There are plenty of long range LPWAN standards for the Internet of Things, but the most common ones include LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, and Sigfox. LoRaWAN lead the way in terms of deployments, while NB-IoT and eMTC leverage existing cellular infrastructure but cost a bit more to operate. Sigfox works with $2 modules, but AFAIK so far you had to subscribe to the company network, and if your area was not covered you were out of luck. Sigfox Access Station Micro gateway promises to change the situation, as companies can now add their own Sigfox gateway(s) where coverage is not available, and this could make Sigfox more popular, especially if one or more communities similar to The Things Networks form(s) around it. Sigfox Access Station Micro SMBS-T4 specifications: Radio characteristics: Standard – Sigfox Ultra Narrow Band Protocol for M2M and IoT Max range of operating frequencies – 865 to 928 MHz Max […]
AAEON UPC-GWS01 is Tiny IoT Gateway Powered by UP Core Board
AAEON’s UP Core is an affordable and compact Intel Atom x5-Z8350 based board that was launched last year on Kickstarter for 69 Euros and up. The company has now integrated the board into at least one of their product with UPC-GWS01, a tiny IoT gateway with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as support for optional 3G/4G LTE connectivity via a mini PCIe slot. A carrier board for UP Core also added Ethernet and a DB9 serial port to the setup. AAEON UPC-GWS01 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8350 quad core Cherry Trail processor with Intel HD 400 graphics System Memory – 1GB/ 2GB/ 4GB onboard DDR3L-1600 Storage – 16GB/32GB/64GB eMMC Video and Audio Output – 1x HDMI port Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet via Realtek 8111G WIFI 802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4 GHz (WiFi 4) and Bluetooth 4.0 Optional 3G/4G cellular connectivity via mPCIe socket USB – 1x USB 3.0 host port […]
Compulab WILD WiFi Router Supports WiFi RTT (802.11mc) Location
When Google released the first Android P preview back in March, one interesting new feature was indoor positioning through 802.11mc WiFi aka. WiFi RTT (Round Trip-Time). That looks promising so I started to look for 802.11mc capable routers, and all I could find were some Intel cards and Marvell chips with WiFi RTT, but not actual products. Since then Android 9 has been formally released, and today I’ve learned that Compulab launched a WiFi RTT capable router that will work with Android 9.0 phones. Meet Compulab WILD. Compulab WILD WiFi RTT router specifications: SoC (from a choice among three) Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad core processor @ 1.6 / 2.0 GHz with 18 EU HD graphics; 12W TDP Intel Atom x5-E3930 dual core processor @ 1.3 / 1.8 GHz with 12 EU HD graphics; 6.5W TDP Intel Celeron J3455 quad core processor @ 1.5 / 2.2 GHz with 12 EU HD […]
How to Make a Cheap Single Channel Gateway with an ESP32 LoRa Board
Actual LoRaWAN gateways based on Semtech SX1301 concentrator can be pretty expensive, and even if you take a LoRa gateway design based on Raspberry Pi for indoor placement or experimentation, price is still around $200. A much cheaper way (~$70) is to use a single channel LoRa gateway, which as the name implies only support one channel, which limits the number of nodes, and forces you to set the nodes at the same frequency as your gateway. Those are not really suitable for commercial offerings, but if you manage your own gateway and nodes that should be usable. If you only plan to implement a network with a dozen nodes or so, you could even use much cheap ESP32 LoRa board like the ESP32 LoRa 1-Channel Gateway sold on Sparkfun for $29.95. Hardware specifications: Connectivity WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 LE via ESP32-WROOM-32 module with integrated PCB antenna LoRa @ 868 […]
ModBerry M500 Industrial Computer Upgraded to Raspberry Pi 3 B+ with PoE Support
TECHBASE has been making modular industrial computers based on hobbyist boards for several years with products like ModBerry M300 IoT Gateway. ModBerry M500 is another of their model, powered by a Raspberry Pi 3 board and launched in 2016. The company has now upgraded the industrial gateway to Raspberry Pi 3 B+ board, and added PoE support in the process. ModBerry M500 specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2837B0 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.4 GHz with VideoCore IV GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB micro SD card Video & Audio Output – HDMI 1.4 and 3.5mm jack for CVBS (composite + stereo audio) Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet (max 300 Mbps) Dual band 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 LE Optional Zigbee, LTE/3G, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth cards USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Expansion I/Os 2x RS-232/RS-485 4x digital inputs, 4x digital outputs up to 30V DC 1-wire […]
RAK831 Lite is a $200 LoRa / LoRaWAN Gateway based on Raspberry Pi 3 Board
RAK831 is a Semtech SX1301 based LoRa gateway module that was released by RakWireless in 2017. The board has since then be sold as part of the company’s LoRa gateway developer kit with a Raspberry Pi and a MAX-7Q GPS Module. But now RakWireless offers a nicely packaged solution with Raspberry Pi 3 board, RAK831 module, a GPS board, an enclosure, antenna, and power supply which they call RAK831 Lite, and sells for just $199 + shipping ($6.45 extra here).RAK831 Lite gateway main components and specifications: Main board – Raspberry Pi 3 development board with Broadom BCM2837 processor, 1GB RAM, micro SD card slot, Fast Ethernet, 4x USB ports, HDMI output, audio jack Connectivity RAK831 LoRa Concentrator board based on SX1301 chipset RF frequencies – 433, 470, EU868, AS923, AU915, and US 915 Rx Sensitivity – -140 dBm Tx Power – Up to 25.5 dBm at settings 27 dBm SMA […]
Tibbo-Pi is a Wirefree Modular IoT Prototyping Platform for Raspberry Pi Board
Tibbo Project System (TPS) is a modular Linux IoT prototyping platform based on the same Texas Instruments Sitara AM335x processor used in BeagleBone Black or a PocketBeagle boards, and comprised of a main board, Tibbit blocks to add features as needed, and an enclosure. I’ve now been informed the company will be at Computex 2018 to showcase their new products including Tibbo-Pi, following the same concept as Tibbo Project System, but leveraging Raspberry Pi 3 board and ecosystem instead. While an English brochure is said to be available, all information in the webpage listed in the photo above is in Japanese. But basically, Tibbo-Pi is said to be an IoT edge device for industrial use, made for build a prototypes, or small scale production system thanks to a choice a 60 different Tibbit Blocks sensor and I/O module blocks, all wire free. Programming of the system is typically done with with […]
Making a DIY Case Out of PVC Pipes & Fittings for Electronics Projects
If you’ve ever visited Thailand, you may have noticed blue PVC pipes that are for water supplies, and usually visible since most of the time they are not placed underground. The pipes and fittings are very cheap, easy to find, and one person found out those could be used to make DIY cases for electronics projects. The two specimen above are a LoRaWAN node & gateway. The former is based on ESP07(ESP8266) module and RFM95W LoRa 868/915Mhz RF transceiver module, together with battery and sensors, while the latter is 1-channel LoRaWAN gateway or repeater, but I could not find the full details of the hardware design. I find that’s a clever idea, the design is pretty neat, and not everybody owns a 3D printer. An additional benefit is that it should be suitable for waterproof cases by adding some pipe glue to the unmovable parts, and a PVC screw cap […]