The Onion Omega2 LTE Brings 4G Connectivity and GNSS Global Positioning

Onion is getting set to release the latest rendition of their Omega Linux development board with the Omega2 LTE, which is based on the company’s previous Omega2S+ and brings additional connectivity options with Wi-Fi and LTE cellular capabilities.

“Effortlessly deploy your existing IoT applications in remote areas and no longer be limited by the range of Wi-Fi networks. The Linux network stack makes the switch between WiFi and cellular data seamless to user applications.”

Beyond 4G and Wi-Fi, the Omega2 LTE offers GNSS support for global positioning applications, like real-time asset and fleet tracking. It’s also compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, as well as other regional systems. Since the board is outfitted with GNSS, you can send geopositioning and other data to remote servers via any LTE connection.

Since the Omega2 LTE is based on Onion’s Omega2S+, the board keeps much of the same hardware — a MediaTek MT7688 MIPS WiSoC (128Mb of DDR2/32Mb Flash), and 802.11 b/g/n/ (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi. All connectivity options, including 4G LTE and GNSS, have their own U.FL connectors, along with a Nano-SIM slot (cellular data) and a micro SD card slot (up to 2Tb supported).

Additional features include upgraded USB Type-C port for power and serial command line access, the removal of eMMC (replaced by internal storage and micro SD), and network status and activity LEDs. The Omega2 LTE also retains the 30-pin I/O header for adding expansion boards, but provides a new rectangular design (instead of the three cut corners), making it enclosure friendly.

The Omega2 LTE is now live on Crowd Supply with a price tag of $99 for the board itself and $129 for the Omega2 LTE Essential Collection, which includes a 3-in-1 flex antenna for Wi-Fi, LTE, and GNSS, plus Ethernet and ADC expansion boards.