Connect to the Internet of (All of the) Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is everywhere and growing, and thus the need for highly integrated modules designed for the edge IoT is greater than ever. This month’s Datasheet rounds up just a corner of the latest offerings in IoT modules and boards that are on the market and ready for implementation.
The Internet of Things (IoT), at this point, needs no introduction—least of all to readers of Circuit Cellar. Its ubiquity speaks to its central importance to modern embedded design, and its continued rapid growth over the coming decade(s) is perhaps third on the list of life’s certainties behind death and taxes. To that extent, virtually everything discussed in the pages of this magazine nowadays touches, in some way, on the IoT in its many incarnations.
IoT edge devices are comprised of a combination of embedded processors and microcontrollers (MCUs) that provide intelligence, along with various wireless, cellular, and other connectivity solutions to connect to the network. IoT system designers often produce modular solutions that deliver both intelligence and connectivity—and that must, of course, meet a variety of vital certifications to make implementation seamless. The following gallery highlights some of the most exciting modules to come out over the last 12 months.
In addition to those products, we have included a board offering from Avnet, complete with processor, MCU, and Wi-Fi/BT modules. Read on for the details. Their product is also available as part of a larger evaluation kit, which includes an I/O board for prototyping and development. Meanwhile, certain popular companies are conspicuously absent: Espressif, for example, whose ESP32 MCU is to be found everywhere in our authors’ projects, lately. This exclusion was merely a byproduct of trying to find the latest modules available, and should not be misread as any kind of snub.
A Module for Mission-Critical AIoT Applications
Built on the 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processor, ADLINK’s Express-RLP COM Express Type 6 Basic size module is ready for edge Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions across varied power ranges (15W/28W/45W TDP). The first COM Express to utilize Intel’s hybrid architecture (six performance cores and eight efficient cores), the module supports PCIe 4.0 and DDR5 memory with up to 4800 MT/s. The device has integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics with up to 96EUs, enabling on-device AI performance. The equipped Intel Time-Coordinated Computing (TCC) and Time Sensitive Network (TSN) ensure timely execution of deterministic, real-time workloads with ultra-low latency—suiting the Express-RLP for mission-critical AIoT applications.
- 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processor (Raptor Lake-P)
- Up to 14 cores (six P-cores and eight E-cores), 20 threads
- Intel AVX-512 VNNI, Intel DL Boost
- Intel Iris Xe graphics
- 4x displays via DDI/LVDS (optional eDP, VGA) or 2x USB4/TBT4
- Up to 64GB DDR5, in-band ECC, at up to 4800MT/s
- 16x PCIe Gen4, 5x PCIe Gen3 lanes
- 2.5GbE, Intel TCC, TSN capable
- Extreme rugged operating temperature option
Low-Power Board Ready for AI & ML at the Edge
Avnet’s 25mm x 30mm RASynBoard Core Board is an ultra-low power edge AI/ML board built around the Syntiant NDP120 Neural Decision Processor, the Renesas RA6M4 microcontroller (MCU), and the low energy DA16600 Wi-Fi/BT combo module. With efficient processing of acoustic and motion events thanks to the NDP120’s subsystems (onboard digital mic, IMU motion sensor and SPI flash memory), this tiny board targets applications in battery-powered remote sensor systems, industrial smart sensors, motor predictive maintenance, always-on speech recognition, sensor fusion processing, and accelerated edge-AI and ML solutions. Avnet also offers the low-cost RASynBoard Evaluation Kit, which includes the core board with an I/O board for prototyping and development. The following specifications are for the core module.
- Syntiant NDP120 Neural Engine, with Syntiant Core 2 Deep Neural Network and Arm Cortex M0 and HiFi 3 DSP
- Renesas RA6M4 MCU (includes Arm Cortex M33, 1MB flash memory and 256KB SRAM, USB 2.0 device interface)
- Renesas DA16600 Wi-Fi/BT module
- 16Mbit SPI NOR Flash
- LiPo battery management and connector
- IMU 6-axis motion sensor and PDM digital microphone
- 2×28 pin board-to-board connector
- 25mm x 30mm
Reliable and Flexible Connectivity in this SoM
The cost-effective ConnectCore MP13 from Digi is the latest in their ConnectCore MP1 family of system-on-modules (SoMs). Like its cousins, it’s built for longevity, scalability, and demanding product lifecycles. Based on the STMicroelectronics STM32MP133C microprocessor (MPU), its among the industry’s smallest SOMs featuring Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2, and offers reliable and flexible connectivity for OEMs seeking to simplify product development and reduce risk. The MP13 is geared toward medical, smart energy, and industrial applications.
- STM32MP133C, Arm Cortex-A7 at 650MHz
- Secure boot, crypto engine
- 256MB SLC NAND flash
- 256MB DDR3L
- Wi-Fi 5 dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 1×1 radio (up to 433.3Mbps), strong WPA3-Enterprise authentication/encryption, full temperature range
- Bluetooth 5.2 (Basic Rate, Enhanced Data Rate, and Bluetooth Low Energy)
- −40°C to 85°C, depending on use case and enclosure/system design
- 2x 10/100 M or Gigabit Ethernet, GMAC IEEE 1588v2, MII/RMII/RGMII
Ultra-Low Power Dual-Band Wi-Fi/BT Combo Module
For those seeking ultra-low power dual-band Wi-Fi/BT combo modules, Infineon’s AIROC CYW43022 fits the bill, with architecture that delivers up to a 65% reduction in power usage during deep sleep. This means a longer battery life compared to competing solutions in power-sensitive consumer devices such as smart locks, wearables, IP cameras and thermostats. The CYW43022 features 1×1 dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3. It can maintain connectivity activity while a host processor is in a low-power sleep mode due to its embedded Bluetooth stack and Wi-Fi networking offloads.
