STMicro Launches Low-Cost Ready-to-Run STM32 Nucleo LoRa Development Board Bundles

STMicroelectronics has announced the launch of two new LoRa low-power long-range radio development packs, targeting everyone from hobbyists and independent designers to schools and small businesses with a $99 price tag and the promise of a complete LoRaWAN development chain — including both node and gateway development boards.

Designed for long-range yet low-power wireless communications, the LoRaWAN specification has proven one of the most popular low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) protocols around. LoRaWAN is at the heart of the The Things Network (TTN), a community-driven global communications network — and STMicro's latest board bundles are entirely compatible, the company having partnered with TTN along with the LORIOT and Actility networks for free-of-charge gateway connectivity.

Based, unsurprisingly, on the company's popular STM32 Nucleo development board family, the bundles combine the Nucleo-144 NUCLEO-F746ZG STM32F746ZGT6-powered development board as a LoRa gateway with a Nucleo-64 NUCLEO-L073RZ STM32L073RZT6-powered board as the node - the latter microcontroller boasting ultra-low power requirements and the board including a battery socket as standard. Both boards come equipped with a LoRa expansion board to provide the network connectivity, along with a selection of motion and environmental sensors.

STMicro has confirmed two bundles at launch, each using an expansion module suited to a particular license-free spectrum: the P-NUCLEO-LRWAN2 bundle uses the high-frequency ISM bands (868MHz/915MHz/923MHz); the P-NUCLEO-LRWAN3 uses the low-frequency ISM bands (433/470MHz). Both come with accelerometer, pressure sensor, and combined temperature and humidity sensor, with the high-frequency model also including a magnetometer.

Both bundles are available to purchase now, priced at $99 each. More information is available on STMicro's website.