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January 28, 2025January 28, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Altair ALT1350 based HL7900 5G LPWA module supports Wi-SUN, GNSS, and NB-IoT over non-terrestrial networks

The HL7900 5G LPWA module from Semtech (Sierra Wireless) is a globally certified solution built around Sony’s Altair ALT1350 chip and designed for low-power IoT applications. It is certified by major U.S. carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as Japan’s KDDI, and has achieved global regulatory certifications (FCC, CE, ISED, etc.) and industry certifications (PTCRB, GCF) for carrier interoperability. This chip features an ultra-low-power sensor hub MCU for efficient environmental monitoring. Additionally, it includes integrated sub-GHz and 2.4GHz radios supporting short-range protocols such as Wi-SUN including U-Bus Air, NB-IoT, and 5G NTN along with GNSS and Wi-Fi-based indoor/outdoor tracking. Furthermore, this chip supports embedded SIM support, secure edge-to-cloud connectivity, and over-the-air updates. These features make this chip useful for applications such as asset tracking, urban navigation, and other IoT solutions requiring reliable, low-power connectivity with global reach. Semtech HL7900 specifications: MCU – Sony ALT1350 5G cellular IoT chip […]

January 22, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Queclink WR310 – A compact 5G and WiFi 6 industrial cellular router with four GbE ports, GNSS, and RS232 and RS485 interfaces

Queclink WR310 5G industrial cellular gateway

Queclink WR310 5G and WiFi 6 industrial cellular router features four gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB Type-A port, a terminal block with RS232 and RS485, and a wide 8 to 32V DC input suitable for smart manufacturing, industrial IoT (IIoT), and edge computing applications. It looks to be a more compact and cost-optimized version of the Queclink WR300 5G industrial router introduced in 2023 with global 5G coverage. The WR310 has many of the same features, but comes with less memory and storage, one less gigabit Ethernet port, and is available in three models depending on the region of operation: WR310FEU for EMEA, AP, and Brazil regions WR310FAU for LATAM markets WR310FNA for North America Queclink WR310 specifications: SoC – Unspecified Qualcomm dual-core Arm 64-bit Cortex-A53 @ 1.0GHz; likely the Qualcomm IPQ5018 or similar (Note the Qualcomm IPQ8072 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ 2.2 GHz was used in the WR300 5G […]

December 15, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 1 Comment

Nordic Thingy:91 X multi-sensor cellular IoT platform combines nRF9151 LTE IoT SiP, nRF5340 BLE SoC, and nRF7002 WiFi 6 IC

Nordic Semiconductor introduced the Nordic Thingy:91 in mid-2019, a cellular IoT prototyping platform built around the Nordic nRF9160 system-in-package (SiP). It supports LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GPS, and includes features like an Arm Cortex-M33 core, Arm TrustZone security, and flash memory. The platform is ideal for creating IoT Proof-of-Concepts, demos, and prototypes, making it easy to test and deploy IoT applications. The upgraded Nordic Thingy:91 X features the new Nordic nRF9151 SiP, offering support for LTE-M, NB-IoT, GNSS, and DECT NR+ for global connectivity, integrates the nRF5340 SoC for USB and Bluetooth LE, and the nRF7002 IC for Wi-Fi locations. The platform includes sensors for environmental and motion sensing, one expansion connector for Qwiic/STEMMA QT and Grove modules, and antennas for LTE, GNSS, and Wi-Fi. Additionally, the kit also features a Nano/4FF SIM slot, two SIM cards, and a 1,350 mAh Li-Po battery managed by nPM6001 and nPM1300 PMICs, to support field […]

October 21, 2024October 21, 2024 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Quectel BG770A-SN industrial IoT module offers 5G, NB-IoT, and NTN satellite connectivity

Quectel has recently released the BG770A-SN industrial IoT module which comes in an ultra-compact form factor and supports both NTN and TN and features GNSS for positioning functionality. This 5G-ready module also supports iSIM and utilizes the GEO satellite constellation for worldwide coverage. Additionally, the module offers integrated security elements (ISE) and can operate in between the industrial temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. Previously we have written about the Quectel BG95-S5 5G NTN + LTE IoT module which supports NTN satellite (L-band and S-band) plus LTE Cat M1, Cat NB2, and eGPRS as fallback options, designed for applications where continuous connectivity is critical. We have also written about the Quectel CC660D-LS IoT-NTN module, which is an IoT NTN module designed specifically for Skylo’s satellite network. The new BG770A-SN module is a little different from the previous two because it supports LTE Cat M1, LTE Cat NB1/NB2, and NTN over […]

