Sentrius™ MG100 Gateway with LTE-M/NB-IoT and Bluetooth 5

Recommended for New Design (RND)

Overview

Powered by Laird Connectivity's Pinnacle™ 100 Modem, the Sentrius MG100 Gateway captures data from Bluetooth 5 long range sensors and sends it to the cloud via a global low power cellular (LTE-M/NB-IoT) connection. 

Open Development Device for Custom Application Development 

 Leverage the power and simplicity of Zephyr RTOS programming on the integrated Cortex-M4F microcontroller to tailor your application specifically for your needs. 

There are two application development paths on offer; 

  • Using our Canvas platform firmware and sample applications as the basis for your application giving a head start on your development 
  • Ground up using Zephyr RTOS board files provided by Laird Connectivity 

Flexible Power Options 

Power the gateway with an external USB power supply with product options for a rechargeable backup battery in the event of a short-term power outage. 

Antenna Choice 

Use low-cost internal LTE and Bluetooth antennas or choose the external antenna variants to suit your application environment. 

Software / RTOS Environment:

  • nRF Connect SDK / Zephyr RTOS SDK for customizable applications 

Option for Canvas Device Management 

  • Application development environment to develop Laird Canvas device management 
  • LWM2M and MQTT protocols supported by Canvas firmware for telemetry data transfer to any cloud. 
  • Advanced deployment tools including mobile app (Android and iOS) to register devices, and engineering services support.

Device programming: via Laird Connectivity USB-SWD programming kit (453-00062-K1) and TC2030-CTX 6-pin Dupont TC2030 Plug-of-Nails cable.

LTE-M/NB-IoT radio via Sierra Wireless HL7800 module (Chipset: Altair ALT1250) 

LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 20, 28 

Nordic nRF52840 – Bluetooth v5, Coded PHY (Long range), 1MPHY & 2MPHY support 

Onboard Cortex-M4F Microcontroller – 32-bit @ 64 MHz, 256 KB of RAM, 1 MB internal flash, 8 MB QSPI 

NFC Support and integrated antenna

Certifications – FCC, ISED, CE, UKCA, Bluetooth SIG plus PTCRB, GCF and End Product certified – AT&T and Verizon 

Antenna options – Unique integrated antenna variant plus external variant with SMA connectors 

Battery backup options for mains power outage needs 

Multi-purpose button and three configurable LEDs 

Compact form factor: 110.28 mm x 99.16 mm x 35.32 mm

Customization – Custom branding, packaging, application development all available.

Now an AWS Qualified Device with Amazon!

Amazon AWS is the world’s most popular platform for IoT devices, and our AWS Qualified Device Listing is the latest in our efforts to bring our development efforts directly to the customer. The MG100 is now listed in the AWS Partner Device Catalog, as a validation of the MG100’s compatibility and suitability for use on AWS IoT Core.

In a world of so many choices for wireless hardware, the AWS Qualified Device status is an assurance to customers that the MG100 meets the software and hardware requirements for AWS IoT Core operability.

MG100-AWS-Qualified.png

MVNO Options to get you started

LTE M - Global

Truphone addresses the most complex challenges of building IoT cellular devices by building a dedicated IoT SIM, a global IoT network, and an IoT platform to provide a truly global IoT cellular connectivity service. By partnering with Digi-Key, Truphone provides a one-stop-shop for customers' cellular connectivity requirements.

Learn More

digikey-truphone-logos.png

NB-IoT / LTE M - Europe

Arkessa is a dedicated Internet of Things cellular connectivity services provider, offering world-wide, world-class connectivity solutions that make it easy to design, deploy and manage your IoT devices securely, efficiently, and at scale, whatever your application or business model. With over ten years’ experience as a leading pioneer in IoT connectivity, Arkessa offers dedicated support, technical, and commercial flexibility to Laird Connectivity customers across Europe and beyond.

