Microchip Technology Inc. today announced the AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board based on the AVR128DB48 8-bit microcontroller. This solution provides a robust platform for initiating the development of sensor and actuator nodes in narrowband 5G IoT networks.
The AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board is small in size, making it an ideal solution for developers who want to connect IoT devices to an available 5G network. This feature is crucial for portable devices or those located in remote areas with limited availability of LoRa® (Long Range) or other LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) solutions.
Customers can take advantage of the design flexibility and ease offered by the latest additions to the AVR128DB48 8-bit microcontroller-based family, including enhanced security with Microchip’s ATECC608 CryptoAuthentication™ device. The ATECC608 can be easily configured for use with leading cloud service providers via Microchip’s IoT Provisioning Tool.
“Microchip continues to expand its family of 8-bit AVR® microcontrollers, enabling developers to easily and flexibly implement diverse embedded designs,” said Greg Robinson, vice president of marketing for Microchip’s 8-bit microcontroller business unit. “The ability to connect remote and mobile devices to a 5G narrowband network with an 8-bit microcontroller opens up new opportunities for battery-powered devices, thanks to key factors such as low power consumption and high-quality analog peripherals.”.
The AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board comes pre-configured to send data from its built-in light and temperature sensors to the cloud and can be visualized via Microchip's demonstration portal. This portal allows customers to track and monitor their device in real time from a remote location.
This functionality covers the main requirements of many applications in various sectors, such as agriculture, industry and energy, as well as within the consumer market, such as freight transport, alarm systems, building automation and remote monitoring.
With the goal of providing an even simpler, more efficient, and more cost-effective solution for developers to connect IoT devices to 5G using the AVR128DB48 microcontroller, Microchip has partnered with Sequans to include its Monarch 2 GM02S single-chip radio, which incorporates 5G LTE-M and narrowband IoT. Microchip has also collaborated with Truphone to supply a cellular SIM card that offers reliable worldwide coverage.
“Monarch 2 GM02S is a 5G-ready, single-chip LTE-M and narrowband IoT solution specifically designed for narrowband IoT applications such as sensors, wearables, and other low-power, low-data-throughput devices,” said Didier Dutronc, executive vice president of alliance strategy at Sequans.
“Our collaboration with Microchip on their AVR-IoT cellular board allows us to simplify and reduce the design costs of IoT devices.”
“We are committed to reinventing how people, things, and businesses connect through revolutionary embedded SIM (eSIM) technology,” said Steve Alder, director of business development at Truphone. “Owning and managing all elements of the eSIM ecosystem and accessing a large number of low-power cellular networks with a single SIM reference allows Microchip customers to connect IoT devices to a future-proof cellular service.”.
The AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board is an excellent solution for makers and hobbyists, as it is compatible with the Adafruit Feather form factor. It incorporates a Qwiic/Stemma I2C connector to enhance its functionality and make it suitable for production applications. It is also compatible with Arduino® and features support from Microchip's GitHub library, which provides HTTPS, MQTT (MQ Telemetry Transport), and low power consumption, among other features.
Development Tools
Users can visit Microchip's demos page to access a tutorial with the steps needed to get started, set up, and establish a connection with the AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board.
Pricing and Availability
The AVR-IoT Cellular Mini Development Board (part number EV70N78A) is available for $59.99.
