Sigfox Technology Overview
Low-cost Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet Connectivity
Sigfox is a cellular technology created by the Sigfox company, who is deploying the technology via third-party operators. Sigfox is designed to create low-cost, very power efficient connections for Machine-to-Machine and IoT devices through a network of base-stations that is set up by the Sigfox operators. It is one of the leading technologies for LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network).
Internet Connectivity using Just One Simple Component
This means that a device manufacturer can connect to an Internet network directly, without installing a gateway — the Sigfox base-station is the gateway. Where there is Sigfox coverage, one Sigfox RF module is the only component needed to have full connectivity to internet-based networks.
Sigfox is Ideal for Low-Data Rate IoT
The base-station operator and Sigfox will charge the device owner a fee based on the amount of data sent to the Sigfox network. This makes the up-front investment very low for anyone creating devices that needs a low data-rate connection to the Cloud or to any other internet application.
Sigfox uses Ultra Narrow Band (UNB) radio technology to create a low-cost LPWAN radio network with very long range. UNB’s downside is its date-rate limitations.
Sigfox transmits on 868 MHz in Europe and 915 MHz in the US and Asia, within the regulatory requirements for a license-free radio. The data-rate is limited by the Sigfox network to 140 uplink messages per day and 4 downlink messages per day, where each message can be up to 12 bytes long in the uplink and 8 bytes in the downlink.
Excellent Base-Station Range/IoT Coverage
The density of the cells in the SIGFOX network is based on an average range of about 30-50 km in rural areas. In urban areas, where there are usually more obstructions and greater radio frequency noise, the range may be reduced to between 3 and 10 km.
Benefits of the Sigfox Technology for Wireless IoT Device Manufacturers
It is a lightweight protocol which handles smaller messages efficiently: It uses only 26 bytes (including addressing and security) to transport 12 bytes of application data. Hence it uses less protocol overhead compared to conventional wireless systems. |
 Two-way communication: Devices can also be controlled or configured by the Cloud service. |
 Low power technology with long battery lifetime. |
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 Sigfox technology supports LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area) coverage and is ideal for low data rate IoT applications. |
 Used in many applications, including: Smart city, environmental sensors, metering, automotive, heat management. |
 Robust technology that uses signal processing algorithms to protect against interferences. |
Sigfox is deployed in 32 countries, covering 2,300,000 km². And increasing day by day. |
More details on the Sigfox technology is found on the Sigfox website: www.sigfox.com
Radiocrafts also offers Sigfox module with integrated wireless sensor interfaces that allow users to build complete connected sensor nodes with just the RF module and the sensors. This creates a very compact, low-cost solution with very low power dissipation.
Radiocrafts offers a series of Sigfox modules: The RC1682-SIG for Europe and the RC1692HP-SIG for USA, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, etc. Learn more about our Sigfox RF modules here.
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