The STEVAL ASTRA1B multi-connectivity assessment platform by STMicroelectronics offers a complete set of tools to create a complete proof of concept for system for tracking assets. It is powered by batteries and has smaller dimensions The evaluation kit comes with firmware that can be used to make development easier for specifically targeted applications, such as monitoring of livestock fleet management, monitoring of fleets and logistics.
The kit allows users to evaluate ST’s world-first short and longer-range STM32 Wireless System-on-Chip (SoC) products. Its STM32WL55JC sub-GHz SoC that supports long-range connections (LPWAN) incorporates the LoRaWAN protocol, and offers LoRa, (G)FSK, (G)MSK along with BPSK modulations. Another wireless SoC is the STM32WB5MMG device that supports 2.4GHz Bluetooth(r) low Energy as well as Zigbee(r) connections. Every device comes with the Arm(r) Cortex(r)-M4 base that is used for application processing , and a separate Cortex-M0+ processor to control the radio. The development kit comes with the ST25DV64K Near-field Communication (NFC) chipset that allows secure pairing and communication , as well as an STSAFE A110 secure element that protects security and privacy from hacking. Furthermore, a Teseo-LIV3F miniature GNSS module offers precise and stable outdoor positioning. Many ST sensors have been integrated to assist in monitoring the condition of the asset and the surrounding surroundings.
They include the STTS22H low-voltage ultra-low-power temperature sensors with +-0.5degC precision, HTS221 digital temperature and humidity sensor; LPS22HH barometric sensor and an ultra-low-power 3-axis accelerometer. The LSM6DSO32X is an always-on inertial sensor, which includes a 3D accelerometer as well as a 3D gyroscope that has machine-learning as the core. The STEVAL-ASTRA1B features a sophisticated battery management and power-management system that allows developers to maximize their the runtime of their applications. It comes with the ST1PS02 nano-quiescent synchronous step-down convertor, STBC03 Li-ion battery charging controller, and the TCPP01-M12 USB-C port-protection chip. The users can benefit from an extensive ecosystem of tools and software to “road test” applications currently in development. These include the FP-ATR ASTRA1 STM32Cube software function pack that includes the firmware libraries as well as typical applications examples. The asset tracking feature is available through ST’s mobile application, which is available on the Apple Store and Google Play. The DSH-ASSETRACKING cloud-based dashboard on the web facilitates the creation of an end-to end proof of concept and is available for free to demonstrate the concept.
