STMicro Unveils the ST87M01, a Wholly In-House NB-IoT Module with GNSS Location Capabilities
Using exclusively in-house ICs gives the module, STMicroelectronics claims, guaranteed longevity and quality.
STMicroelectronics has announced a new all-in-one module offering Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) connectivity and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) location tracking — and it's using entirely in-house chips for the part.
STMicro's ST87M01 is, the company claims, "one of the first IoT cellular products worldwide offered in accordance with the latest 3GPP Release 15 [specification]," and uses nothing but STMicro's own integrated circutis under its metal shield. The cellular portion of the module provides multi-region Long Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity with a focus on low power usage, with the whole module drawing less than 2µA in its lowest power mode.
In addition to the low-power wide-area network NB-IoT modem, though, the module also includes GNSS reception capabilities for location tracking via GPS and other constellations. These, plus a secure eSIM module, are what STMicro has proudly announced as entirely in-house creations — offering what the company claims is a "unique market offer in terms of product quality, security, and longevity," with STMicro having full control over the supply chain used in the module's production.
The module is capable, the company claims, of running "simple applications" directly — though for more complex tasks it recommends pairing the module with a separate microcontroller. Supported protocol stacks include IPv6, TCP/UDP, CoAP/LWM2M, MQTT, HTTP/HTTPS and TLS/DTLS, while the module can be controlled via both standard 3GPP AT commands and STMicro's own "enhanced AT" command set.
The part is now sampling to "major customers," STMicro has confirmed, though it has not yet announced general availability and pricing. More information is available on the ST87M01 product page.