Notecard Product Family
There are multiple Notecard options, with each supporting a different geographic region and/or providing a different connectivity mechanism.
At a high-level, there are four fundamental types of Notecards:
- Notecard Cell+WiFi (dual cellular and Wi-Fi)
- Notecard Cellular and Notecard Cellular (Legacy) (cellular only)
- Notecard WiFi (Wi-Fi only)
- Notecard LoRa (LoRa only)
noteIf you're just getting started with the Notecard, we recommend the Blues Starter Kit.
The Notecard API functions the same across all Notecards, allowing you to
prototype on one Notecard and swap in another for a production deployment. Note
however, that although the API functions the same across Notecards, some
specific APIs are only available for certain types of Notecards. For example,
the card.wifi API is not available for Notecard Cellular, and the APIs related
to GPS, Outboard Firmware Update, motion, and web requests are not available for
Notecard LoRa. View a full listing of supported APIs in the
API Reference.
Deciding on a Cellular Technology
The Notecard Cellular families (Cell+WiFi and Cellular) support Wideband, Midband, or Narrowband technologies, denoted by their SKU. Depending on your use case or deployment region, it may be optimal to select a Notecard with the appropriate cellular technology.
Wideband (LTE Cat-1)
The Wideband Notecards are ideal for applications that require higher-speed data, in particular for applications that require larger data payloads and/or moving devices (e.g. vehicles).
Pros:
- Higher data rates (up to 10 Mbps downlink, 5 Mbps uplink)
- Good for applications requiring large data transfers such as binary data, e.g. images or audio
- Lower latency (typically 50-100ms)
- Well-established technology with broad coverage
Cons:
- Requires dual antennas to achieve full coverage
- Higher power consumption than Narrowband
- More expensive modules
Typical Deployment Scenarios:
- Remote diagnostic equipment sending large datasets
- Industrial equipment requiring real-time monitoring
- Fleet management systems with real-time tracking
Midband (LTE Cat-1 bis)
The Midband Notecards are ideal for applications that don't require the full complexity (LTE) of Wideband, but still require higher data rates than Narrowband.
Pros:
- Higher data rates (up to 10 Mbps downlink, 5 Mbps uplink)
- Simplified device design compared to Cat-1
- Improved power efficiency than Cat-1
- Reduced cost compared to Cat-1
- Only requires a single antenna to achieve full coverage
Cons:
- Consumes more power than Narrowband options
Typical Deployment Scenarios:
- Smart metering with frequent and moderate data transmission
- Building automation systems
- Asset tracking with regular updates
Narrowband (LTE-M & NB-IoT)
The Narrowband Notecards are ideal for applications that require the lowest power consumption and are typically stationary.
Pros:
- Moderate data rates (up to 1 Mbps)
- Lowest power consumption
- Better indoor penetration than Cat-1
Cons:
- Lower throughput than Cat-1/Cat-1 bis
- Higher latency than Wideband or Midband
- Less available coverage in some regions
- Poor performance for moving devices
Typical Deployment Scenarios:
- Smart utility meters in fixed locations
- Environmental sensors in remote areas
- Parking sensors and smart waste bins
noteYou should check with your cellular provider to determine which cellular technology is available in your target region. Typically, Cat-1 and Cat-1 bis are more widely available than LTE-M and NB-IoT. To aid in forecasting the Notecard's compatibility with a specific country, you can research the networks available (for example, on wikipedia) and cross-reference with the Notecard modem's datasheet (for example, the NOTE-MBGLW).
It is possible to force a Narrowband Notecard into exclusively using either
LTE-M or NB-IoT by using the mode argument of the card.wireless request. See
the
card.wireless API
and this
configuration note
for more details.
Supported Features by Notecard SKU
The tables below break down all of the Notecards and their supported features, allowing you to make an informed decision when purchasing.
