satellite News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

April 15, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

LimeSDR Micro M.2 2280 SDR card pairs NXP LA9310 baseband processor with LMS7002M RF transceiver (Crowdfunding)

The LimeSDR Micro M.2 2280 software-defined radio (SDR) card combines an NXP LA9310 baseband processor and a Lime Microsystems LMS7002M transceiver, and targets integration into portable or embedded solutions with a spare M.2 PCIe Gen3 x1 socket. The module is offered in a 1T2R configuration by default, but can be expanded to 1T4R via an FPC connector, supports a 30 MHz to 3.8 GHz frequency range, and up to 100 MHz bandwidth. Target applications include 4G LTE/5G, future RAN research, custom user equipment/modems, drone communications, IoT, satellite communications, and custom waveform generation. LimeSDR Micro M.2 SDR card specifications: SoC – NXP LA9310 programmable baseband processor Vector Signal Processing Accelerator (VSPA) Gen 2 up to 80 GFLOPs Control Processor – Arm Cortex-M4 at up to 307 MHz Storage – 512 Kbit EEPROM memory for NXP LA9310 initial configuration RF Lime Microsystems LMS7002M RF transceiver Channels – 1T2R expandable to 1T4R via […]

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Discovery Drive – An ESP32-S3-based azimuth/elevation rotator for satellite dishes and SDR antennas (Crowdfunding)

KrakenRF, the team behind the KrakenSDR, has designed the Discovery Drive ESP32-S3-based, low-cost, fully weatherproof, automatic azimuth/elevation (Az/El) antenna rotator for their Discovery Dish or other directional antennas, such as Yagis and Wi-Fi grids, weighing up to 5kg. Compared to DIY projects like SatNOGS (which require 3D printing and hardware sourcing), the Discovery Drive is designed as a plug-and-play solution. You can simply mount it to a mast, attach the dish, connect to 12V power and Wi-Fi, and use its web UI to start tracking polar-orbiting weather satellites (like METEOR-M2 or FENGYUN), CubeSats, or amateur radio satellites. KrakenRF Discovery Drive specifications: Controller – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3-based control board Connectivity – 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 4 (via ESP32) with external antenna Motor and Rotation Torque – Up to 125 kg·cm (12.25 Nm); supports antenna payloads up to 5 kg Azimuth Range – -360° to +360° Elevation Range – 0° to […]

March 12, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Qualcomm X105 6G-ready 5G modem to deliver 14.8 Gbps download and 4.2 Gbps upload peak data speeds

Qualcomm X105 is the world’s first 3GPP Release 19-ready modem-RF system supporting 5G connectivity up to 14.8 Gbps download and 4.2 Gbps upload peak data speeds, and enabling 6G development and testing. Other Qualcomm X105 highlights include a 6nm RF transceiver with 30% lower power consumption and 15% smaller board footprint compared to the Qualcomm X85 5G modem, support for quad-band GNSS, an integrated NR-NTN for video, data and voice over satellite, and a fifth-generation AI processor leveraging agentic AI to detect, classify, and optimize data traffic for mobile gaming, video calling, and social media. Qualcomm X105 Modem-RF system specifications: Peak speeds Download – 14.8 Gbps (FR1 + FR2), 13.1 Gbps (FR1) Upload – 4.2 Gbps Downlink Carrier Aggregation: 6F+T CA (500MHz) with 1024 QAM TDD/FDD with 1024 QAM Turbo DSDA enhancements, including Multi-SIM CA support (up to 60% higher throughput) 3rd-gen 6Rx for smartphones and FWA CPEs (with 10% […]

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

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite wearable platform offers 5G RedCap, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, built-in AI accelerator

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite is described as the “world’s first Personal AI wearable platform”, and features an NPU for on-device AI delivering up to 12 TOPS of performance at low power, supporting 2B parameter models. It delivers up to 5x single-core CPU improvement and up to 7x faster GPU compared to the previous-generation Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 Wearable Platform while offering up to 30% more battery life for multi-day battery life, thanks to a 3nm architecture. The new Snapdragon Wear Elite platform also supports fast charging with up to 50% charge in under 10 minutes. Snapdragon Wear Elite specifications: CPU – Up to 2.1 GHz GPU Qualcomm Adreno 3D GPU supporting OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.2, and OpenCL 2.0 APIs 2.5D GPU co-processor clocked at up to 500 MHz ISP – Qualcomm Spectra AI accelerator – Qualcomm Hexagon NPU; up to 12 TOPS of AI performance; support for up tp 2B […]

March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

pureLiFi Bridge XC Flex delivers gigabit broadband internet through windows (made of glass)

pureLiFi Bridge XC Flex is a consumer-installable solution designed to be installed on windows (the ones made of glass, not Windows operating system!) in order to provide up to 1 Gbps broadband internet to the home. The solution leverages LiFi data transmission using invisible infrared light combined with up to 25W wireless power transfer for fast, cost-effective broadband deployment that does not require any cabling. It is comprised of indoor and outdoor units compatible with a wide range of window types, including single, double, and triple-glazed panes, as well as energy-efficient Low-E coatings. pureLiFi Bridge XC Flex highlights: Data Rates – Up to 1 Gbps, full-duplex, symmetrical Power – Up to 25W delivered from indoors to outdoors Installation – Self-install in minutes using weather-proof Gecko tape; high tolerance to misalignment CPE Compatibility – Accepts any Ethernet input from CPE: 4G/5G/mmWave FWA, fibre ONTs, private 5G, satellite, and more Security – […]

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 […]