SARA-R4/N4 series System Integration Manual System Integration Manual SARA-R4/N4 Abstract This document describes the features and the integration of the size-optimized SARA-R4/N4 series cellular modules. These modules are a complete, cost efficient, performance optimized, multi-mode and multi band LTE Cat M1 / NB1 and EGPRS solution in the compact SARA form factor. www.u-blox.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Document Information Title SARA-R4/N4 series Subtitle System Integration Manual Document type System Integration Manual Document number UBX-16029218 Revision and date R13 06-Aug-2019 Disclosure Restriction Product status Corresponding content status Functional Sample Draft For functional testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later. In Development / Prototype Objective Specification Target values.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Contents Document Information ................................................................................................................................. 2 Contents........................................................................................................................................................ 3 1 System description ......................................................................................................................
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1 Module supply (VCC)..................................................................................................................................... 39 2.2.2 Generic digital interfaces supply output (V_INT) .......................................................................................... 55 2.3 System functions interfaces......................................................................................................................
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 3.3.9 Conformal coating......................................................................................................................................... 92 3.3.10 Casting........................................................................................................................................................... 92 3.3.11 Grounding metal covers ................................................................................................
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1 System description 1.1 Overview The SARA-R4/N4 series comprises LTE Cat M1, LTE Cat NB1 and EGPRS multi-mode modules in the miniature SARA LGA form-factor (26.0 x 16.0 mm, 96-pin), that allow easy integration in compact designs and a seamless drop-in migration from u-blox cellular module families.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • • • • • • • • • SARA-R410M-01B LTE Cat M1 module, mainly designed for operation in LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 12 SARA-R410M-02B LTE Cat M1 / NB1 module, mainly designed for operation in LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 20, 2515, 28 SARA-R410M-52B LTE Cat M1 module, mainly designed for operation in LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 12, 13 SARA-R410M-03B LTE Cat M1 / NB1 module, mainly designed for operation in LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 20, 25, 26, 28 SARA-R410M-63B LTE Ca
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Item SARA-R404M SARA-R410M SARA-R412M SARA-N410 Protocol stack 3GPP Release 13 3GPP Release 13 3GPP Release 13 3GPP Release 13 RAT LTE Cat M1 Half-Duplex LTE Cat M1 Half-Duplex LTE Cat NB1 Half-Duplex 1, 13, 14, 7 LTE Cat M1 Half-Duplex LTE Cat NB1 Half-Duplex 2G GPRS / EGPRS LTE Cat NB1 Half-Duplex LTE FDD bands Band 13 (750 MHz) Band 1 (2100 MHz) 1, 14 Band 2 (1900 MHz) 7 Band 3 (1800 MHz) 1, 14 Band 4 (1700 MHz) 7 Band 5 (850 MHz) Band 8 (90
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.2 Architecture Figure 1 summarizes the internal architecture of SARA-R4/N4 series modules. PA Filt er ANT SIM Swit ch RF t ransceiver SIM card det ect ion UART USB Cellular BaseBand Processor M emory 19.2 M Hz DDC (I2 C) SDIO SPI / Digit al Audio VCC (Supply) GPIOs V_INT Reset Power M anagement Ant enna det ect ion Power-On Figure 1: SARA-R4/N4 series modules simplified block diagram ☞ SARA-R404M-00B and SARA-R410M-01B modules, i.e.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.3 Pin-out Table 3 lists the pin-out of the SARA-R4/N4 series modules, with pins grouped by function. Function Pin Name Pin No I/O Description Remarks Power VCC 51, 52, 53 I Module supply input VCC supply circuit affects the RF performance and compliance of the device integrating the module with applicable required certification schemes. See section 1.5.1 for functional description / requirements. See section 2.2.1 for external circuit design-in.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Function USB SPI Pin Name Pin No I/O Description Remarks TXD 12 I UART data input 1.8 V input, Circuit 103 (TXD) in ITU-T V.24, for AT commands, data communication, FOAT. Internal pull-down to GND on “00” and R410M-02B versions Internal pull-up to V_INT on other product versions See section 1.9.1 for functional description. See section 2.6.1 for external circuit design-in. CTS 11 O UART clear to send output 1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Function SDIO DDC Audio Pin Name Pin No I/O Description Remarks I2S_RXD / SPI_MISO 37 I SPI MISO SPI Master Input Slave Output, alternatively configurable as I2S receive data Not supported by “00”, “01” and “x2” product versions. See section 1.9.3 for functional description. See section 2.6.3 for external circuit design-in.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Function GPIO Reserved Pin Name Pin No I/O Description Remarks I2S_WA / SPI_MOSI 34 I/O I2S word alignment I2S word alignment, alternatively configurable as SPI Master Output Slave Input Not supported by “00”, “01” and “x2” product versions. See section 1.10 for functional description. See section 2.7 for external circuit design-in. GPIO1 16 I/O GPIO 1.8 V GPIO with alternatively configurable functions. See section 1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.4 Operating modes SARA-R4/N4 series modules have several operating modes. The operating modes are defined in Table 4 and described in detail in Table 5, providing general guidelines for operation. General Status Operating Mode Definition Power-down Not-Powered Mode VCC supply not present or below operating range: module is switched off. Power-Off Mode VCC supply within operating range and module is switched off.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Mode Description Transition between operating modes Active Module is switched on with application interfaces enabled or not suspended: the module is ready to communicate with an external device by means of the application interfaces unless power saving configuration is enabled by AT+CPSMS (see the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2]).
