Weightless SIG names Applus+ as the official testing laboratory

Professor William Webb, CEO of the Weightless SIG commented: “Applus are an excellent partner for Weightless, with their expertise in wireless and IoT, their global presence and their commitment to helping build a strong eco-system”. He continued: “We’re confident that Applus’ professional approach and impressive resources will greatly assist developers with their IoT projects."

Weightless is an open, bi-directional LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) solution. This communication technology is designed for use in Internet of Things solutions and allows for data exchange between a base station and thousands of devices.

From now on IoT solutions which use Weightless technology to connect their devices will be able to use a certification scheme to guarantee the quality and interoperability of their communications. This certification scheme aims to increase confidence in certified products for both buyers and end users.

To obtain Weightless certification, both the base station and terminal must pass a series of tests at both physical and protocol level. These tests will be carried out at the Applus+ Laboratories facilities and will include tests on both the receiver and transmitter blocks.

New services for connected devices
Applus+ is an accredited laboratory for testing compliance with the requirements which wireless equipment and devices must meet in order to gain market access in the EU (Radio Equipment Directive) and the USA (FCC). Applus+ also offers certification services and radio type approval for global markets.

With this new recognition, Applus+ increases its services for IoT solutions and can also offer tests aimed at obtaining voluntary certification marks for IoT connectivity technologies.

What is Weightless connectivity technology?
Weightless is a well-established, open, low power and wide range wireless communication standard aimed at bringing connectivity to IoT solutions. It offers low implementation costs, flexible data transmission including software updates, coverage at long distances and minimal battery consumption.

Weightless is the only open standard solution operating in unlicensed spectrum, allowing every company to establish its own Weightless network or to contract an operator who provides access to a Weightless network. Among its technical advantages, the highlights of Weightless include its ultra low energy consumption, its capacity to manage bi-directional communications and Over-The-Air (OTA) updates for devices and a synchronised network functionality enabling uplink transmissions to be scheduled leading to unmatched scalability for IoT solutions.