A survey of cellular connectivity modules for IoT applications – Part 1

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Cellular IoT connects physical devices, such as sensors, trackers, etc., to the Internet using existing cellular networks used for mobile phones. The global cellular IoT market was valued at $6.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $22.95 billion by 2030. Therefore, several companies are developing cellular connectivity modules to tap into this market. This FAQ is the first part of a multipart FAQ covering modules developed to meet the demand for cellular connectivity for IoT applications.

As illustrated in Figure 1, IoT devices are equipped with cellular modules and SIM cards to connect to nearby cell towers for long-range networking. Data is transmitted through the cellular network infrastructure to reach cloud platforms, using key technologies to promote cellular connectivity, including 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, and 5 G.

The benefits of cellular connectivity are that it helps in wide coverage areas using existing infrastructure and can be easily scaled for large deployments. The built-in security through cellular encryption helps protect against cyber attacks, and there are ample options for different data rates and power consumption depending on the applications and consumer needs.

Figure 1. An illustration of how cellular connectivity helps in IoT applications. (Image: Springer Nature)

Cellular connectivity has applications in agricultural IoT, wearable devices, connected vehicles, smart metering, industrial IoT, and manufacturing. In this FAQ, we cover the Cavli C-Series IoT modules, the AVR-IoT cellular board, and the Telit Cinterion 5G, 4G, and low-power wide-area (LPWA) modules to understand the features of their modules and boards.

Cavli C-Series IoT Modules

Cavli C-Series cellular IoT modules are enterprise-grade cellular connectivity modules for global IoT applications. The various product listings include LTE Cat 1, Cat 1bis, Cat 4, Cat 6, 5G RedCap, Automotive, and LPWA/NB IoT Modules shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The Cavil C-Series cellular IoT module. (Image: Cavil Wireless)

As there are many modules, it can be confusing to understand them. Hence, a comparison of the commonalities and differences between Cavli’s C-Series IoT modules is as follows.

The commonalities among the modules are:

  1. Cellular connectivity: All modules provide cellular connectivity for IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications.
  2. Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) Support: Most modules offer integrated GNSS capabilities for location tracking.
  3. eSIM/iSIM: Many modules feature integrated eSIM or iSIM options for global connectivity.
  4. Power saving modes (PSM): Several modules support power-saving features like PSM and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX).
  5. Multiple interfaces: All modules offer interfaces like UART, USB, GPIO, etc.
  6. Cavli Hubble integration: Many modules can be managed with the manufacturer’s proprietary Cavli Hubble IoT platform.

The differences among the modules are:

  1. Cellular Technology:
  • LTE Cat 1: C10QM, C11QM
  • LTE Cat 1bis: C16QS, C17QS
  • LTE Cat 4: C20QM, CQS290, CQS291, CQS292
  • 5G RedCap: CQM220
  • LTE Cat 6: C120GS
  • LPWA/NB-IoT: C42GM, C42QM, C41QS
  1. Data Speeds:
  • Cat 1/Cat 1bis: 10 Mbps DL, 5 Mbps UL
  • Cat 4: 150 Mbps DL, 50 Mbps UL
  • Cat 6: 300 Mbps DL, 50 Mbps UL
  • 5G RedCap: 226 Mbps DL, 121 Mbps UL
  • LPWA/NB-IoT: Lower speeds (e.g., 60 Kbps DL, 20 Kbps UL for NB1 – C42GM)
  1. Form Factors:
  • Most modules come in LGA packages
  • Some offer mini PCIe options (e.g., C42GM)
  • CQM220 offers multiple form factors (LCC+LGA, M.2, mPCIe)
  1. Operating Systems:
  • RTOS-based: C11QM (ThreadX or Yocto), C16QS, C17QS (FreeRTOS)
  • Android-based: CQS290 (Android 12)
  • Linux-based: C10QM, C20QM
  1. Processing Power:
  • CQS290, CQS291, and CQS292 modules have the highest processing power, featuring quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPUs and Adreno 702 GPUs.
  1. Memory Configurations:
  • vary widely, from 2 MB RAM/8 MB Flash (C17QS) to 2 GB RAM/64 GB eMMC (CQS290)
  • Automotive-grade: AQ20 (meets IATF 16949:2016 standards)
  • Android support: CQS290
  • WiFi scanning: C17QS
  1. Target Applications:
  • General IoT: Most modules
  • High-speed applications: C120GS, CQM220
  • Low-power applications: C42GM, C42QM, C41QS
  • Automotive: AQ20

