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This shield uses SIMCOM's SIM7000 module to give users cellular connectivity and positioning at the tip of their fingers! SIM7000 is a low-power LTE CAT-M1 and NB-IoT module with integrated GNSS (GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou/Compass, Galileo, QZSS standards) for location tracking. The shield also sports a high-accuracy MCP9808 I2C temperature sensor. Unlike many other products you'll find out there, this project is completely open source with extensive documentation, including schematics, Arduino library that supports other SIMCOM 2G/3G/LTE modules, tutorials, and a support forum... Tinker away! 🤓
To use this shield, you'll need a host microcontroller board (like an Arduino UNO R3), a 3.7V LiPo battery (1200mAH+ capacity and with positive wire on the left side when you plug it in), and a compatible LTE CAT-M/NB-IoT SIM card like the Hologram SIM. The stacking female headers and dual LTE/GNSS antenna comes with the Botletics shield kit.
Here's what the shield looks like when all set up with an Arduino UNO R3:
Click here for the legacy version (v5) of the Botletics SIM7000 shield
There's also the option to choose your own custom logic voltage level to use the board with other platforms like ESP8266, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Arduino UNO R4 WiFi, and anything else you can think of!
With the emergence of low-power IoT devices with cellular connectivity and the phase-out of 2G in 2020, the shift toward LTE left many people scrambling to find more relevant solutions, including many hobbyists using legacy 2G technology like the SIM800-series modules from SIMCOM. Although 2G and 3G modules are a great starting point, it's time to move forward... and thankfully, there's a lasting solution for IoT devices--the SIM7000 module from SIMCOM. The good news is that SIMCOM has made it easy to migrate from their 2G and 3G modules to the SIM7000-series which uses many of the same AT commands, thus minimizing the software development by miles!
With the emergence of low-power IoT devices with cellular connectivity and the phase-out of 2G in 2020, the shift toward LTE left many people scrambling to find more relevant solutions, including many hobbyists using legacy 2G technology like the SIM800-series modules from SIMCOM. Although 2G and 3G modules are a great starting point, it's time to move forward... and thankfully, there's a lasting solution for IoT devices--the SIM7000 module from SIMCOM. The good news is that SIMCOM has made it easy to migrate from their 2G and 3G modules to the SIM7000-series which uses many of the same AT commands, thus minimizing the software development by miles!
LTE CAT-M1 is considered the second-generation LTE technology and is lower-power and more suitable for IoT devices. NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) technology is a Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology specifically designed for low-power IoT devices. Both LTE CAT-M and NB-IoT are widely available in many locations. For IoT devices using radio technology (RF) there are several things to keep in mind:
- Power consumption
- Bandwidth
- Range
- Packet size (send lots of data)
- Cost
Each of these have tradeoffs; for example, large bandwidth allows devices to send lots of data (like your phone!) but this also means it's very power-hungry. Increasing the range (the "area" of the network) also increase power consumption. In the case of NB-IoT, cutting down the bandwidth means that you won't be able to send much data, but for IoT devices shooting morsels of data to the cloud this is perfect! Hence, "narrow"-band technology, ideal for low-power devices with little amounts of data but still with long range (wide area)! Additionally, NB-IoT is designed for deeper building penetration which could be perfect for commercial IoT devices.
There are multiple SIM7000-series modules that cater to different regions around the world, so make sure you pick the right one: SIM7000A (American), SIM7000E (European), SIM7000C (Chinese), and SIM7000G (Global). The SIM7000G is the most versatile and SIMCOM is currently replacing the SIM7000A with the SIM7000G.