SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield - SARA-R4 (with Hologram SIM Card)

The SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield, complete with a Hologram SIM Card, is the perfect tool to empower your Arduino or Arduino-compatible microcontroller with global data network access. This shield offers wireless, high-bandwidth cellular functionality to your IoT project, while maintaining a low power consumption and a small footprint. The shield is designed to easily integrate with your favorite Arduino-based device, thanks to its Arduino R3 footprint.

The heart of this shield is the u-blox SARA-R410M-02B LTE Cat M1/NB-IoT modem. Cat M1 and NB-IoT are both Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies, designed to provide cellular communication to small IoT devices. These technologies operate on LTE network bands, just like most smartphones, and are supported by most cellular network carriers. The u-blox SARA-R4 module communicates over a UART via a simple AT command set. Sparkfun has provided a library to help you get started with everything from sending SMS text messages to communicating with servers over a TCP/IP connection. Additionally, both the module and library support an I²C GPS interface via a Qwiic connector, so you can plug in a u-blox GPS module and start remotely tracking your project.

The SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield comes with a ceramic, Molex 1462000001 SMD antenna. The antenna has a gain of 3.8dBi around 1.7GHz to 2.7GHz. However, if you prefer to use an external antenna, there is a U.FL connector that can be utilized by simply slicing through a jumper with a hobby knife.

Please be aware that you will need to supply and solder on your own headers before attaching it to your Arduino based device. If you have your own SIM, Sparkfun also offers this shield without a card included.

Note: Be sure to check the Hardware Overview section in the Hookup Guide for compatible GPS modules. The onboard Qwiic connector is only designed to support u-blox-based GPS modules. It does not support any other GPS modules or sensors. Sparkfun is continuously adding more modules, so be sure to check back regularly for updates!

Includes:

• 1x SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield
• 1x Hologram SIM Card

Documents:

• Schematic
• Eagle Files
• Hookup Guide
• Datasheets for SARA-R4 and Ceramic Antenna
• Hologram SIM Card Product Page
• SARA-R4 AT Command Set
• Arduino Library
• GitHub