LTE-M/NB-IoT modules enable sensor networks and metering devices

Mouser now stocks the SARA-R52 LTE-M/NB-IoT modules from u-blox. The modules are based on u-blox's UBX-R52 cellular chipset and its M10 GNSS receiver chip. The modules support LTE Cat M1 and LTE Cat NB2 technologies based on comprehensive 3GPP Rel. 14 and Rel. 15 relevant IoT application features, including power consumption, coverage, data rate, and mobility improvements. With the integrated uCPU, users can run applications on the UBX-R52 chipset, therefore omitting the necessity for an external MCU. These modules provide state-of-the-art security thanks to secure boot, updates, and production implementations. MQTT Anywhere and MQTT Flex communication services are supported, allowing a reduction in data overhead, time spent on-the-air, and energy consumption. The module is AWS IoT Core qualified and Microsoft Azure certified.

The series includes a variant for general-purpose LTE connectivity and a variant with an extra GNSS receiver. SARA-R520M10 is pre-integrated with the u-blox M10 GNSS receiver to deliver best-in-class positioning data concurrent with the LTE communication, making it the excellent solution for continuous or cyclic tracking applications. On SARA-R520, SpotNow supplies location information (a cost-optimised positioning feature running directly on the UBX-R52 chipset to remove the necessity for a dedicated internal or external GNSS receiver). SpotNow is based on a power-optimised assisted GPS receiver solution for occasional tracking use cases.

The SARA-R52 modules are excellent for use in applications such as smart sensors and metering devices, the IoT, outdoor light controllers, and onboard vehicle trackers.