It is called ‘NB IoT 6 Click’, and its active wireless module is the BC65 from Shanghai based Quectel, a low-power (4μA) device compliant with 3GPP Release 13 and Release 14, supporting LTE bands B1, B3, B5, B8, B20 and B28 across 700MHz to 2.2GHz.
LTE NB has multi-km outdoor range from IoT node to the nearest mobile phone tower: 7x the range of standard LTE communications is often quoted – perhaps beyond 10km in the right conditions.
In this case, output is 23dBm ±2dB and receiving sensitivity is -114dBm.
AT commands are supported at 4,800, 9,600 and 57,600bit/s.
“Alongside the main UART interface with hardware flow control, it integrates auxiliary and debug UARTs, a general-purpose 10bit ADC, a SIM card holder, a network status LED and an SMA antenna connector,” according to Mikroe, which is providing associated development software.
An on-module dc-dc converter allows the BC65 to run from between 3.2 and 4.2V, and it meets 3GPP specifications across -25 to +75°C (and out to -40 to +85°C with reduced function).
Click boards are compatible with ‘mikroBUS’ physical and electrical standards.
Applications for products developed using the board, said Mikroe, are expected in smart meters, asset trackers, remote environmental monitoring, agriculture and home appliances.
Find NB IoT 6 Click on this Mikroe web page.
At embedded world this year, the same company revealed an NB-IoT click board that also implements LTE-M, based around an IC from Sequans.
