EBV Elektronik, an Avnet company, continues to introduce advanced communication hardware to support ongoing IoT proliferation. Part of the company’s own highly successful EBV chips programme, the HERACLES 324M is a next generation low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) module. Offering simple plug-and-play implementation, it is designed to facilitate migration from legacy 2G deployments to modern 4G technology.

At the heart of this module is a Qualcomm 9205 multi-mode chipset, which features a power-efficient LTE-M modem, along with GPRS/EDGE modem functionality. An ultra low-power application processor is also incorporated. This has 512KB of flash memory resource, plus 160KB of embedded SRAM. UART, PCM, SPI, I²C and 33 general purpose IO (GPIO) interfaces are also included, as well as GNSS location capabilities. The built-in SIM card allows pre-paid data packages to be utilised, thereby giving the module free access to mobile networks across Europe and thus avoiding additional operational costs. The available packages are for 50MB of data over a five-year period, or 500MB over ten years.

The compact form factor, in a land grid array with 24mm x 22mm dimensions, means that this module is suitable for implementation in a wide array of low-throughput applications such as smart metering, environment monitoring, asset tracking, mobile point-of-sale units, smart agriculture, telematics and remote healthcare monitoring. A working temperature range of -40°C to +85°C is covered.

Thanks to a highly effective power-saving mode plus its extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) function, the HERACLES 324M module is unmatched when it comes to conserving battery charge. As a result, it can support ongoing operation for over a decade. It offers full backward compatibility with earlier models in this family with the same form factor to both the HERACLES 2G and HERACLES 224G.