Microchip AVR-IoT Cellular Board

The Microchip AVR-IoT Cellular Mini (Figure 3) is a development board designed for prototyping secure cellular IoT applications. This development board is designed to simplify the process of adding secure cellular connectivity to IoT devices, helping to reduce design complexities and deployment costs. It’s particularly suitable for remote monitoring or tracking applications, especially where other LPWA solutions are unavailable.

Figure 3. The Microchip AVR-IoT Cellular Mini-Module. (Image: Microchip Technology Inc.)

The different components and parts of the board can be divided into core components: sensors, connectivity and expansion, power management, debugging and development, and cellular connectivity.

  1. Core Components: The AVR128DB48 is an 8-bit AVR microcontroller designed for IoT and sensor nodes. It features low-power operation, a robust set of peripherals, and support for analog signal conditioning and multi-voltage operation.

The Sequans Monarch 2 GM02S cellular module is another core component that provides LTE-M and NB-IoT cellular connectivity, enabling low-power, low-data-rate connectivity in cellular coverage areas. The ATECC608B crypto authentication device enables a secure element for hardware authentication and sign-verify authentication for IoT applications.

  1. Sensors: the MCP9808 temperature sensor provides accurate temperature measurements for environmental monitoring applications. The VEML3328 RGBCIR color sensor can measure red, green, blue, clear, and infrared light.
  2. Connectivity and Expansion: The Qwiic/Stemma I2C Connector allows easy expansion with additional sensors or modules and is compatible with Adafruit’s Stemma and SparkFun’s Qwiic ecosystems. The Adafruit Feather ecosystem allows for the integration of a wide range of add-on boards.
  3. Power Management: it can be powered via a USB connection and battery operation. It also has an integrated Li-Ion/LiPo battery charger for easy charging.
  4. Debugging and Development: the onboard debugger facilitates the microcontroller’s programming and debugging and supports the Arduino development environment.
  5. Cellular Connectivity: the Truphone SIM card includes a 90-day trial and 150 MB of data. It also provides coverage in over 200 countries and territories. The flexible antenna included in the kit allows for optimal positioning in various applications.

Telit Cinterion’s 5G, 4G, and LPWA modules

Telit Cinterion, formerly known as Telit, is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. The company offers 5G, 4G LTE, and LPWA modules for cellular IoT. Figure 4 shows the company’s various 5G modules and data cards.

Figure 4. The 5G cellular modules and data cards from Telit Cinterion. (Image: Telit Cinterion)

The company offers eight products under the 5G modules and data cards categorized into RedCap, Sub-6, and mmWave, 18 products under the 4G LTE portfolio categorized into different Cat versions, and 15 products under the cellular LPWA and mobile IoT modules categorized into Cat M1, Cat NB1, and Cat NB2. We will again summarize all the modules into commonalities and differences that these modules hold.

Commonalities:

  1. Cellular Connectivity: all modules provide cellular connectivity for IoT and M2M
  2. Form Factor Compatibility: many modules share common form factors (e.g., xE910, mPCIe) for design flexibility.
  3. GNSS support: most modules offer integrated or optional GNSS functionality.
  4. Power-saving features: many modules support power-saving modes like PSM and eDRX.
  5. Multiple interfaces: all modules offer various interfaces such as UART, USB, GPIO, etc.
  6. Telit IoT platform integration: Many modules can be managed with Telit’s IoT platforms.

