Wireless and RF sourcing: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, cellular and GNSS

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth SoCs and modules, sub-GHz and LoRa transceivers, LTE and GNSS modules, and RF front-end parts, by complete ordering code. We check flash and PSRAM options, antenna type, frequency band and regional variant on every line, because each of these is a different orderable part.

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Six groups cover most wireless lines on a BOM. In each one the ordering code carries options that the family name does not: memory, antenna, band, region or temperature range.

A wireless part also ties into your firmware and your market approvals. A pre-certified module brings its own approvals for the antenna options the maker lists; a bare SoC on your own board needs its own testing. That is why we state on every quote line whether the part is a chip or a module, and which antenna option it is.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules

Espressif and other Wi-Fi modules with on-board or external antenna, and the bare SoCs. Typical lines: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1, ESP32-WROOM-32E, ESP32-C3-MINI-1.

Bluetooth LE and Thread SoCs

Low-power radios for sensors, wearables and smart home. Typical lines: nRF52840, nRF52832, CC2640R2F, EFR32BG22.

Sub-GHz and LoRa

Long-range transceivers and modules for metering and telemetry. Typical lines: SX1262, SX1268, SX1276, CC1101.

Cellular modules

LTE Cat 4, Cat 1, LTE-M and NB-IoT modules in regional variants. Typical lines: Quectel EC25 and BG95 series.

GNSS modules

Multi-constellation positioning modules and receivers. Typical lines: u-blox NEO-M9N, MAX-M10S.

RF front-end

LNAs, PAs, RF switches, filters and baluns matched to a band. Alternatives need RF verification on your board.

What a wireless quote depends on

Send what you have. A complete ordering code is fastest; a radio, band and memory requirement works too, and we come back with candidate codes.

The quote line states the source channel, packaging, date code, lead time and validity. Parts are supplied blank, as packed by the manufacturer. Nothing is substituted without your written approval.

Representative parts and their key numbers

These are lines we see often. The numbers are the ones a replacement must match, taken from the manufacturers’ datasheets and product pages.

المكوّن
النوع
Band
Key number
Note

ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8

Wi-Fi + BLE module

2.4 GHz

16 MB flash, 8 MB Octal PSRAM

Rated −40 to 65 °C

ESP32-WROOM-32E-N4

Wi-Fi + BT module

2.4 GHz

4 MB flash; PCB antenna

Replaces NRND ESP32-WROOM-32

ESP32-WROOM-32UE-N4

Wi-Fi + BT module

2.4 GHz

4 MB flash; external antenna connector

18.0 × 19.2 mm, shorter than 32E

nRF52840

BLE / Thread / Zigbee SoC

2.4 GHz

1 MB flash, 256 kB RAM; USB

نوردك

nRF52832

BLE SoC

2.4 GHz

512 kB / 64 kB or 256 kB / 32 kB

Memory set by the variant code

SX1262IMLTRT

LoRa transceiver

150–960 MHz

+22 dBm; −148 dBm sensitivity

QFN 4 × 4

SX1268IMLTRT

LoRa transceiver

410–810 MHz

+22 dBm

Does not cover 868 or 915 MHz

EC25-E

LTE Cat 4 module

B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20, B38/B40/B41

150 Mbps down, 50 Mbps up

EMEA, Korea, Thailand, India

NEO-M9N

GNSS module

L1

4 GNSS received concurrently

16.0 × 12.2 mm

Example parts, not a stock list. Confirm the current datasheet and the exact suffix before design or purchase. Need one of these? Send the part number and we confirm the orderable code, lifecycle status and stock.

How to specify each group

Two radios from the same family can need different firmware, a different antenna or a different market approval. The difference is usually one or two letters at the end of the ordering code.

Each tab lists what defines the part, the numbers to compare, the trap we see most often, and what to send so we can quote without guessing.

Six problems buyers find after the order

Each of these looks fine on a quote and shows up at first power-up, in a test or in the field. We check for them before a line is quoted.

What happened
Why
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Board boots, but a peripheral on IO35–IO37 is dead

ESP32-S3 module with Octal PSRAM, which uses those pins

PSRAM letter in the suffix against your pin map

Firmware does not fit or crashes at start-up

SoC variant with less flash or RAM

Variant code against the image size

Radio cannot reach the 868 or 915 MHz band

Transceiver or module built for another band

Frequency range and module band suffix

Cellular module will not register on the network

Regional variant with the wrong bands

Variant against carrier and country

Range is shorter than on the prototype

Module with a different antenna option

PCB antenna or external connector, and the antenna fitted

New design blocked at review

Part marked NRND by the maker

Lifecycle status and the recommended successor

Worked example: reading an ESP32-S3 module code

ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 reads as: ESP32-S3 SoC, WROOM-1 module with PCB antenna, N16 for 16 MB Quad SPI flash, R8 for 8 MB Octal SPI PSRAM. The U in ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U means an external antenna connector instead.

