Product Introduction of E51 Series Wi-SUN Modules

The E51-xxxNWxxx series wireless modules are long-range, low-power transmission Wi-SUN modules. Equipped with Silicon Labs' EFR32FG25 series chip solution, these E51 series wireless modules can achieve stable wireless communication over distances of 0.3 to 2.5 kilometers in dense urban canyon environments with minimal data loss. They also support Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation technology introduced in Wi-SUN Field Area Networks (FAN), enabling high data bandwidth of up to 3.6 Mbps. With the increase in data rate, they can support large-scale networks required by applications such as smart cities and smart utilities, where the number of nodes can reach thousands.

The E51 series Wi-SUN wireless modules are available in four models: E51-470NW16S(NR), E51-470NW16S(BR), E51-900NW16S(NR), and E51-900NW16S(BR). These four products share the same package size, are pin-to-pin compatible, feature rich interfaces, and support secondary development by users, making them widely applicable in the IoT industry.

E51 Series Wi-SUN Wireless Modules

Note: E51-470NW16S(NR) and E51-900NW16S(NR) are node modules; E51-470NW16S(BR) and E51-900NW16S(BR) are gateway router modules.

Functional Features of E51 Series Wi-SUN Modules

Wi-SUN Network Protocol Features

  • Complies with IEEE Wi-SUN, Wireless M-Bus, 6LoWPAN, and other standard protocols;

  • Communication rate up to 50~300 Kbps;

  • Mesh networking, supporting up to 24-level topology;

  • Supports mobile nodes for reliable data transmission;

  • Supports concurrent communication and intelligent network topology;

  • Supports automatic frequency hopping to significantly improve communication anti-interference capability;

  • Supports thousand-node networking to meet large-scale networking application scenarios.

 Operating Frequency Bands

  • E51-470NW16S(NR) and E51-470NW16S(BR): operating frequency band 470-510 MHz;

  • E51-900NW16S(NR) and E51-900NW16S(BR): operating frequency band 860-925 MHz.

Low-Power Wireless System-on-Chip

  • High-performance 32-bit 97.5 MHz ARM Cortex®-M33 with DSP instructions and floating-point unit for efficient signal processing;

  • Up to 1152 kB flash program memory;

  • Up to 256 kB RAM data memory;

  • Transmit power up to +16 dBm.

Diverse MCU Peripheral Options

  • Up to 35 general-purpose I/O pins with output state retention and asynchronous interrupt capabilities;

  • Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC):

    • 12-bit@1 Msps;

    • 16-bit@76.9 ksps;

  • 2× Analog Comparators (ACMP);

  • 2-channel Digital-to-Analog Converter (VDAC);

  • Low Energy Sensor Interface (LESENSE);

  • 16-channel DMA controller;

  • 12-channel Peripheral Reflex System (PRS);

  • 6× 16-bit Timers/Counters with 3 Compare/Capture/PWM channels;

  • 2× 32-bit Timers/Counters with 3 Compare/Capture/PWM channels;

  • 32-bit Real-Time Counter;

  • 24-bit Low-Energy Timer for waveform generation;

  • 2× Watchdog Timers;

  • 1× USB 2.0 Full-Speed Port (device-only);

  • 5× EUSART (Enhanced Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter):

    • EUSART0 operates in EM2;

    • SPI and IrDA supported by EUSART;

  • 2× I2C interfaces supporting SMBus;

  • On-chip temperature sensor with ±2°C accuracy over the entire temperature range.

Wide Operating Range

  • Operating voltage: 2.0 to 5.5V power supply, supporting OFDM mode power supply;

  • Operating temperature: -40 to +125°C.

Supported Modulation Formats

  • Wi-SUN MR-OFDM MCS 0-6 (all 4 options);

  • 802.15.4 SUN MR-O-QPSK with DSSS;

  • Wi-SUN FSK;

  • 2(G)FSK with fully configurable shaping;

  • (G)MSK.

 Chip-Level Security Features

  • Secure boot via Root of Trust and Secure Loader (RTSL);

  • Hardware encryption acceleration (up to 256-bit) with DPA countermeasures for AES128/256, SHA-1, SHA-2;

  • ECC (up to 256-bit), ECDSA, ECDH, and J-Pake;

  • True Random Number Generator (TRNG) compliant with NIST SP800-90 and AIS-31;

  • ARM® TrustZone®;

  • Secure debugging with lock/unlock.

Protocol Support of E51 Series Wi-SUN Modules

  • Proprietary product private protocol;

  • Wi-SUN.

Package of E51 Series Wi-SUN Modules

  • SMD stamp hole: 20mm (length) x 20mm (width) x 3mm (height).

Internal Functional Block Diagram of EFR32FG25 Series Chips

2025610111724463.jpgGlossary of Wi-SUN Module Terms

  • Wi-SUN (Wireless Utility Networks): A collective term for standard wireless communication networks based on IEEE 802.15.4 as the underlying protocol.

  • BR (Border Router): Edge router, edge.

  • NR (Node Router): Node with relay function, also denoted as "node".

  • PAN (Personal Area Network): Personal area network.

  • FAN (Wireless Utility Field Area Network): FAN 1.0 uses FSK modulation (below 300 kbps), while FAN 1.1 supports both FSK (below 300 kbps) and OFDM modulation (below 2.4 Mbps) for high-speed communication.

  • MESH Network:

2025610111727873.jpg

Application Scenarios of Wi-SUN Wireless Modules

Wi-SUN (Wireless Smart Ubiquitous Network) is a leading sub-1 GHz IPv6 mesh technology suitable for smart city and smart utility applications. By enabling interoperable, multi-service, and secure wireless mesh networks, Wi-SUN wireless modules provide smart ubiquitous networks for service providers, utilities, municipal/local governments, and other enterprises. Wi-SUN can be used for large-scale outdoor IoT wireless communication networks covering a wide range of applications including line-powered and battery-powered nodes.

Silicon Labs' EFR32FG25 series chip solution is certified by the Wi-SUN Alliance, a global industry association dedicated to seamless LPWAN connectivity. Wi-SUN networks are built on open standard Internet protocols (IP) and APIs, enabling developers to extend existing infrastructure platforms to add new features. Designed for extended long-range functionality, high data throughput, and IPv6 support, Wi-SUN simplifies wireless infrastructure for industrial applications and smart city evolution.

  • Smart City/Municipal Infrastructure;

  • Industrial Applications/Building Automation/Distribution Automation;

  • Building Security Systems;

  • Smart Home;

  • Smart Lighting/Street Lighting;

  • Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI);

  • Smart Meters/Smart Metering.