Learn More

arkessa-logo.png

Specifications

Additional Features
NFC
Accelerometer
Antenna Options
Unique integrated antenna variant plus external variant with SMA connectors
Battery
(optional) 2600 mAh standard capacity Lithium Ion 18650
Bluetooth Version
5
Cellular Carrier
AT&T
Verizon
Certifications
FCC, ISED, EU, UKCA, PTCRB, GCF, AT&T
Input Voltage
2.2 - 5.5 V
Interfaces - General
USB 2.0 Host
MicroSD slot (SDHC, SD Card 2.0)
LTE Category
LTE-M / NB-IoT
Memory
1 MB onboard flash
microSD card support
OS/Software
Software / RTOS Environment: nRF Connect SDK / Zephyr RTOS SDK for customizable applications
Option for Canvas Device Management: Application development environment to develop Canvas device management
Wireless Specification
LTE-M
NB-IoT
Bluetooth 5
NFC

Development Kits

  • 450-00011-K1

    450-00011-K1

    Sentrius MG100 Micro Gateway, LTE-M & NB1 Modem, BLE, MVNO SIM

    Antenna Type
    Internal
    Logical Interfaces
    USB, Micro SD
    Learn More
  • 450-00038-K1

    450-00038-K1

    Sentrius MG100 Micro Gateway, LTE-M & NB1 Modem, BLE, Battery Backup, MVNO SIM

    Antenna Type
    Internal
    Logical Interfaces
    USB, Micro SD
    Learn More
  • 450-00039-K1

    450-00039-K1

    Sentrius MG100 Micro Gateway, LTE-M & NB1 Modem, BLE, External Antenna, MVNO SIM

    Antenna Type
    External
    Logical Interfaces
    USB, Micro SD
    Learn More
  • 450-00054-K1

    450-00054-K1

    Sentrius MG100 Micro Gateway, LTE-M & NB1 Modem, BLE, External Antenna, Battery Backup, MVNO SIM

    Antenna Type
    External
    Logical Interfaces
    USB, Micro SD
    Learn More
  • 453-00062-K1

    453-00062-K1

    Additional Description
    USB-SWD Programming Kit: Includes mainboard, TC2050-IDC Tag Connect cable, 10-pin flat IDC cable, 1.2 m USB cable, and 2-pin jumper
    Learn More

Documentation

Name Part Type Last Updated
Product Brief - MG100 Gateway All Product Brief 03/16/2023
FCC/ISED Certifications - MG100 Gateway All Certification 02/08/2021
Truphone SIM Setup Guide All Application Note 08/12/2020
Product Brief - MG100 Micro-Gateway Power Supply - US Plug All Product Brief 07/08/2021
MG100 / Pinnacle Connect for Android (Google Play Store) All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
MG100 / Pinnacle Connect for iOS (Apple App Store) All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
Hardware Guide - MG100 Gateway All Documentation 12/16/2022
Product Brief - MG100 Micro-Gateway Power Supply - UK Plug All Product Brief 07/08/2021
Product Brief - MG100 Micro-Gateway Power Supply - EU Plug All Product Brief 07/08/2021
EU Certifications - MG100 Micro-Gateway All Certification 12/09/2022
User Guide - Programming the MG100 All Documentation 09/25/2020
Regulatory Information - MG100 All Certification 03/17/2023
Pinnacle_MG100 - Out of Box Demo Applications & Guide (GitHub) All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
Zephyr RTOS – Getting Started Guide (external link) All Documentation 12/16/2022
ISED ICES-003 Issue 7 Declaration of Compliance All Certification 05/18/2021
Application Note - MG100 IP6x COTS Housing Recommendation All Application Note 06/24/2021
Remotely debug your fleet of devices with the Memfault Platform (GitHub) All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
Verizon, Pinnacle 100/453-00011 Listing All Certification 08/23/2021
Verizon, Pinnacle 100/453-00010 Listing All Certification 08/23/2021
AT&T, Pinnacle 100/453-00011 Listing All Certification 08/23/2021
AT&T, Pinnacle 100/453-00010 Listing All Certification 08/23/2021
PCN 8O-2021 - MG100 / Pinnacle 100 / MG100-BT510 Starter Kit All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
Release Notes - Pinnacle 100 DVK, MG100, MG100-CT v6.0.0 All Documentation 12/07/2021
Getting Started with AWS IoT Core - MG100 All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
MG100-BT610 with Cumulocity IoT - Quick Start Guide All Legacy Material 12/16/2022
Release Notes - MG100 and Pinnacle100 - v6.2.0 All Documentation 04/27/2022
Canvas Gateway Firmware - Getting Started Guide All Application Note 12/16/2022
LwM2M Objects for Sensors and Gateways All Documentation 12/19/2022
Sensor Telemetry with Canvas Firmware - Thingsboard Example All Documentation 12/16/2022
Canvas Device Management - Software and Firmware (External Link) All Software 03/06/2023
Flashing Canvas Firmware to the MG100 All Documentation 07/10/2023

FAQ

Does MG100 Gateway support LTE Cat 6?

LTE Cat 6 is a high-speed mobile data technology mainly used in consumer devices for fast internet connectivity. Unfortunately, MG100 Gateway does not support LTE Cat 6. Instead, MG100 supports LTE-M and NB-IoT. LTE-M/NB-IoT are low-power, wide-area network technologies optimized for IoT and M2M applications that require long battery life and extended coverage.

How can I determine the MG100 or Pinnacle100 Modem Signal Strength?

If you would like to see the Modem's signal strength it can be viewed using the "attr get lte_rsrp" command.

Using STTY with the USB-SWD

These instructions are intended for Linux or Macintosh OS. They may work using WSL, Cigwin, or other bash style terminals in Windows although this is untested. 

It may be desired to communicate with a device attached to the USB-SWD without terminal emulation, I.E. Picocom, Screen, Putty.  This can be useful for writing bash scripts, or if you're using Zephyr's "west flash" and would like a quick way to check your output. 

  1. Verify you have the program "stty" available using the command "which stty", if this does not return a value you will need to install it.  Fortunately "stty" generally comes standard with Linux and MacOS.  
  2. Identify your serial device.  This can be done using the command "dmesg -w" then connecting the USB-SWD.  You will see output like this (In Linux).
  3. (Optional) Assign the device name to a variable, for example "DEVICE=/dev/ttyACM0".
  4. Configure "stty" to talk with the device "stty -F $DEVICE 115200 -echo -echoe -echok"
  5. To see output from the device execute "cat $DEVICE &".  This will send serial communication from the device to Linux's standard output.  The "&" is to run this program in the background.
  6. Now press the reset button on the USB-SWD, you should see the output from your device.  In this example the Zephyr "Hello World" example has been flashed to a BT510. 
  7. (Optional) if you would like to send commands back to the device you can use "echo" or add an argument to your shell, "foo() { echo -n -e "$1\r" > $DEVICE; }".  Now commands can be issued directly from the command line, for example "foo "my_command"" will send the string "my_command" to the device. 

How can I access the Out-Of-Box Pinnacle or MG100 UART command line interface?

Both Pinnacle and MG100 both are programmable using Zephyr RTOS. Zephyr is essentially a kernel but compare to other RTOS it has got other software running on its code, like drivers for sensors, logs output and even a shell subsystem.

Besides providing a quick proof of concept, our out-of-box demo software are a good starting point for your own IoT cloud application.
The out-of-box software comes directly with output UART logs that provides immediate information on what is going on in the background.

Within a UART log window open via e.g a terminal software like Putty, it is possible to access a shell command line interface by simply pushing "Tab" on your keyboard as follows :

User-added image

This allows to quickly show or set up multiple different parameters and can be useful for development purposes.

What is the Maximum LTE MTU size with the Pinnacle/MG100?

The max MTU is 1500 bytes but the network operator can set a lower value, it also depends on the Internet Protocol Version (IPV4,IPV6), and the protocol itself (UDP/TCP). If max MTU size is 1500 bytes then :

  • IPV4, default value = 1020 bytes
    For UDP: 8 – 1472 bytes max
    For TCP:  8 – 1460 bytes max
  • IPV6, default value = 1020 bytes
    For UDP: 8 – 1452 bytes max
    For TCP: 8 – 1440 bytes max

If user application send more than the MTU limitation, the module will display those data with several URCS (Unsolicited Result Codes).

Is MG100 compatible with Azure IoT Edge or HUB?

The MG100 is indeed suitable for working with Azure IoT Edge or HUB. However, we don't have anything in term of documentation nor example code that customers can leverage for now.

Why "out of the box" Pinnacle or MG100 UART logs sometimes comes up with Error 922 and 923?

Error 922 can happen if you try closing a socket that was already closed by the server.
Error 923 can happen if trying to send data on a socket that is already closed.

These are very common and expected errors than can happened during normal functioning. Our out of the box software are designed to properly clean up and ignore them.

Customers can use following command to increase the log level of the HL7800 driver at runtime to get more info:

attr set 201 3   <- HL7800 info log level
attr set 201 4  <- HL7800 debug log level

What means the different network states when looking at Pinnacle/MG100 "out of the box" UART logs?

Sometimes you can get a series of network state 0 and 2; in that case it means the modem cannot find any network to join:

  • Network state 0 (Not Registered) means the modem is idle.
  • Network state 2 (Searching) means the modem is searching for a network.

When a modem finds and joins a network, it issues network state such as 1(Registered, Home Network) or 5 (Registered, Roaming).

A network state 3 (Registration Denied) means either the network selected is incorrect for the IoT SIM Card, or the SIM is inactive/disabled.

