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March 11, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Blues Notecard for Skylo IoT module offers 5G NTN satellite, NB-IoT/LTE-M cellular, WiFi, and GNSS connectivity

Blues Notecard for Skylo is an IoT module combining subscription-free 5G NTN satellite, NB-IoT or LTE-M cellular, WiFi, and GNSS connectivity for asset tracking applications in transportation and logistics, energy, and commercial equipment. provides an all-in-one satellite IoT solution that doesn’t require additional hardware or a satellite subscription contract. By default, the module connects over WiFi and switches to cellular when out of range. It only falls back to pay-as-you-go Skylo satellite connectivity when neither WiFi nor cellular connectivity is available, and ensures IoT connectivity at most times. Blues Notecard for Skylo (NOTE-NBGLWX) specifications: Modem – Quectel BG95-S5 NTN satellite + LTE IoT communication module Data Networks – LTE-M, NB-IoT, GPRS, Skylo SIM card – Embedded MFF2 SIM, external SIM switch Data included Cellular: 500MB valid for 10 years Skylo: 10KB; enough to send 1 message a day for 6 months. Additional data is priced at $0.00075 per byte, with […]

March 3, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Nordic Semi nRF93M1 IoT modules offer LTE Cat 1bis cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi location capabilities

Nordic Semiconductors introduced the nRF93M1 LTE Cat 1bis IoT modules at Mobile World Congress 2026 with up to 10 Mbps downlink and 5 Mbps uplink, as well as built-in Wi-Fi location capabilities. Two variants will be offered: the nRF93M1-LABA supporting LTE bands for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and the nRF93M1-LACA supporting a wider range of LTE bands and certifications for worldwide deployments. Nordic Semi nRF93M1 specifications : LTE Cat-1bis modem with 3GPP Rel. 14 support 617-2690 MHz LTE FDD and TDD band support Power Class 3 (23 dBm) Support for (e)UICC/eSIM (SGP.32 IoT) and Software SIM (SoftSIM) framework Data rates – Up to 10 Mbps downlink and 5 Mbps uplink Peripherals – High-speed USB, UART, IOs, coexistence interface, etc… Secure firmware updates via nRF Cloud Location services using Wi-Fi scanning and cellular eCID location Power-saving features – eDRX, PSM, and Nordic proprietary optimizations Certified for global and regional operation (GCF, […]

February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Iridium 9604 3-in-1 IoT module integrates Iridium SBD satellite service, LTE-M cellular connectivity, and GNSS positioning

Iridium Communications has just unveiled the Iridium 9604 3-in-1 IoT module with support for Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) satellite service, LTE-M cellular connectivity, and GNSS positioning. Solutions relying on satellite, cellular, and/or GNSS positioning are typically implemented using three different chips or modules. For example, the earlier Iridium Certus 9704 Satellite IoT Developer Kit relies on an Iridium 9704 module and a u-blox GNSS module, but the Iridium 9604 module implements everything into a single 26 x 16 mm package, saving up to 60 percent or more in board space and lowering the costs of the final product. Iridum 9604 specifications: Iridium Short Burst Data 340 bytes mobile-originated 270 bytes mobile-terminated Global LEO coverage Cellular LTE-M (CAT-M1) Global band support Carrier certifications FirstNet certification in the US GNSS – GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou Antennas Iridium/GNSS antenna LTE-M antenna Host interface – Single interface (not specified, likely UART or SPI) Dimensions – 26 […]

November 9, 2025November 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 210 Comments

Giveaway Week 2025 – RAKwireless Blues.ONE LoRaWAN, LTE-M, and NB-IoT devkit

It turns out we don’t have two, but three companies offering free samples on CNX Software this year. The last one is a regular, and RAKwireless joins us for the fifth year running with a Blues.ONE LoRaWAN, LTE-M, and NB-IoT devkit that can be useful for industrial automation and asset-tracking applications. Regular readers may recall that it is the same prize as last year. While I usually prefer getting a new devkit, the company didn’t launch any this year (just some Meshtastic kits). The good news is that if you missed out last time around, you have a chance to give it another go. Here’s what the winner will get as a reminder: RAK4631 WisBlock Core Module based on Nordic Semi nRF52840 Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 64 MHz with 1 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 protocol stack Semtech SX1262 LoRa Transceiver with LoRaWAN 1.0.2 protocol stack […]

November 3, 2025November 3, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

This battery-powered NB-IoT/LTE-M industrial data logger is designed to run for years