Notecard Cell+WiFi
| Product | Image | SKU | Connectivity Method | Region | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular (LTE Cat-1) | Cellular (LTE Cat-1 bis) | Cellular (LTE-M & NB-IoT) | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) | LoRa | Global | North America | EMEA | |||
| Notecard Cell+WiFi (MB) |  | NOTE-MBGLW | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cell+WiFi (MB) |  | NOTE-MBNAW | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Notecard Cell+WiFi (NB) |  | NOTE-NBGLW | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cell+WiFi (NB) | | NOTE-NBNAW | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Notecard Cell+WiFi |  | NOTE-WBEXW | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cell+WiFi | | NOTE-WBGLWT | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cell+WiFi |  | NOTE-WBNAW | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Notecard Cellular
| Product | Image | SKU | Connectivity Method | Region | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular (LTE Cat-1) | Cellular (LTE Cat-1 bis) | Cellular (LTE-M & NB-IoT) | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) | LoRa | Global | North America | EMEA | |||
| Notecard Cellular (MB) |  | NOTE-MBGLN | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cellular (MB) |  | NOTE-MBNAN | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Notecard Cellular (NB) |  | NOTE-NBGLN | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cellular (NB) | | NOTE-NBNAN | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Notecard Cellular |  | NOTE-WBEXN | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cellular | | NOTE-WBNAN | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Notecard Cellular (Legacy)
| Product | Image | SKU | Connectivity Method | Region | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular (LTE Cat-1) | Cellular (LTE Cat-1 bis) | Cellular (LTE-M & NB-IoT) | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) | LoRa | Global | North America | EMEA | |||
| Notecard Cellular (NB, Legacy) |  | NOTE-NBGL | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cellular (NB, Legacy) | | NOTE-NBNA | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Notecard Cellular (Legacy) |  | NOTE-WBEX | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Notecard Cellular (Legacy) | | NOTE-WBNA | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Notecard WiFi
| Product | Image | SKU | Connectivity Method | Region | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular (LTE Cat-1) | Cellular (LTE Cat-1 bis) | Cellular (LTE-M & NB-IoT) | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) | LoRa | Global | North America | EMEA | |||
| Notecard WiFi v2 |  | NOTE-ESP | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Notecard WiFi v1 |  | NOTE-WIFI | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Notecard LoRa
| Product | Image | SKU | Connectivity Method | Region | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular (LTE Cat-1) | Cellular (LTE Cat-1 bis) | Cellular (LTE-M & NB-IoT) | Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) | LoRa | Global | North America | EMEA | |||
| Notecard LoRa (EU 868) |  | NOTE-LWEU | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Notecard LoRa (US 915) | | NOTE-LWUS | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Decoding Notecard Cellular SKUs
Each cellular-based Notecard is supplied a SKU in the format of "NOTE-XXXXX". The following tables show how to decode the differences in Notecard Cellular SKUs.
| Example: | NOTE- | WB | GL | W | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bands WB = Wideband (Cat-1) MB = Midband (Cat-1 bis) NB = Narrowband (LTE-M/NB-IoT) | ⬅️ | ||||
| Region GL = Global NA = North America EX = EMEA | ⬅️ | ||||
| Wi-Fi W = Includes Wi-Fi N or blank = Cellular only | ⬅️ | ||||
| Modem T = Has a Telit modem Blank = See tables below for modem | ⬅️ |
Wideband (LTE Cat-1 Notecards)
| SKU | General Region | Bands | Data Networks | Modem | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOTE-WBEX | EX - EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA / GPRS | Quectel EG91-EX | No |
| NOTE-WBEXN | EX - EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA / GPRS | Quectel EG91-EX | No |
| NOTE-WBEXW | EX - EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA / GPRS | Quectel EG91-EX | Yes |
| NOTE-WBGLWT (previously NOTE-WBGLW) | GL - Global | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA / GPRS | Telit LE910C1-WWXD | Yes |
