Murata has announced the launch of a compact low cost, low power wide area network (LPWAN) wireless module that supports the LoRa WAN long range wireless protocol.
This standalone compact module is available in a metal shielded package that measures 12.5 x 11.6 x 1.76 mm. It consists of the Semtech SX1276 ultra long range spread spectrum wireless transceiver and an STMicro STM32L0 series ARM Cortex M0+ 32 bit microcontroller (MCU). An integrated TCXO that has robust low drift thermal characteristics provides an accurate clock source for the RF transceiver.
Communication with this module can be achieved via UART, SPI, or I2C peripheral interfaces. An ADC and up to 18 GPIOs provide plenty of flexibility for connecting sensors, switches and status LEDs. The module is powered from a 2.2 to 3.6 VDC supply. The Murata CMWX1ZZABZ-078 module has pre-certified radio regulatory approvals for operating in the 868 and 915 MHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) spectrum in most geographical regions of the world.
It provides a normal output power of 14 dBm but can be boosted to 20 dBm using a Power Amplifier for long range applications or those where the end-device is sited in a poor signal location indoors. The MCU includes 192 kB flash and 20 kB RAM, and has enough memory to embed customer applications and host other modulation stacks. In addition, an optional STSAFE secure element can be incorporated into the MCU to enhance the network security capabilities.
Since Murata joined the LoRa Alliance, they have worked closely with Semtec to design this cost-effective, small form factor LoRaWAN module capable of supporting a wide range of sensors. This new wireless module should help increase the adoption of the LoRaWAN platform worldwide, helping to make it the standard for LPWANs supporting low power IoT applications.
Typical applications for this module include smart metering, wearables, tracking, M2M and internet of things (IoT) edge nodes. Mass production will commence in October 2016 - Datasheet and samples will also be available closer to that time.
