The WisDuo Modules by RAKwireless combine a microcontroller unit and long-range transceiver in a single, compact component for an outstanding connectivity solution in smaller end products. The RAK3172 is the easy-to-use, stamp-sized flagship of this range and provides LoRa connectivity for IoT applications while using as little as 1.69 μA in sleep mode (supply voltage 2.0 to 3.6 V). The onboard MCU Core is an ARM 32-bit Cortex-M4 with up to 256 kB flash memory and 64 kB RAM, and the system can be configured using traditional AT commands or using the RAKwireless Unified Interface V3 (RUI3) that allows designers to create different functionalities using RUI APIs.
This module complies with Class A, B, & C of LoRaWAN 1.0.3 specifications and can easily connect to different LoRaWAN server platforms like TheThingsNetwork (TTN), Chirpstack, Helium, etc. It also supports LoRa Point-to-Point (P2P) communication mode which helps designers in implementing their own customised long-range LoRa network quickly, or one can use it as a stand-alone device by creating custom firmware via RUI3 APIs. It can even be deployed as a LoRA modem with an external host like a microcontroller or microprocessor that configures and sends commands to the module using AT and Binary commands via a UART interface.
Designed for smart-city, smart-agriculture, and smart-industry applications, the RAK3172 has an operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C and supports EU433, CN470, RU864, IN865, EU868, AU915, US915, KR920, and AS923 bands (150 MHz to 960 MHz). The RAK3172 module is also produced in a smaller 12 x 12 x 1.22 mm System-in-Package (SiP) form factor that can fit into the most compact LoRa devices, and the RAK3172-T features a TCXO for improved stability across the operating temperature range.
RAKwireless provides a core board for the RAK3172, the RAK3372 WisBlock Core PCB, which is compatible the RAK19007 base board of their modular WisBlock IoT system. This platform provides an easy way to access the important pins of the RAK3172 module in order to simplify development and testing, but it also allows users to connect other RAKwireless modules to the base board slots and build a complete IoT project with the integrated connectors for battery and solar panels plus the on-board charging circuit.
Alternatively, RAKwireless offers a simple breakout board for evaluating the RAK3172 or its SiP counterpart. These boards are much smaller than the evaluation board and simply feature an RP-SMA antenna connector and eighteen different header pins.
Want this device but with added Bluetooth functionality? Consider the RAK11720 module as an alternative.
(All images sourced from RAKwireless)