SparkFun Partners with Digi to Deliver a Quick-Start Board for LoRaWAN IoT Development
The SparkFun IoT Node for LoRaWAN is joined by a pair of kits bundling Digi's HX15 Gateway for rapid development and deployment.
SparkFun has launched a new development board that looks to take the pain out of getting started with building LoRaWAN nodes for the Internet of Things (IoT), developed in partnership with Digi International: the SparkFun IoT Node for LoRaWAN.
"Today, we are proud to announce another new collaboration with Digi International to release a new board and two new kits, each capable of working for LoRaWAN," says SparkFun's Chris McCarty of the company's latest launch. "Aimed at accelerating end-node creation and deployment via a number of streamlined hardware and software features, these products are designed to simplify LoRaWAN® setup for developers and professionals, and are perfect for applications that require reliable communication in challenging environments."
The development board in question is the SparkFun IoT Node for LoRaWAN, which pairs a Raspberry Pi RP2350A microcontroller, with 16MB of QSPI flash and 8MB of pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM) on top of its 520kB of on-chip SRAM, with a Digi International XBee LR LoRaWAN transceiver module. There are 15 general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins broken out, with up to two UART, two I2C, and two SPI buses, plus a four-pin Qwiic connector and a two-pin JST connector for an optional battery.
The XBee LR module is connected to the RP2350 over a hardware serial port, with Digi providing a development library for ease of control. Firmware development is handled in the Arduino IDE, with a pre-installed demo application — designed to connect to Digi's X-ON platform, detect attached sensors, and post data over LoRaWAN automatically — published as open-source for the quickest possible start.
For those not targeting an existing LoRaWAN infrastructure, SparkFun has also announced two bundles — one for use in North America, the other in Europe — which include an IoT Node for LoRaWAN board and a Qwiic-connected environmental sensor board plus Digi's HX15 Gateway with a 30-day subscription to Digi's X-ON device management platform and cellular connectivity.
The SparkFun IoT Node for LoRaWAN is now available on the company store at $99.95; the SparkFun Digi X-ON Kit bundle is priced at $395.
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