Espressif rates the R8 modules −40 to 65 °C, and lists 85 °C for most other variants. A buyer who swaps N16R8 for N16R2 to save cost gets 2 MB of Quad PSRAM and the wider temperature range, and frees IO35 to IO37. The firmware has to fit in 2 MB of PSRAM.

Send the module code and the pins you use and we check each candidate against both before we quote.

Worked example: what 7 dB of output power is worth

Link budget is output power minus receiver sensitivity. SX1262 at +22 dBm with −148 dBm sensitivity gives 22 + 148 = 170 dB, which matches Semtech’s figure. The −148 dBm applies at the slowest LoRa settings.

SX1261 is rated +15 dBm, 7 dB less. In free space, every 6 dB halves the range, so 7 dB costs a little more than half of it. The two parts share the family, and the choice changes the range of the product.

The same arithmetic applies to the antenna side. Antenna gain adds to the budget, and cable, connector and matching losses subtract from it. A module with an external connector and a long cable can lose part of what the radio gains. Regional rules also limit the radiated power you may use, so the highest output setting is not always allowed in your market.

Three requests we see, and how we handle them

Each started as a short message with a part number. What we check, and in which order, decides whether the buyer gets a usable part or a second problem.

"We still build on ESP32-WROOM-32"

Espressif marks it NRND. We quote remaining stock with date codes where it exists, and list ESP32-WROOM-32E with the same flash size as the candidate, so your engineers can check firmware and certification before the switch.

"Same LTE module, half the lead time"

The offer was the North American variant for a European product. We compare the variant suffix with the market and carrier first, and quote only the variant whose bands and approvals match.

"Can we use SX1268 instead of SX1262?"

Not for 868 or 915 MHz. SX1268 covers 410–810 MHz. We check the band before anything else, then output power and driver support.

Where these parts go

A smart meter and a wearable can use the same radio family, specified differently. These are the requirements that change by application.

الأتمتة الصناعية

Sub-GHz and LoRa telemetry, LTE gateways and modules rated for −40 to 85 °C.

التحكم في المحركات والروبوتات

BLE for configuration, GNSS for positioning and Wi-Fi for logging.

الطاقة والكهرباء

Metering radios in the sub-GHz bands and cellular modules for remote sites.

Edge AI & AIoT

Wi-Fi modules with large PSRAM, and Thread and BLE SoCs for sensors.

الإلكترونيات الاستهلاكية

Pre-certified Wi-Fi and BLE modules, with second sources in the same outline where they exist.

الصوت الذكي والصوت

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules with PSRAM for audio buffers.

Why buyers send wireless lines to us

Ordering code decoded

Flash, PSRAM, antenna, band and temperature options are read from the suffix on every line.

Variants and successors listed

NRND and regional variants listed with the successor or the matching variant. Your engineers approve.

Distribution and independent stock compared

Factory lead time, distributor stock and qualified independent stock in China quoted side by side, channel named.

Lifecycle flagged

NRND, EOL and last-time-buy status shown per line, with date codes.

Original packing kept

Reels, trays and moisture-barrier bags as packed by the manufacturer, labels intact.

Answer within 24 hours

A quote, or the specific questions that stop us quoting, within 24 hours of a complete enquiry.

Quality checks for wireless parts

Popular modules and SoCs are copied and remarked. A module can carry the right label and the wrong flash size, or come from used boards.

Wireless and RF manufacturers we source

Espressif

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth SoCs and modules

NXP

Wireless MCUs and RF parts

STMicroelectronics

BLE and sub-GHz SoCs

Infineon

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips

Microchip

Wireless MCUs and modules

Also Nordic Semiconductor, Semtech, Silicon Labs, Quectel, u-blox, Qorvo and Skyworks. جميع الشركات المصنّعة

Wireless and RF questions

Yes. Send the complete ordering code, quantity and target date. We reply within 24 hours of a complete enquiry with a quote or the questions we need answered.

No. The module adds flash, crystal, antenna and its own approvals, and has its own ordering code. Certification belongs to the module and its antenna option.

N16 is 16 MB flash, R8 is 8 MB Octal PSRAM, and U means an external antenna connector instead of the PCB antenna.

Espressif marks it NRND. We quote remaining stock where it exists and list ESP32-WROOM-32E as the candidate for new builds.

Some can. SX1262 covers 150–960 MHz; SX1268 covers 410–810 MHz and cannot. Modules are often built for one band, so check the module’s band suffix.

Yes, as separate lines. The quote states the variant and its bands so you can match it to the carrier.

No. Parts are supplied blank, as packed by the manufacturer.

Yes, as a separate line with the differences stated. Your engineers check firmware, antenna and certification before approval.

Visual inspection in-house against a documented checklist, including label, marking, outline and packing. X-ray, decapsulation or electrical tests are done by an independent laboratory when the order needs it, quoted before you order.