Airgain has recently launched the pre-certified NimbeLink Skywire Cat 1bis Embedded Modem, which it claims is the “industry’s first plug-and-play Cat 1bis modem for end-application use in industrial IoT”.
We’ve already seen several Cat 1bis modules for industrial IoT applications such as the u-blox SARA-R10001DE and Cavli C17QS, among others. What Airgain highlights here is its module’s plug-and-play ability through the Skywire interface (two headers), while other modules typically need to be soldered on the PCB.
Airgain NimbeLink Skywire Cat 1bis modem specifications:
- Based on Quectel EG916Q-GL module
- Cellular
- 4G LTE Bands
- LTE-FDD: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B66
- LTE-TDD: B34, B38, B39, B40, B41
- SIM card
- Micro (3FF) SIM slot
- Verizon MFF2 SIM
- Data rates – Up to 10 Mbps downlink and 5 Mbps uplink
- Variants
- North America (TC1bisNAG model) – AT&T, Bell, Rogers, Telus, Verizon networks
- Worldwide (QC1bisWWG model)
- U.FL antenna connector
- 4G LTE Bands
- GNSS
- GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS
- U.FL antenna connector
- Host interface
- 2x 10-pin Skywire headers with UART, control/status, USB, and GNSS UART signals
- Enables upgrade from previous Airgain/Nimbelink Cat M/1/4 modules
- Dimensions – 33.9 x 29 mm
- Temperature Range – -40 to +85˚C
- Certifications – Certified for AT&T and Verizon, compatible with global carriers
The company also highlights the 20–30% lower cost of the Cat 1bis modem compared to traditional Cat 1 modems, partially thanks to simpler hardware and a smaller BOM, while keeping the same 10 Mbps/5 Mbps DL/UL data rates.
The modem is controlled through the EG916Q-GL’s AT command set, and the NimbeLink Skywire Cat 1bis is compatible with the NL-SWDK2 development kit for the 4G LTE embedded modems from the company. You’ll find all the resources to get started on the product page.
I had never heard about Airgain, but the company acquired NimbeLink back in 2021, and the latter has been making cellular IoT modules and devkits for many years.
The module itself is shown as “coming soon”, but the NL-SWDK2 development kit can be purchased for $125 with LTE + GNSS antennas, SIM card, and power adapter (but without the 4G LTE module) from distributors such as Mouser or DigiKey. The press release may also have a few more details.
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.
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