Kits include long-range RF transceiver and connectivity for IoT
What are believed to be the industry’s first FCC-certified, fully integrated RF transceiver and kits for developing IoT for use on the SigFox network have been released by Microchip.
Powered by the company’s ATA8520E, low power RF transceiver with an integrated AVR microcontroller, the kits contain the FCC-certified board, allowing developers to connect to Sigfox’s long-range, two-way global IoT network. The result, says the company, is low-cost, low-power device-to-cloud connectivity for IoT applications, ranging from logistics, to agriculture, smart cities and other M2M sectors. The ATA8520E is also the first fully Sigfox-certified chip suitable for both North America and Europe.
Two versions are available, as the Sigfox-certified ATA8520-EK standalone kit, designed primarily to test the technology, or combined with an Xplained PRO board for system design. Both are dedicated to Sigfox’s IoT network in the licence-free ISM bands. Library, modulation, ID and PAC code, are included, together with a security key.
Sigfox and Microchip are partnering to drive down IoT device costs, operational costs and power consumption, resulting in longer battery life compared to traditional cellular, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity.
The ATA8520x family features what is claimed to be the industry’s highest performance, lowest power sub-GHz SoC transceiver designed to maximise range and battery life for power-sensitive wireless systems. Coverage is 868MHz in Europe and 902MHz in North America. The transceivers comply with the industry’s most stringent narrowband regulatory standards. The transceivers provide exceptional power efficiency resulting in fewer battery replacements and/or reduced battery size.
There are four types of development kits available today for both US and European networks.
