QUECTEL MINIPCIEEVB Mini PCIe EVB User Guide

Mini PCIe EVB User Guide

MINIPCIEEVB Mini PCIe EVB

UMTS/HSPA+/LTE Standard/LPWA Module Series
Rev: Mini_PCIe_EVB_User_Guide_V1.2
Date: 2019-11-08
Status: Released

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QUECTEL OFFERS THE INFORMATION AS A SERVICE TO ITS CUSTOMERS. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IS BASED UPON CUSTOMERS’ REQUIREMENTS. QUECTEL MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THE QUALITY OF THE INFORMATION IT MAKES AVAILABLE. QUECTEL DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY AS TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN, AND DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY INJURY, LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED BY USE OF OR RELIANCE UPON THE INFORMATION. ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.
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THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE IS PROPRIETARY TECHNICAL INFORMATION OF QUECTEL WIRELESS SOLUTIONS CO., LTD. TRANSMITTING, REPRODUCTION, DISSEMINATION AND EDITING OF THIS DOCUMENT AS WELL AS UTILIZATION OF THE CONTENT ARE FORBIDDEN WITHOUT PERMISSION. OFFENDERS WILL BE HELD LIABLE FOR PAYMENT OF DAMAGES. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED IN THE EVENT OF A PATENT GRANT OR REGISTRATION OF A UTILITY MODEL OR DESIGN.
Copyright © Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd. 2019. All rights reserved.

About the Document

History

transfer’s VDD_A is fixed to 3.0V.
2. Added diodes D202 and D203 to prevent current from flowing backward.
3. Added capacitors C101, C102, C103, C104, C403, C409, C431, C406, C434 and removed capacitor C522.
4. Added resistors R509, R510 and R511.
5. Used TPS54319RTER to replace AAT2138 on U201.
6. Added a delay circuit to meet the codec power-on scenario.
7. Separated the analog ground and the digital ground for codec audio circuit.
8. Added applicable modules (Chapter 1.1).
9. Added a test point CLK_OUT (Chapter 4.9).
10. Updated USB serial port in communication via UART connector (Figure 30) and COM port setting field on QCOM (Figure 31)

Introduction

This document describes how to use the evaluation board of Mini PCIe modules. It is an assistant tool to  develop and test Quectel Mini PCIe modules.
1.1. Applicable Modules
Mini PCIe EVB is applicable to the following modules. Please refer to document [1] to get more details about these modules.

• UC15 Mini PCIe
• UC20 Mini PCIe
• EC20 R2.0 Mini PCIe
• EC20 R2.1 Mini PCIe
• EC21 Mini PCIe
• EC25 Mini PCIe
• EG25-G Mini PCIe
• EG21-G Mini PCIe
• BG96 Mini PCIe
• BG95 Mini PCIe

1.2. Safety Information
The following safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation, such as usage, service or repair of any cellular terminal or mobile incorporating Mini PCIe modules. Manufacturers of the cellular terminal should send the following safety information to users and operating personnel, and incorporate these guidelines into all manuals supplied with the product. If not so, Quectel assumes no liability for customers’ failure to comply with these precautions.

| Full attention must be given to driving at all times in order to reduce the risk of an accident. Using a mobile while driving (even with a handsfree kit) causes distraction and can lead to an accident. Please comply with laws and regulations restricting the use of wireless devices while driving.
---|---
| Switch off the cellular terminal or mobile before boarding an aircraft. The operation of wireless appliances in an aircraft is forbidden to prevent interference with communication systems. If the device offers an Airplane Mode, then it should be enabled prior to boarding an aircraft. Please consult the airline staff for more restrictions on the use of wireless devices on boarding the aircraft.
| Wireless devices may cause interference on sensitive medical equipment, so please be aware of the restrictions on the use of wireless devices when in hospitals, clinics or other healthcare facilities.
| The cellular terminal or mobile contains a transmitter and receiver. When it is ON, it receives and transmits radio frequency signals. RF interference can occur if it is used close to TV set, radio, computer or other electric equipment.
| In locations with potentially explosive atmospheres, obey all posted signs to turn off wireless devices such as your phone or other cellular terminals. Areas with potentially explosive atmospheres include fuelling areas, below decks on boats, fuel or chemical transfer or storage facilities, areas where the air contains chemicals or particles such as grain, dust or metal powders, etc.