- Best-in-class power consumption in active and power saving modes with MCU network offload and embedded Bluetooth stack
- SPI and SDIO v2.0 / v3.0 for WiFi-optional shared SDIO host interface for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- UART/PCM host interface for Bluetooth
- Support for both RTOS and Linux/Android (A-Class) host designs
- 40 GPIOs
A Familiar Face in this Connectivity Module
Laird Connectivity’s Sterling-LWB+ Wi-Fi 4 with Bluetooth 5.2 embedded module series is based on another member of Infineon’s AIROC family, the CYW43439. The LWB+ is the latest of Laird’s Sterling-LWB radio family and is available as a System-in-Pakcage (SiP) and two certified module versions, supporting either an MHF connector for an external antenna or an on-board chip antenna. The LWB+ is intended for use in industrial and medical IoT applications. It’s mechanically and pin-compatible with the Sterling-LWB as an upgrade path.
- MHF4, Integrated on-board chip antenna, or RF pin antennas
- FCC, ISED, CE, UKCA, MIC RCM certified
- 2.4GHz (single-band) frequency
- SDIO v2.0 (WLAN); HCI HS-UART, PCM (Bluetooth)
- -40°C to 85°C operating temperature
- +18 dBm max transmit power
Secure MCU Ready for Matter Over Thread
The K32W148 from NXP Semiconductors is a wireless MCU—built on an Arm Cortex-M33 main core—that simplifies IoT device development by offering connectivity and modular security subsystems. This secure and ultra-low power device enables the easy integration of Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The K32W148 has a memory footprint of 1.25MB Flash/212KB RAM and comes with an integrated RF subsystem.
- Up to 96MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core
- 1MB program Flash with ECC
- 128KB SRAM
- Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller (NVIC)
- Wake-up Interrupt Controller (WIC)
- Radio subsystem: Dedicated CM3 core; secure 256KB Flash for authenticated NXP 15.4 and BLE controller stack firmware; 88KB dedicated SRAM; Dual PAN support
A Compact All-in-One LTE Module
The RYZ024A from Renesas is an all-in-one LTE module that supports category M1 and is upgradeable to NB1/NB2. With worldwide deployment and roaming capability, its compact package is comprised of a Cat-M1/NB1/NB2 platform, an LTE-optimized transceiver, a single complete RF front-end to support LTE Cat-M1 bands worldwide, and key interfaces. It also includes a Cat-M1 protocol stack and a software package for OTA device management and packet routing.
- Integrated cellular IoT module for LTE Cat-M1
- 3GPP Release 13
- Field-proven LTE Cat-M1 software stack
- AT command interface
- 20.25 x 21.35mm LGA package with 108 pads
- uSIM interface
- Voltage range of 3.1V to 4.5V
- Ultra-low current consumption in power saving mode of 1µA
- High output power supporting both power class options 20dBm and 23dBm
Accurate and Fast Dual-Band Multi-Constellation GNSS
Reyax’s RYS8839 an ultra-low power, L1 L5 dual-band multi-constellation +1.8V GNSS module. It comes with integrated digital noise filters that enable coexistence with other radio systems, and an embedded spectrum analyzer. Built around a SONY CXD5610GF engine, this 11x8x2.2mm device has a sensitivity of -167dBm during tracking, and it provides a 1m high accuracy with a position update rate of up to 25Hz. Compared to modules that can only track L1 signals, the RYS8839 achieves a higher positioning accuracy and speed even in difficult conditions such as urban environments thanks to GNSS signals from the L1 L5 dual-frequency bands.
- SONY CXD5610GF Engine.
- A L1 L5 Dual-band GNSS receiver.
- Supports multi-constellation: GPS (L1C/A,L5); GLONASS (L1OF); BeiDou (B1I. B1C, B2a); Galileo (E1, E5a); QZSS (L1C/A, L1S, L1C/B, L5); IRNSS NavIC (L5); SBAS (L1)
- Embedded digital noise filters and spectrum analyzer
High-Performance Narrowband Industrial Module
In need of a narrowband (NB-IoT) industrial module and you want to skip the “upgradeable” route? STMicroelectronics offers the ST87M01, an ultra-compact low-power module with GNSS capability. This certified LTE Cat NB2 NB-IoT and GNSS industrial module series is high-performance, fully programmable, and offers advanced security features. The ST87M01 is built with exclusively in-house ICs, which ST claims guarantees its longevity and quality.
- LTE, Category NB2, Release 15
- GNSS capability
- Worldwide regional bands coverage
- Single-tone/Multi-tone/Extended TBS
- eDRX and PSM support
- Low-power mode < 2µA
- Embedded IoT internet protocols
- Differential FOTA support
- Up to +23 dBm power output
- Multiple I/F and GPIO
PUBLISHED IN CIRCUIT CELLAR MAGAZINE • MAY 2023 #394 – Get a PDF of the issue
Add your product to this directory
Sam Wallace - became Circuit Cellar's Editor-In-Chief in August 2022.
His experience in writing, editing, and teaching will provide a great perspective on the selection, presentation, and clarity of editorial content. The Circuit Cellar audience will benefit from his strong academic background encompassing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with honors. His passion for learning and teaching is a great fit for Circuit Cellar's continuing mission of Inspiring the Evolution of Embedded Design.
