Microchip introduces Wireless Machine-to-Machine (M2M) PICtailT daughter board with u-blox GPS and GSM modules

Developed with u-blox, the new Microchip daughter board includes the u-blox NEO-6Q GPS and LEON GSM/GPRS modules, and interfaces with Microchip’s Multimedia Expansion Board (DM320005) and PIC32 Starter Kit (DM320001).

The board provides designers with an easy-to-use, economical platform for developing designs which combine communications, a complete graphics interface, audio, accelerometer and wireless networking capabilities. M2M applications which require a combination of location awareness and communications include fleet-management, asset-tracking, telematics, traffic congestion monitoring and tracking driving habits for insurance-rate structures.

In addition to integrated GPS for tracking via satellites, the M2M PICtail Daughter Board features Global System for Mobile (GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology to enable phone, text, e-mail and Web communications, including images and location information. Microchip also offers
free-for-download M2M software libraries, to give developers a fast start with coding.

Existing users of the Microchip Multimedia Expansion Board (DM320005) and PIC32 Starter Kit (DM320001) can purchase the $199 M2M PICtail Daughter Board (AC320011) to add GPS/GSM/GPRS functionality to their designs. Alternatively, all three components including the debugger/programmer which is built into the PIC32 Starter Kit, can be purchased individually, for under $500.