General Overview

Quectel supplies the Mini PCIe EVB to facilitate application design based on Quectel Mini PCIe modules.
It can test module basic functionalities.
2.1. Key Features
The following table describes the detailed features of Mini PCIe EVB.
Table 1: Key Features of Mini PCIe EVB

VBAT: 3.3V for J204
USB Interface| A micro-USB interface compliant with USB 2.0 standard
Audio Interfaces| Two analog audio interfaces used for handset (J503) and earphone (J501) connecting to codec to test the PCM function;
Support ALC5616 codec
Two analog audio interfaces used for handset (J502) and earphone (J504)
(U)SIM Interface| A (U)SIM card (6-pin) connector with push loading
Support (U)SIM card: 1.8V/3.0V
UART Interface| COM: serial interface for data communication and AT command communication
Max baud rate: 460800bps (115200bps by default)
Status Indicators| 2 LEDs are available for signal indication
Switch and Button| A power supply ON/OFF control switch
A button used to reset the module
Jumper| A jumper used to match the PCM signal level between the Mini PCIe module and the codec on the EVB
Physical Characteristics| Size: 94mm × 58mm

2.2. Component Placement of Mini PCIe EVB Table 2: Component Functions of Mini PCIe EVB

Typical supply voltage: +5V
Power ON/OFF Switch| S201| VBAT ON/OFF control
RESET| S101| Reset button
Used to reset the Mini PCIe module
USB| J302| Micro-USB connector
Can be used for USB connection detection and EVB power supply
Audio| J501| Used for Ф3.5mm CTIA earphone by default
Used to test the Mini PCIe module’s PCM function
J503 (bottom side)| Handset connector
Used to test the Mini PCIe module’s PCM function
J502
(bottom side)| Handset connector
Used to test the analog audio function of UC15 Mini PCIe only.
J504| Used for Ф3.5mm CTIA earphone by default.
Used to test the analog audio function of UC15 Mini PCIe only
(U)SIM| J303 (bottom side)| (U)SIM card connector
COM| J301 (bottom side)| UART port
Status
Indicators| D101, D103| D101 is used to indicate the network status of the Mini PCIe module
D103 is VBAT ON/OFF indicator.
Mini PCIe Slot| J101| Mini PCI Express connector for Mini PCIe module
Spring Latch| J102| Spring latch for Mini PCIe module
Reserved| J202| J202 or R207 can be used to control the connection between
the DC-DC output and the VBAT of the module
J204| Used to input external 3.3V voltage and test the modules’ current
J103| Used to connect the pin W_DISABLE# to GND to enable the airplane mode
USB_ON function is reserved
J203| Used to control the VBAT ON/OFF through pin DTR_3.0V
Jumper| J401| Used to match the PCM signal level between the Mini PCIe module and the codec on the EVB
Test Points| See Chapter
4.9| Used to test the UART/PCM signals.

2.3. Top and Bottom Views of EVB
The top and bottom views of the Mini PCIe EVB are shown as below.

2.4. EVB Kit Accessories
All accessories of the EVB kit are listed below. Table 3: List of Accessories

NOTE
The main antennas can also be used for diversity reception.

EVB and Accessories Assembly

The following figure shows the assembly of Mini PCIe EVB and its accessories.

EVB Interface Application

This chapter describes the following Mini PCIe EVB components application:

• Power supply
• USB interface
• Audio interfaces
• (U)SIM interface
• UART interface

It also provides information about the switch, button, status indicators LEDs, jumper, and test points to facilitate the use of the EVB.
4.1. Power Supply (J201/J302)
The Mini PCIe EVB can be powered by an external power adapter through connecting with the power jack (J201) or USB connector (J302) on the EVB. The power adapter is designed to be connected to a step-down converter (U201), which can convert the supplied voltage into proper voltage (VBAT) for the Mini PCIe module.
The following two figures show the simplified power supply block diagram and the EVB power supply interface.If the power jack is used for power supply, the power plug design of the adapter is shown as below.

4.2. USB Interface (J302)
Quectel Mini PCIe module provides a USB interface which complies with USB 2.0 standard and supports high-speed (480Mbps) mode. The interface is used for AT command communication, data transmission, firmware upgrade and GNSS NMEA output.
The Mini PCIe EVB provides a micro-USB interface J302 for connection with a host device. The USB data lines USB_DP and USB_DM are connected directly to the Mini PCIe module. The USB_VBUS line can be used for USB connection detection and EVB power supply.
The following figure is a reference circuit design of USB interface.Table 4: Pin Definition of J302

