Network Module

Tuya provides a series of proprietary network modules with various specifications and methods of soldering to address different needs of IoT product development. The network modules can apply to a wide range of IoT wireless communication or voice-control applications to help you develop your ideas faster and get your product to market sooner. This topic describes the types of network modules in terms of protocols, naming rules, features, and development methods. You can visit Solution Center to explore more details.

Wireless protocols

According to the network coverage, network modules can be broken down into two types: local area network (LAN) modules and wide area network (WAN) modules.

• LAN modules: It can cover an area of a few kilometers, applying to indoor short-range communication.
• WAN modules: It can cover an area of tens to hundreds of kilometers, applying to outdoor long-range communication.

The following table lists the protocols available to these two types of network modules.

LAN

Protocols	Description	Application scenarios
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi	Standard 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi	Communication over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.
Low power Wi-Fi	Low power 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi	Communication over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network with low power consumption. It is suitable for products typically powered by batteries.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) combo	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE 4.2 combo	Communication over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth.
Dual-band Wi-Fi with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz	Dual-band Wi-Fi with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz	Communication over 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi network.
Dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE combo	Dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE 4.2 combo	Communication over dual-band Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth.
Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE with a point-to-point topology	Communication over a point-to-point Bluetooth network.
Bluetooth LE mesh	Bluetooth LE mesh 4.2	Communication over a many-to-many Bluetooth network.
Sub-1 GHz	433 MHz and 868 MHz	Communication over a low-speed network with low power consumption and good penetration.

WAN

Protocols	Description	Application scenarios
GPRS	GPRS	Communication over a long-range 2G network with the positioning feature.
NB-IoT	NB-IoT network	Communication over a long-range cellular network with low power consumption.
Cat.1	Cat.1 network	Communication over a long-range cellular network with low power consumption.

Naming rules

• The naming rule for generic modules: (TY) + wireless protocol + chip’s name + series + performance.

  Take TYWE3S as an example, TY (Tuya Smart) + W (Wi-Fi) + E (Espressif) + 3 (3 series) + S (high performance).

• The naming rule for specific modules: wireless protocol + chip’s name + distinguished name.

  Take CBLC9 as an example, C (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE combo) + B (Beken) + LC (light control).

The name of some modules only includes part of the fields specified by the naming rule. The following section lists the specific naming rules for each series.

Wi-Fi

Series	Naming rules	Description
WR series	W (Wi-Fi) + R (Realtek)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module
XR series	XR (Xradiotech)	Low power 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module
WE series	W (Wi-Fi) + E (Espressif)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module
TYJW series	TY (Tuya Smart) + J (adapter board) + W (Wi-Fi)	Wi-Fi module with adapter board
LC series	L (light) + C (control)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module specific to lighting products
VWXR series	V (voice) + W (Wi-Fi) + XR (Xradiotech)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module with voice capability

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo

Series	Naming rules	Description
WB series	W (Wi-Fi) + B (Bluetooth LE)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module
WBR series	W (Wi-Fi) + B (Bluetooth LE) + R (Realtek)	2.4 GHz/Dual-Band (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE combo module
JWBR series	J (adapter board) + W (Wi-Fi) + B (Bluetooth LE) + R (Realtek)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module with adapter board
CB series	C (combo) + B (BEKEN)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module
CR series	C (combo) + R (Realtek)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module
WT series	W (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE combo) + T (Tuya)	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE combo module

Bluetooth

Series	Naming rules	Description
BP series	B (Bluetooth LE) + P (PHY+)	PHY+ based module with standard Bluetooth protocol
BT series	B (Bluetooth LE) + T (Telink)	Telink based module with standard Bluetooth protocol
BN series	B (Bluetooth LE) + N (Nordic)	Nordic based module with standard Bluetooth protocol
BR series	B (Bluetooth LE) + R (Realtek)	Realtek based module with standard Bluetooth protocol
TYBT series	TY (Tuya Smart) + B (Bluetooth LE) + T (Telink)	Telink based module with Tuya-specific Bluetooth protocol
BF series	B (Bluetooth LE) + F (Freqchip)	Freqchip based module with standard Bluetooth protocol

Zigbee

Series	Naming rules	Description
ZS series	Z (Zigbee) + S (Silicon Labs)	Silicon Labs MG21 based Zigbee module
ZN series	Z (Zigbee) + N (NXP)	NXP based Zigbee module
TYZS series	TY (Tuya Smart) + Z (Zigbee) + S (Silicon Labs)	Silicon Labs 13P72 based Zigbee module
ZT series	Z (Zigbee) + T (Telink)	Telink based Zigbee module
ZP series	Z (Zigbee) + P (PHY+)	PHY+ Zigbee module

Sub-1 GHz

Series	Naming rules	Description
SS series	S (Sub-1 GHz) + S (Silicon Labs)	Silicon Labs Sub-1 GHz module