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 2 describes the transition between the different operating modes.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.5 Supply interfaces 1.5.1 Module supply input (VCC) The modules must be supplied via the three VCC pins that represent the module power supply input. Voltage must be stable, because during operation, the current drawn by the SARA-R4/N4 series modules through the VCC pins can vary by several orders of magnitude, depending on the operating mode and state (as described in sections 1.5.1.2, 1.5.1.3, 1.5.1.4 and 1.5.1.6).
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.5.1.1 VCC supply requirements Table 6 summarizes the requirements for the VCC modules supply. See section 2.2.1 for suggestions to correctly design a VCC supply circuit compliant with the requirements listed in Table 6. ⚠ The supply circuit affects the RF compliance of the device integrating SARA-R4/N4 series modules with applicable required certification schemes as well as antenna circuit design.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.5.1.2 VCC current consumption in LTE connected mode During an LTE connection, the SARA-R4/N4 series modules transmit and receive in half duplex mode. The current consumption depends on output RF power, which is always regulated by the network (the current base station) sending power control commands to the module. These power control commands are logically divided into a slot of 0.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 5 shows an example of the module current consumption profile versus time in 2G single-slot. Current [A] 2.0 190 0 m A 1.5 Peak current depends on TX power and act ual ant enna load 1.0 0.5 200 m A 60 -120 m A 60-120 m A 10-40 m A 0.0 RX slot unused unused slot slot TX slot unused unused M ON unused slot slot slot slot RX slot unused unused slot slot GSM f ram e 4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 7 illustrates the current consumption profiles in GPRS connected mode, in 850 or 900 MHz bands, with 4 slots used to transmit and 1 slot used to receive, as for the GPRS multi-slot class 12. Current [A] 1600 m A 1.5 Peak current depends on T X power and act ual ant enna load 1.0 0.5 200m A 60-120m A 0.0 60-120m A 10-40m A RX slot unused slot TX slot TX slot TX slot TX slot GSM f ram e 4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.5.1.6 VCC current consumption in active mode (PSM / low power disabled) The active mode is the state where the module is switched on and ready to communicate with an external device by means of the application interfaces (as the USB or the UART serial interface). The module processor core is active, and the 19.2 MHz reference clock frequency is used.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.6 System function interfaces 1.6.1 Module power-on When the SARA-R4/N4 series modules are in the not-powered mode (i.e. the VCC module supply is not applied), they can be switched on as follows: • Rising edge on the VCC input pins to a valid voltage level, and then a low logic level needs to be set at the PWR_ON input pin for a valid time. When the SARA-R4/N4 series modules are in the power-off mode (i.e.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.6.2 Module power-off SARA-R4/N4 series modules can be cleanly switched off by: • • AT+CPWROFF command (see SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2]). Low pulse on the PWR_ON pin for a valid time period (see the SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet [1]). These events listed above trigger the storage of the current parameter settings in the non-volatile memory of the module, and a clean network detach procedure.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual AT+CPWROFF sent to the module OK replied by the module VCC can be removed VCC PWR_ON RESET_N V_INT Internal Reset ON System State BB Pads State Operational OFF Tristate / Floating Operational → Tristate Figure 10: SARA-R4/N4 series modules switch-off sequence by means of AT+CPWROFF command The module starts the switch-off routine VCC can be removed VCC PWR_ON RESET_N V_INT Internal Reset ON System State BB Pads State Operational OFF Operational ->
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual commands fails or if the module does not provide a reply to a specific AT command after a time period longer than the one defined in the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2]. ⚠ Forcing a low level on the RESET_N input during SARA-R4/N4 series modules normal operations may lead to an unrecoverable faulty state! The RESET_N input pin is directly connected to the Power Management Unit IC, with an integrated pull-up to a 1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.7 Antenna interface 1.7.1 Antenna RF interface (ANT) SARA-R4/N4 series modules provide an RF interface for connecting the external antenna. The ANT pin represents the primary RF input/output for transmission and reception of LTE RF signals. The ANT pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of 50 Ω and must be connected to the primary Tx / Rx antenna through a 50 Ω transmission line to allow clear RF transmission and reception. 