The Notecarriers
Notecarriers are companion project accelerator boards designed to make it easy to prototype and deploy IoT solutions with the Notecard.
The bridge between your host and the Notecard
Any MCU or SBC
Regardless of the microcontroller or single-board computer you’re using, there is a compatible Notecarrier for your project.
Fast prototyping (and deployments)
Each Notecarrier model provides an easy connectivity method to your existing IoT solution, whether it’s via header pins for prototyping or castellated edge connectors for embedding in a production solution.
Onboard cellular/Wi-Fi and GPS antennas
Most Notecarrier models come with onboard embedded cellular/Wi-Fi and GPS antennas, eliminating the need for external hookups.
Power options galore
Supporting AA batteries, LiPo, solar, and micro-USB, there are Notecarrier models that support virtually any type (and combination) of power supply.
Meet the Notecarriers
Notecarriers make it easy to prototype and deploy IoT solutions with the Notecard.
-
Notecarrier F
- 24-pin Adafruit Feather breakout header
- Nano-Sim slot for (optional) additional carrier connectivity
- JST connectors for V+, LiPo, and Solar
- Supports Notecard Outboard Firmware Update
- This product requires a Notecard
-
Notecarrier Pi
- Stackable 40-pin Pi-compatible HAT
- Grove I2C port for external peripherals
- Includes U.FL cellular/Wi-Fi antenna (GPS requires U.FL active antenna)
- This product requires a Notecard
-
Notecarrier A
- Onboard cellular/Wi-Fi and GPS antennas
- Two Qwiic ports for connecting I2C peripherals
- JST Connectors for V+, LiPo, and Solar power
- This product requires a Notecard
-
Notecarrier R
Easily Integrate the Notecard into your Arduino Portenta H7 or MKR BoardSolution
- Built for Arduino Developers
- Small form-factor for production-ready deployments
- ESLOV (5-pin JST) connector for wire-to-board applications
- Easily power your deployments through a Micro USB connection or with a LiPo battery
- This product requires a Notecard
-
Notecarrier XM
The Notecarrier XM is our most minimal Notecard, containing essential circuitry for the Notecard and a USB port for USB Serial access to the Notecard. The Notecarrier XM was designed as a low-cost companion to the Notecard LoRa and Notecard WiFi, though it can be used with any Notecard.
-
Notecard M.2 Key E connector socket and mounting screw receptacle.
-
USB C port to power Notecarrier and provide a USB Serial command interface to Notecard.
-
DIP switch for using active or passive GPS/GNSS antenna.
- This product requires a Notecard
-
-
Notecarrier X
The Notecarrier X is our most capable small-form factor Notecarrier with JST connectors for LiPo battery and charging support, as well as Qwiic and ESLOV ports for connecting the Notecard to host MCUs over I2C.
-
Notecard M.2 Key E connector socket and mounting screw receptacle.
-
USB C port to power Notecarrier and provide a USB Serial command interface to Notecard.
-
External Nano-SIM slot for use of an optional secondary SIM.
-
2-Pin JST PH connectors for LiPo battery power and charging support.
-
1 Qwiic/StemmaQT I2C port for attaching external peripherals.
-
1 ESLOV port for attaching the Notecard to Arduino MKR or PRO boards.
-
DIP switch for using active or passive GPS/GNSS antenna.
- This product requires a Notecard
-
-
Notecarrier XS
Notecarrier XS is the companion Notecarrier to Starnote and Notecard, providing a platform for prototyping with Satellite failover.
-
Notecard M.2 Key E connector socket and mounting screw receptacle.
-
Starnote M.2 Key E connector socket and mounting screw receptacle.
-
USB-C port to power Notecarrier and provide a USB Serial command interface to Notecard.
-
External Nano-SIM slot for use of an optional secondary SIM.
-
2-Pin JST PH connectors for LiPo battery power and charging support.
-
1 Qwiic/StemmaQT I2C port for attaching external peripherals.
-
1 ESLOV port for attaching the Notecard to Arduino MKR or PRO boards.
- This product requires a Notecard and Starnote
-
Which Notecarrier is right for me?
Discover the right Notecarrier for your host, power supply, and deployment stage.
Notecarrier F
Best when using Feather-compatible MCU
103mm x 51mm
Adafruit Feather-compatible
Bring Your Own Antenna
Two Qwiic I2C Ports
LiPo/Solar/V+
Micro USB
External Nano-SIM Socket for Additional Carriers
Notecarrier Pi
Best when using a Raspberry Pi-compatible SBC
56mm x 65mm
Raspberry Pi
External Cellular/Wi-Fi Antenna
One Grove I2C Port
Pi HAT
Micro USB
External Nano-SIM Socket for Additional Carriers
Notecarrier A
Best when prototyping with any other MCU
68mm x 75mm
Any MCU
Embedded Antennas
Two Qwiic I2C Ports
LiPo/Solar/V+
Micro USB
External Nano-SIM Socket for Additional Carriers
Notecarrier X
Best for small form factor deployments
66mm x 38mm
Any MCU
Bring Your Own Antenna
One Qwiic & One ESLOV I2C Port
2.5V-5.5V to V+
USB-C
External Nano-SIM Socket for Additional Carriers
Frequently Asked Questions
The Notecard and its companion Notecarrier-Pi HAT support virtually any Raspberry Pi-compatible single-board computer (SBC) with a 40-pin male header connector. Some examples of compatible SBCs include the balenaFin, Banana Pi, and the ROCK Pi.
Note that due to the power requirements of the Notecard, some Raspberry Pi 2 and 3 models include a current-limiting fuse that will power-cycle the device when the Notecard’s modem is on and transmitting. To avoid these issues, we recommend using Raspberry Pi 4 devices with the Notecard and Notecarrier Pi HAT.
The Notecard, combined with the Notecarrier-F, is the easiest way to add cellular connectivity to your MCU-based IoT project. Blues provides a Feather Starter Kit that includes a Swan MCU to get you started as quickly as possible. Alternatively, if you are invested in the Raspberry Pi platform, you can get started with the Raspberry Pi Starter Kit.
No! The Notecard is a small 30mm x 35mm system on module (SoM) that is able to be embedded in any IoT project on its own via its M.2 edge connector.
However, Blues provides a variety of Notecarrier host boards for easily adding cellular connectivity to a new or existing IoT solution for prototyping purposes. The Notecarrier also provides antennae for both the GPS and cellular capabilities of the Notecard Cellular (and the cellular antenna is also compatible with Wi-Fi enabled Notecards).
- Notecard: SoM peripheral with a cellular modem, IMU sensor, GPS modem, with an M.2 edge connector.
- Notecarrier: A prototyping board with cellular/Wi-Fi and GPS antennae, used to breakout the pins on the Notecard’s M.2 connector.
- Notehub: A cloud service, used as a backend to connect with the Notecard. Notehub securely receives all data and communications created by the Notecard. In turn, Notehub can securely sync encrypted data with the cloud application of your choice using VPN tunnels which eliminates the need for traffic to traverse the public Internet.
We’re making IoT quick and easy.
Start your IoT journey with us!