Cat M1 and NB-IoT are currently the two most popular IoT connection options. Understanding the applications and their differences is important to find the right technology to support a particular application. This article clarifies the main differences and applications between NB-IoT and Cat-M1.
The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in the past few years is well documented, and experts predict that the number of IoT devices will reach 75 billion. To promote this emergence, project managers and developers look for IoT device connections to support the specific range, bandwidth, and data load they need to cover, so that they can successfully bring their innovative ideas to the market.
Although technically speaking, any connection can accomplish this work, choosing the perfect IoT solution for your project can improve service quality, save costs and operational efficiency, create a competitive advantage, and allow enterprises to innovate without any worries. . The two more popular IoT connection types today are LTE CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.
The following are the differences between LTE CAT M1 and NB-IoT, and which one is best for your IoT project.
LTE-M (LTE Cat-M or Cat-M1) is a new mobile data standard suitable for the growing LPWA or low-power wide-area market. It is most suitable for low-to-medium data transmission over long distances.
Cat-M1 provides fast enough bandwidth to replace many current 2G and 3G IoT applications. It differs from NB-IoT in several other respects: Cat-M1 supports cell tower switching, so it is suitable for mobile applications such as asset tracking and fleet management. It also supports voice functions in IoT applications, such as medical alarm devices and home alarm systems, where people’s ability to talk is very important.
The standard uses 1.4 MHz bandwidth and has enough throughput to transmit firmware, software, and other security updates to IoT devices, including the mature Linux operating system-something that NB-IoT cannot do. In addition, Cat-M1 supports full-duplex and half-duplex, which means that companies can reduce power consumption and extend battery life by choosing half-duplex. It has an upload and download speed of 1Mbps and a lower latency of 10 to 15 milliseconds, making it faster.
The most common applications of Cat-M1 include wearable devices such as fitness bracelets, smart watches and automated teller machines (ATM), as well as asset tracking, health monitoring and alarms. It is also widely used in metering applications, security monitoring, building monitoring systems and telematics.
NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things or NB1) is another new mobile data standard for the growing market for low-power wireless applications (LPWA). NB-IoT has an uplink speed of 66kbps and a download speed of 26kbps in half-duplex mode, which means that data is only transmitted in one direction at a time. It also has a delay of 1.6 to 10 seconds.
It operates in a very narrow bandwidth (180 kHz) and can be deployed in the guard band part of the LTE network, which is located between the channels in the unused part of the spectrum. Therefore, it is suitable for IoT projects with a wide range of coverage, and the range provided is seven times that of current technologies such as CAT M1, which is impressive. NB-IoT provides better protection of buildings and obstacles.
NB-IoT relies on simple waveforms to connect, and it consumes very little power compared to LTE Cat M1. Therefore, NB-IoT devices can provide better penetration of buildings and obstacles. This also means that NB-IoT devices cannot send as much data as LTE Cat M1.
The most common applications of NB-IoT include smart gas meters, water meters and electricity meters, smart city applications, such as smart street lights and parking sensors, and other remote sensing applications that send data infrequently or in large amounts. This includes HVAC controls, industrial monitors and agricultural sensors that monitor irrigation systems and detect leaks.
Post time: Aug-18-2021