Let’s talk about Semtech Corporation.
First and foremost, this ain’t IoT Evolution World’s first Semtech rodeo, in a manner of speaking. Take, for example, our coverage last month — Semtech partnered with GetWireless to further expand its North American distribution footprint. That story detailed Semtech’s full authorization to offer its IoT connectivity, modules, and router solutions in Canada. At the time, Hieu Duong, Head of Global Channel Sales at Semtech, commented on how eager the company felt “to extend further into the Canadian market” so it could continue to prove its “distinguished track record of delivering rugged, reliable, and secure solutions for mission-critical IoT applications.”
Semtech is, at its core, a provider of high-performance semiconductors, cloud connectivity services, and other IoT system-centric solutions. That said, its offerings also comprise cellular IoT, power management, wireless RF, smart sensing, circuit protection, signal integrity, broadcast video and professional AV, to name a handful. Additional updates have included the recent summer debut of its XCVR Development Board and Reference Design, as well as the appointment of Dr. Hong Q. Hou as Semtech President and CEO.
As stated, Semtech stays on our radar.
That segues superbly into more news we have to share:
As September came to a close, Semtech officially announced the availability of its one-channel LoRaWAN hub reference design and evaluation kit, designed for smaller scale network deployments (e.g. SMB/SME and smart home applications).
According to the announcement itself, this kit “provides a turnkey solution for basic access LoRaWAN network connectivity. Compatible with several Semtech LoRa sub-GHz transceivers, the reference design includes a low-cost Espressif MCU and LCD display for simple user operation.”
This is significant, given how some researchers are predicting that LoRaWAN (and NB-IoT) are poised to drive IoT connections to upwards of 3.5 billion by 2030, representing huge year-over-year growth. IoT use cases that range from irrigation systems to buildings’ security sensors already benefit from LoRaWAN, and now Semtech’s one-channel hub offers even more benefits to ensure the seamless success of smaller-scale applications.
“LoRaWAN is already a well-known technology, especially for battery-powered IoT sensors that are in remote outdoor locations or deep indoors without Wi-Fi or cellular coverage, and which require extended battery life,” explained Robert Comanescu, Marketing and Applications Head for IoT Chips at Semtech. “Our new one-channel hub reference design offers OEMs a simple, cost-effective, and secure path to bring LoRa to applications such as security, insurance claim mitigation, environmental monitoring, and more.”
Olivier Beaujard, Officer of the Board and Chairman of Regulatory Affairs for the LoRa Alliance (and Senior Director of LoRa Systems at Semtech) echoed this sentiment.
“LoRaWAN continues to be a transformative industry catalyst for a more sustainable future,” Beaujard added. “Supported by a thriving LoRaWAN ecosystem, Semtech’s one-channel hub reference design unlocks myriad new opportunities for adoption in new markets.”