Adafruit Holiday Gift Guide 2017 – Internet of Things: 3G FONAs & More

Holiday Gift Guide Week 03 iOT Blog Banner ORIG

Welcome to the FONA 3G (& more) section of our Internet of Things gift guides. See posts 1, 2 and 3 and browse through all of our Holiday Gift Guides! You can see all of our FONA related products here and all of our Internet of Things related items here.


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Adafruit FONA 3G Cellular Breakout – American version – Without Free Ting Sim Card: For those who want to take it to the next level we now have a 3G Cellular Modem breakout! The FONA 3G has better coverage, GSM backwards-compatibility and even sports a built-in GPS module for geolocation & asset tracking. This all-in-one cellular phone module with that lets you add location-tracking, voice, text, SMS and data to your project in a single breakout.

If you want the version that comes with a free Ting 2G SIM Card, click here! This version is for resellers and people who do not need a free SIM card. For 3G use in the USA, please use AT&T network as the Ting network is 2G only on this module.

This module measure only 1.75″x1.6″ but packs a surprising amount of technology into it’s little frame. At the heart is a powerful GSM cellular module (we use the latest SIM5320) with integrated GPS. This module can do just about everything

  • Quad-band 850MHz GSM, 900MHz EGSM, 1800MHz DCS, 1900MHz PCs – connect onto any global GSM network with any 2G SIM.
  • This is the American Version dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900MHz WCDMA + HSDPA (Click here for the European frequency band version)
  • Fully-integrated GPS (Qualcomm PM8015 GPS) that can be controlled and query over the same serial port
  • Make and receive voice calls using a headset or an external 8Ω speaker + electret microphone
  • Send and receive SMS messages
  • Send and receive GPRS data (TCP/IP, HTTP, etc.)
  • AT command interface can be used with 300, 600, 1200, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230K, 461K, 961K, 3.2M, 3.7M and 4.0Mbps
  • Native USB support – plug it into a computer and you’ll get serial ports for GPS

We strongly recommend using an active antenna with the GPS, while we could get a fix with a passive antenna it took a long time.

Please note! We’ve had a lot of requests for a 3G cell module and we’re happy to oblige but this module has many small differences between it and the FONA 800 and 808, so it is not a drop-in replacement! In particular the data functionality is not as easy to use. We are adapting our FONA library to support the 3G chipset and right now we have SMS, calling, and basic functionality working but it will be a while until we get full GPRS TCP/IP and HTTP support. Also, the GPS is not as fast and low-power as the one on the FONA 808. We recommend this module for people who are able to handle a more advanced experience. Beginners will like our FONA 80x series more.

Sounds great, right? So we kitted out this fine module onto a little breakout with all the extras you need to make your next project shine

  • Onboard LiPoly battery charging circuitry so you can take your project on the go. Use any 500mAh+ LiPoly or LiIon battery and recharge over the MicroUSB when necessary. Two LEDs let you know when its charging and done
  • Standard 4-pole TRRS headphone jack. Use any ‘Android’ or ‘iPhone’-compatible headset with mic
  • Breakouts for external 8Ω speaker and electret mic if you don’t want to use a headphone
  • Level shifting circuitry so you can run it with 2.8V to 5V logic.
  • uFL connections for external antennas
  • Indicator LEDs for power and network connectivity
  • Standard SIM slides into the back

On its own, this module can’t do anything. It requires a microcontroller to drive it! We suggest and use an Arduino but any 3-5V microcontroller with a UART can send and receive commands over the RX/TX pins.

You will also need some required & recommended accessories to make FONA 3G work. These are not included! (read more)

Related Guide in the Adafruit Learning System:


NewImage

Adafruit FONA 3G Cellular Breakout – European version: For those who want to take it to the next level we now have a 3G Cellular Modem breakout! The FONA 3G has better coverage, GSM backwards-compatibility and even sports a built-in GPS module for geolocation & asset tracking. This all-in-one cellular phone module with that lets you add location-tracking, voice, text, SMS and data to your project in a single breakout.

