RAK8211-NBS iTracker NB-IoT Tracker Module (BC95 and nRF52832 based) with NBIoT, BLE 5, GPS and Triaxial Acceleration Sensor - supports global cellular bands

RAK8211-NBS iTracker Module

iTracker RAK8211-NBS is a versatile developer board aimed at aiding in quick prototypes using NB-IoT. The board includes a vast array of connectivity options (NB-IoT, BLE 5.0 and GPS) and sensors. At the heart of the module is the venerable Nordic nRF52832 BLE processor. The NB-IoT connectivity is provided by the Quectel BC95 module. The iTracker module is Arduino friendly and can be programmed using the IDE.

The board also provides SWD interface for programming the nRF52832 core. The combination of BLE and NB-IoT provides flexible low power consumption development along with a myriad of application options ranging from telemetry to live tracking and environment sensing.

See how easy it is develop on the iTracker

Arduino IDE

• Supports the standard BLE Peripheral Library and Libraries contributed by Adafruit
• Programming support is via SWD interface

Normal development using Nordic SDK

• Supports the NRF SDK v11.0 and above
• Programming support via SWD interface

Espruino IDE

• Planned support for Espruino
• Programming support via USB serial as well as via BLE UART module wirelessly
• Can also be programmed from Android or iOS apps

Other benefits

• support the Adafruit open source Bootloader: https://github.com/adafruit_nRF52_Arduino
• easier for developers using Jlink interface for development and debugging
• USB port with serial access
• LiPo battery charger and USB charger
• Rich indicator LED
• User can customise key definitions in the module

14 Reasons why you should choose iTracker (RAK8211-NB0

• 1. Multiple Radios
• Support for BLE and GSM on one board for the best of short range and longe range communication use cases.
• 2. Support for GPS
• Can be used as a tracker along with internet connectivity using the onboard GSM module.
• 3. Multiple on board sensors
• IMU sensors enable fine grained orientation details to the developers to develop attachments for quadcopters and collision detection systems.
• 4. Environmental sensors
• BME 280 and the OPT 3001 enable measurement of atmospheric pressure (possibly altitude with some accuracy) and light values for environmental triggers and possible weather station.
• 5. BLE provides low power use cases: with the presence of the nrf52 as the main processor handling the peripheral, we have a rich set of interrupt driven APIs and support for low power modes in software.
• 6. Support for serial bootloader and DFU OTA bootloader
• Makes software programming very easy for developers
• Can use their android phones to send software updates OTA
• 7. Support for various programming platforms
• Arduino IDE
• Nrf52 IoT SDK
• Zephyr
• RiotOS
• Blynk APIs
• Espruino JS APIs
• Contiki OS
• 8. Support for Mbed and pre built libraries for accessing the on-board sensors.
• 9. Small form factor and slim profile makes it easy to integrate the board into existing designs easily.
• 10. Extra GPIO exposed via HOST board provides the ability to add more peripherals to the board.
• 11. HOST board provides serial to UART connector enabling the use of serial bootloader for programming
• 12. 4G LTE and NB IoT variants provide the ability for developers to design products which can leverage the speed of 4G or the light weight NB IoT framework to send and receive data.
• 13. Support for solar panels provides good outdoor usage using just solar energy. coupled with low power mode/sleep mode we can extend the working hours of the module from days to months.
• 14. Support for battery and associated circuit provides flexible standalone operation

Bluetooth effective Distance

In real testing, the Bluetooth with 0dbm, the distance is over 100 metres. The Bluetooth with 4dbm, the distance is over 200 metres.

• Compact-sized multi band NB-IoT module
• Ultra-low power consumption
• Super high sensitivity
• LCC package makes it easy for large volume manufacturing
• Compatible with Quectel GSM/GPRS module. Easy for future upgrading.
• Embedded with abundant internet service protocols
• Fast time to market:
• Reference designs, evaluation tools and timely technical support minimise design-in time and development efforts.

Support 800mA Solar charger TIBQ24210

• Input voltage dynamic power management features (VBUS_DPM)
• Selectable battery tracking mode to maximise the charge rate from solar panel using DPM feature
• Load mode to support loads connected a VBUS pin
• 20-V input rating with overvoltage protection (OVP)
• 1% battery voltage regulation accuracy
• Current charge up to 800mA with 10% charge current accuracy
• Thermal regulation protection for output current control
• Low battery leakage current
• BAT short-circuit protection
• NTC input monitoring
• Built-in safety timer with reset control
• Status indication - charging/power present
• Available in small 2mm x 3mm 10-pin WSON package

BLE Features

• Bluetooth 5.0
• Single chip, highly flexible, 2.4GHz multi protocol
• 32-it ARM Cortex-M4F processor
• 512kB Flash + 64kB RAM
• Supports concurrent Bluetooth low energy/ANT protocol operation
• Up to +4dBm output power
• -96dBm sensitivity, Bluetooth low energy
• 2 data rates (2Mbps/1Mbps)
• PPI-maximum flexibility for power efficient applications and code simplification
• Configurable I/O mapping for analog and digital I/O
• 3 x Master/Slave SPI
• 2 x two-wire interface
• UART (RTS/CTS)
• 3 x PWM
• AES HW Encryption
• 12-bit ADC
• Real Time Counter (RTC)
• Digital microphone interface (PDM)
• On-chip balun
• Over the air (OTA) firmware updates
• Automated power management system with automatic power management of each peripheral.

Applications

• Vehicle tracking / fleet transportation management
• Safety monitoring of old/ young children
• animal protection and animal husbandry management
• Loss of assets / personnel positioning
• Home security
• Street light control
• Factory automation

Parameters

Documentation

• RAK8211 Firmware
• RAK8211 NB Datasheet
• RAK8211 iTracker Adaptor Board Schematic
• RAK8211 iTracker M35 Schematic
• iTracker Arduino Development 
• iTracker Espruino Development
• iTracker Keil Development