SEQUANS | Four new LTE-M / NB-IoT trackers for supply chain, vehicle industries
French chipmaker Sequans is releasing four new IoT trackers for asset and vehicle tracking, among other use cases. The trackers use modules from Shanghai-based Asiatelco, running Sequans’ own Monarch LTE-M and NB-IoT platform.
Georges Karam, chief executive at Sequans, said: “Some of the new trackers are from customers moving to LTE-M from 2G technology, and some are from customers launching LTE-M trackers for the first time. All of the devices can also support NB-IoT, thanks to the dual-mode operation of Monarch.”
The trackers use Asiatelco’s LM91-MV module and Sequans’ GM01Q module, also built by Asiatelco. The LM91-MV supports LTE bands 4 and 13 in the US. The GM01Q supports global LTE bands. Both deliver LTE-M 3GPP Release 13 connectivity from a single LTE antenna.
QUECTEL | 2Gbps Cat20 LTE module launches for high-bandwidth IoT apps
IoT maker Quectel has launched an Category (Cat) 20 LTE module based on Qualcomm’s SDX24 chipset offering maximum throughput of 2Gbps on the downlink. The EM20 unit is designed for laptop, desktop, and high-speed industrial IoT applications.
Its support of high-throughput, low-latency applications suits industrial routers and gateways, video surveillance systems and 4K IP-cameras, said Quectel. It is compatible with Quectel’s Cat 16 module EM16, and incoming 5G portfolio, it said.
The EM20, measuring 42.0×30.0×2.3mm and integrating GNSS, supports carrier aggregation, 4×4 MIMO, and 256-QAM, as well as assisted access (LAA) and citizen’s broadband (CBRS). “IoT devices with EM20 inside can operate on networks of nearly all the mainstream carriers worldwide,” said Quectel.
NORDIC | Digital signal tech licensed in multimode new nRF91 system-on-chip
Trondheim-based Nordic Semiconductor has licensed California semiconductor IP company CEVA’s digital signal processor (DSP) technology in its multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT nRF91 system-on-chip (SoC), designed for low power cellular IoT connectivity.
The nRF91 is the basis of Nordic’s nRF91 system-in-package (SiP) series, including the 10x16x1mm nRF9160, which its maker claims is the world’s smallest and lowest power, and a kicker for a “new wave” of IoT applications, including tracking, metering, industrial intelligence, and smart cities.
The nRF9160 integrates the nRF91 with a dedicated application processor, flash memory, radio front-end, power management, and crystal and passive components. Nordic called it “unprecedented integration, and the smallest form factor ever seen in the cellular industry”.
Svein-Egil Nielsen, the company’s chief, said: “We’re providing a simple and powerful solution to enable product designers to integrate LTE-M/NB-IoT connectivity with minimal complexity.
INFINEON | German firmk bridges quality gap with wafer-level eSIM package
German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies has introduced the world’s first “industrial-grade” embedded SIM (eSIM) in a 2.5mmx2.7mm wafer-level chip-scale package (WLCSP), it has said.
Its SLM 97 package provides robust quality and high endurance for industrial eSIM applications, including vending machines, remote sensors, and asset trackers, the company said. It works in an extended temperature range of -40 to 105° celsius.
The mini eSIM package does not compromise on security or quality, said Infineon. Smaller module footprints have to now impacted on these aspects until now, said the German outfit.
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