This module measure only 1.75″x1.6″ but packs a surprising amount of technology into it’s little frame. At the heart is a powerful GSM cellular module (we use the latest SIM5320E) with integrated GPS. This module can do just about everything

  • Quad-band 850MHz GSM, 900MHz EGSM, 1800MHz DCS, 1900MHz PCs – connect onto any global GSM network with any 2G SIM.
  • This is the European Version – with dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 900/2100MHz WCDMA + HSDPA (Click here for the American frequency band version)
  • Fully-integrated GPS (Qualcomm PM8015 GPS) that can be controlled and query over the same serial port
  • Make and receive voice calls using a headset or an external 8Ω speaker + electret microphone
  • Send and receive SMS messages
  • Send and receive GPRS data (TCP/IP, HTTP, etc.)
  • AT command interface can be used with 300, 600, 1200, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230K, 461K, 961K, 3.2M, 3.7M and 4.0Mbps
  • Native USB support – plug it into a computer and you’ll get serial ports for AT commands, GPS NMEA as well as a modem (note we’ve only tried out the AT&NMEA ports on Windows)

We strongly recommend using an active antenna with the GPS, while we could get a fix with a passive antenna it took a long time.

Please note! We’ve had a lot of requests for a 3G cell module and we’re happy to oblige but this module has many small differences between it and the FONA 800 and 808, so it is not a drop-in replacement! In particular the data functionality is not as easy to use. We are adapting our FONA library to support the 3G chipset and right now we have SMS, calling, and basic functionality working but it will be a while until we get full GPRS TCP/IP and HTTP support. Also, the GPS is not as fast and low-power as the one on the FONA 808. We recommend this module for people who are able to handle a more advanced experience. Beginners will like our FONA 80x series more.

Sounds great, right? So we kitted out this fine module onto a little breakout with all the extras you need to make your next project shine

  • Onboard LiPoly battery charging circuitry so you can take your project on the go. Use any 500mAh+ LiPoly or LiIon battery and recharge over the MicroUSB when necessary. Two LEDs let you know when its charging and done
  • Standard 4-pole TRRS headphone jack. Use any ‘Android’ or ‘iPhone’-compatible headset with mic
  • Breakouts for external 8Ω speaker and electret mic if you don’t want to use a headphone
  • Level shifting circuitry so you can run it with 2.8V to 5V logic.
  • uFL connections for external antennas
  • Indicator LEDs for power and network connectivity
  • Standard SIM slides into the back

On its own, this module can’t do anything. It requires a microcontroller to drive it! We suggest and use an Arduino but any 3-5V microcontroller with a UART can send and receive commands over the RX/TX pins.

You will also need some required & recommended accessories to make FONA 3G work. These are not included! (read more)

Related Guide in the Adafruit Learning System:


NewImage

Adafruit FONA 3G Cellular Breakout – American version – FREE Ting Sim Card w/ Purchase!: This is the version that comes with a FREE Ting 2G Sim Card! Please note if you need to use a 3G network you will need to use an AT&T 3G SIM card as the Ting SIM is 2G only.

For those who want to take it to the next level we now have a 3G Cellular Modem breakout! The FONA 3G has better coverage, GSM backwards-compatibility and even sports a built-in GPS module for geolocation & asset tracking. This all-in-one cellular phone module with that lets you add location-tracking, voice, text, SMS and data to your project in a single breakout.

