Quectel Wireless Solutions has introduced the KCMCA6S series sub-GHz Wireless M-Bus (WM-Bus) modules. Based on the Silicon Labs EFR32FG23 chipset, the modules operate in the 868MHz, 169MHz and 433MHz bands and feature an ARM Cortex-M33 processor with a frequency of up to 78MHz.
Following the inclusion of WM-Bus in to the KG200Z module, this series continues the support of the WM-Bus protocol, alongside other wireless proprietary protocols based on Sub-GHz, and comply with the EN13757-4 standard, making them well suited for smart metering and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system deployments as well as a broad range of additional applications.
The KCMCA6S series provides a compact, all-in-one WM-Bus solution with an integrated MCU, Sub-GHz transceiver, built-in software stack, and flexible configuration modes, eliminating the need for third-party protocol stack integration and suitable for space-constrained metering applications. The key distinction between the two varients in the series, the KCMCA6S (with SAW) and the KCMCA6S-N (without SAW), rests in the inclusion of a built-in Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter, which helps minimise interference from cellular communications, particularly important for devices integrating both WM-Bus and cellular technologies such as NB-IoT or Cat-1.
WM-Bus technology has become a widely-adopted standard for deployments of smart meters in the water, electricity, gas and heat sectors across Europe and some countries in the Middle East, significantly as a connectivity enabler for AMI systems. This installed base for the technology reflects its wide applicability to other IoT connectivity scenarios. The KCMCA6S series has been launched to support developers’ needs for modules that offer connectivity in the variable Sub-GHz frequency plus multiple interfaces, an operating temperature range of -40 °C to +85 °C and compact size.
“The KCMCA6S series WM-Bus modules are well-suited for smart metering use cases in the well-established European smart metering and AMI systems market and we also foresee a wide range of potential applications across other IoT connectivity scenarios,” said Delbert Sun, Vice General Manager and Product Head, Quectel Wireless Solutions. “We’re proud to bring these compact modules with multiple interfaces to the market to deliver stable network connections with strong anti-interference and reliable data transmission.”
The KCMCA6S series will support multiple WM-Bus communication modes, including T,C,S,R,N and F. The modules have been designed to deliver efficient transmission through a low-power architecture with dynamic multi-mode switching and flexible frequency configuration alongside integrated multi-later security mechanisms.
The modules are in an LCC form factor with highly compact dimensions of 25.4mm x 14.0mm x 2.9mm to help developers and designers optimise the cost of their end products. In addition, the modules incorporate integrated 32 KB RAM and 256KB Flash memory.
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