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SparqEE boards available exclusively from RS Components bring cellular connectivity to Raspberry Pi and Arduino

CELLv1.0 2G+3G module and shield adapter boards will make cellular ubiquitous in the Raspberry Pi and Arduino development communities
2014-10-16 11:00 5457

SINGAPORE, Oct. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE: ECM), the global distributor for engineers, is now taking orders for the new SparqEE development boards, which have been designed to enable easy cellular connectivity and Internet access for projects based on the Raspberry Pi and Arduino platforms.

RS252 CELLv1.0
RS252 CELLv1.0

 

RS252-CELLv1.0 ecosystem
RS252-CELLv1.0 ecosystem

 

A total of seven new SparqEE boards are available to order exclusively from RS, including the CELLv1.0 -- a tiny cellular development board that implements a 2G+3G chipset to provide wireless worldwide. This means that the CELLv1.0 module will use 3G primarily and only revert to 2G when 3G is not available. In addition, the CELLv1.0 measures only 36 x 42 x 7mm, making it the smallest cellular module currently available on the market.

Each SparqEE CELLv1.0 cellular board will be shipped from RS with a global 3G SIM card that delivers worldwide coverage. Users will then be able to login to a website and use their credit card to buy data or set up a direct debit for on-going data usage. The increase in range permitted by cellular communications enables a number of potential applications for developers and is ideal for 'small data' projects that need to operate over very long distances, even potentially to another country or continent. Suitable projects are likely to be sensor-based low-bandwidth-data projects that will send low amounts of data over the Internet.

To enable easy compatibility, as part of the new range, the ShieldRv1.0 and ShieldAv1.0 are shields or adapters that connect the CELLv1.0 respectively to Raspberry PI and Arduino boards without any additional wiring. In addition, breakouts are provided for the four remaining SparqEE boards should users prefer to connect any of these boards directly to the shield.

The four additional boards are the: GPSv1.0 receiver board, which implements an Antenova M10478 GPS module based on the SiRFstarIV 9333 GPS chipset; the POWERv1.0 board, which converts an unregulated power supply to the +5V and +3.3V supply rails required by most embedded development systems; the RELAYv1.0 board, which provides a wide input range relay for driving high-current and high-voltage peripherals; and finally the ACCELv1.0 board, which provides a wide-input-range Analog Devices ADXL345 three-axis accelerometer.

Coverage specifications of the CELLv1.0 module include WCDMA/HSDPA 2100/1900/900MHz, delivering 384Kbps or DL3.6Mbps HSDPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz. Wired connectivity options include a serial UART interface (3.3V or 5V) and USB 2.0 interface. Electrical specifications include an input voltage of +3.7V to +5V, powered via USB cable or via the header pins; current draw of less than 5mA in standby, typically less than 75mA active (without services), and less than 500mA (average working) and 2.3A maximum. Windows, Linux and Android software drivers are available via ZTE.

The SparqEE boards are available to order from RS globally at www.rs-online.com for delivery from August 2014.

About RS Components
RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc, the global distributor for engineers. With operations in 32 countries, we offer around 500,000 products through the internet, catalogues and at trade counters to over one million customers, shipping more than 44,000 parcels a day. Our products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, include semiconductors, interconnect, passives and electromechanical, automation and control, electrical, test and measurement, tools and consumables.

Electrocomponents is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year ended 31 March 2014 had revenues of GBP1.27bn.

For more information, please visit the website at www.rs-components.com.

RS Components
Tan Soo Chun
Public Relations Manager - Asia Pacific
Email: soochun.tan@rs-components.com
Telephone: +65-6391-5745

Edelman Public Relations (Singapore)
Yvette Yeo
Manager
Email: yvette.yeo@edelman.com
Telephone: +65-6347-2355

Further information is available via these links:
@RSElectronics; @alliedelec; @designsparkRS
RS Components on Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-components 
RS Components on Weibo
http://e.weibo.com/u/3206377000?type=0 

Relevant Links:
Electrocomponents plc
www.electrocomponents.com 
RS Components
www.rs-online.com/ 
DesignSpark
www.designspark.com 

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140920/8521405432-a
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140920/8521405432-b 
Logo - http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2011/05/04/20110504368830.jpg

Source: RS Components Singapore
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