale Autonomous Operation in Flexible Landing-Pad Sensor Networks | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Pico-X: 24.9-nW State-Retention Light Weight MCU for Year-Scale Autonomous Operation in Flexible Landing-Pad Sensor Networks Yanfeng Jiang, Yuyang Xiong, Xinlong Mao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8820048/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The flexible landing-pad arrays in low-altitude infrastructure are embodied by ordinary items, which desirably include sensors, actuators, displays and electronic interface devices in combination with silicon-based digital signal processing and communication technologies. However, autonomous operation in the flexible landing-pad sensor networks is partly hampered due to a lack of ultra-low power level MCU system, which should be responsible for intense communication and precise control among the embodied ordinary items in the landing-pad, as well as communications among the hundreds to thousands pads in the array. At the same time, the battery recharging time is expected to be year-scale. Here, we report Pico-X, ultra-low-power specific-designed processor, which is targeted as a local computer core for flexible sensor arrays on vertiport and landing-pad surfaces. Pico-X adopts specific event-driven operation model of local sampling and decision with exception-only reporting, combined with a power-management strategy employing light forward body bias (FBB) during active operation and zero body bias (ZBB) in sleep mode. The chip is implemented based on 28-nm FDSOI technology. Measurement results demonstrate a minimum power consumption of 24.9 nW at 25 kHz, @VDD = 0.4 V, while maintaining a compact 6.1-k-gate footprint. Pico-X thus provides a programmable and scalable nanowatt-class edge intelligence platform for flexible landing-pad arrays in low-altitude infrastructure. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8820048","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":597972893,"identity":"f1597abd-72b6-4c91-87f6-6b84bba947e1","order_by":0,"name":"Yanfeng Jiang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxmYwJScHZYCBATFajI2J1wIFxokNSDz8WpjbmZ89/NpmkN4MZuywy2Ngb94mwVBzB4/D2MyNZdsMchvBjDPJxQw8x8okGI49w+cXM2nJtj9ALWAGc2KDRI6ZBGPDYTxa2L8BVRqkQxn1iQ3ybwhp4TGT/NhmkABlHAbawkNQS5k0wzkDw0YQg7HteGIbT1qxRcIx3FoM+49vk/xRZiAPZvxsq07sZz+88caHGjxaGoABzcsGZfAARdhAwgk4NTAwyIMc9+MPjIFH5SgYBaNgFIxcAAAZH06SHfiGhwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangnan University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanfeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Jiang","suffix":""},{"id":597972894,"identity":"b74174ab-0398-47a7-918f-f9b53c04fe33","order_by":1,"name":"Yuyang Xiong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangnan University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuyang","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiong","suffix":""},{"id":597972895,"identity":"12aaa8ca-54c0-46ed-b1ad-ee1b2e307a7e","order_by":2,"name":"Xinlong Mao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangnan University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xinlong","middleName":"","lastName":"Mao","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-08 08:20:06","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8820048/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8820048/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104400441,"identity":"ece4eb40-b15d-4f9e-8092-5c7f0f37c64f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 12:09:59","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1330948,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"NCPicoXA24.9nWStateRetention8bitProcessorforYearScaleAutonomousOperationinFlexibleLandingPadSensorNetworks.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8820048/v1_covered_e1b8fa16-ad2c-4803-8930-427e397a2a98.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Pico-X: 24.9-nW State-Retention Light Weight MCU for Year-Scale Autonomous Operation in Flexible Landing-Pad Sensor Networks","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8820048/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8820048/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The flexible landing-pad arrays in low-altitude infrastructure are embodied by ordinary items, which desirably include sensors, actuators, displays and electronic interface devices in combination with silicon-based digital signal processing and communication technologies. 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