Quectel has introduced sub-GHz Wireless M-Bus (WM-Bus) modules based on the Silicon Labs EFR32FG23 chipset.

The KCMCA6S modules operate in the 868, 169 and 433MHz bands and have an Arm Cortex-M33 processor with a frequency up to 78MHz.

Following the inclusion of WM-Bus in the KG200Z module, this module continues the support of the WM-Bus protocol, alongside other wireless proprietary protocols based on sub-GHz. It complies with the EN13757-4 standard, making it suitable for smart metering and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system deployments as well as a broad range of additional applications.

The all-in-one WM-Bus module has an integrated MCU, sub-GHz transceiver, built-in software stack and flexible configuration modes, eliminating the need for third-party protocol stack integration and suitable for space-constrained metering applications. The distinction between the two variants in the series, the KCMCA6S (with SAW) and the KCMCA6S-N (without SAW), lies in the inclusion of a built-in surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter, which helps reduce interference from cellular communications, particularly important for devices integrating both WM-Bus and cellular technologies such as NB-IoT or Cat-1.

WM-Bus technology has become a widely-adopted standard for deployments of smart meters in the water, electricity, gas and heat sectors across Europe and some countries in the Middle East, notably as a connectivity enabler for AMI systems. This installed base for the technology demonstrates its wide applicability to other IoT connectivity scenarios.

The series has been launched to support developers’ needs for modules that offer connectivity in the variable sub-GHz frequency plus multiple interfaces, an operating temperature of -40 to +85˚C and compact size.

“The KCMCA6S series WM-Bus modules are well-suited for smart metering use cases in the well-established European smart metering and AMI systems market and we also foresee a wide range of potential applications across other IoT connectivity scenarios,” said Delbert Sun, vice general manager at Quectel Wireless. “We’re proud to bring these compact modules with multiple interfaces to the market to deliver stable network connections with strong anti-interference and reliable data transmission.”

The series will support multiple WM-Bus communication modes, including T, C, S, R, N and F. The modules have been designed to deliver efficient transmission through a low-power architecture with dynamic multi-mode switching and flexible frequency configuration alongside integrated security mechanisms.

The modules (www.quectel.com/product/wm-bus-kcmca6s-series) are in an LCC form factor with dimensions of 25.4 by 14.0 by 2.9mm to help developers and designers optimise the cost of their end products. In addition, the modules incorporate integrated 32kbyte RAM and 256kbyte flash memory.

Quectel (www.quectel.com) has 5600 employees producing cellular, GNSS, satellite, wifi and Bluetooth modules, as well as antennas and services.