1.7.1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual The ANT_DET pin generates a DC current (for detailed characteristics see the SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet [1]) and measures the resulting DC voltage, thus determining the resistance from the antenna connector provided on the application board to GND.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.9 Data communication interfaces SARA-R4/N4 series modules provide the following serial communication interface: • • • • USB interface: Universal Serial Bus 2.0 compliant interface available for the communication with a host application processor (AT commands, data, FW update by means of the FOAT feature), for FW update by means of the u-blox dedicated tool and for diagnostics. See section 1.9.2.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • • AT commands according to 3GPP TS 27.007 [6], 3GPP TS 27.005 [7], 3GPP TS 27.010 [8] u-blox AT commands (see the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2]) The default baud rate is 115200 b/s, while the default frame format is 8N1 (8 data bits, No parity, 1 stop bit: see Figure 13). Baud rates can be configured by AT command (see the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2]).
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • • FW upgrades by means of the u-blox EasyFlash dedicated tool Trace log capture (diagnostic purposes) The module itself acts as a USB device and can be connected to a USB host such as a Personal Computer or an embedded application microprocessor equipped with compatible drivers. The USB_D+/USB_D- lines carry USB serial bus data and signaling according to the Universal Serial Bus Revision 2.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.9.3 ☞ SPI interface The SPI interface is not supported by “00”, “01”, “02” and “52” product versions: the SPI interface pins should not be driven by any external device. SARA-R4/N4 series modules include a Serial Peripheral Interface for communication with compatible external device.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.11 General Purpose Input/Output SARA-R4/N4 series modules include pins which can be configured as General Purpose Input/Output or to provide custom functions via u-blox AT commands (for more details see the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2], +UGPIOC, +UGPIOR, +UGPIOW AT commands), as summarized in Table 8.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.13 System features 1.13.1 Network indication GPIOs can be configured by the AT command to indicate network status (for further details see section 1.11 and the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2]): • • No service (no network coverage or not registered) Registered / Data call enabled (RF data transmission / reception) 1.13.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.7 Firmware update Over AT (FOAT) This feature allows upgrading of the module firmware over the AT interface, using AT commands. The +UFWUPD AT command enables a code download to the device from the host via the Xmodem protocol. The +UFWINSTALL AT command then triggers a reboot, and upon reboot initiates a firmware installation on the device via a special boot loader on the module.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 1.13.9.2 Functionality When power saving is enabled using the AT+CPSMS command, the module automatically enters the low power deep sleep mode whenever possible, reducing current consumption (see the section 1.5.1.4 and the SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet [1]). For the definition and the description of the SARA-R4/N4 series operating modes, including the events forcing transitions between the different operating modes, see section 1.4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • If the USB interface is enabled, the module does not enter the deep sleep power saving mode. 1.13.9.5 AT commands The module uses the +CPSMS AT command with its defined parameters to request PSM timers to the network. ☞ See the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2] for details of the +CPSMS operation and features. 1.13.9.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2 Design-in 2.1 Overview For an optimal integration of the SARA-R4/N4 series modules in the final application board, follow the design guidelines stated in this section. Every application circuit must be suitably designed to guarantee the correct functionality of the relative interface, but a number of points require particular attention during the design of the application device.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2 2.2.1 Supply interfaces Module supply (VCC) 2.2.1.1 General guidelines for VCC supply circuit selection and design All the available VCC pins have to be connected to the external supply minimizing the power loss due to series resistance. GND pins are internally connected.