Communications specialist Semtech has announced a partnership with Oxit to offer Internet of Things (IoT) device builders a single device for working with both Amazon’s proprietary Sidewalk network and any LoRaWAN connection worldwide: the OxTech Multi-Connectivity Module.

“Original Equipment Manufacturers [OEMs] wanting to build a single hardware device for both Amazon Sidewalk and AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN are now able to, thanks to the OxTech Multi-Connectivity Module,” says Oxit chief executive officer Josh Cox. “Customers can now not only use the same module for connecting devices to both networks with an integrated network stack, but they can also write their own applications directly on the module, simplifying deployment and speeding time to market.”

The idea behind the OxTech module is simple: it offers fully-certified connectivity to Amazon’s AWS IoT Core cloud endpoint over either a LoRaWAN connection or Amazon’s Sidewalk network – a proprietary IoT connectivity system which uses LoRa-based long-range backhaul and turns selected Echo and Ring devices into gateways for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices.

The module combines Semtech SX1262 and SiLabs EFR32MG24 chips, giving it a 32-bit Arm Cortex-M33 processor running at up to 32MHz, 256kB of static RAM (SRAM), 1,536kB of flash, and LoRa, FSK, and Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy (BLE) radio capabilities, with Oxit’s software stack, and runs the Sidewalk and LoRaWAN sides independently – meaning a OxTech-based device can connect to one, the other, or both simultaneously, depending on need.

“Semtech’s LoRa technology is recognized as the de facto long-range, low-power wireless technology for smart IoT solutions in many industries, and it is the foundational technology powering the OxTech Multi-Connectivity Module,” says Semtech’s Tom Mueller. “Being able to use both networks for applications gives diverse network requirements and reliable coverage, opening a breadth of opportunities for applications, including asset tracking, smart home, smart building, smart city, and many more.”

More information on the OxTech Multi-Connectivity Module is available on the Oxit website; pricing has not been disclosed.

News Source: Hackster