STMicroelectronics ST87M01 ultra-compact, low-power NB-IoT industrial modules

STMicroelectronics’ ST87M01 ultra-compact and low-power modules combine robust NB-IoT data communication with resilient GNSS geo-location capability for IoT devices and assets. The fully programmable, certified LTE Cat NB2 NB-IoT industrial modules cover worldwide cellular frequency bands and integrate advanced security features.

Offered in accordance with the latest 3GPP Release 15, the IoT cellular product provides extended multi-regional LTE coverage. The integrated native GNSS receiver with multi-constellation access provides enhanced localisation along with optimised power-savings features while operating during NB-IoT sleep time slots. The complete module has a diminutive 10.6 x 12.8 mm LGA footprint, making it suitable for applications where a small form factor is desirable.

Qualified over the industrial temperature range (-40 to +85℃), with ultra-low power consumption — less than 2 µA in low-power mode — and transmit output power up to +23 dBm, the unit targets wide-ranging IoT applications that require reliable LPWAN connectivity. These include smart metering, smart grid, smart building, smart city and smart infrastructure applications, as well as industrial condition monitoring and factory automation, smart agriculture and environmental monitoring. It is also suited to tracking applications such as locating pets, children and elders, safety monitoring for remote workers, asset tracking for equipment such as power tools, and general intelligent logistics.

The device offers flexibility for product developers, presenting a fully programmable IoT platform that lets users embed their own code directly in the module for simple applications. Alternatively, the module can be combined with a separate host microcontroller, permitting more sophisticated use cases. A variety of protocol stacks is available to handle popular IoT use cases, including IPv6, TCP/UDP, CoAP/LWM2M, MQTT, HTTP/HTTPS and TLS/DTLS.

The device is designed to support both standardised 3GPP AT commands along with ST enhanced AT commands. The modules also integrate a state-of-the-art ST4SIM eSIM, certified according to the latest industry standards.