Ezurio Sona NX611 – An NXP IW611-powered Wi-Fi 6 industrial IoT module

Ezurio, formerly Laird Connectivity, has announced the Sona NX611, a new Wi-Fi 6 module designed for industrial IoT applications. The module uses the NXP IW611 chipset and supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.4. It operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, achieving data rates up to 600 Mbps, and can withstand industrial temperatures from -40°C to +85°C.

The Sona NX611 comes in several form factors, including SiP (System-in-Package), M.2 1216 SMT, and M.2 2230 E-Key pluggable options. It is compatible with NXP processors and supports Ezurio’s Linux connectivity stack software and Android OS. The module is under development and is expected to be in mass production by September 2024. It will have global certifications like FCC, ISED, UKCA, CE, and Bluetooth SIG.

Previously we have seen the IW611 and IW612 modules were used in the u-blox MAYA-W2 IoT module. We have also written about Laird RM126x LoRaWAN modules, Tungsten700 SMARC SoM, and devkit, which are also developed by Ezurio, formerly Laird Connectivity.

Ezurio Sona NX611 industrial Wi-Fi 6 module specification

• Main Chip – Sona NX611 based on NXP IW611 or IW612
• Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
  • Dual-band 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
  • 2.4 GHz: Up to 287 Mbps, 1024-QAM, 1×1 MCS7)
  • 5 GHz: Up to 600 Mbps, 1024-QAM, 1×1 (MCS11)
  • Supports OFDMA, TWT, BSS Coloring
  • 802.11d/e/h/i/j/k/mc/r/v/w
• Bluetooth
  • v5.4 (BDR + EDR + BLE)
  • LE 2 Mbps PHY
  • LE Coded (Long range PHY)
  • Adaptive Frequency hopping (AFH)
  • Secure simple pairing (SSP)
  • UART baud rates up to 4 Mbps
  • 7 x BT links/16 x BLE links
  • Secure connection (AES128 & ECC256)
• Antenna Options
  • On-board MHF4 connector(s)
  • Trace pin for external antennas
  • Integrated chip antenna
  • Combined Wi-Fi and BT antenna RF connections
• Host Interface and Peripherals
  • SDIO 3.0 (Wi-Fi)
  • HS-UART (BT)
  • PCM (BT Audio)
• Input Voltage Requirements
  • SIP-76-pin LGA package
    • 3.3V nominal 3.3V Typ, 3.14V Min, 3.46V Max
    • 1.8V nominal 1.8V Typ, 1.71V Min, 1.89V Max
  • 1216-96-pin LGA
    • 3.3V nominal 3.3V Typ, 3.14V Min, 3.46V Max
  • 2230 Key E package
    • 3.3V nominal 3.3V Typ, 3.14V Min, 3.46V Max
• Dimensions (and antenna type)
  • 11 x 11 mm (SIP) – RF Pin
  • 16 x 12 mm (M.2 1216 SMT Module) – MHF4 and RF Pin
  • 18 x 12 mm (M.2 1218 SMT Module) – Chip Antenna
  • 30 x 22 mm (M.2 E-Key Module) – MHF4
• Environmental
  • Operating Temp Range: -40°C to +85°C
  • Operating Humidity – Less than 85% RH (non-condensing)
  • Storage Temperature: -40° to +85°C (-40° to +185°F)
  • Storage Humidity – Less than 60% RH (non-condensing)
• MSL (Moisture Sensitivity Level) – MSL4 (SIP), MSL1 (M2)
• Regulatory approvals:
  • FCC/IC/CE/UKCA/RCM/MIC (Pending)
  • Bluetooth SIG Approval (Pending)

Ezurio provides a “Premium WiFi Advantage” program where experts handle everything from hardware design and testing to software integration and global certifications. They offer pre-certified Wi-Fi modules and antennas, ensuring your product meets international standards. Their Backports package, a full Linux Wi-Fi stack with drivers, network libraries, supplicant, and net-manager, is fully documented and supports Buildroot, Yocto, and Debian with regular updates planned.

The company provides a total of four development boards for the Ezurio Sona NX611 modules, two with soldered modules and MHF4 and MHF antenna options, and the other two features M.2 E-Key modules with MHF4 and MHF antenna options. More information about the Ezurio Sona NX611 Wi-Fi module and its dev board can be found on the product page and the press release.

The Ezurio Sona NX611 Wi-Fi module and the devkit are available on all major platforms including DigiKey, Mouser, Avnet, and Future Electronics. The dev board for the module costs around $149, and the Wi-Fi modules cost between $16.16 to $17.32 depending on the module.

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