Developing wireless and RF-enabled products is a complex process that can be time-consuming. In this article, learn how products and support from Taoglas helped qiio get one of their products to market faster and achieve an industry-leading certification.
About qiio
qiio® offers plug-and-play, edge-to-cloud cellular Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that provide its customers with everything they need to securely connect, monitor, and control their industrial assets. qiio’s solutions are designed for applications such as remote management, monitoring, and predictive maintenance in hard-to-reach locations. The qiio q200 Guardian is the world’s first solution specifically optimized for secure, bi-directional cellular connectivity supporting IoT deployments running on Microsoft’s Azure Sphere.
The Challenge
qiio is headquartered in Zurich and manufactures all its hardware in Switzerland and Germany. To expand into the U.S. market, qiio needed the q200 to receive mobile operator certification. Carrier certification is key because it gives IoT systems integrators and end-users the confidence that their q200-based implementation will work correctly on each operator’s network. However, carrier certification is challenging for companies that do not have RF expertise and experience navigating the unique requirements of each mobile operator. As a matter of fact, at times it can seem virtually impossible.
The Solution
Initially, qiio tried a small antenna, with a large keep-out zone and complicated matching circuit. The understanding being that there would not be significant tradeoffs compared to a larger surface mount technology (SMT) antenna with a conventional, more straightforward matching circuit. This was not and is never the case. Qiio reached out to Taoglas to recover the initial time lost. Through Taoglas’ large portfolio of high-performance products and world-class engineering support, qiio achieved cellular certification quickly - saving qiio time and ensuring on-schedule delivery to their major customers worldwide.
With Taoglas’ guidance, qiio chose the Havok PCS.26, a low-profile SMT LTE/cellular 2G/3G/4G embedded antenna, the Unifier GGBLA.01.A Loop GPS-GLONASS-GALILEO-BEIDOU antenna, and the WLA.01 WLAN/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Zigbee antenna. Using one of its nine state-of-the-art chambers worldwide, Taoglas had the capabilities to test, check protocol procedures, and provide technical support across multiple time zones. The Taoglas team worked with qiio from beginning to end to ensure that the performance of the overall solution was optimum and in line with US certification requirements.
The Outcome
The successful cooperation with Taoglas was an important step for qiio and its product, q200 Guardian, to receive the Network Optimized Certification from AT&T, the world’s largest telecommunications company. This is the first time worldwide that a cellular Microsoft Azure Sphere-enabled device has been certified, making qiio an integral part of AT&T IoT solutions in North America as well as globally. Taoglas’ state-of-the art products, their professionalism, as well as their mutual understanding of quality, has made them a reliable partner for qiio.