This module measure only 1.75″x1.6″ but packs a surprising amount of technology into it’s little frame. At the heart is a powerfull GSM cellular module (we use the latest SIM5320A) with integrated GPS. This module can do just about everything

  • Quad-band 850MHz GSM, 900MHz EGSM, 1800MHz DCS, 1900MHz PCs – connect onto any global GSM network with any 2G SIM.
  • This is the American Version dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900MHz WCDMA + HSDPA (Click here for the European frequency band version)
  • Fully-integrated GPS (Qualcomm PM8015 GPS) that can be controlled and query over the same serial port
  • Make and receive voice calls using a headset or an external 8Ω speaker + electret microphone
  • Send and receive SMS messages
  • Send and receive GPRS data (TCP/IP, HTTP, etc.)
  • AT command interface can be used with 300, 600, 1200, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230K, 461K, 961K, 3.2M, 3.7M and 4.0Mbps
  • Native USB support – plug it into a computer and you’ll get serial ports for GPS and

We strongly recommend using an active antenna with the GPS, while we could get a fix with a passive antenna it took a long time.

Please note! We’ve had a lot of requests for a 3G cell module and we’re happy to oblige but this module has many small differences between it and the FONA 800 and 808, so it is not a drop-in replacement! In particular the data functionality is not as easy to use. We are adapting our FONA library to support the 3G chipset and right now we have SMS, calling, and basic functionality working but it will be a while until we get full GPRS TCP/IP and HTTP support. Also, the GPS is not as fast and low-power as the one on the FONA 808. We recommend this module for people who are able to handle a more advanced experience. Beginners will like our FONA 80x series more.

Sounds great, right? So we kitted out this fine module onto a little breakout with all the extras you need to make your next project shine

  • Onboard LiPoly battery charging circuitry so you can take your project on the go. Use any 500mAh+ LiPoly or LiIon battery and recharge over the MicroUSB when necessary. Two LEDs let you know when its charging and done
  • Standard 4-pole TRRS headphone jack. Use any ‘Android’ or ‘iPhone’-compatible headset with mic
  • Breakouts for external 8Ω speaker and electret mic if you don’t want to use a headphone
  • Level shifting circuitry so you can run it with 2.8V to 5V logic.
  • uFL connections for external antennas
  • Indicator LEDs for power and network connectivity
  • Standard SIM slides into the back

On its own, this module can’t do anything. It requires a microcontroller to drive it! We suggest and use an Arduino but any 3-5V microcontroller with a UART can send and receive commands over the RX/TX pins.

You will also need some required & recommended accessories to make FONA 3G work. (read more)


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Adafruit ATWINC1500 WiFi Breakout: Connect your Arduino to the Internet with this fine new FCC-certified WiFi module from Atmel. This 802.11bgn-capable WiFi module is the best new thing for networking your devices, with SSL support and rock solid performance – running our adafruit.io MQTT demo for a full weekend straight with no hiccups (it would have run longer but we had to go to work, so we unplugged it). We like these so much, they’ve completely replaced the CC3000 module on all our projects.

The Adafruit ATWINC1500 WiFi Breakout uses SPI to communicate, so with about 6 wires, you can get your wired up and ready to go. Right now the Atmel-supplied library works great with Arduino Zero, and seems to work OK on Uno but may not work on other Arduinos. You can clock it as fast as 12MHz for speedy, reliable packet streaming. And scanning/connecting to networks is very fast, a few seconds.

This module works with 802.11b, g, or n networks & supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption. You can use it in Soft AP mode to create an ad-hoc network. For secure client connections, there is TLS 1.2 support in firmware 19.4.4!

Since this is our new favoritest SPI-protocol WiFi module we’ve decided to make a little breakout for it. The breakout comes with level shifting on all the input pins so you can use it with 3V or 5V logic. A 3.3V voltage regulator that can handle the 300mA spikes lets you power from 3-5.5VDC. There’s also 3 LEDs that you can control over the SPI interface (part of the library code) or you can have controlled by the Arduino library. They’ll light up when connected to an SSID, or transmitting data.

Comes with a stick of header you can solder on, to plug into a breadboard and a set of tutorials & code so you can follow along! (read more)

Related Guides in the Adafruit Learning System:


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LightBlue Bean: The LightBlue Bean is a low energy Bluetooth Arduino microcontroller that is programmed wirelessly and is perfect for your smartphone controlled projects!

