STMicroelectronics Launches $99 LoRa Development Kits for Rapid IoT Deployment

STMicroelectronics has unveiled two affordable LoRa development packs, each priced at just $99. Built on the company’s proven STM32 Nucleo platform, these kits empower large enterprises, startups, independent designers, hobbyists, and educators to prototype and ship LoRaWAN‑enabled IoT solutions faster and with fewer resources.

Each kit delivers a complete LoRaWAN development stack—including gateway and end‑node boards, firmware, and developer tools—ready for deployment in either high‑frequency (868 MHz/915 MHz/923 MHz) or low‑frequency (433 MHz/470 MHz) ISM bands. The integrated gateway software and ST’s I‑CUBE‑LRWAN end‑node firmware streamline the connection to any LoRaWAN network server.

The gateway is powered by the STM32 Nucleo‑144 board (NUCLEO‑F746ZG) featuring an STM32F746ZGT6 microcontroller. Its open‑pin layout and on‑board debugger make hardware debugging straightforward, a key advantage over commercial gateways that often hide internal connections. The gateway functions as a lightweight packet forwarder, reliably routing data from the development node to cloud‑based LoRaWAN servers.

ST has partnered with leading network‑server providers—LORIOT, Actility, and The Things Network—to offer users free access to core network‑server functionality. For rapid prototyping and data visualization, designers can employ myDevices Cayenne for LoRa, an intuitive IoT Builder dashboard that visualizes sensor feeds and enables remote device control.

The end‑node hardware is based on the NUCLEO‑L073RZ board, which incorporates the ultra‑low‑power STM32L073RZT6 MCU and a convenient battery socket for mobile deployments. Each pack includes a LoRa node expansion board that runs an STM32‑powered AT‑command stack, and a suite of sensors for motion and environmental monitoring.

Key hardware distinctions:

• P‑NUCLEO‑LRWAN2 (High‑frequency) – Includes the I‑NUCLEO‑LRWAN1 expansion board by USI, featuring an STM32L0‑powered module and ST’s LSM303AGR MEMS e‑compass (accelerometer/magnetometer), LPS22HB pressure sensor, and HTS221 temperature & humidity sensor.
• P‑NUCLEO‑LRWAN3 (Low‑frequency) – Comes with an STM32L0‑powered RisingHF RHF0M003 module, LSM6DS33D accelerometer, LPS22HB pressure sensor, and HTS221 temperature & humidity sensor.

Both development kits ship with free integrated development environments such as Keil MDK‑ARM, plus the STM32CubeMX MCU initializer and configurator for rapid code generation and hardware configuration.