| NOTE-WBNA | NA - North America | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA | Quectel EG91-NAX | No |
| NOTE-WBNAN | NA - North America | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA | Quectel EG91-NAX | No |
| NOTE-WBNAW | NA - North America | WB - Wideband | LTE Cat-1 / WCDMA | Quectel EG91-NAXD | Yes |
See Cellular Band Support for Wideband Notecards
Midband (LTE Cat-1 bis Notecards)
| SKU | General Region | Bands | Data Networks | Modem | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOTE-MBGLN | GL - Global | MB - Midband | LTE Cat-1 bis | Quectel EG916Q-GL | No |
| NOTE-MBGLW | GL - Global | MB - Midband | LTE Cat-1 bis | Quectel EG916Q-GL | Yes |
| NOTE-MBNAN | NA - North America | MB - Midband | LTE Cat-1 bis | Quectel EG915Q-NA | No |
| NOTE-MBNAW | NA - North America | MB - Midband | LTE Cat-1 bis | Quectel EG915Q-NA | Yes |
See Cellular Band Support for Midband Notecards
Narrowband (LTE-M/NB-IoT Notecards)
| SKU | General Region | Bands | Data Networks | Modem | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOTE-NBGL | GL - Global | NB - Narrowband | LTE-M / NB-IoT / GPRS | Quectel BG95-M3 | No |
| NOTE-NBGLN | GL - Global | NB - Narrowband | LTE-M / NB-IoT / GPRS | Quectel BG95-M3 | No |
| NOTE-NBGLW | GL - Global | NB - Narrowband | LTE-M / NB-IoT / GPRS | Quectel BG95-M3 | Yes |
| NOTE-NBNA | NA - North America | NB - Narrowband | LTE-M | Quectel BG95-M1 | No |
| NOTE-NBNAN | NA - North America | NB - Narrowband | LTE-M | Quectel BG95-M1 | No |
| NOTE-NBNAW | NA - North America | NB - Narrowband | LTE-M | Quectel BG95-M1 | Yes |
See Cellular Band Support for Narrowband Notecards
Cellular Band Support by SKU
This section details the cellular frequency band support for each Notecard SKU.
Wideband Bands (LTE Cat-1 Notecards)
| SKU | Modem | LTE Cat-1 | WCDMA (3G) | GSM/EDGE (2G) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOTE‑WBEX‑500 | Quectel EG91‑EX | B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28 | B1, B8 | 900, 1800 MHz |
| NOTE‑WBEXN | Quectel EG91‑EX | B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28 | B1, B8 | 900, 1800 MHz |
| NOTE‑WBEXW | Quectel EG91‑EX | B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28 | B1, B8 | 900, 1800 MHz |
| NOTE‑WBGLWT | Telit LE910C1‑WWXD | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B8_US, B9, B12, B13, B14, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28 | B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B8, B19 | B2, B3, B5, B8 |
| NOTE‑WBNA‑500 | Quectel EG91‑NAX | B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B25, B26 | B2, B4, B5 | |
| NOTE‑WBNAN | Quectel EG91‑NAX | B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B25, B26 | B2, B4, B5 | |
| NOTE‑WBNAW | Quectel EG91‑NAXD | B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B25, B26 | B2, B4, B5 |
Midband Bands (LTE Cat-1 bis Notecards)
| SKU | Modem | LTE Cat-1 bis |
|---|---|---|
| NOTE‑MBGLN | Quectel EG916Q-GL | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B34, B38, B39, B40, B41, B66 |
| NOTE‑MBGLW | Quectel EG916Q-GL | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B34, B38, B39, B40, B41, B66 |
| NOTE‑MBNAN | Quectel EG915Q-NA | B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B66 |
| NOTE‑MBNAW | Quectel EG915Q-NA | B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B66 |
Narrowband Bands (LTE-M/NB-IoT Notecards)
| SKU | Modem | LTE-M | NB-IoT | GSM/EDGE (2G) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOTE‑NBGL‑500 | Quectel BG95‑M3 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B27, B28, B66, B85 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B28, B66, B71, B85 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| NOTE‑NBGLN | Quectel BG95‑M3 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B27, B28, B66, B85 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B28, B66, B71, B85 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| NOTE‑NBGLW | Quectel BG95‑M3 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B27, B28, B66, B85 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B28, B66, B71, B85 | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| NOTE‑NBNA‑500 | Quectel BG95‑M1 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B27, B28, B66, B85 | ||
| NOTE‑NBNAN | Quectel BG95‑M1 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B27, B28, B66, B85 | ||
| NOTE‑NBNAW | Quectel BG95‑M1 | B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B27, B28, B66, B85 |