Using Bluetooth 4.0, this Arduino-compatible board is a serial protocol that allows the LBM313 Bluetooth Low Energy module and Atmega328p to communicate both messages from the client (OS X, iOS, etc.) to the Arduino. As well as send special commands to the LBM313 to do things like read the temperature sensor and set the LED.

In other words, this tiny little bean can handle anything from opening your combination lock with your phone to reminding you to pick up Almond milk from the grocery store, to turning your fan on automatically when you get too hot. All while running on a single coin cell battery! The folks over at Punch Through Design have made it easy to wirelessly program The LightBlue Bean from your iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Mac or PC! (read more)

Related Guides :

  • Check out a few example projects HERE!

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We’re excited for the Holiday Season here at Adafruit and we can’t wait to share that excitement with you! Tune into the Adafruit Blog for six weeks of hand picked Adafruit Holiday Gift Guides featuring Adafruit products, projects and more starting Monday November 13.

Still not sure if you’re on the right gift giving track? Gift Certificates are the perfect cyber-present for the electronics geek in your life and are available at any time. When in doubt contact us!


Free Deals

Adafruit offers exciting deals and free items when you shop with us.

As of October 9th, 2017 12:00 PM ET we are offering a number of free products for orders starting at $99 or more!

For orders of $99 or more – a free Adafruit Perma-proto half-size breadboard

For orders of $149 or more – a free Adafruit Trinket M0

For orders of $200 or more – free UPS ground shipping (*Continental USA only)

For orders of $249 or more – a free Adafruit Gemma M0

If you love CircuitPython, then you’ll love this promotion! The Trinket M0 and GEMMA M0 are all great boards for getting going with CircuitPython.

Some restrictions apply


Adafruit Holiday Shipping Deadlines 2017

Here are your 2017 shipping deadlines for ordering from Adafruit. Please review our shipping section if you have specific questions on how and where we ship worldwide for this holiday season.

The Adafruit Shipping Department works hard to get your orders out as quickly as we can, but once they’re in the hands of our carriers they’re out of our control. Carriers have been struggling to keep up with the sharp rise in online orders. UPS, FedEX, and USPS all experienced delivery delays over the last few years.

So all the Adafruit Shippers say: Please be sure you get your gifts early! Order as soon as you can! Once you place your order we’ll ship like the wind!

Please note: We do not offer Saturday or Sunday service for DHL, UPS or USPS.

Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, Christmas, no DHL, UPS or USPS pickup or delivery service.

Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, no DHL, UPS or USPS pickup or delivery service.

Domestic Orders

UPS Ground: Place orders by Friday 11 am ET – December 8, 2017 – There is no guarantee that UPS Ground packages will arrive by December 22, 2017.

UPS 3 Day: Place orders by Thursday 11 am ET – December 14, 2017 – Arrive by 12/22/2017.

UPS 2 Day: Place orders by Friday 11 am ET – December 15, 2017 – Arrive by 12/22/2017

UPS Next Day: Place orders by Monday 11 am ET – December 18, 2017 – Arrive by 12/22/2017.

USPS First Class and USPS Priority: Place orders by Friday– December 8, 2017 – Arrive by 12/22/2017 or sooner.

International Orders

USPS First Class Mail International: Place orders by Friday – November 18, 2017. Can take up to 30 days or more with worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/22/2017 or sooner, but not a trackable service and cannot be guaranteed to arrive by 12/22/2017.

USPS Express Mail International: Place orders by Friday – December 1, 2017. Can take up to 15 days or more with worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/22/2017 or sooner.

UPS WORLDWIDE EXPRESS, UPS WORLDWIDE EXPEDITED and UPS EXPRESS SAVER (UPS International orders): Place orders by Friday 11 am ET – December 8, 2017 – There is no guarantee that international packages will arrive by December 22, 2017.

DHL EXPRESS WORLDWIDE: Place orders by Friday 11 am ET – December 8, 2017 – There is no guarantee that international packages will arrive by December 22, 2017.


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