RAKwireless launches SX1303 based M.2 LoRaWAN concentrator modules and full-duplex gateway

RAKwireless has recently introduced two new LoRaWAN products with the RAK5166/67 WisLink M.2 3042/2280 concentrator module based on the Semtech SX1303 RF transceiver and the RAK7285 WisGate Edge Ultra Full-Duplex gateway for high-density network deployments, particularly for smart city infrastructure, metering applications, and other scenarios requiring reliable two-way communication at scale.

RAK5166 and RAK5167 M.2 3042 and 2280 LoRaWAN concentrator modules

RAK5166/RAK5167 specifications:

• Wireless
  • Semtech SX1303 baseband processor with 8 x 8 channels LoRa packet detectors, 8x SF5-SF12 LoRa demodulators, 8x SF5-SF10 LoRa demodulators, one 125/250/500 kHz high-speed LoRa demodulator, and one (G)FSK demodulator
  • Tx power up to 27 dBm
  • Rx sensitivity down to -139 dBm @ SF12, BW 125 kHz
  • Supports global license-free frequency band (EU868, IN865, RU864, US915, AU915, KR920, AS923-1, AS923-2, AS923-3, AS923-4)
  • Listen Before Talk (LBT) support
  • Fine Timestamp
  • Built-in ZOE-M8Q GPS module (optional)
  • 2x MHF4 IPEX connectors for the LoRa and GNSS (optional)  antennas
• Host interface – PCI Express M.2 Key B-M connector; supports USB interface too
• Dimensions – M.2 Type 3042/2280 form factor

The RAK5166/RAK5167 M.2 modules have been engineered to work with industrial PCs and IoT gateways with M.2 slots for applications such as manufacturing, logistics, smart buildings, etc… It provides an alternative to the n-Fuse SX1303 mPCIe LoRaWAN concentrator card we covered a few years ago. Further technical information can be found on the documentation website, but I could see nothing about drivers/software.

RAKWireless RAK5166/RAK5167 M.2 LoRaWAN modules are sold for $89 or $99 depending on whether you need GPS, and ship with a LoRa antenna and a GPS antenna (if the GPS option is selected). You can also get an 8% discount with the coupon code XUO54T.

RAK7285 WisGate Edge Ultra Full-Duplex gateway

RAK7285 specifications:

• SoC – MediaTek MT7628 MIPS processor at 580MHz
• System Memory – 128MB DDR2
• Wireless
  • LoRa
    • Semtech SX1303 RF transceiver
    • 8 LoRa channels in Full-duplex (16 channels variant is coming soon)
    • 30 dBm Max TX power
    • RX sensitivity down to -139 dBm
    • In-built cavity filters for out-of-band interference suspension
    • In-built lightning protection of the antenna ports
    • External LoRa antenna
    • Dying Gasp
    • LBT (Listen Before Talk)
    • Supported regions – US915 and AU915
  • Cellular (RK7285C model)  – EG95-NA for North America or EG25-AU for Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand
  • GNSS – GPS with External antenna (Fine timestamp support)
  • Antennas
    • LoRa – N-Type connector (one for the 8-channel gateway and two for the 16-channel gateway)
    • GPS – 1x N-Type connector
    • Wi-Fi – 2x N-Type connectors
    • LTE – 2x N-Type connectors (only for RAK7285C)
• Wired networking – 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port
• Power Supply
  • 42 to 57V DC via PoE (802.3at) + Surge protection
  • Supports 9V-36V DC power or Battery Plus Solar system
• Dimensions – 310 x 290 x 146 mm (Aluminum enclosure)
• Installation Method – Pole or wall mounting
• Temperature Range – -30°C to +55°C
• IP Rating – IP67 industrial-grade enclosure with gable glands

The gateway runs WisGateOS 2 and supports a range of software features including remote management with WisDM Fleet Management, OpenVPN and Wireguard extension add-ons, a built-in Network Server,  LoRaWAN 1.0.3 (LoRaWAN 1.0.4 for the Built-in server is coming soon), Basics Station and Packet forwarder, LoRaFrame filtering (node whitelisting),  MQTT v3.1 Bridging with TLS encryption (compatible with ChirpStack LNS),  Buffering of LoRa frames in Packet Forwarder mode in case of NS outage (no data loss),  Listen Before Talk, and Fine timestamping.

As you’ll have noticed from the specifications, the gateway is only available in the 915 MHz bands, and not the 868 MHz bands so users from Europe, Southeast Asia, and other locales relying on the latter are out of luck for now. You’ll find hardware and software documentation on RAKwireless website that notablt explains how to use the full-duplex gateway with AWS IoT Core, The Things Network (TTN), ChirpStack, and Actility ThingPark.

The RAK7285 WisGate Edge Ultra Full-Duplex gateway ships with a power cable, a PoE injector, a GPS antenna, two 2.4GHz antennas, two 4G LTE antennas (for RAK7285C), a mounting bracket, an installation bracket, and a set of screws. It can be purchased for $769 to $859 depending on whether cellular connectivity is needed. Somehow, the LoRa antennas are not included and must be purchased separately… The XUO54T coupon code also works here and for anything ordered on the RAKwireless store.

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