SIM7000E NB-IoT HAT for Raspberry Pi - eMTC / EDGE / GPRS / GNSS

Wireless communications have become inescapable in our modern age, and alongside electricity and advanced language, could arguably be one of the defining factors of modern civilisation. However, as with everything else, we humans are constantly finding ways in which we can improve, expand and extrapolate this technology to become even better, and one of the most exciting recent additions to our wireless communications standards is NarrowBand-IoT.

This SIM7000E NB-IoT HAT is made for Raspberry Pi Boards, and is designed to offer hobbyists like you and I with an understandable and accessible way to experiment with and utilise this new technology. In addition to NarrowBand-IoT, it also offers the common EDGE, GPRS and GNSS protocols, as well as the more recent eMTC (Enhanced Machine Type Communication) – although we have to admit that all we are really interested in from this module is the LTE (4G)-based NB-IoT and eMTC.

The reason why we are so eager to test out this awesome new technology is because it leverages the power of existing networks, but takes a different approach to Communications, and instead of offering high-speed high-frequency communications, NB-IoT takes advantage of the deep penetration and low battery usage of ultra-low frequency communications. As such, it borrows a narrow frequency band situated within the unused LTE guard-band, and because it operates on such vastly different frequencies to full LTE, it doesn’t have the risk of interrupting or interfering with LTE transmissions on either side.

Some of the key advantages that NarrowBand-IoT offers includes deep penetration into rural areas and “deep indoors” environments, which would typically be a struggle for higher frequency communications. Additionally, this protocol achieves ultra-low power consumption with clever time-based power saving modes and excellent use of DRx cycles, or discontinuous reception cycles, so as to enter deep sleep when not required, and then wake to send a short stream or just a few bits of data before going back into sleep mode. This can actually be so effective that a simple device operating on NB-IoT can potentially operate for up to 10 years on just two AA batteries, making it ideal for systems with low-frequency reporting, in which the communications are not necessarily time-sensitive.

Please Note: This Pi HAT operates on 3.3V DC by default, but if you want to inform the onboard voltage translator to utilise 5V DC instead, simply move the tiny 0Ω resistor to the alternative positioning on the board.

Typical Applications for the SIM7000E NarrowBand-IoT Pi HAT:

With so much functionality and so many capabilities, all bundled in one tiny power-package, you may certainly wonder what the SIM7000E NB-IoT HAT for Raspberry Pi is actually designed for. Well, this module is quite unique compared to most, and is designed for two specific purposes. The first of these is to test out the new rising NB-IoT and eMTC technologies, and to see just what these awesome protocols are capable of. However, because these Modules are also equipped with the common EDGE / GPRS / GNSS standards, they can also simply be used for general location tracking and positional services, with an included SIM card slot for sending SMS messages, as well as both GNSS and LTE antenna ports for communicating in other wireless ways too.

So, if this kind of rising technology excites you, or if you just want even more possibilities for utilising wireless communications for various projects, systems and services, then this is the perfect board for you!

Additional Resources:

• This is the official SIM7000E NB-IoT HAT Wiki Page, which offers more insights into how this module works, as well as helpful resources and links to various firmware versions – to help you hit the ground running and get your new NB-IoT or eMTC project going as quickly and easily as possible.