Digi International, vendor of machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity products and services, announced Tuesday general availability of Digi XBee Cellular. Newly developed for the North American market, this addition to the Digi XBee line of products will allow Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to integrate LTE CAT 1 cellular connectivity into their designs.
Digi XBee Cellular provides a simple path to cellular connectivity solving a major problem for OEMs that need to provide cellular solutions for remote equipment monitoring and control in precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, smart cities, and other industries.
Digi XBee Cellular is the smallest end-device certified embedded cellular modem on the market and enables cellular communications at lower cost points and more efficient power consumption levels. It transmits embedded serial data using TCP, UDP or SMS over the cellular network, and unlike other embedded modems, Digi XBee Cellular offers flexible communication options including a simple transparent serial mode and an API mode with structured frames for more advanced applications.
The Digi XBee Cellular features FCC pre-certified and Verizon end-device certified; no carrier certification is required for OEMs; authentic Digi XBee form-factor, a small embedded modem; and over-the-air (OTA) firmware to provide ongoing feature and security updates. It comes with a 3.3 V power with low-power options offering sleep and deep-sleep modes for battery-powered applications; and includes Digi TrustFence security features including Secure Boot, encrypted security keys, secure JTAG, and SSL/TLS 1.2 cryptographic protocols.
All Digi XBees share the same footprint and software interface, across multiple wireless technologies. With a single Digi XBee socket, customers will have access to exciting new technologies including LTE CAT M1 and LTE CAT NB1 due out in spring this year.
A suite of development tools make integrating the Digi XBee Cellular fast and simple. The free XCTU utility is ideal for quick configuration of the modem, and Digi XBee libraries for Java and C can be used to accelerate code development for external microcontrollers.
The Digi XBee Cellular development kit offers everything a developer needs to immediately focus on building cellular-connected products, with a free data plan and pre-activated SIM included for plug-and-play development.
“Digi XBee is known as one of the most advanced and innovative product lines in the industry,” said Joel Young, chief technology officer at Digi International. “With the addition of Digi XBee Cellular to the Digi XBee product line, we’re bringing the same characteristics of reliability, flexibility and value to allow OEMs to quickly and easily integrate LTE CAT 1 cellular technology into their devices and applications.”
Digi XBee Cellular is available at an MSRP of $99, and the Digi XBee Cellular development kit at an MSRP of $199. The modem includes a one-year warranty. Digi XBee Cellular is available from a number of leading distributors including Arrow Electronics, Avnet, Digi-Key Electronics, Future Electronics, Mouser Electronics and Symmetry Electronics.
