wireless News - Page 7 of 18 - CNX Software

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, […]

July 19, 2025July 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments

MeshCore is a lightweight alternative to Meshtastic LoRa-based off-grid messaging

While Meshtastic is by far the most popular off-grid messaging solution relying on LoRa radios, MeshCore offers an alternative as a lightweight C++ library and firmware designed for multi-hop packet routing and made for developers who want to create resilient, decentralized communication networks that work without the internet. The project’s GitHub repository provides some high-level differences compared to the Meshtastic and Reticulum projects: MeshCore provides the ability to create wireless mesh networks, similar to Meshtastic and Reticulum but with a focus on lightweight multi-hop packet routing for embedded projects. Unlike Meshtastic, which is tailored for casual LoRa communication, or Reticulum, which offers advanced networking, MeshCore balances simplicity with scalability, making it ideal for custom embedded solutions., where devices (nodes) can communicate over long distances by relaying messages through intermediate nodes. This is especially useful in off-grid, emergency, or tactical situations where traditional communication infrastructure is unavailable. MeshCore key features: Multi-hop […]

July 17, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Quectel KCMA32S – A Zigbee 3.0 and BLE 5.3 module based on Silicon Labs EFR32MG21 wireless SoC

KCMA32S-TE B V1.2 board for Quectel Zigbee BLE module

Quectel is better known for its GNSS, 4G LTE, and 5G cellular IoT modules, but the KCMA32S offers Zigbee 3.0 and BLE 5.3 short-range connectivity through a Silicon Labs EFR32MG21 (MG21 for short) Cortex-M33 wireless SoC. The module comes with up to 96KB SRAM and 1024KB flash through the MG21 SoC, and is offered in an LCC + LGA form factor (20 x 12 x 2.2mm) exposing up to 20 GPIO, I2C, UART, SPI, and I2S to the host board. Target applications include smart lighting, smart buildings, and smart home wireless networks. Quectel KCMA32S specifications: SoC – Silicon Labs EFR32MG21 CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 up to 80 MHz Memory – 64KB or 96 KB SRAM Storage – 768 KB or 1024 KB Wireless Zigbee 3.0 (IEEE 802.15.4) Bluetooth LE (BLE) 5.3 Encryption Mode- AES128/256, SHA-1, SHA-2 (up to 256 bits), ECC (up to 256 bits), ECDSA (up to 256 bits), […]

July 15, 2025July 16, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Wio-LR1121 tiny LoRa module supports for sub-GHz, S-Band, and 2.4GHz frequency bands

Seeed Studio Wio-LR1121 is a tiny, multi-band LoRa module based on LR1121 RF transceiver, a low-cost version of LR1120 without GNSS or Wi-Fi scanning capabilities, that supports sub-GHz, S-Band (1.9-2.1GHz), and 2.4GHz frequency bands. We had previously seen the LR1121 used in the MuRata Type-2GT module and a LILYGO module as an option for the T-Eth Elite board. The Wio-LR1121 offers another option that’s easy to solder, thanks to castellated holes and pads. Wio-LR1121 specifications: RF Transceiver – Semtech LR1121 Frequency bands – 863 to 928MHz and 2.4 to 2.5GHz frequencies; Note: The LR1121 also supports S-Band at 2.1 to 2.3 GHz, but it’s not mentioned in the specifications of the module, and only briefly in the title and description Output Power Up to 20.4dBm @ 868/915 MHz Up to 11dBm max @ 2.4GHz Receiver Sensitivity RxBoost ON： -126dBm @ SubG,BW=125KHz, SF = 7 -140dBm @ SubG, BW=125KHz, SF = […]

July 14, 2025July 14, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Maduino Zero Wi-Fi HaLow – An 802.11ah board programmable with the Arduino IDE

Makerfabs Maduino Zero Wi-Fi HaLow is an Arduino Zero-compatible Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah) development board designed for low-power, long-range wireless communication in smart agriculture, industrial automation, and remote monitoring applications. The board is built around the Microchip ATSAMD21G18 Cortex-M0+ MCU to manage I/O, system control, and interface with the TXW83xx-based WiFi HaLow module. It operates in the 730–950 MHz sub-GHz band, features a microSD card slot for storage, and two GPIO headers. The board gets power through a USB Type-C port or a 3.7V LiPo battery (chargeable via USB) and includes an external antenna for long-range connectivity. Maduino Zero Wi-Fi HaLow specifications: MCU – Microchip ATSAMD21G18A Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ 48 MHz with 256KB flash memory, 32KB RAM Storage – MicroSD card socket Wi-Fi HaLow TXW83xx series based on IEEE 802.11ah Frequency Range – 730 MHz to 950 MHz bands Channel bandwidth – 1/2/4/8MHz Data Range – 150 Kbps to 32.5 […]

July 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

M5Stack Stamp-S3A WiFi and BLE IoT module benefits from optimized antenna design, lower power consumption

M5Stack Stamp-S3A, also known as M5StampS3A, is an update to the M5Stamp S3 ESP32-S3 module introduced in 2023 with an optimized antenna design, lower power consumption, a larger user button, and a different logic for the RGB LED control. Other features remain the same with 8MB Flash, RGB LED, input button, and 23 GPIOs all in a tiny 26 x 18mm form factor. Two versions are available: the Stamp-S3A without pre-soldered headers and the Stamp-S3A PIN1.27 with headers soldered on the board and an orange heat-resistant cover. M5Stamp-S3A specifications: WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN8 CPU Dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz RISC-V ULP co-processor Memory – 512KB SRAM Storage – 8MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh Connectivity 2.4 GHz WiFi 4, 20 MHz and 40 MHz bandwidth, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n protocol, up to 150 Mbps Bluetooth 5, […]

July 7, 2025March 14, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

ThinkNode M1/M2 Review – Getting started with Meshtastic

I’ve been writing about Meshtastic firmware and hardware since 2020, but I never had the opportunity to test it myself. This has now changed as Elecrow sent us the ThinkNode M1 and ThinkNode M2 Meshtastic nodes for review. Both rely on Semtech SX162x radios, but the M1 is based on a Nordic Semi nRF52840 Bluetooth MCU with a 1.54-inch E-Ink display and GPS, and the smaller M2 is based on an ESP32-S3 chip and a 1.3-inch OLED but lacks a built-in GPS module. Since I’ve never used Meshtastic before, this “review” will be more like a Getting Started Guide from a beginner’s perspective. After an unboxing and a teardown, I’ll test messaging, GPS sharing, and the range I can get in a suburban environment in Thailand. ThinkNode M1/M2 unboxing Both packages look similar, with a plastic case and a white cover. The ThinkNode M1’s main features include a high-gain antenna, […]