Blues Starnote – An affordable satellite IIoT module with 18 KB of data for Skylo service

Blues Satellite IIoT Module

Last month, we wrote about the new Quectel CC660D-LS IoT-NTN module, built in collaboration with Quectel and Skylo. before that, we wrote about Qualcomm 212S and 9205S satellite modems which were also developed in collaboration with Skylo. Those modules support IoT NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) which makes them very useful for a variety of applications including sending texts, making voice calls, and providing emergency services, particularly in remote areas. But in a recent development, Skylo partnered with Blues to launch Starnote, a complete backup satellite module that just cost $49. It provides a backup satellite connection for times when cellular or Wi-Fi isn’t available, designed to work seamlessly with the Notecard API. The module features an M.2 E-Key edge connector and a six-pin JST connector (on the backside of the PCB) for easy setup, plus options for external antennas through u.FL connectors. It includes 18KB of Skylo satellite data without any […]

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon X80 5G modem with NB-NTN satellite connectivity, AI Hub, and FastConnect 7900 WiFi 7 chip

Snapdragon X80 5G modem satellite

Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC 2024) has just started, and Qualcomm had three major announcements with the introduction of the Snapdragon X80 5G modem with NB-NTN satellite connectivity, the Qualcomm AI Hub with over 75 AI models optimized for Snapdragon processors, and the FastConnect 7900 WiFi 7, Bluetooth, and Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip. Snapdragon X80 5G modem-RF system Snapdragon X80 5G modem specifications: Peak download speed – 10 Gbps Peak upload speed – 3.5 Gbps Cellular Modem-RF Specs – 10CC aggregation in mmWave, 5CC aggregation in 5G sub-6GHz Cellular Technology 5G NR, sub-6 GHz Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) LTE, WCDMA, LAA, TD-SCDMA, GSM/EDGE, CBRS mmWave, sub-6 carrier aggregation (FDD-FDD) sub-6 carrier aggregation (TDD-TDD), 5G FDD, 5G TDD, sub-6 carrier aggregation (FDD-TDD) 5G SA (standalone), 5G NSA (non-standalone) F + F ULCA, FDD UL MIMO, Switched Uplink, 3GPP R18-ready (5G Advanced-ready), 6x CA sub-6 downlink carrier aggregation, 1024-QAM sub-6, FR1 + […]

Particle’s M-series multi-radio devices connect anywhere with WiFi, cellular, NTN satellite, and LoRaWAN connectivity

Particle M-series M-SoM versions

Particle Industries Inc., an IoT Platform-as-a-Service company, has announced a new line of multi-radio boards and modules that offer multiple connectivity options in a single product. Particle is a complete edge-to-cloud IoT development platform that offers hardware products and software tools for creating IoT solutions. The company’s latest product, the M-series, has a bold tagline: connect anywhere. Although wireless connectivity has come a long way, there is no single wireless technology that works everywhere. Particle’s M-series aims to address that problem by bundling multiple radios – Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite, and LoRaWAN – into one product. Particle is looking to expand from its two primary wireless technologies: Wi-Fi and cellular, and add two more radios, satellite and LoRaWAN, for broader coverage. These two radios will cover devices in areas such as enclosed spaces (boiler rooms, elevator shafts, basements, and mines) and remote locations (methane sensors in oil and gas plants, boats, […]

Quectel CC660D-LS IoT-NTN module is built for Skylo’s satellite network

Skylo Certified Quectel CC660D LS IoT NTN Chip

Quectel recently announced the launch of the Quectel CC660D-LS IoT-NTN module, created in partnership with Skylo. Designed for two-way IoT (Internet of Things) applications this model supports the latest 3GPP Release 17 standards for IoT over non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Additionally, It can operate on L-band (1 to 2 GHz), and S-band (2 to 4 GHz) frequencies, making it ideal for asset tracking, fleet management, and agricultural and maritime uses. Last year, we wrote about Qualcomm 212S and 9205S satellite modems which were also developed in collaboration with Skylo. Quectel CC660D-LS IoT-NTN Satellite Module Specifications: Module Type – NTN satellite communication module Compliance – Supports 3GPP Rel-17 IoT-NTN Frequency Bands – Operates on L-band (B255) and S-band (B256/23) Internet Protocols – Abundant embedded Internet service protocols Power Supply – Supports low voltage power supply from 2.2–3.6 V Power Consumption – Ultra-low power usage Sensitivity – Super-high sensitivity Temperature Range – Extended […]

FOSDEM 2024 schedule – Open-source embedded, mobile, IoT, robotics, RISC-V, etc..

