Chinese firm Fibocom’s MA510-GL LTE Cat M module has been certified by Microsoft Azure and is now listed in the Azure Certified Device catalogue.

This means it is ready to provide built-in plug-and-play support for Azure-powered IoT applications in the fields of smart meter, asset tracking, smart city and more. Developers can directly access the module from the Azure catalogue.

Azure is a Microsoft cloud computing service for developing, testing, deploying and managing applications and services over a global network of Microsoft-managed data centres. The Azure Certified Devices programme integrates tools and services, with more than 1900 certified devices, which contributes to industry knowledge sharing, increased product visibility and time savings for development.

Being Azure-certified makes it easier for developers to bring connectivity for low-power IoT applications, accelerating LPWA deployment at scale.

“We are excited to cooperate with Microsoft Azure to unleash creativity,” said Dan Schieler, senior vice president at Fibocom. “With cutting-edge performance and power-efficient capabilities, Fibocom’s Azure-certified module MA510 can help customers jumpstart their IoT projects with confidence and reduce time to market, which opens up new possibilities for digital transformation across many industries.”

Featuring 3GPP Release 14 capabilities, the module is designed to boost the commercial deployment of LPWAN. Based on a Qualcomm chipset, the IoT module supports LTE Cat M1, Cat NB2 and EGPRS frequency bands, with maximum data rates of 375kbit/s downlink and 1119kbit/s uplink. It also supports the LTE 450MHz network for network users especially in the field of smart metering.

The module is pin-compatible with Fibocom’s G510 2G module and MC610 LTE Cat 1 module, allowing flexible migration among different technologies.

The module adopts the LCC+LGA form factor, measuring 22.2 by 20.2 by 2.1mm. Besides diverse functionalities such as mux, jamming detection, LBS, DFOTA, SMS and audio, the module comes with built-in multi-constellation GNSS receiver, including GPS, Glonass, Beidou and Galileo, for positioning and navigation.

It also supports eDRX and PSM low power mode, with PSM as low as 3.2µA, suitable for IoT applications that need low power consumption and small size. Meanwhile, it supports multiple operating systems (Linux, Android and Windows), various internet protocols as well as a set of digital interfaces (SIM, USB 2.0, uart, SPI, ADC and GPIO), allowing flexibility and ease of integration for application.

To date, the has been certified by regional telecom operators T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Vodafone, Telefonica and KDDI, as well as industry associations HF, GCF and PTCRB. It meets RoHS, RCM, NCC, IC, Reach, Anatel, CE, Telec and Jate regulations.

• Fibocom has launched the SC126 LTE smart module embedded with the Qualcomm QCM2290 chipset. It uses a 64bit Arm Cortex-A53 quad-core processor at up to 2.0GHz frequency, which provides reliable performance with seamless connectivity.

“Qualcomm is excited to work with Fibocom to bring wireless connectivity to a broader range,” said Nagaraju Naik, senior director at Qualcomm. “Designed as a robust solution, the Qualcomm QCM2290 platform is enabling reliable performance and power-conservation for AIoT applications. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with Fibocom to continuously empower the digital transformation and product innovation for the industries and society.”

The module is equipped with the Android 12 operating system (OS), allowing subsequent OS upgrades. With a built-in CPU and GPU, the module is suitable for smart PoS, smart robot, industrial handheld and DVR applications. It also supports dual image signal processor (ISP) and multi-channel camera input, which can be used in applications such as facial recognition, ADAS and DMS.

Various long-distance communication modes are supported as well as dual-band wifi and Bluetooth short-distance wireless transmission. Coming with an LCC+LGA form factor, it enables flexibility and ease of integration to suit various applications. In addition, the module supports GPS, Glonass and Beidou, which provides accurate positioning and navigation to simplify product design. Interfaces include Mipi, CSI, USB, uart, SPI and I²C, and it supports up to FHD resolution.

Thanks to the extended life cycle support till 2028, it offers flexibility to upgrade terminal devices for users. The module has planned multiple regional versions, including SC126-CN, SC126-EAU, SC126-NA, SC126-JP and SC126-W.

“Fibocom has always focused on providing enhanced IoT communications for the AIoT industry,” said Jason Zhu, director of IoT products for Fibocom. “The new generation of smart module SC126 supports worldwide network frequency bands, and the Android OS can be continuously upgraded, which can meet customers’ product development needs. Ranging from entry level to high-end tier, Fibocom’s smart modules will continue to help next generation of innovation with seamless connectivity.”