Differences:

  1. Cellular Technology:
  • 5G: FE990B34/40, FN990B34/B40, FN990A40/A28, FN920C04, FE910C04, FN980/FN980m, MV32, MV31
  • 4G LTE: LE910 series, PLSXX series, LM960A18, LN920 series, LE915Ax-P series, SE250B4 series
  • LPWA/IoT: ME310 series, ME910 series, NE310, EXS series, TX series, TN23
  1. Data Speeds:
  • 5G modules: Up to multi-Gbps speeds
  • 4G LTE: Varying speeds from Cat 1 to Cat 18
  • LPWA: Lower speeds optimized for IoT applications
  1. Form Factors:
  • LGA: Most modules
  • mPCIe: LE910Cx series, ME910G1/C1
  • 2: Some 5G modules
  1. Operating Systems:
  • Linux-based: LE910Cx Linux series
  • ThreadX RTOS: LE910Cx ThreadX series
  • FreeRTOS: Some LPWA modules
  1. Target Applications:
  • 5G modules: High-bandwidth applications, private networks
  • 4G LTE: Wide range of IoT applications
  • LPWA: Low-power, long-range IoT applications
  1. Price Point:
  • 5G modules are generally more expensive
  • LPWA modules are typically the most cost-effective
  • 4G LTE modules span a range of price points based on capabilities

Based on the above modules, Telit Cinterion has developed an IoT smart module development kit, shown in Figure 5, to address rapid time-to-market prototyping. The kit’s processor is the Quad-core A53 @ 2.0 GHz CPU with two Qualcomm Hexagon QDSP6 v66K. It can support multimode 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth networks.

Figure 5. The IoT smart module from Telit Cinterion. (Image: Telit Cinterion)

The IoT smart module has an onboard GNSS positioning receiver and supports commonly used interfaces such as USD 3.1, SPI, I2C, and UAERT. Two cameras, each 13 MP, record and play video at 1080p 30 FPS.

Summary

The three IoT module providers discussed in this FAQ offer modules supporting 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G connectivity, focusing on IoT. Their multiple form factors make it easier for packaging engineers to select the most suitable module. All the modules have their respective global certifications and software development kits. However, a few unique aspects differentiate each company from the other.

The Cavli IoT modules emphasize integrating eSIM solutions for simplified global connectivity and offer their proprietary Cavli Hubble platform for connectivity management. The Microchip provides integrated cellular modules with their MCU ecosystems with a provision for LoRa integration and crypto authentication.

Telit Cinterion’s IoT modules are a full-stack solution that includes modules, connectivity services, and IoT platforms. Their focus on secure-by-design methodology for robust security and proprietary UBX-R52 cellular chipset provides long-term availability and IoT-focused features.

References

Telit Cinterion Introduces the Latest 5G eMBB LGA Modules at MWC Barcelona 2024, Powered by the Snapdragon X72 5G Modem-RF System, Telit Cinterion
Telit Cinterion Enables Next-Generation Cellular LPWA Deployments on AT&T with the ME310M1 IoT Module, Telir Cinterion
Cellular IoT Market Size & Share, Growth Trends 2024-2032, Global Market Insights
Microchip AVR IoT Cellular Mini Development Board, Sequans Communications
Cellular IoT Market Size, Share, Trends, Fortune Business Insights
Cellular Modules for IoT and M2M Applications, Telit Cinterion
Telit LE910Cx Linux series of 4G LTE modules, Telit Cinterion
IoT Smart Modules | Telit Cinterion, Telir Cinterion
GitHub AVR-IoT Cellular Arduino Library, GitHub
AVR-IoT Cellular Mini, Microchip Technology
Cavli C-Series IoT Modules, Cavli Wireless
Cellular IoT, Microchip Technology
Cavli C-Series, Cavli Wireless

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