The Internet of Things (IoT) devices typically have high power demands. For instance, they often require energy collection from solar panels while minimizing power consumption, or they may need to manage significant power loads. To address these challenges, Italian engineer Salvatore Raccardi developed the OBJEX Link S3LW IoT development board, which incorporates the S3LW module from OBJEX. This development board offers multiple connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, LoRa, and LoRaWAN protocols, all while focusing on efficient power usage.
The OBJEX Link S3LW is a high-performance IoT development platform built around a custom system-on-module (SoM). The S3LW module provides Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, LoRa, and LoRaWAN connectivity options. The board features 33 GPIO ports and supports key microcontroller interfaces such as I2C, I2S, SPI, UART, and USB. Additionally, it includes four-pin STEMMA connectors, allowing easy integration with a growing ecosystem of sensors, actuators, and displays.
Note: The OBJEX Link S3LW is an update to the original OBJEX Link, developed years ago. While both share the same name, the new S3LW board includes some significant differences, such as the use of an ESP32-PICO-D4 microcontroller (compared to a dedicated SoM in the older version). The original board does not feature LoRa functionality and is focused on being the smallest reusable board for IoT development.
OBJEX offers two key modules: the S3 and S3LW. The S3LW is a full-featured module equipped with the ESP32-S3FN8 microcontroller, a real-time clock (RTC), the SX1262 LoRa chip, and the necessary power management circuits. The ESP32 provides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, while the S3LW module supports LoRa and LoRaWAN. In contrast, the S3 module lacks LoRa hardware but offers other features available in the S3LW.
The OBJEX Link S3LW highlights OBJEX’s commitment to maximizing energy efficiency. For instance, the LoRa radio includes a special linear voltage regulator, allowing it to be fully powered off when not in use. Additionally, the power lock feature can completely disable the board’s hardware when it’s not needed. This power lock works in tandem with the ESP32’s deep sleep mode to optimize energy consumption.
Because the S3LW features two radios operating on different frequency bands, it has two antenna paths. The ESP32 uses an internal antenna chip for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the S3LW includes a 50-ohm U.FL connector for an external LoRa antenna. The LoRa radio operates in the frequency range of 862 MHz to 928 MHz.
Powering the OBJEX Link S3LW can be done via a USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port or a screw terminal block that connects to the same Vbus as the USB-C connector. This allows the board to receive power up to 20 Volts, 5 Amps, with a built-in DC-DC converter stepping down the voltage to 5V and supplying up to 2A to connected peripherals.
The OBJEX Link S3LW and its SoM are compatible with various programming environments, making them suitable for a wide range of development workflows. It supports Espressif ESP-IDF, Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, MicroPython, and Rust, offering flexibility for developers.
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