n-Fuse introduces SX1303 mPCIe LoRaWAN concentrator card

I first noticed Semtech SX1303 LoRa baseband processor for gateways was in RAKwireless WisGate Developer Base equipped with RAK5146 SX1303 mPCIe LoRaWAN concentrator card.

But n-Fuse now offers another option with their LRWCC3-MPCIE mini PCIe card that is an update to their earlier SX1302 based n-Fuse LRWCC2-MPCIE card announced last year.

n-Fuse LRWCC3-MPCIE specifications are very similar with the differences highlighted in bold:

MCU – STMicro STM32
LoRa Connectivity
- Semtech SX1303 digital baseband processor with 2xSX1250 and 1xSX1261 Tx/Rx front-ends
- Frequency Range – 863 to 870 MHz or 915 to 928 MHz
- Sensitivity
  - 868 Mhz
    - <= -125dBm at SF7, BW 125KHz
    - <= -140dBm at SF12, BW 125kHz
  - 915 Mhz
    - <= -125dBm at SF7, BW 125KHz
    - <= -140dBm at SF12, BW 125kHz
- Max RF Output Power – Up to +27dBm
- Listen Before Talk prevents collisions while accessing the
  spectrum.
- Fine Time Stamping enables Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) network-based geolocation.
- u.FL connector for external antenna
Host Interface – mPCIe physical connector carrying USB host (default) and UART signals, as well as SPI/I2C
Misc – Tx/Rx, Config OK, and Power LEDs
Power Supply – 3.3 VDC +/- 5%
Power Consumption (Note: not provided in SX1302 card specs last year)
- TX Max,- +27 dBm – 464 mA
- TX typical, +14 dBm – 209 mA (note: no prevent in SX1302 module datasheet)
- RX (all channels) – 50 mA
- Idle – 17 mA
Dimensions – 51 x 30 mm (Standard mini PCIe form factor)
Weight – 9 grams
Certifications
- CE, Pending: FCC/ISED,
- RoHS, REACH
Temperature Range – -40 to +85°C (Note the Tx power rises with lower temperatures but is automatically compensated)
Humidity – 10% ~ 90% RH Non-condensing

The features of the SX1302 and SX1303 cards are pretty much identical, but the SX1303 model has slightly better Rx sensitivity and offers support for Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) enabling geolocation without the need for GPS.

The card is compatible with SX1302/SX1303 Hardware Abstraction Layer and Tools found on Github, and the range of IoT and IIoT applications include Machine to Machine (M2M), Smart City, agricultural monitoring, home/building/industrial monitoring and control, remote control, wireless alarm and security systems, as well as tracking applications.

n-Fuse LRWCC3-MPCIE SX1303 mPCIe LoRaWAN concentrator card can be purchased for 105 Euros on n-Fuse store with either 868 or 915 MHz frequency, or 7 Euros more than the SX1302 model. A 433Mhz model can also be made on request.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.