Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (head office: Nagaokakyo-shi, Kyoto; Chairman of the Board and President: Tsuneo Murata) has developed two new products, the Type 1SS, which are the world's smallest class
*1 LPWA (Low-Power Wide Area) modules.
*1 Based on internal study as of end of March 2019
1. Background of Development
With advances in IoT along with the spread of network infrastructures, diverse things are being connected with each other. There is a growing need for equipment miniaturization in fields such as maintaining and managing aging infrastructure including bridges, overpasses, and tunnels, as well as rolling out smart meters (for remote monitoring of electricity, gas, and water supplies) and for long-term stable remote monitoring.
The Type 1SS are small, power-saving LPWA modules that leverage Murata's proprietary microfabrication know-how such as the board design and mounting technology that the company has developed in the course of manufacturing small components.
Key features of the products are as follows:
World's Smallest Class Module Size
The Type 1SS are packaged in 12.2mm×12.0mm×1.6mm (length×width×height) and 10.6mm×13.2mm×1.8mm form factor, respectively, resulting in a 50% smaller footprint compared to conventional compact modules
*2. By making possible significant space saving in electronic circuits, they contribute to high-density circuit design.
*2 Compared with 18.0mm×16.0mm×2.0mm LPWA module
Low Power Consumption
The products feature modem chips developed by Altair Semiconductor and Mediatek in order to achieve low power consumption. The eDRX (extended Discontinuous Reception)/PSM (Power Saving Mode) ensures low power consumption, allowing a device to receive data less frequently during standby, and for a limited time only during PSM operation. With a super-low current consumption of 3.5μA or less in the standby mode, the products offer a long operating life of 10 to 15 years with a single battery
*3.
*3 In an application where a device sends sensor data once a day
Reliability
The Type 1SS feature high product quality based on Murata's expertise at designing and manufacturing communication modules. The reliability of these devices is further supported by their incorporation of Murata's own passive components.
3. Availability
Murata is working to receive certifications for the Type 1SS from major carriers in Japan and other countries. Some carriers in Europe and Japan have already certified the products, and shipments of samples for mass production are scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2019.
In Japan, some major carriers have introduced LPWA services, which are now being verified in smart meters and IoT home appliances. Murata will continue working to build an IoT society by developing products with diverse features that meet the needs of the market and of our customers.
4. Other/Technical Information
Table: Specifications of Type 1SS LPWA modules
| Product name |
Type 1SS |
| Model number |
LBAD0YW1SS |
| Supported standards |
NB-IoT |
| Size (mm) |
10.6×13.2×1.8 |
| Modem chip |
MT2625 by Mediatek (Taiwan) |
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading edge, multi-functional, high-density modules. The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. For more information, visit Murata's website at www.murata.com