NB-IoT reference design in credit card size including PCB track antenna
The wireless IoT market is crying for small mobile devices transmitting for years from tiny batteries. With akorIoT Nano we developed the next open design. “akor” is the Proto-Celtic word for “open”. With placing the order for akorIoT Nano you get the schematic diagrams, some demo code for a unique PCB with NB-IoT-, GSM-, GNSS module in credit card size (85 mm x 55 mm), five sensors, including the embedded cellular antenna.
NB-IoT / GSM eval kit with Arduino Nano or STM32 Nucleo 32
The akorIoT team offers not just a plain piece of wireless IoT hardware. You have the freedom to ask for antenna matching of any kind of antenna bought by any party up to placing an order for your own customised antenna. One reason for an own antenna will be maybe cost reduction. Another reason is that rectangle chip antennas does not fit in “round corners”. The akorIoT team is able to develop antennas in different shapes up to copper structures sprayed inside of the plastic enclosure.
The basic akorIoT Nano will cost Euro 119. The Arduino Nano or STM32 Nucleo is Euro 20 on top. The software development environment is free of charge. The battery for quick setup you can pull out of your old smartphone. Your main invest will be your time. Ask for details by email to harald.naumann (at) lte-modem.com or info (at) akorIoT.com
Essentials |
|
| Status | Mass production |
| Launch date | Q1 2018 |
| Expected discontinuance | Q1 2030 |
| Board Form Factor | Credit card size , 85 mm x 55 mm including the celular antenna |
| Socket | Arduino Nano / STM Nucleo 32 |
| DC input voltage supported | Nominal 3.6 to 4.5 Volt |
| Recommended customer price | Euro 119 |
| Processor included | by socket, seven different MCUs (e.g. ATMEL, STM Cortex M0, M3, M4) |
| Documents | Schematics diagram open for akorIoT customer |
Services |
|
| Antenna services | Antenna design and antenna matching service, reports on return loss and radioation pattern |
| HW services | HW design review of customer PCBs up to design of customised PCBs includung design of enclosures |
| Power supply services | Design aid for power supply concepts, selection of power supplies for IoT devices with a live time of up to 15 years trasmitting on small batteries (Meterings, long time trackers, sensors on battery) |
| SW services | Firmware, middleware and cloud server software development |
| Consulting services | Feasibility studies, proof of concepts, prototypes, market studies |
Supplemental Information |
|
| Description | Compatible with the Arduino software development environment. In addition to Arduino hardware and software compatibility the akorIoT Nano is compatible to any C Complier compatible supported by ST Microelectronics Nucleo. |
| Additional Information URL | www.akorIoT.com |
Components main PCB |
|
| Cellular module | Quectel GSM M66, Quectel NB-IoT BC68, Quectel NB-IoT BC66 |
| GNSS module | Quectel L76 |
| Cellular antenna | Multiband GSM / NB-IoT antenna inside the main PCB |
| GNSS antenna | Antenova chip loop antenna Sinica |
| Bluetooth module | Embedded by Quectel M66 |
| Bluetooth antenna | External antenna by U.FL connector |
| Sensors | Temperature, humidity, air pressure, light and accelorator sensor |
| SIM card | Standard SIM and eSIM |
Memory & Storage |
|
| Max memory size | Related to the selected MCU |
| Memory types | Related to the selected MCU |
Expansion Options |
|
| UARTS | 2 related to MCU extension |
| I2C bus A | wired to the sensors on the main PCB |
| I2C bus B | wired to 20 pin extension connector |
| SPI | wired to 20 pin extension connector |
| Analogue Input | wired to 20 pin extension connector |
| PWM | wired to 20 pin extension connector |
| Digital Input | wired to 20 pin extension connector |
| MCU connector 32 pins | Connector to seven different MCU PCBs |
| Extension connector for sensors | Extension to 107 further sensors ( e.g. temperature, air pressure, humidity, visible light, infrared light, hall (magnetic), gas (NOx, alcohol, LPG, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, Volatile Organic Compounds), smoke, fine dust, accelerometer, motion, gyro, compass, proximity, vibration, spectral intensity, EMC/EMG, heart rate, stretch force, lightning, earthquake, water leakage, soil moisture and a lot of more. |
| Extension connector for bridge 20 pins | Extension to bridge to LoRa, BLE, Wi-Fi or further peripherals |
I/O Specifications |
|
| Number of USB ports | 1 by Arduino Nano or STM Nuceleo 32 for programming and debugging |
| USB revision | 2.0 |
Has this article piqued your interest? Do you plan to deploy IoT devices with embedded antennas? Do you have an IoT prototype and need to optimise the design or minimise the price? If you have answered YES to any one of these questions then please do not hesitate to drop an email to harald.naumann (at) lte-modem.com and to ask for a proposal or some engineering services to make your IoT idea a cost-effective reality.
Dear Mr. Naumann,
do you have more infomaterial how the Extension to bridge to LoRa and BLE for the akorIoT Nano looks like and what is the Price for? I would need a modul with NB-IOT, Lora and BLE in it and another modul with NB-IOT and BLE – can you offer such a moduls?
THX in advance!
br, Josef
Dear Mr. Geider, yes I do but it is to complex to share it with the answer to a comment. Just to let you know that our NB-IoT seminar will stay in week 41 in Vienna.
Regards
Harald
Hi Harold,
Please can you send me a proposal or some engineering services to make your IoT idea a cost-effective reality.
Regards
Julian White
Dear Julien, Thank you for your interest. You will find an email with an offer in your inbox. Maybe you are interested in antenna matching or antenna design services:
http://www.gsm-modem.de/M2M/antenna-test/antenna-matching/
If you plan an own wireless IoT project then akorIoT Micro and akorIoT Nano are good and cheap starting points:
http://www.gsm-modem.de/M2M/iot-m2m-tools/akoriot-nano-arduino-nano-stm32-nucleo-nb-iot-gsm-gnss/
http://www.gsm-modem.de/M2M/m2m-componets/arduino-shield-lte-cat-m1-lte-cat-nb1-nb-iot-gprs/
Hi Julio,
You will find an offer in your inbox.
Harald