Technical Quickstart

For developers, engineers, or hobbyists, Sigfox is one of the easiest types of connectivity to start with. We designed the protocol in such a way that it only takes a few lines of codes to start sending Sigfox messages. Through the Sigfox Cloud, you can connect all your projects to the Internet in a few minutes.

This page presents you the easiest way to connect to Sigfox for the first time: devkits. Once connected, it is time to explore the Sigfox Cloud's backend API, and learn more about messages.

Development & evaluation kits

Send your first Sigfox messages in 5 minutes, completely by yourself.

The quickest way to discover the Sigfox technology and start prototyping is to use a Sigfox-compatible development kit. Devkits enable users to send their first Sigfox messages within minutes. They are very easy to use and provide an out-of-the-box experience: Sigfox connectivity is bundled with the hardware.

You can find a wide range of available kits on the Sigfox Partner Network. Devkits generally include Sigfox connectivity service subscriptions and can be activated online.  

As soon as you receive your kit, you can access our network with no extra work, and get an account on the Sigfox Cloud.

Choosing a devkit

There are many devkits and devkit makers to choose from. We cannot recommend one, because it depends on your own particular situation.

What we can do is provide you with a non-exhaustive list of aspects to look for in a devkit.

First and foremost, you must choose a devkit that matches the RC for your project: RC1 in Europe, Middle-East and Africa; RC2 for North America; RC4 for Latin America and Asia-Pacific; etc. If your project must work in more than one zone, you should pick a devkit that supports the Sigfox Monarch feature, such as the UnaMKR

Second, you should choose a devkit which uses a development environment that you already know: Arduino, C (for instance ST Micro devkits), Python (for PyCom devkits), etc. You don't want to lose precious time because you didn't check that aspect early on.

Third, assert whether you need a standalone devkit, or a shield/breakboard tied to an MCU (the firmware driving the devkit being in the external MCU). Shield/breakboard devkits are AT-command driven kits.

Fourth, assert which connectivity type(s) you want to support besides Sigfox. BLE, WiFi, GPS, etc.: several existing devkits work with more than one networking technology.

Some off-the-shelf devices can be used as devkits. For instance, both Sens'it 3 and SimplePack have efficient SDKs that allow you to rework their firmware.

Available development kits

Our ecosystem of partners has created more than 50 development kits to support a variety of customer needs. From a simple Arduino board to a very advanced multi-connectivity evaluation kit, you should be able to find what you need. 

When choosing your development kit, remember to select a product that is compatible with your Sigfox Radio Configuration (RC). 

Please be aware that these devices are not made for field testing, as they are not optimized for radio performance. For testing purposes, some of our device makers have developed dedicated products.

Here are the 3 most popular development kits from our partners. A complete list can be found on the Sigfox Partner Network.

Activate your development kit

In order to ensure the best experience for our customers, we have set up an automated process for development kit registration on the Sigfox network. It can be found here: https://buy.sigfox.com/activate.

As soon as your devkit is activated, you can start sending messages to the Sigfox network, and see them appear in the backend.

Sigfox Cloud

While you are connecting your devkit, take the time to learn about the Sigfox Cloud API, including the callback method! 

The Sigfox Cloud allows device makers to see their devices and configure how they want the data to be managed. All this is done through a REST API, which is documented in the page linked below.

The Sigfox Network Emulator

The above sections assume that there is Sigfox coverage in your location. Sadly, it might not always be the case -- but you still want to try and send messages!

The Sigfox Network Emulator (SNE) was designed to allow developers to emulate the Sigfox network for testing purposes.

By emulating the Sigfox radio network and Cloud main functionalities (callbacks), it facilitates the development of IoT applications, from the connected device itself to the application that processes the data transmitted by the device. 

The SNE is part of the SDR Dongle, which also includes the Radio Signal Analyzer (RSA), which greatly helps down the line once you have to prepare for the Sigfox Verified certification.