"ZGlue’s secret sauce is its use of a silicon substrate, with a grid of fine wires for reprogrammable connections between the chips, and some resistors, capacitors, and gates for built-in power management, system management, and memory."

"In addition to the hardware rewards, backers will also receive a free trial of the zCAD software."

"Such custom chips should mostly be interesting in space-constraints applications, as you’d be able to design much smaller PCB with an all-in-one chip."

"The ability for anyone to create their own custom ICs has remained out of reach for the Average Joe hardware hacker. zGlue is the solution to this problem."

"Developers, makers and hobbyists searching for an affordable low power wireless wearable development board with chip stacking technology may be interested in the zOrigin."

"Think of the zOrigin as the Raspberry Pi or Arduino for wearables."

"An open platform and chipset aim to make a new world of custom-made smart shoes, clothes, trackers, watches and who knows what else."

At first glance, zOrigin is a full-featured, wireless fitness tracker that is so small it could easily go unnoticed among the coins in your pocket. However, it is also the first proof-of-concept of a new chip-stacking technology called zGlue that enables engineers and product designers to create and manufacture custom chips in a matter of days. Our goal is to make chip design as easy and accessible as printed circuit board (PCB) design. Whether you use zOrigin as is for daily health and fitness monitoring, integrate the custom zOrigin chip into your own product, or use zOrigin as the basis of your very own chip design, we hope you’ll join us in being among the first to make use of what zGlue has to offer.

Features & Specifications

Sensors : Heart rate monitor Three-axis accelerometer (e.g., pedometer) Temperature sensor

: User Notifications : Phone app via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) LED Vibration motor

: Enclosure : 3D-printed plastic 11 mm x 16 mm x 33 mm outer dimensions

: Power : 25 mAh rechargeable battery Lasts 1-2 weeks on a single charge Charging cable included

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zOrigin on a bracelet

Three Ways to Use zOrigin

1. Fitness Monitor

Out of the box, zOrigin is a compact, ready-to-use fitness monitor in a durable enclosure. Install the phone app and you’ll be ready to monitor your heart rate, temperature, and number of steps taken.

2. Integrate the Chip into Your Own Products

Want to develop your own product based on the chip that powers zOrigin? No problem — we offer a complete dev board and actual chips. See below for details.

3. Design Your Own Chip

Using the same ZiP technology we used to design the zOrigin chip, you too can design and manufacture custom chips in a matter of days. Every backer of this campaign will get a free trial of our zCAD software for designing their own chips. See below for details.

Mobile Apps

We’ve developed some example Android mobile apps that interface with zOrigin via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Of course, you can also develop your own apps for use with zOrigin. We will soon release the source code for the mobile apps as a reference.

ZGLZ1BA Features & Specifications

At the heart of zOrigin is the ZGZL1BA, the first commercially available example of creating a chip using ZiP technology. We designed the chip with zOrigin in mind. Inside, the ZGLZ1BA integrates the following components:

Dialog Semiconductor DA14585 16MHz 32-bit ARM Cortex M0 MCU with BLE

Analog Devices AD8233 Heart Rate Analog Front End (AFE)

Macronix MX25R4035F 2 Mbit Flash Memory

MCube MC3672 Accelerometer

Maxim MAX77734 Power Managment IC (PMIC)

SiTime SIT1552 32 kHz Oscillator

Vishay SI8466EDB MOSFET

30 passives

zOrigin's ZGLZ1BA ZiP underside (left) and exposed top (right)

ZGLZ1BA block diagram

zOrigin dev board block diagram

Lowering the Barrier to Custom Chips

The zOrigin is based on the zGlue Integration Platform (ZiP), which lets anyone use software tools to design a custom, affordable, ultra-small, power-efficient chip for their own device or project, and have it manufactured at volume within days.

ZiP is based on zGlue’s 2.5D active integration technology, which allows designers to stack chips on demand by combining the essential building blocks required by modern devices — processing, sensing, memory, and communications — into one chip. zGlue’s flexible silicon platform delivers the most cost-effective approach for individual customization and feature selection.

As a token of thanks to our early supporters, every backer of this Crowd Supply campaign will get a free trial of our zCAD software for designing their own chips. We anticipate zCAD being released before the end of 2018. The price tag for similar software for system-in-package (SiP) design can easily run into six figures.

Support & Documentation

We are in the process of finalizing a full datasheet and reference design, which we’ll release as soon as possible. Datasheets and other supporting material will be posted on the zGlue website as they become available.

FAQ

1. Will you be releasing the zCAD files for zOrigin, and the STL file for the 3D-printed enclosure?

The zCAD software and associated files will be released after the shipment of zOrigin. Each backer will receive a free trial of zCAD software to design their own chips. When released, zCAD software will allow you to select chiplets from the library and place them on our Smart Fabric. Users can then check design rules and fine-tune the design through simulations, and the system will help validate their optimized design.

The pogo pins of the 3D casing are custom made, and we used a high precision 3D printing service to create the new production quality enclosure. We will share the file along with the zOrigin release, and can also advise you along the process of making your own enclosure if you like.

2. Can zOrigin be used as a beacon/ tracker for my cat?

Of course! Your fur-kid can use zOrigin too!

3. Can zOrigin be reprogrammed by the user to track movements other than steps?

Yes, you can re-program DA14585 MCU to track other movements. Maybe some cool dance moves?

4. Does the zOrigin work independently or only while actively connected to a smartphone?

zOrigin requires a smartphone to display data. However, it can be adapted to be independent with additional peripherals.

5. Does zOrigin compute data or store ‘raw’ data that is later used in the app?

zOrigin computes the data before sending it to your smartphone. However, if you write your own firmware, you can store raw data in the DA14585 RAM before sending it to your end-point.

6. Can I connect zOrigin to my own App?

Of course! You can design your own Android or IOS App to communicate with zOrigin. We plan on sharing the zOrigin SDK, so you will have all the information you need to get started on making your app.

7. How long can it be used until the memory is full?

The stacked memory stores the DA14585 code. You can temporarily store the data in the DA14585 RAM. How much data you can store really depends on your usage. If you want to store larger data, you may want to consider adding a Memory Chip on your board.

8. Can I control the vibration strength of zOrigin?

Yes, you can. The DA14585 MCU has a PWM timer that allows you to tune vibration strength.

Manufacturing Plan

We have an extensive partnership ecosystem that will bring zOrigin to life. The production, assembly, and test process for zGlue’s ZiP technology is fully qualified by the largest foundry and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in the world. We already have the first batch of ZiPs assembled and tested.

We manages the procurement and sourcing of all the components used in zOrigin. Since these are standard components, we anticipate a normal lead time of 8 to 12 weeks. We’ve been working with trusted partners in China to build the prototypes. The PCB design and component procurement efforts will take place in parallel to ZiP assembly. We will post regular manufacturing updates — please stay tuned!

Risks & Challenges

Our prototypes and the first batch of silicon are back from manufacturing. We have a lot of work to do to fully test and qualify the zOrigin system, but it is currently progressing nicely.

Shipping & Fulfillment

Crowd Supply is our fulfillment partner. For information on checking the status of your order, changing your shipping address, or otherwise updating your order, please see The Crowd Supply Guide.