LoRaWAN geolocation module are compact for asset tracking
Low power indoor-outdoor geolocation company, Abeeway, partnered with Murata to develop the LBEU5ZZ1WL geolocation module. It is a low power wide area network (LPWAN) module, designed to maximise battery life and is claimed to be sensitive and flexible enough to build customised, inexpensive, IoT tracking devices. Applications are both indoors and outdoors and include asset recovery, traceability, inventory management and theft prevention.
The modules integrate LoRaWAN [long range WAN] connectivity. The low power technology has become the de-facto standard for connectivity over public and private networks. In addition to a dual-core, multi-protocol wireless microcontroller, the modules contain a high-performance multi-constellation GNSS receiver (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo) and support a patented low-power localiser performance (LP) mode.
On-board Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.2 (Bluetooth SIG cert is underway) connectivity allows for short range communication with smartphone apps and other devices for applications such as contact tracing or monitoring BLE tagged equipment. The multi-technology modules have full power-optimised FreeRTOS, drivers and a LoRaWAN stack.
“The key requirement is to minimise time to market for device manufacturers embracing LoRaWAN for industrial or consumer applications. The new geolocation module . . . brings a market-ready reference for anyone wanting to develop a customised tracking device,” said Olivier Hersent, CEO at Actility, Abeeway’s parent company.
The module implements Semtech’s latest transceiver and ST’s STM32 wireless microcontrollers for security features and device management for LoRaWAN deployment, he added.
According to Akira Sasaki, general manager – connectivity module marketing, Murata: “This exciting collaboration greatly simplifies the development of new LoRaWAN tracking devices and offers customers faster time to market by minimising BoM [bill of materials] size, TCO [total cost of ownership] and complexity”.
The modules are designed and manufactured by Murata Manufacturing. The company encapsulated an array of enabling devices within one system in package (SiP). The compact module helps engineers save valuable board space for space-restricted tracking applications, as well as helps them to reduce certification risk and budget, test time and cost for mass production, said Murata.
The Abeeway-Murata Geolocation Module with a fully featured evaluation kit will be available in production quantities after September 2022. The modules will be demonstrated at Embedded World (21 to 23 June) in Nuremberg, Germany and LoRaWAN World Expo in Paris, France (6 to 7 July).
