🇪🇺 LTE Cat 1 Bis Development Board for European IoT: Next-Gen Solution from MIKROE 🚀

[Cengiz Özemli]

Are you looking for reliable data transmission and low power consumption in your Internet of Things (IoT) projects? MIKROE addresses this need with its new cellular add-on board, specifically designed for the European market. This board offers an ideal solution for a wide range of applications, from smart meters to industrial sensors.

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💡 Designed Specifically for European IoT​

This cellular wireless connectivity add-on board, developed by MIKROE, is specifically designed for IoT, machine-to-machine (M2M), and consumer applications in Europe. Utilizing 4G LTE Cat 1 bis technology, the system provides an excellent foundation for embedded hardware projects requiring continuous data transmission and restricted power consumption. Developers can quickly create proof-of-concept models and operational prototypes with this hardware.

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⚙️ Module Features and Frequencies​

At the heart of the board is the GC02S1-EU2 module, compliant with the 3GPP LTE Release 14 Cat 1 bis standard. This module incorporates the Calliope 2 silicon, developed by Sequans, which optimizes processing performance while minimizing power consumption. Designed specifically for the European frequency spectrum, the hardware operates on LTE B1, B3, B8, B20, and B28 bands, meaning frequencies from 703MHz to 2170MHz. Data transmission capacity can reach up to 10Mbps for download and 5Mbps for upload.

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🔌 System Interfaces and Integration​

System communication is provided via a UART interface, supporting hardware flow control and firmware updates. The board also features dedicated wake-up and reset functions, as well as debugging access via UART1 and JTAG. A 1.8V uSIM card can also be used for network authentication. To facilitate main system integration, the board has a ClickID function that enables automatic main system identification. It interfaces with main architectures via the mikroBUS standard and uses open-source mikroSDK libraries for software development and configuration.

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🏭 Industrial and Commercial Application Areas​

This hardware meets telemetry and integration requirements in many industrial sectors. MIKROE CEO Nebojsa Matic states that the board is designed to be integrated into areas such as smart meters, industrial sensors, security and alarm systems, payment terminals, asset trackers, smart home devices, smart metering infrastructure, and wearable consumer electronics.

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🔬 Technical Details and Competitive Comparison​

LTE Cat 1 bis technology, introduced in 3GPP Release 13 and enhanced in Release 14, offers an architectural alternative to traditional LTE Cat 1 and Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards like NB-IoT and LTE-M. While standard LTE Cat 1 requires two receiver antennas for spatial diversity, Cat 1 bis operates with a single antenna. This feature reduces the hardware footprint and internal component costs, bridging the gap between high-throughput cellular modules and low-bandwidth IoT networks.

In competitive comparisons, LTE Cat 1 bis modules like Sequans Calliope 2 provide data rates up to 10Mbps, significantly exceeding NB-IoT's 127kbps download limit. Additionally, LTE Cat 1 bis offers continuous mobility support between cellular network towers. This feature makes Cat 1 bis suitable for mobile industrial use cases such as fleet asset tracking and portable payment terminals, whereas NB-IoT remains primarily limited to fixed sensor applications.