Qualcomm 9205 NB-IoT & Cat M1 LTE Modem Lowers Costs, Power Consumption

Qualcomm has introduced a new LTE IoT chipset with Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem that supports Cat M1 (eMTC), NB2 (NB-IoT), 2G/E-GPRS fallback, as well as GNSS. Qualcomm 9205  comes at a lower price, smaller footprint, and up to 70% lower power consumption in standby mode compared to its predecessor (MDM9206).

Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem key features and specifications:

• Processor / OS – Arm Cortex A7 up to 800MHz with support for ThreadX and AliOS Things real-time operating systems
• Connectivity Standards
  • 3GPP release 14 Category M1 and NB2;
  • 2G/E-GPRS fallback where Cat M1 / NB2 is not available.
  • Category M1 mode supports voice for applications such as monitored security panels, and mobility for applications such as asset trackers.
• RF transceiver
  • Bandwidth support from 450 MHz to 2100 MHz
  • Built-in RF front-end, a first in the cellular IoT space
• Geolocation
  • Integrated GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems)  support for GPS, Beidou, Glonass, and Galileo.
  • Flexible antenna design – shared with LTE antenna, or dedicated GNSS antenna
• Security – Secure boot from hardware root-of-trust, Qualcomm Trusted Execution Environment, hardware cryptography, storage, and debug security.
• Battery life management
  • Ultra-low system-level cut-off voltage
  • Provisions for adapting power usage according to the state of charge of the battery.

Compared to MDM9206, Qualcomm 9205 enables about 40% reduction in BoM cost, up to 70% reduced power consumption in idle mode, and is about half the size.

The company also provide LTE IoT Software Development Kit (SDK) for the chip and reference module with support for LTE IoT and GNSS, as well as cloud  platforms such as Alibaba Cloud Link One, China Mobile OneNET, DTSTON DTCloud, Ericsson IoT Accelerator, Gizwits and Verizon ThingSpace.

Solutions based on the Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem are expected to be commercially available in 2019 from Gemalto, Quectel, Telit, and others. More information should be available on the product page.

Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress