RAK3172-8-SM-NI - LoRaWAN 868MHz Stamp Module, STM32WLE5, SMD | RAKwireless
N.º de pieza: RAK3172-8-SM-NI ✓ Activo| Cant. | Precio unitario | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $7.67 | $7,67 |
| 10 | $6.9 | $69,00 |
| 100 | $6.1 | $610,00 |
| 500 | $5.55 | $2.775,00 |
| 1.000 | $5.1 | $5.100,00 |
RAK3172-8-SM-NI Descripción general
A LoRa module is a self-contained radio block that bundles an MCU, RF transceiver, matching network and crystal into a single reflow-solderable unit. LoRaWAN, the wider-area networking protocol layered on LoRa modulation, occupies the sub-GHz ISM spectrum and is the dominant low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standard for battery-operated IoT deployments - a category that includes LoRa modules, LPWAN SoCs, RF transceivers, and wireless connectivity ICs. The RAK3172 sits at the lower end of this taxonomy, giving designers a pre-certified path to LoRaWAN Class A/B/C without exposing the SX126x register set or the STM32WLE5 radio peripherals.
Key features include support for LoRa, (G)FSK and BPSK modulations, multiple regional bands (EU868 / IN865 / RU864), AT-command and RUI3 (RAKwireless Unified Interface v3) firmware modes, and a hardware sleep current measured in microamperes for coin-cell and Li-SOCl2 battery use. The integrated RF matching network and 32.768 kHz RTC crystal simplify host-board design, while exposed UART, SPI, I2C, ADC and GPIO lines let the module double as the application's main controller.
Architecturally, the STM32WLE5 silicon mates an LPWAN radio block to a Cortex-M4 with FPU, providing hardware AES-256 for LoRaWAN payload encryption, an integrated DC-DC converter for the radio PA, and a sub-GHz front end that removes the need for an external SAW filter in most band plans. This depth of integration explains why the RAK3172 can match the range of earlier discrete-MCU + discrete-transceiver designs in a fraction of the PCB area.
Typical deployments include battery-powered IoT sensors, smart agriculture probes, asset tracking, smart metering, environmental monitors, and LoRaWAN-to-Cellular gateways' downlink/uplink test fixtures. The wide -40 C to +85 C operating range covers industrial outdoor enclosures. A design tip: route the antenna trace on the host board only when the host owns the RF keep-out, since this -NI variant ships without an I-PEX connector and relies on a trace antenna or U.FL pigtail. This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found in the manufacturer datasheet alone.
Alternativas directas para RAK3172-8-SM-NI — mismo encapsulado, compatible pin a pin. Se excluyen las piezas de otro encapsulado que requieren retrabajo de la PCB.
Variantes de esta serie
Modelos de la misma serie compatibles directamente con RAK3172-8-SM-NI (mismo factor de forma y huella) — difiere en Operating Temperature, Modulation, Host Interfaces, Flash Memory, Package / Mounting.
Herramienta de comparación rápida — seleccione piezas alternativas para compararlas lado a lado:
RAK3172-8-SM-I
✅ Sustitución directa📋 Alternativa de referencia (no en el catálogo)
RAK3172-T-8-SM-I
✅ Sustitución directa✓ En stock
$6.25 / unidad
Ver hoja de datos →RAK3172-9-SM-NI
✅ Sustitución directa ⚠️ Especificaciones sin verificar✓ En stock
$5.4 / unidad
Ver hoja de datos →Wio-E5-LE-mini
✅ Sustitución directa📋 Alternativa de referencia (no en el catálogo)
LoRa-E5-mini
✅ Sustitución directa📋 Alternativa de referencia (no en el catálogo)
RAK3172-8-SM-NI Especificaciones (publicadas por el fabricante)
| Module Type | LoRaWAN transceiver module (stamp module) |
| Based-on SoC | STMicroelectronics STM32WLE5CCU6 |
| Operating Frequency | 864 MHz / 865 MHz / 868 MHz (EU868 / IN865 / RU864 bands) |
| Tensión de alimentación | 2 V to 3.6 V |
| Modulation | LoRa, (G)FSK, BPSK |
| Transmit Current | 87 mA (typical) |
| Receive Current | 5.22 mA (typical) |
| MCU Core | Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU, 48 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 256 Kbyte |
| SRAM | 64 Kbyte |
| Range (line-of-sight) | 15 km (typical, SF7-SF12, suburban) |
| Host Interfaces | UART, SPI, I2C, ADC, GPIO |
| Antenna Option | Trace antenna (no I-PEX connector on this -NI variant) |
| Temperatura de funcionamiento | -40 C to +85 C |
| Package / Footprint | SMD stamp module, 15.5 x 15 mm |
| Tipo de montaje | Surface Mount (reflow) |
| Compliance | RoHS compliant |
| Firmware Modes | AT command firmware and RUI3 application framework |
Interfaces y conectores de RAK3172-8-SM-NI
RAK3172-8-SM-NI expone las siguientes interfaces y conectores según lo publicado por el fabricante: Entrada de potencia. El patillaje de la cabecera de expansión, la numeración de pines de los conectores y los límites eléctricos se definen en la documentación del fabricante.
| Entrada de potencia | 2 V to 3.6 V |
Consulte la documentación del fabricante para ver el patillaje completo del conector de expansión y la numeración de pines del conector.