Do I need to enter an APN when using my Pinnacle/MG100?

You are free to leave the APN (Access Point Name) blank, but we advise to set it up when possible as it's always safest to do so. It's also usually recommended by IoT SIM provider.

Entering an APN often helps to quickly reach proper network frequencies bands. To know exactly what APN you need to enter, please contact your SIM provider.

Entering an APN can be done through either the Pinnacle phone application or via UART with command attr set 196 "apn"

Is MG100 IP rated?

The MG100 has no IP rating.

Some customers may have a need for the MG100 main board to be mounted in an IP6x rated enclosure. In this case, Laird Connectivity has compiled two commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) design recommendations that meet IP6x requirements using readily available components here : Application Note - MG100 IP6x COTS Housing Recommendation

How is MQTT implemented with the Pinnacle 100?

On the Pinnacle 100 MQTT is implemented in the Zephyr IP stack. The MQTT protocol managed by IP stack in Zephyr running on the nRF52840. The MQTT layer uses sockets in order to send and receive data. The HL7800 driver in Zephyr does all the work to expose socket APIs to be used by a user app or other software layers.

This approach provides a lot of flexibility. The Pinnacle 100 supports anything that the Zephyr IP stack supports.

How do I get started with Memfault?

Laird customers get instant access to Memfault's device observability platform for up to 100 devices free forever. To get started with Memfault for remote debugging, continuous monitoring, and OTA firmware updates, sign up here.

How can I diagnose and debug crashes and other issues with devices remotely without an FAE on-site?

You can use Memfault to remotely monitor the health of their devices and debug issues in both the Pinnacle 100 and MG100 Gateway designs. Laird customers get instant access to Memfault for up to 100 devices free forever.

How can I measure the performance and health of my Pinnacle 100 / MG100 devices once they're in production?

For analyzing overall performance patterns in your fleet, metrics can easily be collected using our Memfault integration with the Pinnacle 100 and Sentrius MG100. Laird customers get instant access to Memfault for up to 100 devices free forever. 

Where are the instructions for the Out-Of-Box Demo for the Pinnacle 100/MG100 cellular gateways?

Everything needed to get started with our Out of the Box Demos for the Pinnacle 100 cellular modem and the MG100 cellular gateway can be found on GitHub

These links is also made available on the Pinnacle 100 Product Page in the Documentation section under Software.

A demo video for the Pinnacle 100 is also linked on the Product page for additional reference.

Do I need to build the OOB Demo to evaluate the Pinnacle100?

You do not need to build the OOB Demo on your own, if you have need to upgrade your OOB Demo version on your Pinnacle 100 modem or MG100 gateway, please use our official releases found here: https://github.com/LairdCP/Pinnacle-100-Firmware/releases.

Found at this link are several firmware file types depending on how you plan to upgrade, *.hex is for SWD while *.bin is used for BLE, UART, and HTTP over LTE. Additionally, 480-00052 is for the Pinnacle 100 and 480-00070 is for the MG100.

See the Firmware Updates section for how to upgrade over the different interfaces, BLE/UART/HTTP over LTE

To upgrade over SWD, use the JLINK USB port on the Pinnacle 100 DVK board, for the MG100 see the MG100 Hardware Guide section 5.4.4 to learn how to connect a J-Link debugger to the board for the upgrade using nRF Connect or Nordic Command Line Tools.

 

On Windows 10 when building firmware such as oob_demo firmware I am getting the following error: ninja: error: FindFirstFileExA(c/:/oob_demo/oob_demo/src): The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect can you help me to correct this?

On Windows 10 when building firmware such as oob_demo firmware I am getting the following error: ninja: error: FindFirstFileExA(c/:/oob_demo/oob_demo/src): The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect can you help me to correct this?

The ninja: error: FindFirstFileExA(c/:/oob_demo/oob_demo/src): The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect, may be thrown if you have previously set up a Zephyr environment. This indicates ninja needs to be upgraded. If west update did not update ninja to the latest version enter choco upgrade ninja --force in cmd.exe as administrator to force the upgrade:

C:\Windows\system32>choco upgrade ninja --force

What IDE can I use with Zephyr for development and debug on the Pinnacle 100 or other Nordic-based modules?

We suggest using Visual Studio Code, please see the following for more information: https://github.com/LairdCP/Pinnacle_100_oob_demo/blob/master/docs/development.md

  • We suggest using Memfault for an out-of-the-box fault debugging and device observability solution. Memfault integrates seamlessly with Zephyr on the Pinnacle 100 and Sentrius MG100. Laird customers get instant access to Memfault for up to 100 devices free forever.

