Conexio Technologies, Inc.
Networking
Microcontroller Boards
Funding ended on Jul 18, 2024 at 04:59 PM PDT.
Conexio Stratus Pro is a tiny-yet-powerful development kit for creating cellular-connected electronic projects and products. Powered by the cutting-edge nRF9161 cellular modem from Nordic Semiconductor, Stratus Pro offers unparalleled versatility, reliability, and ease of use, making it the go-to solution for IoT developers worldwide. It is a battery-operated platform, making it ideal for prototyping cellular IoT systems, such as asset tracking, environmental monitoring, smart metering, and even industrial automation.
With LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GPS connectivity packed into a compact form factor, Stratus Pro ensures your devices stay connected in any environment. It enables real-time data transmission and location tracking with minimal power consumption. Future-proof your IoT projects with DECT NR+ readiness, ensuring compatibility with emerging cellular standards for enhanced performance and longevity.
Stratus Pro also supports platforms like Edge Impulse, Memfault, and Golioth, leveraging machine learning (ML) to provide seamless Over-the-Air (OTA) updates to your devices. ML capabilities are extremely helpful in implementing predictive maintenance in scenarios where uninterrupted operation is particularly important, such as in smart factories. For easy data visualization and dashboard creation, Stratus Pro also connects to Datacake, a low-code IoT platform that requires no programming.
Thanks to the nPM1300 PMIC and fuel gauge, you can remotely monitor your Stratus Pro’s battery vitals and charging status. Stratus Pro also has built-in charging circuitry that makes it easier to connect to and recharge the Li-Po battery, creating fully energy-autonomous applications.
In numerous battery-operated IoT applications, devices primarily spend most of its time in low-power mode. Hence, minimizing overall power consumption of Stratus Pro during this mode was a paramount design objective. We are thrilled with the outcome and have confirmed that Stratus Pro consumes less than 9 µA in its ultra-low power state.
Designed to be adaptable, Status Pro also embraces modularity. Its QWIIC connector and feather-compatible 28 header pins are ready to integrate with compatible modules, allowing you to extend its functionality with additional hardware like cameras, thermometers, or ultrasonic distance sensors.
In addition, the Conexio Stratus Pro is equipped with a USB Type-C port, enhancing its connectivity options. This port allows for easy connection with a wide range of devices and accessories, making charging, debugging, and programming a breeze.
Each Stratus Pro debvice comes pre-loaded with 500 MB of IoT data and 250 SMS messages, valid for 10 years, no strings attached.
Whether you’re deploying IoT solutions locally or internationally, Stratus Pro has you covered. With service availability in over 100 countries, you can confidently connect your devices anywhere, anytime. And if you want to migrate Stratus Pro to your local network of choice or provider, the switch is easy with eSIM and software SIM support.
To make the application and project development with Conexio Stratus Pro fun and fast for low-level application designers and novices alike, we made Stratus compatible with nRF Connect for Visual Studio Code. Using the nRF Connect plugin, you can build, compile, and deploy code to the Stratus Pro with minimal effort. Create projects with nRF Connect SDK and Zephyr RTOS with built-in templates created by the Conexio team.
MCU: Nordic nRF9161 SiP
Modem
Included cellular Data
Power Management IC: Nordic nPM1300
Charging IC: Texas Instruments BQ25185
External Storage:
Power
Onboard sensors
I/O
Size: 66.04 mm x 25.40 mm
Here is the updated table with a space added before the ~
for each edited cell:
Conexio Stratus Pro | Actinius Icarus | nRF9160 Feather | AVR IoT Mini | Arduino MKR NB1500 | Particle BRN404X | Sparkfun MicroMod Cellular | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manufacturer | Conexio | Actinius | Circuitdojo | Microchip | Arduino | Particle | Sparkfun |
CPU | nRF9161 | nRF9160 | nRF9160 | AVR128DB48 | SAMD21 | nRF52840 | STM32 |
NB-IoT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
LTE-M | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GNSS/GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
DECT NR+ Ready | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Preloaded Cellular Data (MB) | 500 | 10 | 10 | 150 | No | No | 500 |
Cellular data validity | 10 years | 90 days | N/A | 90 days | N/A | N/A | 10 years |
SMS Data | 250 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
I/O Pins | 36 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 24 |
Fuel gauge | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
e-SIM footprint | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
LEDs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sensor power gating | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Buttons | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Power switch | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Debugging connector | Mini SWD | Tag Connect | Tag Connect | Yes | No | Mini SWD | No |
External flash storage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
QWIIC connector | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Energy harvester | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
USB-C interface | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Lipo battery charger | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Breadboard compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
VS Code extension | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
Dimension (mm) | 66.04 x 25.4 | 50.8 x 22.8 | 50.8 x 22.8 | 23.78 x 81.69 | 25 x 67.6 | 22.86 x 50.8 | 61 x 37.50 |
Open Source Hardware & Software | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Deep sleep (uA) | 9 | N/A | 10 | 70 | 500 | 110 | N/A |
Price (USD) with soldered headers | 89 | 124 | 103 | 70.37 | 93.2 | 48.95 | 119.95 |
We have made the Stratus Pro sample applications fully open-source to empower users to customize and enhance their devices while fostering a collaborative community. Device schematics will be made available when we are ready to begin shipping boards to our backers.
