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The Blues Wireless for PLC Expansion Module adds Cellular or LoRa capability to any Arduino Opta® micro PLC.

Product Overview

The Arduino Opta® comes in three flavors, providing either Ethernet, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi capabilities. The Blues Wireless for PLC expansion module allows customers to add Cellular or LoRa via a pluggable module that uses the standard AUX expansion port on the Opta®, and can be daisy-chained with other expansion modules. The Opta communicates with the Wireless for PLC Expansion and its Notecard via I2C and can leverage either the Arduino IoT Cloud SDK or Blues' note-arduino library for configuring the Notecard and its backhaul.

The Blues Wireless for PLC Expansion Module is available in multiple product variants:

  • North America or EMEA Cell+WiFi: Powered by the Blues Notecard Cell+WiFi, this variant features dual Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity with automatic failover. This variant includes LTE Cat 1 coverage with 500MB of pre-paid data and 10 years of service in over 139 countries with no activation fees or monthly commitments. 500MB will last until consumed or until the 10 years of service ends, whichever comes first.

  • North America (915 MHz) or EMEA (868 MHz) LoRaWAN: Powered by the Blues  Notecard LoRa, this variant is compatible with all layers of the LoRa network, including LoRaWAN and the Things Network. This variant is ideal for remote locations or for large facility deployments.

Product Images

FrontRight SideLeft Side
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Key Features

  • Voltage: 12...24 V Supply Voltage.
  • Cellular: Cellular communications powered by the Notecard (LTE Cat 1 North America or LTE Cat 1 EMEA) including 500 MB of data and 10-years of service with no activation fees or monthly commitments. External SIM slot for bringing your own Cellular connectivity.
  • Cloud Integration: Network backhaul via Blues Notehub cloud service, with support for Arduino IoT cloud, AWS, Azure, GCP and dozens of other cloud services.
  • Onboard Components: Communication test button and Neopixel for connectivity status.
  • Programming/Debugging: USB C port for direct Notecard programming and debugging.
  • Power Backup: Power outage detection and notification via an integrated Lithium-Ion Capacitor.

Product Benefits

  • Turnkey Wireless Connectivity

    The Blues Wireless for PLC enables you to connect your Opta micro PLC to the cloud with just a few lines of code.

  • Connectivity Tailored to Your Needs

    Offered in two configurations: A Cell+WiFi and LoRa variant, allowing you to customize connectivity based on your solution and environment.

  • Effortless Data Routing to Any Cloud

    Route your data to any cloud, including the Arduino IoT Cloud, AWS, Azure, GCP, Snowflake, and more, using Notehub’s intuitive "no code" interface.

  • Fast-Track Your Time to Market 

    With pre-provisioned connectivity and an intuitive, low-code JSON interface, the Wireless for Opta reduces your time to market from years to months.

  • Industry-Leading Security

    Industry-leading security from device authentication through an integrated secure element to encrypted "off-the-internet" communications and private VPN tunnels.

  • Power Outage Detection To Reduce Downtime

    An onboard backup power supply allows the Expansion to detect outages and send operators outage alerts, ensuring rapid response and uninterrupted operations.

Typical Application

BuildIntegrateConfigure
Connect the Wireless for Opta Expansion to your Opta PLC via a 10-pin AUX connector.Set up the Expansion in minutes using the Notecard's award-winning hardware and firmware interface.Create bi-directional dataflow from your PLC through Notehub to your cloud app.

wireless for opta expansion dataflow

Technical Specs

CharacteristicsDetails
InputAUX Serial input for Opta to Expansion communication and configuration over I2C
Backup Power SupplyVinatech VEL13353R8257G Lithium-Ion Capacitor with 250F @ 3.8V
ProcessorSTM32U575OIY6QTR ARM® Cortex®-M4 core up to 160 MHz
Antennas2 x SMA connectors with 2 LTE antennas included
ConnectivityLTE Cat 1 (North America or EMEA) and second SIM slot feature (bring your own connectivity)
SecurityIntegrated STSAFE Secure element on Notecard
Memory2 MB of Flash, 768 KB of SRAM on Notecard
Supply Voltage12...24 V DC
ClockClock time set and managed by Notecard via network communication
ExpandabilityAUX Serial Port exposing UART and I2C communication interfaces enabling the connection of additional expansions in daisy chain.
Operating Temperature -40 °C to +90 °C
IP ProtectionIP20

Related Products from Arduino

The Blues Wireless for PLC is compatible with the following Arduino Opta micro PLCs.

Certifications

Certifications are currently pending.

Ordering Information

Blues Shop

Terms and Conditions

Visit Blues Hardware Terms & Conditions .

Revision History

AuthorDateSummary
Rob Lauer12 AUG 2024Initial version

Contact Information

Blues Inc.
https://blues.com
50 Dunham Ridge Suite 1650
Beverly, MA 01915
support@blues.com