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual charger / regulator with integrated power path management function can be selected to supply the module while simultaneously and independently charging the battery. See sections 2.2.1.6 and 2.2.1.7 for specific design-in. An appropriate primary (not rechargeable) battery can be selected taking into account the maximum current specified in the SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet [1] during connected mode, considering that primary cells might have weak power capability.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 16 and the components listed in Table 9 show an example of a high reliability power supply circuit for the SARAR412M modules that support 2G radio access technology.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 17 and the components listed in Table 10 show an example of a high reliability power supply circuit for SARAR404M, SARA-R410M and SARA-N410 modules, which do not support the 2G radio access technology.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 18 and the components listed in Table 11 show an example of a low cost power supply circuit suitable for all the SARA-R4/N4 series modules, where the module VCC is supplied by a step-down switching regulator capable of delivering the highest peak / pulse current specified for the 2G use-case, transforming a 12 V supply input.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1.3 Guidelines for VCC supply circuit design using low drop-out linear regulator The use of a linear regulator is suggested when the difference from the available supply rail source and the VCC value is low. The linear regulators provide high efficiency when transforming a 5 VDC supply to a voltage value within the module VCC normal operating range.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual VCC is supplied by an LDO linear regulator capable of delivering maximum peak / pulse current specified for LTE use-case, with suitable power handling capability. It is recommended to configure the LDO linear regulator to generate a voltage supply value slightly below the maximum limit of the module VCC normal operating range (e.g. ~4.1 V for the VCC, as in the circuits described in Figure 20 and Table 13).
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Figure 21 and the components listed in Table 14 show an example of a low cost power supply circuit, where the VCC module supply is provided by an LDO linear regulator capable of delivering the specified highest peak / pulse current, with an appropriate power handling capability. The regulator described in this example supports a limited input voltage range and it includes internal circuitry for current and thermal protection.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Li-Ion/Li-Polym er Bat t ery Charger IC SARA-R4/ N4 5V0 USB Supply VDD Vbat 51 VCC Li-Ion/Li-Pol Bat t ery Pack C2 52 53 PG VCC VCC THERM C1 θ STAT2 PROG C3 C4 C5 C6 R1 STA1 Vss B1 GND D1 D2 U1 Figure 22: Li-Ion (or Li-Polymer) battery charging application circuit Reference Description Part Number - Manufacturer B1 Li-Ion (or Li-Polymer) battery pack with 470 Ω NTC Generic manufacturer C1 1 µF Capacitor Ceramic X7R 16 V Generic man
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Power pat h management IC 12 V Prim ary Source Vin Syst em Vout DC/DC convert er and bat t er y FET cont r ol logic Li-Ion/Li-Pol Bat t ery Pack Vbat Charge cont roller GND GND θ Figure 23: Charger / regulator with integrated power path management circuit block diagram Figure 24 and the parts listed in Table 16 provide an application circuit example where the MPS MP2617H switching charger / regulator with integrated power path management function provi
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Li-Ion/Li-Polym er Bat t ery Charger / Regulat or wit h Power Pat h M anagm ent BST 12V C4 SARA-R4/ N4 L1 Prim ary Source VIN SW D3 R4 VLIM + SYSFB R5 R6 R2 ENn BAT ILIM NTC ISET VCC C2 AGND PGND Li-Ion/Li-Pol Bat t ery Pack C10 C11 C12 C13 θ R3 TM R C1 C5 R7 R1 51 VCC 52 VCC 53 VCC SYS C3 C6 C7 C8 D1 D2 GND B1 U1 Figure 24: Li-Ion (or Li-Polymer) battery charging and power path management application circuit Reference Descrip