FOSDEM 2024

FOSDEM – which stands for Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting – is a free-to-participate event where thousands of developers meet in Brussels on the first week-end of February to discuss open-source software & hardware projects. FOSDEM 2024 will take place on February 3-4 with 880 speakers, 818 events, and 66 tracks. Although I won’t attend, I’ve created a virtual schedule like every year with sessions most relevant to the topics covered on CNX Software from the “Embedded, Mobile and Automotive” and “Open Hardware and CAD/CAM” devrooms, but also other devrooms including “FOSS Mobile Devices”, “ Energy: Reimagining this Ecosystem through Open Source”, “RISC-V”, and others. FOSDEM Day 1 – Saturday, February 3, 2024 10:30 – 10:55 – Screen Sharing on Raspberry Pi 5 Using VNC in Weston and Wayland with the Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded by Leon Anavi In 2023, embedded Linux developers received eagerly awaited news: […]

Giveaway Week 2023 – TBS7901 mini PCIe DVB-S2X/S2 module

TBS7901 mini PCIe DVB- S2X/S2 module giveaway

The second prize of Giveaway Week 2023 is a TBS7901 mini PCIe DVB-S2X/S2 module designed to be connected to a PC or board with a mini PCIe socket in order to watch, record, or broadcast free-to-air video received from a satellite dish. I received both M.2 and mPCIe DVB-S2X modules last August, but I haven’t had time to test any of those yet. So I’m keeping the M.2 module for my own testing once time permits and will be giving away the mini PCIe module to one of CNX Software readers. The module comes with a coaxial antenna cable, as well as a TBS-7901PW power board and SATA power cable since DVB-S/S2/S2X satellite TV requires 13V and 18V DC as well which will be outputted won’t the power board using the 12V from a PSU. You’ll probably need a Windows machine too since TBS provides Windows drivers for the TBS7901 […]

Gateworks GW7400 networking SBC features 6 Gigabit Ethernet ports, M.2 & mini PCIe sockets for wireless connectivity

NXP I.MX 8M Networking SBC 6 Ethernet ports

Gateworks Venice GW7400 is a rugged industrial single board computer for networking and gateway applications with six Gigabit Ethernet ports, and one M.2 and three mini PCIe sockets for WiFi, cellular, and other wireless options. We first mentioned the GW7400 board around three years ago, when the company introduced the Venice family powered by NXP i.MX 8M processor. But the board launched today has a different design with more Ethernet, an NXP i.MX8M Plus AI processor, up to 4GB RAM, up to 64GB eMMC flash, and various interfaces such as USB 3.0, dual CAN Bus, DIO, I2C, SPI, and UART. Gateworks GW7400 specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 8M Plus CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.6 GHz (industrial-grade) Real-time core – Arm Cortex-M7 @ up to 800 MHz GPU – Vivante GC7000UL 3D GPU, Vivante GC520L 2D GPU VPU – Up to 1080p60 video encoding and decoding AI accelerator […]

Affordable RTK GNSS receiver supports USB or/and Ethernet interfaces (Crowdfunding)

Raspberry Pi 4 RTK GNSS rover

HYFIX’s RTK Rover is an affordable, centimeter-accurate RTK (Real-time Kinematic) GNSS receiver with either a USB interface or/and Ethernet connectivity with the latter relying on a Raspberry Pi 4 SBC. As a reminder, RTK relies on traditional GNSS networks like GPS and works with a Base station at a fixed location and a Rover station that can be fitted to a drone or mobile robot in order to determine the position with up to one-centimeter accuracy. The RTK Rover from HYFIX is equipped with a dual-band LC29H GNSS module from Quectel and an onboard IMU sensor that tracks position through dead reckoning when GNSS connectivity is lost. RTK Rover specifications: MiniPCIe card with Dual-Band L1/L5 RTK Receiver (Quectel LC29H) Antenna – External antenna (6x5x2 cm) connected to SMA connector Sensor – IMU Interfaces USB Type-C port for power and serial Interface Ethernet Rover Kit only – Gigabit Ethernet and  USB ports […]

Memfault IoT and embedded debugging platform