Particle Industries Inc., an IoT Platform-as-a-Service company, 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 provides hardware products and software tools to create IoT solutions. The company’s latest product, the M Series, has a bold tagline: “Connected 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 this problem by bundling multiple radios (Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite, LoRaWAN) into his one product.
Particle aims to extend its two main wireless technologies, Wi-Fi and cellular, and add two more radios, satellite and LoRaWAN, to cover a wider area. These two radios cover devices in areas such as confined spaces (boiler rooms, elevator shafts, basements, mines) and remote locations (methane sensors in oil and gas plants, boats, environmental sensors in forest areas).
According to Particle, multi-radio networking has two major benefits.
- Network diversity: This eliminates the need for multiple devices with different radios to work in different environments. The device connects to any available wireless network, so the user does not need any prior knowledge of available networks.
- Network redundancy and failover: Devices can connect to multiple networks at the same time, and the Particle platform ensures that events are emitted regardless of connectivity. If the device can’t connect to the preferred network, it tries another network, and then another, until the data is transferred to the cloud.
Particle’s M Series is released in three form factors: Multi-Radio System-on-Module (M-SoM), Multi-Radio Development Board for Rapid Prototyping (Muon), and Multi-Radio Industrial Gateway (Monitor M). ).
M-SoM specifications:
- Microcontroller – RealTek RTL8722DM Arm Cortex-M33 @ 200 MHz; 16MB Flash and 4.5MB RAM
- Connection – Quectel connection module (EG91, BG95, and “unnamed” depending on model)
- Security – Arm Trustzone, Secure Boot
- Form factor – M.2 form factor
- version
- M404: LTE-M + 2G fallback + dual-band Wi-Fi
- M524: LTE Cat 1 + Dual Band Wi-Fi
- M635: LTE-M + 2G Fallback + Dual Band Wi-Fi + NTN Satellite
Muon specifications:
- Connectivity
- Expansion card interface for general purpose input/output (GPIO) connectivity
- quick connector
- LoRa module
- Via power supply
- USB-C with Power Delivery (PD);
- Screw block for direct power connection (5-12V), or
- Lithium polymer (LiPo) battery
- Form Factor – Credit card-sized carrier board with M-SoM
Particle’s customizable industrial IoT gateway, Monitor One, will be upgraded to support Muon development boards. According to Particle, this facilitates development for industrial customers and reduces time to market.
The Muon development board is available for pre-order for $49. Wi-Fi + Cellular + LoRaWAN Muons are expected to ship by Q2 of 2024, while Wi-Fi + Cellular + Satellite + LoRaWAN models are expected to ship by Q3. Engineering samples of the M-SoM chip are provided for evaluation by filling out the inquiry form.
Tomishin is a writer who specializes in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explanations. He has a small form factor and a single board. He is very passionate about computers.
