User's Manual

Telit GM862-QUAD/-QUAD-PY

Hardware User Guide

1vv0300692, Rev. ISSUE#0, - 04/10/2005

4.1 RS232 level translation

In order to interface the Telit GM862-QUAD with a PC com port or a RS232 (EIA/TIA-232)

application a level translator is required. This level translator must

- invert the electrical signal in both directions

- change the level from 0/3V to +15/-15V

Actually, the RS232 UART 16450, 16550, 16650 & 16750 chipsets accept signals with lower levels

on the RS232 side (EIA/TIA-562) , allowing for a lower voltage-multiplying ratio on the level

translator. Note that the negative signal voltage must be less than 0V and hence some sort of level

translation is always required.

The simplest way to translate the levels and invert the signal is by using a single chip level

translator. There are a multitude of them, differing in the number of driver and receiver and in the

levels (be sure to get a true RS232 level translator not a RS485 or other standards).

By convention the driver is the level translator from the 0-3V UART level to the RS232 level, while

the receiver is the translator from RS232 level to 0-3V UART.

In order to translate the whole set of control lines of the UART you will need:

- 5 driver

- 3 receiver

NOTE: The digital input lines working at 2.8VCMOS have an absolute maximum input voltage of 3,75V;

therefore the level translator IC shall not be powered by the +3.8V supply of the module. Instead it

shall be powered from a +2.8V / +3.0V (dedicated) power supply.

This is because in this way the level translator IC outputs on the module side (i.e. GM862-QUAD

inputs) will work at +3.8V interface levels, stressing the module inputs at its maximum input voltage.

This can be acceptable for evaluation purposes, but not on production devices.