Renesas' LPWAN Product Line Expanded with NB-IoT-Capable Wireless Module

November 21, 2022

News

MUNICH, GERMANY & TOKYO, JAPAN. Renesas Electronics Corporation is expanding its low-power WAN product line as part of its strategy to deliver connectivity devices used for smart cities, smart homes, medical devices and industrial applications. The RYZ024A supports Cat-M1 and NB-IoT internet connectivity independent of a gateway, consuming 1µA (microamp) in power savings mode. The RYZ024A supports extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) with an extended voltage range of 2.2V to 5.5V, making it suitable for battery-powered applications.

Cat-M1 and NB-IoT are both Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies, but NB-IoT requires a smaller amount of the available spectrum, thereby increasing its power-efficiency and extending the life of battery-powered systems. NB-IoT's coverage depth also includes underground and enclosed spaces. The module's 20dBm (decibel-milliwatts) and 23dBm power amplifier output levels enable coverage at the cellular network’s edge and deep indoor environments.

Renesas will provide all the tools and software that engineers need to design IoT-ready, power sensitive systems based on the RYZ024A, including an evaluation kit, a software stack, and RF certifications. Designing in the RYZ024A module could reduce PCB size by up to 60% and cut development time by up to 90%.

The RYZ024A is being developed in collaboration with Sequans and will be fully tested and certified to work in accordance with all major radio frequency regulatory specifications from organizations like the Global Certification Forum (GFC) and the PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB).

“Cellular LTE-M and NB-IoT categories are now the de-facto wireless standards for connecting low-power IoT devices with global network coverage,” said Georges Karam, CEO of Sequans. “Renesas’ second-generation wireless module based on our Monarch 2 platform offers a certified hardware and software combination with all of the advanced features needed to accelerate the implementation of wireless IoT systems around the world.”

For more information, visit Renesas.