In another exciting exhibition find, ipXchange chats with Riccardo and Daniela about Embit’s radio modules and Raspberry-Pi-based gateways, a great solution for IoT applications that use LoRaWAN. ipXchange has covered quite a few LoRa modules so far – serving as an alternative to devices from Microchip, STMicroelectronics, or Murata, for example – but we don’t recall writing about a 2.4-GHz LoRa module, so what makes 2.4 GHz, and Embit’s implementation of it, so special for LoRa?
Well, the 2.4-GHz wireless protocol of Embit’s EMB-LR1280S modules means that they are region independent; Embit’s latest device can be used Worldwide to support a much broader market than region-locked solutions typical of standard sub-GHz LoRa modules!
Additionally, there are no duty cycle limitations for 2.4-GHz LoRa, which enables enhanced transmission rates when compared to sub-GHz technology – Embit’s EMB-LR1280S modules offer 0.595-253.9 kbps for standard LoRa, and up to 2.3 Mbps for GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying).
Thanks to Semtech’s proprietary spread spectrum modulation technique at the heart of the device, Embit’s EMB-LR1280S modules can also serve a range of up to 10 km at this frequency, with Embit’s proprietary LoRaEMB protocol expanding the possible applications for point-to-point or mesh-like “star” connectivity between the devices in your IoT.
Another member of the Embit team, Davide, then shows us how easy it is to build an Embit LoRa network with a demonstration that combines one of their modules with a Raspberry Pi Pico board and a temperature sensor, transmitting the data to a web server. That said, since Embit’s LoRa modules also feature an inbuilt MCU with all the standard interfaces, you can use these compact solutions as the main heart of your IoT build, without a separate MCU like the RP2040. With a sleep current at <1 µA, that will be your choice depending on how often you aim to transmit data and how you wish to balance the power consumption of your design, but if you’re building an IoT product that runs on batteries, long life should be a sure thing with Embit’s device at its core.
If Embit’s EMB-LR1280S modules look like they are worth a shot for your next commercial project, you can learn more and apply for an evaluation kit using the link to the board form below. If global 2.4-GHz connectivity isn’t quite what you’re looking for, Embit, and ipXchange, offer many other solutions that might be the right fit, so check out our other LoRa modules and boards here.
Keep designing!