wireless News - Page 6 of 18 - CNX Software

September 11, 2025September 11, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Quectel KCMCA6S industrial wM-bus modules target smart metering

cnx KCMCA6S series sub GHz Wireless M Bus (WM Bus) modules

Quectel’s KCMCA6S is a series of industrial wireless M-Bus (wM-Bus) modules built around Silicon Labs’ EFR32FG23 chipset. The modules operate in the 868 MHz, 169 MHz, and 433 MHz bands and support the EN13757-4 wM-Bus standard for smart metering and AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) applications. The device features an Arm Cortex-M33 processor, 32 KB of SRAM, 256 KB of flash, and a Sub-GHz transceiver. It supports multiple wM-Bus modes (T, C, S, R, N, F), with dynamic multi-mode switching, flexible frequency configuration, and low-power operation alongside multi-layer security mechanisms. Interfaces include USART, SWD, and GPIOs, with optional EUSART, I²C, and ADC through pin multiplexing. Available in two variants (with or without SAW filter), the module comes in a compact 25.4 × 14.0 × 2.9 mm LCC package for water, electricity, gas, and heat metering systems. Quectel KCMCA6S specifications: MCU- Silicon Labs EFR32FG23 Core – Arm Cortex-M33 core, up to 78 […]

September 4, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

ESP32-H2-Zero mini Zigbee, Thread, and BLE USB-C board is based on ESP32-H2 RISC-V SoC

Waveshare ESP32-H2-Zero is a tiny USB-C development board based on Espressif Systems’ ESP32-H2 RISC-V SoC with Zigbee, Thread, and Bluetooth LE (BLE) connectivity. It’s specifically based on the ESP32-H2FH4S chip with 4MB Flash memory, and features two 9-pin headers and castellated for I/Os, plus four additional pads. It also features a ceramic antenna instead of an external antenna, as well as BOOT and Reset buttons. ESP32-H2 Mini specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-H2FH4S CPU – 32-bit RISC-V SoC clocked at up to 96 MHz Memory – 320 KB SRAM, 4 KB LP memory Storage – 128 KB ROM, 4MB flash Wireless 802.15.4 radio with Zigbee 3.0, Thread 1.3, and Matter support Bluetooth 5.2 LE/Mesh USB – USB Type-C port for power, programming, and debugging Expansion 2x 9-pin header and castellated holes with up to 15x GPIO, 5x ADC, UART, Fast SPI, JTAG, and power signals (5V, 3.3V, GND) 4x pads […]

August 14, 2025November 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 Z-Wave USB adapter launched for $69

Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 is a new Z-Wave USB adapter with Long Range support, which follows the launch of the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 (SkyConnect) Zigbee 3.0, Thread, and Matter USB dongle in 2022. Home Assistant explains that Z-Wave operates in the sub-GHz (865-926 MHz) frequency band, where waves can more easily go through thick walls and reach across large households, and do not need to compete in the crowded 2.4 GHz airspace used by wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Thread. Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 specifications: SoCs Silicon Labs ZG23 Cortex-M33 Z-Wave microcontroller @ 78 MHz ESP32-S3 wireless MCU used as USB-to-serial bridge (WiFi and Bluetooth present, but not used by the firmware) Wireless Z-Wave, Z-Wave Long Range Z-Wave series 800 Range – Tested up to 1.5km (line of sight) by Nabu Casa Antenna Frequency range: 860-930 MHz The frequency used by end devices depends on the […]

August 12, 2025August 24, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

LILYGO T-LoRa Pager is an ESP32-S3 handheld with support for text messaging, AI motion detection, and NFC

LILYGO T Lora Pager (LoRa + ESP32 S3 Handheld AIOT Programmable Development Device)

LILYGO T-LoRa Pager is an ESP32-S3-based IoT handheld device that comes in an old pager form factor but relies on LoRa for text messaging, GNSS for positioning, NFC for contactless communication, and features AI-assisted motion detection with a BHI260AP IMU sensor. The device also includes a 2.33-inch IPS display (480×222), a QWERTY keyboard, a rotary encoder, an audio codec, a microSD slot, a battery management system, and a wireless charging pad. These features make this device suitable for portable, remote sensing, asset tracking, field communication, and edge AI projects, where GNSS, LoRa, and/or NFC functionalities are required. LILYGO’s T-LoRa Pager specifications: Wireless SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core 32-bit LX7 processor running at 240 MHz Memory – 512 KB SRAM, 8 MB PSRAM. Storage – 16 MB Flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.x Storage – microSD card slot for external storage Display – 2.33-inch IPS display (ST7796), […]