4.3. Analog Audio Interfaces Connected to Codec for PCM Function
Testing (J501/J504/J502/J503)
Quectel Mini PCIe module provides one digital audio interface (PCM) and UC15 Mini PCIe provides two analog audio interfaces in addition to the digital audio interface. Mini PCIe EVB is equipped with an external audio codec named ALC5616, and the following figure shows the reference circuit design of the audio codec.
The Mini PCIe EVB provides four audio interfaces J501, J503, J502 and J504. J501 and J503 are used to est the PCM function of the module by connecting to codec ALC5616. J502 and J504 are used for UC15 Mini PCIe analog audio function only. The following sub-chapters give detailed introduction on these audio interfaces. 4.3.1. Digital Audio Interfaces (J501/J503)
4.3.2. Earphone Interface (J501)
The audio interface J501 is designed for CTIA earphone. Its reference circuit design is shown in the following figure.The figure and table below illustrate the pin assignment and pin definition of the earphone interface J501. Table 5: Pin Definition of J501

4.3.3. Handset Interface (J503)
The audio interface J503 is designed for handset. Its reference circuit design is shown in the following figure.The figure and table below illustrate the pin assignment and pin definition of the handset interface J503. Table 6: Pin Definition of J503

4.3.4. Analog Audio Interfaces for UC15 Mini PCIe (J502/J504)
4.3.5. Handset Interface (J502)
The audio interface J502 is designed for handset. Its reference circuit design is shown as below.The figure and table below illustrate the pin assignment and pin definition of the handset interface J502. Table 7: Pin Definition of J502

4.3.6. Earphone Interface (J504)
The analog audio interface J504 is designed for CTIA earphone. Its reference circuit design is shown as below.
The figure and table below illustrate the pin assignment and pin definition of the earphone interface J504. Table 8: Pin Definition of J504

The following figure shows the sketch design of the CTIA audio plug which suits the audio jack on Mini PCIe EVB.

4.4. (U)SIM Interface (J303)
The Mini PCIe EVB provides a 6-pin push-push type (U)SIM interface J303 which supports 1.8V/3.0V (U)SIM card. Its reference circuit design is shown as below.The figure and table below illustrate the pin assignment and pin definition of the (U)SIM interface J303. Table 9: Pin Definition of J303

4.5. UART Interface (J301)
The UART interface of the Mini PCIe EVB is intended for the communication between the module and the  host application. It can be used for data transmission and AT command communication.
The following figure shows the block diagram of the UART interfaces on Mini PCIe EVB.The figure and table below illustrate the pin assignment and pin definition of UART interface J301. Table 10: Pin Definition of J301

4.6. Switch and Button (S201/S101)
The Mini PCIe EVB provides a switch S201 and a button S101, which are shown as the following figure. Table 11: Description of S201 and S101

The reset operation of the Mini PCIe modules are as below:
For UC15 Mini PCIe, drive the button to low level for 50ms~200ms and then release.
For UC20 Mini PCIe, drive the button to low level for more than 150ms.
For EC21/EC25/EC20 R2.0/EC20 R2.1/EG25-G/EG21-G/BG96 Mini PCIe, drive the button to low level for time between 150ms and 460ms, and the module will be reset again if the time exceeds 460ms.
For BG95 Mini PCIe, drive the button to low level for time between 2000ms and 3800ms, and the module will be reset if the time exceeds 3800ms.

4.7. Status Indicators (D103/D101)
The Mini PCIe EVB provides two status indicators D103 and D101. The following figure shows the location of the two LED indicators.Table 12: Description of D103 and D101

modules is ready.
Bright: VBAT ON
Extinct: VBAT OFF
D101| Network status indicator indicating the network status of Mini PCIe modules.
Bright: Register the network.
Slow flashing (200ms low/1800ms high): Searching for network
Slow flashing (1800ms low/200ms high): Standby mode
Fast flashing (125ms low/125ms high): Data transmission mode
Extinct:
No network coverage or not registered.
W_DISABLE# signal is at a low level.
AT+CFUN=0 or AT+CFUN=4.
Module enters sleep mode. (for UC15 Mini PCIe only)

4.8. Jumper (J401/J1031)/J203 1))
The Mini PCIe EVB provides three jumpers J401, J103 and J203. J401 is used to match the PCM signal level between the Mini PCIe module and the codec on the EVB. The following table shows the operation of jumper J401.
If the airplane mode needs to be enabled, please connect the pin W_DISABLE# to GND with the reserved  jumper J103.
If the power requires to be controlled through UART’s DTR, please connect the pin POWER_ON and DTR_3.0V with the reserved jumper J203. Then the power can be turned off when DTR_3.0V is at a high  level.
Table 13: Operation of J401

