Digi has announced a global LTE Cat 4 cellular modem for higher bandwidth IoT applications such as digital signage, energy and utilities, fleet management, industrial IoT, and smart agriculture.

The Digi XBee 3 is built for operation in harsh environments. It offers global LTE Cat 4 connectivity with automatic 2G and 3G fallback for reliability, an integrated GNSS receiver for location-aware applications such as geofencing and asset tracking, Bluetooth Low Energy for wireless sensor connectivity with configuration via the XBee Mobile app, and host integration flexibility via SPI, uart or USB.

Global carrier and regulatory pre-certifications remove development burdens that device manufacturers typically face when integrating cellular connectivity. The standard XBee form factor and APIs help device manufacturers create a single, adaptable product by selecting the XBee cellular module needed, from high-speed LTE Cat 4 to low-power LTE-M and NB-IoT, without the need for costly redesigns.

The integrated MicroPython environment enables custom application logic on the module, allowing intelligent processing and decision-making at the edge with cloud integration with AWS IoT and Microsoft Azure IoT. Access to Bluetooth LE communication and local IO enables local control and sensor integration, while helping reduce design complexity and cost by eliminating separate microcontrollers.

“The Digi XBee 3 cellular family accelerated our development to just five months with a single developer while enabling powerful edge intelligence through MicroPython applications on the module,” said Jeremy Sullivan, CEO of Irrometer (www.irrometer.com). “Our sensors now seamlessly connect to Irrocloud, delivering historical and real-time insights for farmers to manage their irrigation strategy. This integrated ecosystem delivers exactly what we promise our customers: a simple, reliable, and affordable option that optimises water usage, reduces energy costs and improves crop yields.”

Digi’s Remote Manager enables scalable remote management for XBee 3 Cellular, allowing users to monitor, diagnose and manage mission-critical devices from its central command centre. The cloud-based platform supports OTA firmware updates, fleet health monitoring, automated tasks and geolocation management.

XBee Studio is a tool that lets users manage local XBee 3 cellular devices as well as remote XBee devices registered in Remote Manager.

Benefits include standard XBee form factor and APIs for rapid and future-proof integration, global carrier and end-device certifications, integrated GNSS receiver for location-aware applications and management, Bluetooth Low Energy for sensor connectivity and local configuration, and MicroPython environment to deliver edge intelligence and simplify designs,

Built-in IO capabilities include ADC, digital IO and I²C for sensor integration and local control. Built-in Digi TrustFence device security helps protect against cyber threats.

“Digi XBee 3 LTE Cat 4 delivers a connectivity platform that simplifies building, deploying and managing connected products,” said Mike Rohrmoser, vice president at Digi. “With integrated edge intelligence, security, global pre-certification and scalable remote management options, customers can now focus on delivering product innovation instead of wrestling with connectivity and deployment complexity.”

The modules (www.digi.com/products/embedded-systems/digi-xbee/cellular-modems/digi-xbee-3-global-lte-cat-4) are available now through Digi’s authorised distribution network and include a SIM that is ready for immediate activation. Customers can sign up for a Remote Manager (www.digi.com/products/iot-software-services/digi-remote-manager) trial account at no cost online.

Founded in 1985, Digi (www.digi.com) has helped customers connect more than 100 million things and counting.