A leading cellular IoT chipset provider, Sony Semiconductor, announced the Altair ALT1255, a new low-power NB2 chipset.

The ALT1255 is 5G ready and features an integrated SIM (iSIM), rich application layer, user MCU, and GSM/GPRS fallback modem. The ALT1255 chipset entitles device manufacturers to develop low-power, cost-sensitive connected devices at an international scale to monitor, manage, and control critical infrastructure, logistic trackers, medical devices, and a large variety of LPWA applications.

After selected as a key module player, the ALT1255 platform is now made commercially available. Based on the LTE-M/NB ALT1250 chipset, Sony Semiconductor has developed the ALT1255 in-house and leverages its mature, widely recognized, and globally certified NB/2G technology.

Within the Altair product family, the chipsets share the software architecture, modem application and networking layer, and APIs for quick and easy integration. The built-in iSIM ALT1255 eliminates the cost, size, and power barriers and adds an additional layer of protection. The GSM/GPRS modem fills the gaps in the LPWA network coverage and enables future-proof technology deployment in countries with mixed 2G/NB coverage.

Besides, ALT1255 incorporates a low-power ARM Cortex-M4 MCU, totally isolated from the features of the modem and built to operate a range of IoT and sensing applications, as well as an interconnect adaptation layer within the current ecosystem. The solution offers out-of-the-box safe cloud connectivity, using various communication protocols approved by the industry, such as power-efficient COAP and LWM2M.

Dima Feldman, VP of Product Management and Marketing at Sony Semiconductor, said, “The market shows a growing need for a feature-rich, fully integrated NB-IoT cellular chipset with 2G fallback. Module designs based on the ALT1255 will provide reliable connectivity for smart meters, logistics, telematics, and smart cities applications.”