US-based module maker Blues has released a series of new Notecard-branded cellular products that seek to lower the cost and raise the flexibility of large-scale industrial IoT projects. The new products include a cut-down version of its classic Notecard product, plus an LTE Cat-1 bis variant, and a “minimalist line” of its Notecarrier test environment. The new deconstructed Notecard XP unit is the “first cost-competitive alternative to chip-down cellular [design]”, it said – bringing the price of development down to just $19, it claimed.
The new Notecard XP features an external power (XP) supply and further removes components from the original Notecard Cellular product. It retains the same developer experience, but gives greater autonomy and flexibility for developers to optimise their component costs (bill-of-materials; BOM) on large-scale projects (“thousands of devices”), said Blues. It removes the need for enterprises to default to “chip-down design approaches”, it said. The Notecard XP is firmware-compatible with all other Notecards, for data routing to any cloud application.
Brandon Satrom, senior vice president of product and experience at Blues, explained: “Chip-down cellular initiatives overlook the fully-loaded cost of designing a complete industrial IoT solution, where service plans, firmware development, and device provisioning are ignored in the BOM calculation, only to pop up later in substantial, up-front investments. Notecard XP provides the first cost-competitive alternative to chip-down cellular [design]: a Notecard with optionality for an end-product BOM, while still retaining the core API and network sunset resilience that customers have come to depend on with the Notecard.”
Meanwhile, Blues has also upgraded the original Notecard Cellular, on which the XP version is based, with lower-cost “hardware improvements” (onboard dual SIM capability, low sleep-mode power) and a new mid-band LTE Cat 1 bis offering that requires only a single cellular antenna. Wide-band LTE Cat 1 support requires two antennas. The result is “improved performance at a lower price”, it said. The LTE Cat 1 bis option will be offered alongside LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat M, and NB-IoT. It can be paired with Wi-Fi, LoRa, and satellite (Starnote) options.
Satrom said: “When upgrading Notecard Cellular, we prioritized creating an innovative design that reduces costs while making units more compact and accessible. The Notecard Cellular now gives large enterprise customers a coverage option that provides wide-band performance at narrow-band prices. We’re committed to helping our customers become data-driven ‘as-a-service providers by solving their common cost and connectivity challenges so they can focus on innovating and scaling their business. This approach underscores Blues’ role in advancing the industrial IoT landscape [by] making sophisticated connectivity solutions more accessible and cost-effective.”
As well, Blues has announced a new X-series “minimalist line” in its Notecarriers family of test interfaces – for integrating Notecard products into industrial IoT projects. The Notecarrier X Series is geared for cheaper proof-of-concepts and pilots, said Blues, as well as to further “improve developers’ design autonomy”. The new line includes Notecarrier XM and Notecarrier X, compatible with all Notecard versions except the new Notecard XP and Notecarrier XP (which are a separate hardware and test combo).
Its new offerings will be out by summer, via the company’s website; existing Notecards will continue to be available via retail channels.