We welcome questions and discussion on our discussions forum on Github.
Options 1 & 2
Option 3
Stratus Pro hardware has been refined gradually over multiple pre-production revisions. The latest revision has been thoroughly validated and is already being used by a number of pre-production testers and open-source contributors. Each board will be tested prior to shipment to our backers. We have developed working relationships with several contract manufacturers in China, and we trust them to manufacture and assemble Stratus Pro electronics. We are working closely with a number of distributors and vendors—including Nordic Semiconductor, who designed the main nRF9161 SiP module and nPM1300 PMIC, and Symmetry Electronics, to accelerate component acquisition so that we can manufacture Conexio Stratus Pro as quickly as possible after end of the campaign. We expect the first batch of Conexio Stratus Pro to ship to our backers by August of 2024. As always, we’ll keep you up to date on manufacturing developments as they occur! Updates will be posted to the Conexio Discord Channel, as well as on Crowd Supply campaign updates, and sent via email to campaign subscribers.
After the Stratus Pro hardware is manufactured and tested, it will be sent to Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, who will distribute it to the backers worldwide. You can learn more about Crowd Supply’s fulfillment service under Ordering, Paying, and Shipping in their guide.
We are confident in our ability to deliver the Stratus Pro device on time to our backers, but we acknowledge the potential risks and challenges inherent in the development and fulfillment process. These include shipment delays or production delays from our PCB manufacturers.
To reduce the above delays as much as possible, we’ve been working directly with our suppliers, manufacturers, and critical-component vendors to acquire the necessary components as soon as possible. We’ve made arrangements to ensure the manufacturing process will start as soon as possible once all necessary components are on hand.
Please be confident that our team is fully prepared to address these challenges as we have done this before. We will keep our backers informed of any updates or potential delays throughout the project’s timeline. We are dedicated to delivering Stratus Pro as promised, and with your support, we can unlock the full potential of accelerating the device to cloud connectivity via Stratus Pro.
Conexio Stratus Pro is part of Nordic Community Hub
NRF9161-LACA-R7
· microcontroller
manages cellular, GPS, and other RTOS-related operations
nPM1300-QEAA-R7
· PMIC
overall board power management
"Nordic nRF9161 SiP in a Feather form factor with data included."
" Internet of Things (IoT) developers are constantly seeking tools that enable them to create innovative solutions quickly and efficiently. Cellular IoT prototyping platforms have emerged as a catalyst in this domain..."
Produced by Conexio Technologies, Inc. in Chicago, IL.
Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.
Includes 1 x Conexio Stratus Pro main board + soldered male headers and global IoT SIM with prepaid 500 MB cellular data.
Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.
From the Crowd Supply Basics project.
LTE/GPS 100 mm Combo Flexible Antenna, uses Protocols: Cellular (NBIoT, LTE), GSM, UMTS BEIDOU, GLONASS, GPS. Gain: 2.3 dBi, 2.5 dBi, 4.5 dBi, 5.4 dBi, 7 dBi. Coax frequency range: 698 MHz - 5 GHz. 10 Band, Adhesive Mount, 119.4 mm x 19.4 mm
Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.
From the Crowd Supply Basics project.
Pre-programmed camera module with algorithms that detect nearby faces, quantity of faces, where they are relative to the device, facial recognition, and return information over a simple Qwiic I2C interface. Low power (~150 mW).
Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.
From the Crowd Supply Basics project.
Adafruit Accessories STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable - 100mm Long
Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.
Includes 1 x Conexio Stratus Pro main board + soldered male headers and global IoT SIM with prepaid 500 MB cellular data.
Want to buy this item? Check the current project page for the latest information.
Chicago, IL · conexiotech.com
Conexio, simplifying your connected IoT product journey.