What is the 2 cents module from Sigfox?
Sigfox is known for its long range IoT network. It relies currently on active devices, meaning that these devices have batteries to power them.
The 2 cents module introduced during Sigfox Connect will target passive devices. Passive devices are battery less. The energy is coming from an external source through an electromagnetic wave. This is the case of RFID technology for instance. For RFID, the power source is whether called a reader or a gate, and the tag is battery-less. The reader/gate excites the tag to read the information contained within the tag’s memory.
Retail and supply chain industries rely a lot on RFID tags and readers to manage their inventories.
Sigfox’s innovation offers multiple benefits over RFID, on top of being able to be added onto an RFID tag at no extra cost:
- The technology principles are simpler enabling this low cost target of 2 cents.
- The infrastructure will be easier to deploy and maintain, less intrusive and less expensive vs. RFID.
- Longer range. According to Christophe Fourtet, co-founder of Sigfox, it may achieve a 100-meter range, which is a breakthrough for a passive device.
- High Capacity. This is the core of Sigfox protocol, it uses very narrow bandwidth and allows many messages to be sent simultaneously.
It will take about 3 years to Sigfox to industrialize its passive tags and transform its base stations into power sources. The power sources could also be separate units from base stations, whose primary function is to receive (read) information.
Will this 2 cents module replace previous modules enabled by Sigfox? Not at all. It targets different markets than the active tracking devices. Sigfox has first enabled unpowered asset tracking with modules starting from $2, then 20 cents modules for simple and disposable tracking use cases requiring no sensors. It finally goes back to inventory management with this 2 cents one.
CIO | BE Group AB
6 年2 cent asset tracking on a LPWAN with that range/penetration would be great for our needs. 180.000m2 outdoor storage, palleted concrete products were radio normally have a hard time penetrating the product. The low cost tag would mean we could have this on every pallet without need to set up a pallet return system. Id love to see this in action!
SigFox continues innovating StarTrek style... 'to boldly go where no man has gone before'
IIoT
6 年I would like to see it how it will work in urban area. The numbers sounds promissing.
Senior IIOT Technologist at Irish Manufacturing Research
6 年This is great! Another tool to add to our toolbox. There is no "one solution for all", we all have our favourites but each customers needs must be evaluated individually and the appropriate solution offered. I now have another type of screwdriver :)
Driving IoT ecosystem evolution at Cre8 IOT
6 年Harald Naumann, not sure of you have read the below article, if I have read it correctly, tag (device) when reach Beacon proximity , send Beacon ID over SigFox. In this article its passive tag, which Beacon energies and relay the tag ID to SigFox, so if there is 500 tag in one Beacon proximity will the beacon send 500 message per day. Which is more then 140 message limit, and on battery... I am as confused as you are, maybe full disclosure not in place as this great innovation need protection too. I stand to be corrected. Sigfox Bubble, the best beaconing solution https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/sigfox-bubble-best-beaconing-solution-maxime-schacht