Nordic Semiconductor has launched the Thingy:91, a cellular IoT prototyping platform that enables instant connectivity, both cellular and GNSSworldwide. Thingy:91 integrates Virtual Antenna® technology, by FRACTUS ANTENNAS, through the TRIO mXTEND™ chip antenna component, using one embedded antenna component for both cellular and GNSS while providing worldwide connectivity from 700 MHz up to 2200 MHz.

The spirit of the new Thingy:91 is allowing IoT platform designers to get a whole design without the need to build the hardware from the beginning, therefore, the time saving and cost saving accelerates time to market and makes easy the rapid IoT platform development. “The Thingy:91 is aimed at professional developers and non-cellular IoT specialists alike. Not only does it allow developers new to the world of cellular IoT to get a PoC up and running very quickly in order to gain necessary project and budget approvals, it also makes turning that PoC into a real product very straightforward, right down to using the same code and development environment” says John Leonard, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Nordic Semiconductor.

Asset tracking is the prime application for the Thingy:91, containers, livestock, people, parcels, equipment, among others, can be easily tracked with this cellular wireless technology. Thingy:91 comes with a cellular asset tracking application out of the box but is not only an asset tracking platform, it can also be used to develop about everything.

“We are excited to help the IoT ecosystem transitioning to embedded antennas. The tiny Thingy:91 is an example of how anyone can easily combine worldwide cellular connectivity and GNSS into a miniature chip antenna and get rid of any external pole” said Dr. Carles Puente, VP Innovation at FRACTUS ANTENNAS.

TRIO mXTEND™, member of the Virtual Antenna® family, features 3 ports, so designers can flexibly use it to fit it in about any wireless architecture including up to three independent radios (e.g. cellular/GNSS/Bluetooth).

Need to know more about Thingy:91’s internal antenna? Application Note for worldwide smart tracking with only one antenna: Mobile and GNSS in a small IoT module.

Watch now the Thingy:91 Webinar.

About Nordic Semiconductor

Nordic Semiconductor has been a provider of integrated electronics design services and products since 1983.
Due to the inherent complexity of integrated device design and manufacturing, assuring that the deliverables are according to our customer’s expectations has always been an integral part of our workflow.

About Fractus Antennas (NN)

Barcelona-based Fractus Antennas SL designs, manufactures and commercializes miniature, off-the-shelf antennas for IoT, mobile connectivity, and short-range wireless devices. Founded as an independent antenna product business in 2015, Fractus Antennas was born out of the main Fractus operation and combines a respected R&D team with proven manufacturing capabilities and scale to bring to market a new generation of antenna products to meet the mobile and wireless connectivity needs of OEMs.