How to choose the right LTE options for your design
When deciding on cellular connectivity for your application there are pivotal considerations. Factors such as production volumes, lead times, costs and time to market must all be examined. The great news for engineers is that no matter what your needs are for LTE, Cat 3 to Cat 4, even upcoming Cat-M1, Symmetry can help.
What’s your volume?
If your project has volumes of 10,000 units and up, going with Telit’s LE910 is the right move. For volumes of 5,000 to 6,000 units, we have embedded modules from Nimbelink, Janus and Multitech which are fully certified. With embedded modules you won’t have to go through the certification process. These modules will work on national carriers such as Verizon or AT&T and connect right out of the box.
Do you need box products?
Box products are mainly used in critical backend applications where modems, routers or gateways are needed. These out of the box products are more expensive, but they offer plug and play functionality for connecting to a cellular network. These products are primarily used to where data must be stored and sent to the cloud. Check out the Janus Terminus T3 Modem, Digi TransPort or the MultiTech Multiconnet rCell 100 Series for plug and play options.
Do you have an IoT device?
Everyone has been waiting for Cat M to arrive. It’s expected to be available in 2017. The beauty of Cat-M is in its low power, low cost solution for sending data to the cloud. You can pre-order Cat-M modules from Nimbelink which have been tested on Verizon’s network.
What about software?
Once you’ve chosen the hardware, then you must decide on software. There is example code available, however most customers will need to develop their own software. Symmetry supplier Digi International has wireless design services available if you need them. If you’re a software developer, you can use this service. They’ll make sure you pass certification in one attempt. Or if you’re a hardware developer, Digi can help with software.
Once you have the products you need to connect them to a network, Symmetry can help with data plans and Sim cards.These plans let you test the network while you develop your application. These suppliers can assist with the connection services by offering the platform to manage the devices.
There’s a lot of questions when it comes to deciding the right LTE solution for your product. No matter what options you choose, Symmetry has the tools and technical expertise to help you get your product to market. If you’re choosing LTE for your product Symmetry will be happy to help you from design all the way to the finished product.