IP67 Battery Powered NB IoT Cellular Data Logger

NORVI EC-M12-BC-C6-C-A (or EC-M12 for shorts) is a battery-powered cellular IoT industrial data logger offering NB-IoT and LTE-M connectivity, 2G fallback, two 4-20mA sensor inputs, an RS485 interface, and two 3.6V/19,000mAh non-rechargeable Lithium batteries for up to 5-7 years of operation. The IP67-rated data logger is built around a low-power STM32L072 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, and features a SIM7070 cellular IoT modem, a microSD card slot for data storage, and a single 8-pin M8 connector carrying analog input and RS485 signals. NORVI EC-M12-BC-C6-C-A specifications: Microcontroller – STMicro STM32L072 Arm Cortex-M0+ MCU clocked at up to 32 MHz with 20 KB of RAM, 192 KB flash with ECC, and 6 KB of data EEPROM with ECC Storage – MicroSD card slot up to 128GB Wireless Connectivity Multi-band 2G, Cat-M1, Cat-NB1 (NB-IoT) via SIMCom SIM7070 module Optional LoRaWAN support RP-SMA male antenna connector Sensor interface via 8-pin M8 female connector 2x analog Inputs […]

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

nRF9160-based Minew MTB04 5G IoT shipping label offers GPS, LTE-M/NB-IoT, 360-day battery life

Minew’s MTB04 5G shipping label is a durable, disposable smart IoT tracking label designed for global logistics and real-time asset monitoring. Built on Nordic’s nRF9160 SiP and compatible with nRF9151 for satellite communication, it supports GPS and 5G-ready NB-IoT/LTE-M connectivity for worldwide shipment tracking. Its ultra-thin, IP67-rated, and “peel-and-stick” design makes it stick on parcels, containers, or trucks for high-value or sensitive cargo monitoring. The label integrates multiple sensors for ambient light, movement, tilt, tamper, and optional temperature detection, enabling shipment condition monitoring and security alerts. It features intelligent network switching, ultra-low power consumption (lasting up to 360 days with daily reporting), and built-in 8MB storage. Each unit includes a preloaded SIM with a six-month data plan and supports OTA firmware updates through Minew’s TagCloud 3.0 platform for remote management. Minew MTB04 specifications: SiP (one or the other) Nordic Semi nRF9160-SICA system-in-package with Arm Cortex-M33 MCU, 1024 KB flash, 256 KB SRAM, […]

June 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

The Future of Asset Tracking: IoT at Scale with LTE-M technology

CNXSoft: This is a guest post by Ohad Peled, Product Marketing Manager at Sony Semiconductor Israel, about the challenges of tracking a large number of IoT assets and how LTE-M can help businesses scale tracking solutions. Over the last few years, asset tracking has emerged as a critical business function and is estimated to grow to a $34.5B market by 2032, according to Custom Market Insights. Whether businesses are monitoring a global supply chain or keeping tabs on expensive equipment, knowing where assets are at all times is essential. It enables businesses to optimize supply chains, prevent theft, and reduce operational downtime. There are several technical and commercial challenges in deploying such a solution, which could result in failure to deliver the promised value. Some solutions struggle to maintain accurate tracking as assets move within or across different facilities, especially if they go through an indoor environment. Others suffer from […]

May 5, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

KSTR-IMX93 single board computer pairs NXP i.MX 93 SoC with Nordic Semi nRF5340, nRF9151, and nRF7002 wireless chips

Conclusive Engineering KSTR-IMX93 is a single board computer (SBC) powered by an NXP i.MX 93 Cortex-A55/M33 AI SoC and equipped with three Nordic Semi wireless solutions, namely nRF5340 SoC, nRF9151 SiP, and nRF7002 WiFi 6 coprocessor. This allows the board to offer a wide range of wireless and wired connectivity options with Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, Zigbee, Thread, NB-IoT, LTE Cat-M1, and GNSS. In some way, the KSTR-IMX93 is the equivalent of combining a Nordic Thingy:91 X Cellular IoT development platform with an Arm Linux SBC. KSTR-IMX93 specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 93 CPU Single or dual-core Arm Cortex-A55 up to 1.7 GHz Arm Cortex-M33 up to 250 MHz GPU – PXP 2D GPU with blending/composition, resize, color space conversion NPU – Arm Ethos-U65 NPU @ 1 GHz up to 0.5 TOPS Memory – 640 KB OCRAM w/ ECC Security – EdgeLock Secure Enclave System Memory […]