September 5, 2024September 5, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - No Comments

u-blox EVK-LEXI-R10 evaluation kits feature LEXI-R10 LTE Cat 1bis and MAX-M10S GNSS modules for Cellular IoT and GPS connectivity

u-blox has developed the EVK-LEXI-R10 evaluation kits to help engineers test and evaluate their LEXI-R10 LTE Cat 1bis cellular modules. These compact modules support data speeds of up to 10Mbit/s for downloads and 5Mbit/s for uploads, all while using very little power. They also include built-in Wi-Fi to scan indoor hotspots and work with u-blox’s CellLocate service for both indoor and outdoor tracking. Available in regional variants, the boards and kits are certified by major mobile operators, including those in the US. The LEXI-R10 series by u-blox features the world’s smallest LTE Cat 1bis modules in the LEXI LGA form factor. The EVK-R10 kits simplify the evaluation of these multi-band LTE Cat 1bis modules. The EVK-R10401D kit supports the LEXI-R10401D module for North American operations, the EVK-R10801D kit supports the LEXI-R10801D module for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, and the EVK-LEXI-R10001D kit supports the LEXI-R10001D module with global coverage. […]

July 30, 2024July 30, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

LILYGO T-ETH-ELite ESP32-S3 Ethernet PoE board supports stackable LoRaWAN and Cellular expansion modules

LILYGO T-ETH Elite ESP32-S3 Ethernet board LoRaWAN mPCIE cellular expansion

LILYGO T-ETH-Elite is an ESP32-S3-powered IoT board with an Ethernet RJ45 port supporting PoE and a 40-pin GPIO header for stackable shields that offer support for LoRaWAN, 2G, NB-IoT, or/and 4G LTE cellular connectivity. The ESP32-S3 board allows users to build gateways with Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, GNSS, LoRaWAN, and Cellular (2G, NB-IoT, 4G LTE) connectivity, and they can easily switch cellular modules to match specific requirements. LILYGO T-ETH-Elite specifications: Wireless module – Espressif ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 MCU – ESP32-S3R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with 512KB SRAM, up to 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB flash Connectivity – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 PCB antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Networking – 10/100Mbps Ethernet RJ45 port via W5500 SPI to Ethernet chip USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming Expansion – 40-pin (mostly) Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header for shields (up to 23x GPIO, USB 2.0, UART, 5V, 3.3V, […]

July 18, 2024July 18, 2024 by Debashis Das - No Comments

STMicro ST4SIM-300 eSIM complies with SGP.32 GSMA eSIM Standard for IoT

STMicroelectronics has recently released the ST4SIM-300 eSIM, the first embedded SIM (eSIM) IC that complies with the new GSMA eSIM IoT Technical Specification (SGP.32). The chip is fully compliant with remote SIM provisioning of the GSMA eSIM IoT standards, so it works with 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE), CDMA, NB-IoT, and Cat-M networks. It is designed for small IoT devices and allows system operators to remotely program device subscriber identities over the air (OTA), making it a plug-and-play solution for seamless integration and management. Previously, we have written about Hologram’s IoT eSIM Chip that provides global connectivity and comes with 2FF, 3FF, 4FF, and Mff2- M2M form factors. We have also written about the Conexio Stratus Pro battery-powered nRF9161 development kit that supports eSIM as an option. ST4SIM-300 eSIM specifications Microcontroller – ST33K1M5M 32-bit Arm Cortex-M35P MCU Designed based on eSIM + eSE (embedded Secure Element) I/O Asynchronous serial I/O port […]

June 17, 2024June 18, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Cavli C17QS Cat 1.bis cellular IoT and GNSS module offers more memory, global support, a new FreeRTOS SDK

Cavli C17QS Cat 1.bis cellular IoT module with FreeRTOS SDK

Cavli Wireless C17QS is a Cat 1.bis cellular IoT and GNSS module that builds up on the Qualcomm QCX216-powered C16QS Cat 1.bis Cellular IoT module introduced last year, with more memory (2MB RAM) and storage (8MB flash), a wider range of LTE bands, multi-band (L1 and L5) GNSS, and a new FreeRTOS SDK for more flexibility compared to the C16QS. The Cavli C17QS Cat 1bis module is designed around a Qualcomm QCX217 Arm Cortex-M3 microcontroller clocked at up to 306MHz clock speed and running FreeRTOS real-time operating system. The module features a range of interfaces including UART, USB 2.0, USIM, SWD, ADCs, I2S, I2C, SPI, and GPIO pins. The new module is pin-to-pin compatible with the C16QS module for easier design upgrades. Cavli C17QS specifications: Wireless IC – Qualcomm QCX217 Arm Cortex-M3 @ 306 MHz, cellular modem-RF Memory – 2MB RAM Storage – 8 MB flash Cellular connectivity LTE CAT […]