Raspberry Pi RP2350 Board Offers NB-IoT Cellular Connectivity, GNSS, and Wi-Fi Indoor Location

Key Takeaways

• RP2350 NB‑IoT board combines dual‑core MCU with ST87M01 modem
• Supports LTE Cat NB2, up to 159 kbps uplink, +23 dBm output
• Integrated GNSS provides GPS, Galileo and assisted location via NB‑IoT
• Feather‑compatible size, 5 V USB‑C power, on‑board LiPo charger
• Priced at ~ $60 USD; LTE antenna extra $7.5, GPS antenna separate

Pulse Analysis

The NB‑IoT market has matured into a cornerstone for low‑bandwidth, long‑range IoT solutions, especially in regions where traditional cellular coverage is costly. Raspberry Pi’s entry with the RP2350 MCU brings a familiar development ecosystem to this niche, allowing engineers to leverage existing Pico libraries while adding cellular reach. By pairing the RP2350’s dual‑core Cortex‑M33/RISC‑V architecture with STMicro’s ST87M01 modem, the board delivers both compute flexibility and certified LTE Cat NB2 performance in a compact Feather form factor.

From a technical standpoint, the board’s power profile is a standout. With a sleep current of just 0.5 µA in power‑off mode and 1.2 µA in PSM, devices can operate for years on a small LiPo cell, making it ideal for remote sensors and metering. The inclusion of 8 MB PSRAM and 8 MB SPI flash expands on‑board storage, supporting more sophisticated edge analytics. Developers can program the hardware using Arduino IDE, MicroPython, CircuitPython, or the Pico C SDK, and OTA updates via LwM2M ensure firmware can be maintained without physical access.

Commercially, the Challenger+ RP2350 NB‑IoT board positions itself against competitors like the Walter ESP32‑S3 with Sequans modem, but its pricing—approximately $60 USD plus optional antenna costs—offers a compelling value proposition for startups and OEMs. Targeted applications such as asset tracking, smart‑metering, and industrial monitoring can now integrate high‑precision GNSS positioning without additional modules. As municipalities and logistics firms accelerate smart‑city initiatives, the board’s blend of low‑power cellular connectivity and robust processing power is likely to drive broader adoption of edge‑centric IoT deployments.