August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

n-Fuse ZBC-M2-1630 – An affordable Zigbee, Thread, and Bluetooth M.2 1630 module

n-Fuse ZBC-M2-1630 is an M.2 1630 module based on Silicon Labs’ MGM260P module with an EFR32MG26 Bluetooth, Thread, and Zigbee multi-protocol Cortex-M33 SoC. While adding Zigbee, Thread, and/or Bluetooth through a USB dongle is common, it’s harder to find M.2 or mPCIe cards. Mixtile used to sell a 2-in-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module based on Silicon Labs MG23 and MG24 chips, but as noted in our Mixtile Edge 2 kit review, it’s now sold to businesses in 50 or 100-piece bundles, or integrated into the company’s gateway. The ZBC-M2-1630 (aka ZBC26-M2-1630) Key A/E M.2 module offers an alternative available to both individuals and companies. n-Fuse ZBC-M2-1630 specifications: Wireless Module – Silicon Labs MGM260P SoC – EFR32MG26 SoC MCU core – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 78 MHz with DSP instructions and floating-point unit AI/ML accelerator – Matrix Vector Processor that is 8x faster and 6x lower power than Cortex-M33 processing, and […]

July 31, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Neuro PlayGround Lite – A multichannel wireless bio-signal capture board for HCI & BCI projects (Crowdfunding)

Neuro PlayGround Lite, or NPG Lite for short, is an ESP32-C6-powered multichannel wireless bio-signal capture board designed for HCI (Human-Computer Interface) and BCI (Brain Computer Interface) projects and applications. It can capture Electrocardiography (ECG), Electromyography (EMG), Electrooculography (EOG), or Electroencephalography (EEG) signals, and the ESP32-C6-MINI-1 module used in the design supports 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE, Zigbee, and Thread for mesh networking. It also follows the Adafruit Feather form factor, so it can be expanded with FeatherWings add-ons, including the company’s Playmate boards. Neuro PlayGround Lite specifications: Wireless Module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6-MINI-1-N4 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory/Storage – 320KB ROM, 512KB SRAM Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and 802.15.4 radio (for Thread/Zigbee) Storage – 4MB flash Antenna – PCB antenna USB – USB Type-C port for power/charging […]

July 22, 2025July 24, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

M5Stack CoreS3 Lite low-cost IoT controller features magnetic backplate and 200mAh battery

M5Stack CoreS3 Lite is a cost-optimized ESP32-S3-based IoT Vision AI controller providing a cheaper version of the CoreS3 with a magnetic backplate and 200mAh battery instead of a DIN Rail backplate and 500mAh battery. The CoreS3-Lite still features a 2-inch capacitive IPS touchscreen, a VGA camera, a microSD card for storage, a few sensors like a 6-axis IMU, a 3-axis magnetometer, and a proximity sensor, as well as a dual microphone array and an RTC for time keeping. M5Stack CoreS3 Lite specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN16R8 CPU – Dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz, RISC-V ULP co-processor Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 BLE + Mesh, 16MB flash Antenna – Internal 3D antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Display – 2-inch display with 320×240 resolution via ILI9342C driver, capacitive touch […]

July 22, 2025July 21, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Core1121 sub-GHz, S-Band, and 2.4GHz LoRa module features through holes and castellated edges

The Waveshare Core1121 is a compact, multi-band LoRa module based on the Semtech LR1121 transceiver with support for Sub-GHz (150–960MHz), S-band (1.9–2.1GHz), and 2.4GHz ISM bands, and exposing GPIOs through both through and castellated holes. Key features include support for LoRa, (G)FSK, and LR-FHSS modulation schemes, AES-128 encryption, and compatibility with the SX126X/SX127X series for easy migration. We just noted Seeed Studio’s Wio-LR1121 last week with a very similar, yet more compact design with only castellated holes, and before that, the LR1121 was used in the MuRata Type-2GT module and a LILYGO module as an option for the T-Eth Elite board. Core1121 specifications: RF Transceiver – Semtech LR1121 Frequency bands Sub-GHz (150MHz ~ 960MHz), Different varieties for Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia S-band (1.9GHz ~ 2.1GHz) 2.4GHz ISM frequency bands Output Power Up to 22dBm @ 868/915 MHz (Sub-GHz) Up to 13dBm max @ 2.4GHz Receiver Sensitivity -127dBm @ Sub-GHz, SF7, CR4/5, […]