STMicroelectronics' ultra-compact, low-power ST87M01 modules combine highly reliable NB-IoT data communications with accurate and resilient GNSS geolocation capability for IoT devices and assets. Certified and fully programmable industrial LTE Cat NB2 NB-IoT modules cover worldwide cellular frequency bands and integrate advanced security features.
As one of the first cellular IoT products offered worldwide under the latest 3GPP Release 15, the ST87M01 offers extended multi-region LTE coverage. Integrated native GNSS receiver with multi-constellation access ensures improved and accurate localization along with optimized power saving features during operation during NB-IoT sleep time intervals.
The module itself and all internal ICs are entirely conceived, designed and industrialized by ST, which guarantees complete control and management of the bill of materials and supply chain. This represents a unique offer on the market in terms of product quality, safety and longevity. Additionally, the complete module has a tiny LGA area of 10.6mm x 12.8mm, making it ideal for applications where a small form factor ensures a design win.
Qualified in the industrial temperature range (-40° to +85° C), with ultra-low power consumption — less than 2µA in low power mode — and transmit output power of up to +23dBm, the ST87M01 is targeted at wide-range IoT applications that require ultra-reliable Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) connectivity.
These include smart metering, smart grid, smart building, smart city and smart infrastructure applications, as well as industrial condition monitoring and factory automation, smart agriculture and environmental monitoring. It is also suitable for tracking applications such as locating pets, children and the elderly, security monitoring for remote workers, asset tracking for equipment such as power tools and general smart logistics.
The STM8701 offers flexibility for product developers by featuring a fully programmable IoT platform that allows users to embed their own code directly into the module for simple applications. Alternatively, the module can be combined with a separate host microcontroller, enabling many more sophisticated use cases.
Several protocol stacks are available to handle popular IoT use cases, including IPv6, TCP/UDP, CoAP/LWM2M, MQTT, HTTP/HTTPS, and TLS/DTLS. Additionally, the ST87M01 is designed to support standardized 3GPP AT commands along with ST-enhanced AT commands.
The modules also integrate a next-generation ST4SIM embedded SIM (eSIM), certified to the latest industry standards, such as the recent GSMA eSA (Security Assurance) certification, which further enhances miniaturization and asset security. There is also a state-of-the-art embedded secure element (eSE).
The ST87M01 readily combines with diverse technologies and products from ST's portfolio, including microcontrollers, AI solutions, sensors, actuators, PMUs, converters, interfaces, memories and other connectivity to enable next-generation IoT ecosystems.