NOTE

1. Jumper J103 and J203 are reserved.
   4.9. Test Points
   The Mini PCIe EVB provides a series of test points, which can facilitate to obtain the corresponding waveform of some signals. The following figure shows the test points. Table 14: Pin Definition of Test Points

Operation Procedures Illustration

This chapter introduces how to use the Mini PCIe EVB for testing and evaluation of Quectel Mini PCIe modules.
5.1. Turn on the Mini PCIe Module

1. Connect the Mini PCIe module to the EVB via connector J101, and supply power for the EVB with USB cable or +5V power adapter.
2. Insert a (U)SIM card into J303 ((U)SIM card connector) on EVB.
3. Switch S201 (power switch) to ON state, then D103 (VBAT ON/OFF indicator) will light up and  indicates power supply for EVB is ready. The module will be powered on automatically and D101 (NET_STATUS) will light up after the module registers on the network successfully.

5.2. Communication via USB or UART Interface
5.2.1. Communication via USB Interface

1. Turn on the module according to the procedure mentioned in Chapter 5.1.
2. Connect the EVB and the PC with USB cable through USB connector J302, and then run the driver disk on PC to install the USB driver. For details about USB driver installation, please refer to document [2] stored in USB flash disk. The USB port numbers can be viewed through the PC Device Manager. The port numbers are shown below.
3. Install and then use the QCOM tool provided by Quectel to realize the communication between the EVB and the PC.

The following figure shows the COM Port Setting field on QCOM: select correct “COM port” (USB AT Port which is shown in the above figure) and set correct “Baudrate” (such as 115200bps). For more details about QCOM tool usage and configuration, please refer to document [3]. 5.2.2. Communication via UART Interface

1. Run the driver disk on PC to install the USB to RS-232 driver.
2. Connect the main UART connector of module to PC with the USB-to-UART converter cable (USB-to-RS232 cable), and the USB serial port number can be viewed through the PC Device Manager, as shown below.
3. Install and then use the QCOM tool provided by Quectel to realize the communication between the EVB and the PC. The following figure shows the COM Port Setting field on QCOM: select correct “COM port” (USB Serial Port) and set correct “Baudrate” (such as 115200bps). For more details about QCOM tool usage and configuration, please refer to document [3].

5.3. Firmware Upgrade
Quectel Mini PCIe module upgrades firmware via USB port by default. Please follow the procedures below to upgrade firmware.

1. Install and open the firmware upgrade tool QFlash on PC and then power on the module according to the procedures mentioned in Chapter 5.1.
2. Click the “COM Port” dropdown list and select the USB DM port.
3. Click the “Load FW Files” button to choose the firmware package.
4. Click the “Start” button to upgrade the firmware.

5.4. Reset the Mini PCIe Module
The reset option is only used in case of emergency. For example, the software does not respond for more than 5s due to some serious problems.
The module can be reset by pressing the button S101 for more than 300ms and then releasing. (For BG95 Mini PCIe, drive the button to low level for time between 2000ms and 3800ms, and the module will be reset if the time exceeds 3800ms.) However, this operation may cause the loss of information stored in the memory since the system has been initialized after reset.
5.5. Turn off the Mini PCIe Module
There are two ways to turn off the Mini PCIe module.

• Execute AT+QPOWD via PC. This is the best and the safest way. The module will log off from the network and save data before the shutdown, but it will be turned on again after shutdown. Please refer to document [4] for details of AT+QPOWD command.
• Switch S201 (power switch) to OFF state directly.

Appendix A References

Table 15: Related Documents

EC20 R2.0, EC20 R2.1, EC21, EC25, EG25-G,
EG21-G, BG95 and BG96 Mini PCIe modules
[2]| Quectel_XX_Windows_USBDriver
Installation_Guide| Windows USB driver installation guide for UC15, UC20, LTE&5G modules
[3]| Quectel_QCOM_User_Guide| User guide for QCOM tool
[4]| Quectel_XX_AT_Commands_Manual| AT commands manual for UC15, UC20, EC20 R2.0, EC20 R2.1, EC21, EC25, EG21-G,
EG25-G, BG95 and BG96 modules

Table 16: Terms and Abbreviations

Mini_PCIe_EVB_User_Guide
Downloaded fromArrow.com.

References

• IoT Modules, IoT Antennas and Certification Services | Quectel
• IoT Modules, IoT Antennas and Certification Services | Quectel

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