Dual Band Modules to Use in 2024

If this title caught your eye, you probably already know why you’re here. Whether begrudgingly or smugly, we can all acknowledge that at this point, an IoT product designed to connect to the cloud using your customer’s WiFi router needs to support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. WiFi routers are now typically broadcasting across both bands for the numerous benefits, and consumer-friendly design means manufacturers are increasingly obfuscating this technical nuance from the end user.  Where routers originally required users to manually set up a separately-named 5GHz network and asked them to choose which devices connected to it, modern mesh routers often use a single network name and password and allow devices to freely hop between bands depending on factors like distance from the router and congestion.  That’s great news for consumers, but can be a disaster for IoT products that require a 2.4GHz band and anyone tasked with answering the phone about them. A great unfairness in our slice of the world is that we cannot control anything about our customer’s WiFi router or network quality, yet are responsible for their user experience with our device that relies heavily on both of those things. 

So, what brings you here today? Are you a product manager tasked with finding out how expensive it would be to add this functionality? A tech leader considering a new cloud-connected device that should be designed right the first time? Or, (raises glass in solidarity) are you a development engineer that also saw the infamous announcement from everyone’s favorite inexpensive module almost two years ago, convinced the powers that be that you could keep developing on that module because you’d get 5GHz support in a matter of months, and are now looking for the least traumatic way to deliver what your sales team has undoubtedly promised? Cheers, friend, and welcome. Let’s check out a few modules to get you where you need to be. 

Murata’s LBEE5CJ1XK-687 with NXP’s IW416 Chipset

Murata is known for producing top-tier RF modules, and NXP’s chipsets are widely regarded as rock solid industry standards. This module supports 2.4/5GHz WiFi as well as Bluetooth, and can be configured to use the same or separate antennas for WLAN and BT (using module SKU LBEE5CJ2XK). The antenna(s) can be a PCB trace antenna, laid out in great detail in the user manual, or one of a handful of u.Fl antennas from Molex such as 146187. This antenna versatility makes the module an excellent choice for a larger product family that needs different transmission profiles for various applications. 

Though the product was released recently (in 2023) there is already a nice evaluation kit created by Embedded Artists that showcases the recommended trace antenna. This evaluation board is compact enough to be used into advanced prototyping and is well-documented. 

The entire Murata module is less than $10 at volume and readily available from multiple distributors, as are the recommended external antennas. To the relief of electrical and mechanical engineers alike, accurate eCAD and 3D models are available on the product page. 

Laird’s LWB5+ with Cypress/Infineon’s CYW4373 Chipset

A Laird Connectivity module using a Cypress chipset (Cypress was acquired by Infineon in 2020) is another excellent pairing that supports 1x1 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 5.0. This module is available in three flavors: 453-00045 for an integrated chip antenna, 453-00046 with an MHF4 connector, or 453-00047 for a trace pad. The former two have robust development kits (453-00045-K1 and 453-00046-K1 respectively) available from multiple distributors. 

While the datasheet for the module is comprehensive, there are fewer assets and guides publicly available than with other devices making this a better choice for engineers that need specific features of this product (such as 802.11ac support) and are willing to put in a bit of extra legwork. 

u-blox’s JODY-W3 with NXP’s Chipsets

When we say all IoT products should consider using dual band WiFi, that extends to the garage. An “Automotive grade” rating can be useful for any device subjected to extreme conditions regardless of the exact application, so this module may find homes in everything from consumer vehicles to agriculture. While a bit more expensive than the other modules on this list, the JODY-W3 brings the heat with high data rates, cutting edge RF support, and flexible antenna and interface options. The family supports WiFi 6 (802.11ac/ax) and Bluetooth 5.3 BR/EDR and LE, including long range, across a wide operating range. 

The antenna design considerations are laid out in an antenna reference design and in the integration manual, underscoring the comprehensive information available for these products. Robust evaluation kits are available for both the W374 and W377 flavors of the module. 

Note that the automotive-specific SKUs have a “-A” at the end. If you are looking for an operating temperature above 100oC, check out u-blox’s JODY-W263-01A.

See, bringing your next IoT product into a world saturated with mesh routers won’t be too bad! The modules above represent only a handful of our options as design engineers, and if your favorite manufacturer is not yet providing a dual-band module then there’s a good chance they’re already working on it. The BOM cost may be a bit higher than a single band solution, but the reviews pouring in praising how your product “just works” will be priceless.