Características de potencia y térmicas
| Entrada de potencia | 2 V to 3.6 V |
| Temperatura de funcionamiento | -40 C to +85 C |
Parámetros de entrada de potencia y térmicos para RAK3172-8-SM-NI según lo publicado por el fabricante.
Aplicaciones típicas
RAK3172-8-SM-NI es adecuado para 6 aplicacións: Battery-Powered IoT Sensors, Smart Agriculture Probes, Asset Tracking and Fleet Telemetry, Smart Metering and Utility Reading, Environmental Monitoring Stations, Industrial IoT (IIoT) Wireless Links.
Battery-Powered IoT Sensors
The RAK3172-8-SM-NI is purpose-built for battery-operated IoT sensor nodes that must run unattended on coin cells or Li-SOCl2 batteries. Its STM32WLE5CCU6 SoC integrates a hardware AES-256 engine for LoRaWAN payload security, a 32.768 kHz RTC domain, and a deep-sleep current measured in the microampere range, so duty-cycled sensors (1 uplink every 10 minutes at SF9) can achieve multi-year battery life. The 5.22 mA RX and 87 mA TX current budget is consistent with sub-GHz LPWAN duty cycles, and the 256 KB Flash / 64 KB SRAM pair comfortably hosts RUI3 application firmware plus an over-the-air bootloader. Compared to bare SX126x designs, the integrated matching network removes the host-side RF tuning step that typically costs several weeks of iterations.
Recomendado
Smart Agriculture Probes
Soil moisture, temperature, humidity and leaf-wetness probes for vineyards, orchards and row crops are a canonical LoRaWAN use case, and the RAK3172-8-SM-NI's 15 km line-of-sight range lets a single gateway cover multi-parcel deployments. The -40 C to +85 C industrial operating envelope handles outdoor enclosures in temperate and tropical climates, while the 868 MHz EU868 band plan matches the European regulatory regime without re-tuning. The exposed ADC lines and I2C bus of the RAK3172 interface directly to soil moisture sensors and to I2C temperature/humidity ICs, and the host trace antenna variant (-NI) suits the IP67-rated probe housings where a U.FL connector would be a reliability risk.
Recomendado
Asset Tracking and Fleet Telemetry
Battery-powered GPS + LoRaWAN asset trackers benefit from the RAK3172-8-SM-NI's small 15.5 x 15 mm footprint and the 87 mA peak TX current, which is low enough for the tracker to be powered directly from a 18650 Li-ion cell without a boost converter. With LoRaWAN Class C enabled, downlink configuration commands reach the tracker between position uplinks, supporting geofence updates and theft-recovery use cases. Pair the module with an external GNSS receiver over UART to keep host firmware simple, and use the integrated Cortex-M4 to handle the GPS fix batching and the accelerometer wake-on-motion loop. Designers should size the Li-ion pack for at least 1,500 uplinks to keep operational costs down.
Recomendado
Smart Metering and Utility Reading
Water, gas and electricity meters with LoRaWAN uplinks are a high-volume LPWAN use case, and the RAK3172-8-SM-NI's AES-256 hardware block and integrated STM32WLE5 MCU keep the meter-side BOM under tight cost constraints. The 2 V to 3.6 V supply matches the raw output of lithium primary cells used in meter deployments, eliminating the need for a boost converter on the radio rail. EU868 channel plan alignment avoids the duty-cycle headaches of US915 band plans in dense deployments, and the -40 C to +85 C operating range handles outdoor meter cabinets across most climates. Pair the module with an I2C RTC for time-of-use metering and a tamper-detection GPIO wired to the meter's case-open microswitch.
Recomendado
Environmental Monitoring Stations
Air-quality, noise, and weather micro-stations that report PM2.5, CO2, temperature and humidity via LoRaWAN are well served by the RAK3172-8-SM-NI's UART/SPI/I2C/ADC/GPIO host interface fan-out. The Cortex-M4 @ 48 MHz and 256 KB Flash can host the RUI3 application plus the sensor acquisition loops for an SCD30 CO2 sensor and an SPS30 PM sensor in parallel. The 15 km LoS range supports city-wide deployments from a few rooftop gateways, reducing backhaul capex. Solar-power harvesting with a Li-ion buffer is straightforward thanks to the wide 2 V - 3.6 V supply window; design the energy budget around 87 mA peak TX and the 5.22 mA RX draw of the RAK3172 device.
