Arduino has introduced two new boards right in time for Maker Faire New York: MKR WAN 1300 with a LoRa radio, and MKR GSM 1400 with a “3.75G” cellular module, both software compatible with Arduino Zero, and in Arduino MKRZero board form factor.
MKR WAN 1300 Board
Arduino MKR WAN 1300 specifications:
- MCU – Microchip Atmel SAMD21 32-bit ARM Cortex M0+ MCU @ 48 MHz with 32 KB SRAM, 256 KB flash (8KB for bootloader)
- Digital I/O Pins – 8x digital I/Os, 12x PWM, UART, SPI, and I2C, 8x external interrupts
- Analog Pins – 7x analog inputs (8/10/12-bit ADC), and 1x analog output (10-bit DAC)
- DC Current per I/O Pin – 7 mA
- LPWAN connectivity
- Murata CMWZ1ZZABZ LoRa module based on Semtech SX1276 and STMicro STM32L
- Antenna power – 2dB
- Carrier frequency – 433/868/915 MHz
- Working regions – EU/US
- USB – 1x micro USB port for power and programming
- Misc – Reset button, 6x LEDs, 32.768 kHz RTC
- Power
- 5V via micro USB port or Vin pin
- 2x AA or AAA batteries support
- I/O Operating Voltage – 3.3V
- Dimensions – 67.64 x 25 mm
- Weight – 32 grams
It’s interesting to note that the Murata module includes an STM32L MCU, and exposes ADC/DAC, GPIOs, SPI, I2C.. pins, so in theory it would be possible to create a similar board without the Microchip/Atmel chip, but Arduino IDE compatibility may have suffered despite work on Arduino STM32, and the exposed I/Os could not be the same (e.g. only 4x ADC).
MKR GSM 1400
Arduino MKR GSM 1400 board has very similar specifications, except it replaces the LoRa radio with a u-blox cellular module, and supports LiPo batteries:
- MCU – Microchip Atmel SAMD21 32-bit ARM Cortex M0+ MCU @ 48 MHz with 32 KB SRAM, 256 KB flash (8KB for bootloader)
- Digital I/O Pins – 8x digital I/Os, 12x PWM, UART, SPI, and I2C, 8x external interrupts
- Analog Pins – 7x analog inputs (8/10/12-bit ADC), and 1x analog output (10-bit DAC)
- DC Current per I/O Pin – 7 mA
- Cellular Connectivity
- u-blox SARAU201 cellular module supporting 3.75G UMTS/HSPA with 2G GSM/(E)GPRS fallback
- NanoSIM card slot
- u.FL connector for external antenna
- Working regions – Global
- USB – 1x micro USB port for power and programming
- Misc – Reset button, 6x LEDs, 32.768 kHz RTC
- Power
- 5V via micro USB port
- 5V to 12V Vin pin
- 3.7V LiPo battery support
- I/O Operating Voltage – 3.3V
- Dimensions – 67.64 x 25 mm
- Weight – 32 grams
Both boards are up for pre-order with shipping expected for November 15th with MKR WAN 1300 going for $39 / 35 Euros excluding VAT, and MKR GSM 1400 selling for $69.00 / 59.90 Euros excluding VAT. Further documentation is accessible through the store links.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
