Originally published at: https://blog.particle.io/2019/10/16/b-series-system-on-module/
Particle has discontinued development of Particle Mesh, our OpenThread-based mesh networking solution, and will no longer be manufacturing the associated Xenon development board. Particle will continue investing in its other “Gen 3” products, the flagship cellular (Boron) and Wi-Fi (Argon) product lines. Read more about the deprecation here.
Last year we released the Boron development kit, a product designed to take your connected projects from inspiration to reality. Brimming with radios, the Boron features an LTE modem, an 802.15.4 mesh radio, plus BLE and NFC support all in the space of a stick of gum.
Today we continue to innovate the hardware and software available for building cellular connected products. Meet the B402, an LTE CAT M1 System-on-Module that shrinks the Boron into a size perfect for mass production and comes FCC and PTCRB certified — saving you time and money. Single units of the B402 and the Evaluation Board are available in the Particle retail store today. For customers ready to scale now, please contact sales for volume orders.
B402: smaller and ready for mass production
To achieve this new, 32mm x 42mm footprint, the B Series uses a new form factor and a new connector.
About the size of a postage stamp, the B402 is an enterprise-grade SoM that is designed to provide maximum flexibility in a cost-effective, efficient package. While the module is smaller than the Boron, the B402 comes packed with all the same radios you’ve come to expect from its larger cousin. The B402 is a smaller, ready-for-mass-production.
To achieve this new, 32mm x 42mm footprint, the B Series uses a new form factor and a new connector. This module is the first Particle product to use the M.2 connector and why we’re able to pack so much into such a small space.
Take the B402 for a test drive with the new Evaluation Board available now in the Particle retail store.
Using the industry standard M.2 connector is just one of the ways that the B402 is designed to help you prepare for the future. And it’s a connector you shouldn’t have trouble sourcing. It’s used in everything from hard drives to laptops and is able to support high-speed communication and is optimized for future-compatibility.
Learn how to integrate your custom PCB with the B402, review the B402 app notes, and dive deep into the technical internal with the datasheet.
Build with maximum design flexibility
The B402 and all B Series modules are designed from the start to help you go from low volume to mass production. We’ve taken our years of experience working with product creators going from prototype to production and integrated many of those hard lessons into the module design.
One of the biggest areas of focus during the B402 design was to provide you with hardware and software that works today and prepares you and your fleet for success tomorrow. Specifically for B402 this means moving away from a castellated edge design familiar from the E Series and the introduction of a new, future-proof connector. The M.2 form factor gives you the flexibility in development without sacrificing industrial features.
- A SoM design for IoT with cost-effective, minimal integration
- Compact footprint for a more optimization PCB layout
- Future-proofing for your product with intelligent OTA and the new M.2 connector
- Join the network regardless of the radio: LTE CAT M1, 802.15.4, BLE, and even NFC
- Save overall development time and resources with a fully-certified design (FCC / CE / IC / GCF) out of the box to support industrial deployments.
Supporting LTE in North America now, Europe in 2020
The B402 is our first module to support LTE Cat M1. At the time of this announcement, LTE CAT M1 connectivity is available in North America. For customers deploying in Europe, LTE CAT 1 will be available in Q2 2020.
Begin building building with LTE CAT M1 today. Order the B402 with an Evaluation Board and start scaling your fleet. And if you’re already ready to scale, talk to our experts who are ready to help you get your connected product to market.
