New series of KCMCA6S sub-GHz WM-Bus modules

These modules are based on Silicon Labs’ EFR32FG23 chipset and are designed to operate in the 868MHz, 169MHz and 433MHz bands. They feature an ARM Cortex-M33 processor with a frequency of up to 78MHz.

The inclusion of WM-Bus into the KG200Z module means that this series continues to support the WM-Bus protocol, alongside other wireless proprietary protocols that are based on Sub-GHz and comply with the EN13757-4 standard. Consequently, these modules are suitable for smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system deployments.

The series offers a compact, all-in-one WM-Bus solution with an integrated MCU, Sub-GHz transceiver, built-in software stack, and flexible configuration modes, which eliminates the need for third-party protocol stack integration and is intended for space-constrained metering applications.

According to Quectel, the main distinction between the two variants in the series, the KCMCA6S (with SAW) and the KCMCA6S-N (without SAW), lies in the inclusion of a built-in Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter, which reduces the interference from cellular communications, which is particularly important for devices integrating both WM-Bus and cellular technologies such as NB-IoT or Cat-1.

WM-Bus technology is now a widely adopted standard for deployments of smart meters in the water, electricity, gas and heat sectors across Europe and some countries in the Middle East, notably as a connectivity enabler for AMI systems.

This installed base for the technology demonstrates its wide applicability to other IoT connectivity scenarios.

The KCMCA6S series has been launched to support developers’ needs for modules that offer connectivity in the variable Sub-GHz frequency plus multiple interfaces, an operating temperature range of -40 °C to +85 °C and compact size.

The KCMCA6S series will support multiple WM-Bus communication modes, including T,C,S,R,N and F and has been designed to deliver efficient transmission through a low-power architecture with dynamic multi-mode switching and flexible frequency configuration alongside integrated multi-later security mechanisms.

The modules are in an LCC form factor with highly compact dimensions of 25.4mm x 14.0mm x 2.9mm to help developers and designers optimise the cost of their end products. In addition, the modules incorporate integrated 32 KB RAM and 256 KB Flash memory.