Texas Instruments (TI) and SIGFOX have teamed up to develop a new connectivity solution and encourage developers to implement the Sub-1 GHz wireless spectrum in future deployments.
TI has supplied the Sub-1 GHz RF transceivers to deploy wireless sensor nodes and married them with SIGFOX’s network to create a solution that’s low cost and lower power than 3G cellular connected nodes, while still providing a long range signal to tie remote M2M devices into the larger IoT.
The product will be applicable to almost any IoT application, including environmental sensors, smart meters, agriculture and livestock sensors, asset tracking and smart cities. It has a 100 kilometer range and several years of battery life, the announcement said. The partners say their collaborative creation has all the benefits of narrowband radio technology and none of the downsides, which will reduce barriers to entry for manufacturers wanting to connect their products to the IoT.
“TI's Sub-1 GHz technology is an excellent fit for the SIGFOX network, because it supports long-range and high-capacity connectivity in a system-cost-optimized way that users everywhere require to fully benefit from the potential of the Internet of Things,” said Stuart Lodge, EVP, global sales, SIGFOX. “TI technology that leverages our ultra-narrowband technology is a powerful endorsement and will be a key part of our rapid network deployment in key global markets.”
SIGFOX's two-way network is based on an ultra-narrowband technology that allows for a scalable, high-capacity network and very low energy consumption.
“Narrowband technology is the superior option for a global Internet of Things network, because it offers the lowest-cost, most energy-efficient connectivity, along with the data capacity and robust coexistence, that competing technologies just cannot match,” said Oyvind Birkenes, general manager, wireless connectivity solutions, TI. “We are excited to be working with SIGFOX to expand their network deployments and bring the benefits of narrowband Sub-1 GHz technology to users worldwide.”
The race to the bottom in terms of power consumption is forcing innovation at an incredible rate right now, and for the foreseeable future. At this rate, we should expect to see claims of perpetual motion any day now. And who knows, they might be true.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
