B Series vs Boron Comparison

#1

Good morning!

I’ve been looking for discussion on the new B Series LTE SoM, but I guess I’ll have to start one.

Its designed to be for mass-production, what are the biggest differences between the B Series and the Boron that would affect mass-production? Obviously it’s a few dollars cheaper, but it also doesn’t include a number of capabilities that the Boron has out of the box. I noticed a size difference, too.

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https://docs.particle.io/datasheets/cellular/b-series-datasheet/
https://docs.particle.io/datasheets/cellular/boron-datasheet/

#2

There’s a table at the top of this post that summarizes some other differences:

https://docs.particle.io/tutorials/hardware-projects/som-first-board/

#3

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks.

#4

Big difference that’s downplayed by Particle (sorry guys!) is that you can’t use a third party SIM card on the B series.

#5

It’s a key component to their business model it seems. Hard to make money on hardware alone. While we’re on the topic, can you not add your own circuitry to allow for a 3rd party sim, similar to what is found on the Boron?

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Also, the chart says some of the Boron chips / circuits are “optional” on the B Series. What does that mean? I understand they’ve left some capability off to allow the developer to customize a cost-effective solution, but I’m not sure what they mean by “optional”. Can you order a B Series with those pieces integrated?

#6

@RobotChicken, the connections for adding an External Nano SIM are not extended to the connector so it cannot be added. As for the “optional” items, they refer to items that a user could add externally on their own “SoM Based Board”. That is, a board you design using a SoM.

#7

Gotcha, thanks.