It enables the connection of a large number of simple devices within a radio cell, whereby only a data rate between 600 bit/s and 250 kbit/s is supported as a compromise. The solution is mainly intended for the occasional transmission of small amounts of (sensor) data and is characterized by low energy consumption.

In addition to a specific sensor, networked objects such as smart devices also contain a communication module that establishes the connection with the Internet of Things. The right network is particularly important for such applications.

When it comes to short transmission distances, local networks such as LAN, Wi-Fi or other WLAN solutions (e.g. Bluetooth, ZigBee or even near-field technologies) can be used to connect devices. For longer distances, however, only LoRaWAN or mobile networks can be considered.

Using existing mobile networks (e.g. GPRS, UMTS or LTE) to transmit low data rates from common smart devices would be too expensive. What is needed instead is a solution that offers an optimum balance between technical capabilities and cost efficiency.

The advantages of NB-IoT technology come into play outdoors and indoors, where traditional modules consume more energy due to the weaker signals. The small data packets transmitted at long intervals require a minimum of energy, which is crucial for the main feature of NB-IoT technology, namely the extremely long battery life. The broadband GSM, 3G and 4G modules offer functions such as mobile voice communication, messaging and data transmission at high data rates.

There are clear trends on the market that indicate a growing demand for NB-IoT applications. Endrich, together with its radio module manufacturer Fibocom, wants to be a pioneer in this technology.

The company presented a functional NB-IoT application at electronica to illustrate how to set up a corresponding infrastructure.

The GridEye sensor from Panasonic, which consists of a thermal column array, detects people approaching the stand. The sensor's thermal image consisting of 64 pixels is transmitted to various cloud services via T-Systems' NB-IoT network using an M910-GL LTE CAT-NB1 module from Fibocom.

The average temperature of the sensor pixels and the ambient temperature are stored in one of the cloud servers. Endrich has also set up a cloud server to which all pixel temperatures are sent via the UDP port and stored in a database. The transmitted thermal image can then be displayed on the smartphones of trade fair visitors and on a large terminal display.