GPRS

Series	Naming rules	Description
GR series	G (GPRS) + R (RDA)	RDA based GPRS module

NB-IoT

Series	Naming rules	Description
NM series	N (NB-IoT) + M (MediaTek)	MediaTek based NB-IoT module
NE series	N (NB-IoT) + E (Eigencomm)	Eigencomm based NB-IoT module

LTE Cat.1

Series	Naming rules	Description
LZ201-CN	UNISOC Cat.1 module	Applicable to Mainland China
LZ211-CN	UNISOC Cat.1 and GNSS combo module	Applicable to Mainland China
LZ501-CN	UNISOC Cat.1 module	It differs from LZ201-CN in pinout.
LZ211-EAU	UNISOC Cat.1 and GNSS combo module	Applicable to countries and regions outside mainland China

CoB solution

Naming rules	Description
C (chip) + o (on) + B (board)	A bare chip is mounted directly onto the PCB.

Features

Antenna types

Network modules support onboard antennas such as PCB antenna and ceramic antenna as well as external antennas such as helical antenna, IPEX antenna, and monopole antenna. Select the right antenna that best suits the structure and size of your product.

Antenna types	Supported modules	Description
IPEX antenna	Modules with a suffix of -IPEX	Good antenna directivity, high efficiency, and adjustable antenna position. It needs to be manually mounted on the PCB.
Monopole antenna	LC5 series modules	A flexible antenna with adjustable antenna positions. It needs to be manually mounted on the PCB.
Helical antenna	LC6 and LC7 series modules	Easy to mount and good standing wave performance. It needs to be soldered to the PCB.
Onboard ceramic antenna	LC8 and LC9 series modules	Small in size and no soldering needed.
Onboard PCB antenna	Except for the above-mentioned modules, the rest of the modules uses the onboard PCB antenna.	Low cost and no soldering needed.

Mounting types

The network modules are available in surface mount (SMT) and through-hole mount, allowing you to choose a mounting type that best suits your PCB layout.

Mounting types	Supported modules
SMT	1, 3, 5, and 7 series
Dual in-line package	2, LC4, and LC5 series
SMT or dual-inline package	1L, 2L, 3L, and 4 series
Dual in-line package	LC2 and LC7 series
Zigzag in-line package	5P, LC6, LC8, and 8P series

Specifications

Select an appropriate module that can accommodate the size of your product.

Size	Supported modules	Description
Small size	CoB solution, LC5, LC6, LC8, LC9, and 15 series	Suit products with compact design.
Regular size	1S/L, 2S/L, LC2, 3S/L, 4, LC4, 5, 5P, 6, 7, LC7, and 8P series	Suit products with sufficient space.

Operating temperature

Select a module that can withstand the ambient environment where your product is used.

Series	Operating temperature	Description
Non-L series modules	Up to 85°C	Suit products that operate in regular environments.
L series modules	Up to 105°C	Suit products that operate in high-temperature environments, such as lighting products.

Model selection

Tuya provides a variety of modules designed for different applications and specifications. For more information, visit Solution Center.

This section uses the filament lamp as an example to describe how to select an appropriate module for your product.

Parameters	Description	Applicability
Protocol	If your product is designed for residential homes where a wireless router is typically used, choose Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo protocol.	Wi-Fi module or Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo module
Size	The PCB is mounted in the lamp socket, requiring a compact module.	CoB solution, LC5, LC6, LC8, LC9, and 15 series
Antenna types	The PCB is mounted in the lamp socket, requiring an external antenna with an adjustable structure.	Modules connected to an external monopole antenna
Operating temperature	The operating environment for filament lamps usually exceeds 85°C, requiring the module to be resistant to high temperatures.	L series or LC series

Considering the above factors, CBLC5 series is the appropriate choice.

Solution

No-code development

On the Tuya Developer Platform, create a product with a no-code solution, select the desired module, and configure the firmware without coding. A ready-to-use module that is flashed with your defined firmware will be delivered to you. For more information, see No-Code Development.

MCU SDK

On the Tuya Developer Platform, create a product with a custom solution, choose MCU SDK for the development method, and flash the generic firmware to the module to enable your MCU to communicate with Tuya’s module. For more information, see MCU SDK Development.

TuyaOS development

On the Tuya Developer Platform, create a product with a custom solution, choose TuyaOS for the development method, and flash your firmware implementation to the module. For more information, see What is TuyaOS?

Related products

• Development tools: Network module based development board as well as development software help you quickly prototype your ideas. For more information, see Development Tools.

• Tuya Module Debugging Assistant is an all-in-one debugger using serial communication. It can simulate both the network modules and microcontrollers to help verify the MCU SDK development. The support for a bunch of protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, NB-IoT, and Cat.1 helps you perform a comprehensive test on your embedded system. For more information, see Module Debugging Assistant.