Recomendado
Industrial IoT (IIoT) Wireless Links
Factory-floor wireless bridges that replace RS-485 cabling with LoRaWAN benefit from the RAK3172-8-SM-NI's robust -40 C to +85 C operating range and its RUI3 firmware option, which lets the host PLC or HMI run custom edge logic. UART-to-LoRaWAN bridging is one of the simplest RUI3 applications, and the integrated AES-256 engine keeps the radio link encrypted without software overhead. With 868 MHz EU868 channel plans and 1 % duty cycle, each link can sustain a few uplinks per minute - ideal for tank-level, valve-state and motor-vibration monitoring. The 15.5 x 15 mm SMD footprint drops onto most retrofit IIoT boards with a minimal layout change.
Recomendado
Resumen de productos recomendados
Datos de referencia de ingeniería para RAK3172-8-SM-NI — comparación, orientación de diseño e información de cumplimiento.
Guía de selección
Comparación con alternativas
| Parámetro | Este producto | RAK3172-8-SM-I | RAK3172-T-8-SM-I | RAK3172-9-SM-NI | Wio-E5-LE-mini | LoRa-E5-mini |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | RAKwireless | RAKwireless | RAKwireless | RAKwireless | Seeed Studio | Seeed Studio |
| Package | 15.5 x 15 mm SMD stamp module (no I-PEX) | 15.5 x 15 mm SMD stamp module (with I-PEX) | 15.5 x 15 mm SMD stamp module (with I-PEX, T&R variant) | 15.5 x 15 mm SMD stamp module (no I-PEX) | Stamp module (SMD) | Stamp module (SMD, mini) |
| Based-on SoC | STM32WLE5CCU6 | STM32WLE5CCU6 | STM32WLE5CCU6 | STM32WLE5CCU6 | STM32WLE5CCU6 | STM32WLE5CCU6 |
| Operating Frequency | 864/865/868 MHz (EU868/IN865/RU864) | 864/865/868 MHz | 864/865/868 MHz | 902-928 MHz (US915/AU915/AS923/KR920) | 868/915 MHz | 868/915 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 2.0 V to 3.6 V | 3.3 V typical | 3.3 V typical |
| Flash / SRAM | 256 KB / 64 KB | 256 KB / 64 KB | 256 KB / 64 KB | 256 KB / 64 KB | 256 KB / 64 KB | 256 KB / 64 KB |
| I-PEX Connector | No (trace antenna) | Yes | Yes | No (trace antenna) | Variant-dependent | Variant-dependent |
Diferenciadores clave
- Same-brand drop-in alternatives share the exact 15.5 x 15 mm SMD footprint (frente a RAK3172-8-SM-I)
- Cross-brand LoRaWAN module on the same STM32WLE5 silicon (frente a Wio-E5-LE-mini (Seeed Studio))
- 15.5 x 15 mm SMD footprint with no IPEX connector for IP-rated enclosures (frente a RAK3172-8-SM-I)
Notas de diseño
The RAK3172-8-SM-NI has no I-PEX connector - the RF output is on a single pad intended to feed a host PCB trace antenna. Per the RAKwireless datasheet and forum guidance, when the host owns the antenna, route a 50 ohm coplanar waveguide with ground on both sides, keep the trace length under 10 mm, and clear a ground keep-out of at least 5 mm around the antenna tip. For applications needing an external whip or SMA antenna, switch to the -I variant instead of hand-wiring a U.FL pigtail to the -NI footprint.
The module's 2 V to 3.6 V supply window accepts a single Li-SOCl2 primary cell directly, but the 87 mA TX current spike is much higher than the cell's typical 100 mA continuous rating - use a low-ESR decoupling capacitor (>= 10 uF ceramic + 100 uF tantalum or polymer) within 5 mm of the VDD pin. A boost converter is unnecessary, but add an inrush limiter if the host MCU draws > 200 mA from the same rail during LoRa TX windows. Estimated: at SF7/+14 dBm, average TX current is ~ 50 mA over a 200 ms uplink, so the 100 uF bulk capacitor should hold rail droop under 50 mV.
Do not select the RAK3172-8-SM-NI for US915, AU915, AS923 or KR920 deployments - the silicon is factory-region-locked to EU868 / IN865 / RU864, so even firmware flashing cannot move it to a US channel plan. Pick the -9 / -7 / -5 / -4 SKU instead. Also confirm the LoRaWAN stack you intend to run (RUI3 vs AT-command) before pin assignment, because the AT-command firmware pre-allocates some GPIOs that the RUI3 application framework leaves free for user code.
Estimated: at continuous TX (+14 dBm, SF7, every 10 s) the module draws ~ 87 mA at 3.3 V, dissipating roughly 290 mW. With the 15.5 x 15 mm SMD stamp footprint and 4-layer FR4 host board, theta_JA is on the order of 35-45 C/W, so junction temperature rise above ambient is ~ 13 C. For sealed IP67 outdoor enclosures, derate the duty cycle or add a small thermal via field under the central ground pad to keep Tj below 85 C.
Información de cumplimiento
RoHS compliance confirmed by JLCPCB part detail; REACH, halogen-free and conflict-mineral status not explicitly published by RAKwireless - set to 'unknown' rather than guessed.
