ST adds software SIM and factory provisioning options to its NB-IoT modules
Illustrative image: Erik Mclean on Pexels
STMicroelectronics has added Onomondo SoftSIM and factory SIM profile provisioning options to its ST87M01 industrial NB-IoT modules, alongside an available driver for the Zephyr operating system. The changes extend an existing module family used in applications including metering, tracking and industrial monitoring. [1][2]
Onomondo's SoftSIM runs on the module's processing subsystem, removing the separate physical SIM device from that configuration. ST also describes factory provisioning based on the GSMA's SGP.32 framework, through which manufacturers can download an operator profile during production rather than hold inventories of SIMs already configured for different networks. [1] SGP.32 defines the technical architecture for remote SIM provisioning in IoT equipment, including devices with constrained network connections or interfaces, while SoftSIM concerns where the subscriber identity is implemented. Using the framework on the production line links initial provisioning with subsequent profile management in the field, instead of treating those as unrelated manufacturing and service operations. [1][3]
The underlying ST87M01 hardware remains an LTE Cat NB2 family with regional band coverage and options for positioning and additional connectivity. Its 10.6 × 12.8 mm LGA package contains the cellular subsystem and application processing, while particular variants offer embedded SIM, GNSS, Wi-Fi positioning or Wireless M-Bus. Those options are associated with individual configurations, rather than a promise that every module includes them all. [2]
The datasheet lists internet protocols including TCP/IP, TLS/DTLS, MQTT, CoAP and HTTP/HTTPS, together with power management for intermittent operation. That gives an embedded application several ways to exchange relatively small amounts of sensor or status data without adding a separate network stack in the application for every protocol. [2] The Zephyr driver now available through the project's GitHub repository adds another integration route. ST lists UDP, TCP, HTTP, MQTT and CoAP support, as well as GNSS and Wi-Fi positioning functions, allowing software already built around Zephyr to use the module's connectivity and location services. [1]
ST plans a demonstration of factory provisioning at Enlit Europe in Vienna from 10 to 12 November. The ST87M01 family will also be shown at electronica in Munich from 10 to 13 November. [1]