What is Laird Connectivity's product lifecycle EOL and PCN policy?

Laird Connectivity is committed to the long-term supply of all its standard embedded wireless modules and packaged products. Laird Connectivity’s products are specifically designed to meet the needs of the industrial and medical markets, which typically require 7 – 10 years product lifecycle. Although Laird Connectivity can’t guarantee that a component used in our products will not be obsoleted and cannot be reasonably substituted, Laird Connectivity can assure customers we will continue to sell our product when we have customer demand and can obtain the necessary components to build our products.

View our full policy here. 

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Talk to an Expert

Buy Now

Distributor Part In Stock Region Buy
Jak Electronics 450-00011-K1 100 APAC Buy Now
DigiKey 450-00011-K1 68 North America Buy Now
Utmel Electronic 450-00011-K1 14 APAC Buy Now
Mouser 450-00011-K1 12 North America Buy Now
Classic Components 450-00011-K1 3 North America Buy Now
Avnet 450-00011-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Future Electronics 450-00011-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Symmetry Electronics 450-00011-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Jak Electronics 450-00038-K1 96 APAC Buy Now
Mouser 450-00038-K1 10 North America Buy Now
Utmel Electronic 450-00038-K1 10 APAC Buy Now
Classic Components 450-00038-K1 3 North America Buy Now
DigiKey 450-00038-K1 3 North America Buy Now
Avnet 450-00038-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Future Electronics 450-00038-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Symmetry Electronics 450-00038-K1 0 North America Buy Now
DigiKey 450-00039-K1 49 North America Buy Now
Symmetry Electronics 450-00039-K1 4 North America Buy Now
Classic Components 450-00039-K1 3 North America Buy Now
Avnet 450-00039-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Future Electronics 450-00039-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Mouser 450-00039-K1 0 North America Buy Now
DigiKey 450-00054-K1 171 North America Buy Now
Jak Electronics 450-00054-K1 156 APAC Buy Now
Utmel Electronic 450-00054-K1 61 APAC Buy Now
Mouser 450-00054-K1 53 North America Buy Now
Classic Components 450-00054-K1 2 North America Buy Now
Symmetry Electronics 450-00054-K1 1 North America Buy Now
Avnet 450-00054-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Future Electronics 450-00054-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Mouser 453-00062-K1 27 North America Buy Now
Avnet 453-00062-K1 0 North America Buy Now
DigiKey 453-00062-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Future Electronics 453-00062-K1 0 North America Buy Now
Symmetry Electronics 453-00062-K1 0 North America Buy Now

Distributors

Distributor Phone Number Region Website
Alpha Micro UK Only +44 1256-851770
EMEA Website
Arrow Electronics 1-855-326-4757
+44 2039 365486
APAC, North America, South America, EMEA Website
Avnet 1-480-643-2000
+44 1628 512900
APAC, North America, South America, EMEA Website
Braemac Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia +61 2 9550 6600
+64 9 477 2148
APAC Website
Cal-Chip Connect 1-215-942-8900
North America Website
Digi-Key 1-800-344-4539
North America, South America, APAC, EMEA Website
EBV Elektronik EMEA Website
Farlink Technology China, Hong Kong +86 13266922199
APAC Website
Farnell 1-800-936-198
+44 3447 11 11 22
EMEA Website
Future Electronics 1-800-675-1619
1-514-428-8470
North America, South America, APAC, EMEA Website
Glyn +49-6126-590-0
EMEA Website
Jetronic China, Hong Kong and Taiwan 852-27636806 
APAC Website
Laird Connectivity 1-847-839-6925
+44 1628 858941
North America, South America, APAC, EMEA Website
M2M Germany +49-6081-587386-0
EMEA Website
Martinsson +46 8 7440300
EMEA Website
McCoy South East Asia +65 6515 2988
APAC Website
Mouser 1-800-346-6873
+44 1494 427500
North America, South America, APAC, EMEA Website
RS Components +852-2421-9898
+44 3457-201201
North America, South America, APAC, EMEA Website
Ryoyo Japan +81-3-3543-7711
APAC Website
Solid State Supplies UK Only +44 (0) 1527 830800
EMEA Website
Supreme Components International India, South East Asia +65 6848-1178
APAC Website
Symmetry Electronics 1-866-506-8829
North America Website
Tekdis Australia and New Zealand +61 3 8669 1210
APAC Website
Telsys +972 3 7657666
EMEA Website