XPLR-IOT-1 Multipurpose Explorer Kit

u-blox's XPLR-IOT-1 explorer kit is a ready-to-use development platform with key IoT components and services for many different use cases and applications. The XPLR-IOT-1 IoT explorer kit includes GNSS, cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technology, along with cloud communications services. The pre-loaded firmware establishes internet connectivity, activates the sensors, and then sends the sensor data over MQTT messages through the u-blox Thingstream IoT service platform to a web-based dashboard.

The kit includes everything needed for an out-of-the-box experience and the initial setup is fast and easy. With only a few initial manual steps, the kit can publish data to the cloud and demonstrate a complete end-to-end solution. A rechargeable battery allows portable operation. For position, a low-power GNSS receiver provides accurate data. The explorer kit also has integrated sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, and ambient light, along with a magnetometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, and battery gauge.

The XPLR-IOT-1 is preconfigured for cellular networks in many countries across the globe thanks to its embedded SIM. Alternatively, the user can leverage the available nano-SIM slot to connect with a network operator of choice. When connecting with the u-blox MQTT Anywhere service, the XPLR-IOT-1 kit uses the MQTT-SN protocol for power- and data-efficient communication to the Thingstream platform.

If Wi-Fi is preferred, the built-in Wi-Fi module and the u-blox MQTT Now service offer an alternate route to the cloud. The XPLR-IOT-1 kit comes with pre-flashed application software that is also available as source code. It collects sensor and positioning data from the device for publication to the Thingstream platform, where the Data Flow Manager receives and processes the data. The available Node-RED programming example shows a quick and easy dashboard visualization of the data.

The device is controlled with the Nordic Semiconductor nRF5340 wireless System-on-Chip (SoC) in the NORA-B1 wireless MCU module. Features include a dual-core Arm^® Cortex^®-M33 MCU with up to 128 MHz / 64 MHz clock frequency and 512 + 64 kB RAM memory and 1024 + 256 kB Flash. The SoC can host custom applications developed with the Nordic nRF Connect SDK or the Zephyr development environment.

Resources

• XPLR-IOT-1 Quick Start Guide
• u-blox GitHub