Expand your wireless reach with a 30mm x 35mm System-on-Module that's compatible with any Cellular Notecard-based design.
The Blues Wireless story began with prepaid low-power cellular, all wrapped up in a developer-friendly package. Today we mark a new chapter as we bring another connectivity option online: the Wi-Fi Notecard.
Cellular is the most ubiquitous (and secure) network connectivity option available. However, we’ve heard from many customers who also wanted a Wi-Fi option. Why? Well, you provided us with two key use cases:
Let’s see how the Wi-Fi Notecard can help.
While there is no shortage of Wi-Fi modules available for IoT developers, the Wi-Fi Notecard differentiates itself in five key ways:
If you’re working on an IoT deployment that has mixed access to Wi-Fi and cellular, the Wi-Fi Notecard is fully hardware-interchangeable with the Cellular Notecard on any Notecarrier. This allows you to use different connectivity methods on the same PCB design with the same antennas.
Building off of the “swappable” nature of the Wi-Fi Notecard, you can continue to use the same Notecard APIs you’ve been using with the Cellular Notecard (the exception being any Wi-Fi or cellular/GPS-specific requests and responses!).
// Wi-Fi or Cellular:
{
"req": "note.add",
"file": "sensors.qo",
"body": {"temp": 72.22 },
"sync": true
}
The Wi-Fi Notecard and Notehub.io provide end-to-end data security: from your device, to Notehub.io, and to your cloud using TLS. You can also optionally encrypt your data.
Like the cellular Notecard, the Wi-Fi Notecard is low-power by default, to the tune of ~8uA when idle. Network connectivity over Wi-Fi is only used on a periodic basis by default, meaning your device doesn’t have to sustain a network connection, thus saving power.
One of the advantages of the cellular Notecard is its zero-friction getting started experience, free from device provisioning and certificate management. We’ve also made the Wi-Fi Notecard setup experience as easy as possible by providing both an API to connect to a Wi-Fi access point (via card.wifi):
{
"req":"card.wifi",
"ssid":"<ssid name>",
"password":"<password>"
}
…or alternatively through a UI on your smartphone to select the Wi-Fi access point you need:
We welcome you to accelerate your IoT solution with the new Wi-Fi Notecard!
Buy a standalone Wi-Fi Notecard, or buy a Feather starter kit or Raspberry Pi starter kit that include Cellular AND Wi-Fi Notecards.
Regardless of the Notecards you buy (cellular or Wi-Fi), you can follow the same quickstart experience.
Happy Hacking…on Wi-Fi! 👩💻