New Arduino MKRFOX1200 – Combines the functionality of the Zero and SigFox Technology
2017-06-07 | By Maker.io Staff
MKRFOX1200 is a powerful new development board by Arduino that combines the functionality of the current Arduino Zero and the latest SigFox technology. It is the ideal solution for makers and developers wanting to design IoT projects with only a minimal background experience in the technology, with this low powered device.
The development board itself is designed around the Microchip SAMD21 which also features on the Arduino Zero, also it is working in conjunction with the ATA8520 SigFox module for IoT connectivity. One of the best features about this development board is its power consumption. Arduino claims that it can run for over 6 months on just two AA 1.5 V batteries with a typical usage environment, now that’s impressive! It can also be powered by any other 5 V source or both and the switching can be done automatically between the two power sources.

MKRFOX1200 Development Board
The partnership between Arduino and SigFox allows makers to take their IoT projects out in the real world with ease. With every SigFox development kit, the MKR1200 includes full access to the SigFox cloud service, which includes the following:
- Online activation
- Platinum contract: 140 uplink & 4 downlink messages per day
- SigFox cloud platform features:
- Simple dashboard & metrics
- Configurable Callbacks: forward incoming messages to your application(s) server(s)
- REST API
Users will also get full access to the new SigFox geolocation service, which offers kilometric precision geolocation without the need for a GPS module.
The development board can be programmed using the Arduino IDE with the SigFox library, which is available with some examples to get started with. You can also checkout the coverage of the SigFox network in your area at sigfox.com. SigFox uses a cellular like system that enables remote devices to connect using Ultra-Narrow Band (UNB) technology, it only requires a small amount of energy to send data. It can also be known as a Low-power wide-area network (LPWAN).
Hardware Specification from Arduino.cc
Microcontroller - SAMD21 Cortex-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU
Board Power Supply (USB/VIN) - 5 V
Supported Batteries - 2x AA or AAA
Circuit Operating Voltage - 3.3 V
Digital I/O Pins - 8
PWM Pins - 12 (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, A3 - or 18 -, A4 -or 19)
UART - 1
SPI - 1
I2C - 1
Analog Input Pins - 7 (ADC 8/10/12 bit)
Analog Output Pins - 1 (DAC 10 bit)
External Interrupts - 8 (0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, A1 -or 16-, A2 - or 17)
DC Current per I/O Pin - 7 mA
Flash Memory - 256 KB
SRAM - 32 KB
Clock Speed - 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz
Length - 67.64 mm
Width - 25 mm
The MKRFox1200 is shipped with a GSM antenna that can be connected to the board with the micro UFL connector. The MKRFox1200 price includes a subscription to the SigFox network for two years. The plan will be automatically activated after the fourth message has been sent. You can send up to 140 messages per day.
Please note that the first revision of the MKRFOX1200 is only compatible with the SigFox radio configuration zone 1. This means that currently it is only available in Europe, Middle East & South Africa but not in Americas or Asia.
“Arduino MKRFOX1200” by Arduino is licensed under CC BY 3.0