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1.9 Guidelines for removing VCC supply Removing the VCC power can be useful to minimize the current consumption when the SARA-R4/N4 series modules are switched off or when the modules are in deep sleep Power Saving Mode.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1.10 Additional guidelines for VCC supply circuit design To reduce voltage drops, use a low impedance power source. The series resistance of the supply lines (connected to the modules’ VCC and GND pins) on the application board and battery pack should also be considered and minimized: cabling and routing must be as short as possible to minimize losses. Three pins are allocated to VCC supply connection. Several pins are designated for GND connection.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual ☞ ESD sensitivity rating of the VCC supply pins is 1 kV (HBM according to JESD22-A114). Higher protection level can be required if the line is externally accessible on the application board, e.g. if accessible battery connector is directly connected to the supply pins. Higher protection level can be achieved by mounting an ESD protection (e.g. EPCOS CA05P4S14THSG varistor) close to accessible point. 2.2.1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.2.1.12 Guidelines for grounding layout design Good connection of the module GND pins with application board solid ground layer is required for correct RF performance. It significantly reduces EMC issues and provides a thermal heat sink for the module. • • • • • • • Connect each GND pin with application board solid GND layer.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.3 System functions interfaces 2.3.1 Module power-on (PWR_ON) 2.3.1.1 Guidelines for PWR_ON circuit design SARA-R4/N4 series PWR_ON input is equipped with an internal active pull-up resistor; an external pull-up resistor is not required and should not be provided. If connecting the PWR_ON input to a push button, the pin will be externally accessible on the application device.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.3.2 Module reset (RESET_N) 2.3.2.1 Guidelines for RESET_N circuit design SARA-R4/N4 series RESET_N is equipped with an internal pull-up; an external pull-up resistor is not required. If connecting the RESET_N input to a push button, the pin will be externally accessible on the application device. According to EMC/ESD requirements of the application, an additional ESD protection device (e.g.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.4 Antenna interface SARA-R4/N4 series modules provide an RF interface for connecting the external antenna: the ANT pin represents the RF input/output for RF signals transmission and reception. The ANT pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of 50 Ω and must be connected to the physical antenna through a 50 Ω transmission line to allow clean transmission / reception of RF signals. 2.4.1 Antenna RF interface (ANT) 2.4.1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.4.1.2 Guidelines for antenna RF interface design Guidelines for ANT pin RF connection design A clean transition between the ANT pad and the application board PCB must be provided, implementing the following design-in guidelines for the layout of the application PCB close to the ANT pad: • • • On a multilayer board, the whole layer stack below the RF connection should be free of digital lines Increase GND keep-out (i.e.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 40 0 µm 120 0 µm 40 0 µm L1 Copper 35 µm FR-4 dielect ric 1510 µm L2 Copper 35 µm Figure 33: Example of 50 Ω coplanar waveguide transmission line design for the described 2-layer board layup If the two examples do not match the application PCB stack-up, then the 50 Ω characteristic impedance calculation can be made using the HFSS commercial finite element method solver for electromagnetic structures from Ansys Corporation, or using freeware tools like Av
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • In the second example shown on the right, the ANT pin is connected to an SMA connector by means of a suitable 50 Ω transmission line, designed with the appropriate layout, with an additional high pass filter to improve the ESD immunity at the antenna port.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Additionally, these recommendations regarding the antenna system placement must be followed: • • • • • Do not place the antenna within a closed metal case. Do not place the antenna in close vicinity to the end user since the emitted radiation in human tissue is restricted by regulatory requirements.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Examples of antennas Table 22 lists some examples of possible internal on-board surface-mount antennas. Manufacturer Part Number Product Name Description Taoglas PA.710.A Warrior GSM / WCDMA / LTE SMD Antenna 698..960 MHz, 1710..2170 MHz, 2300..2400 MHz, 2490..2690 MHz 40.0 x 6.0 x 5.0 mm Taoglas PCS.06.A Havok GSM / WCDMA / LTE SMD Antenna 698..960 MHz, 1710..2170 MHz, 2500..2690 MHz 42.0 x 10.0 x 3.0 mm Taoglas MCS6.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Table 23 lists some examples of possible internal off-board PCB-type antennas with cable and connector. Manufacturer Part Number Product Name Description Taoglas FXUB63.07.0150C Taoglas FXUB66.07.0150C Maximus GSM / WCDMA / LTE PCB Antenna with cable and U.FL 698..960 MHz, 1390..1435 MHz, 1575.42 MHz, 1710..2170 MHz, 2400..2700 MHz, 3400..3600 MHz, 4800..6000 MHz 120.2 x 50.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.4.2 Antenna detection interface (ANT_DET) 2.4.2.1 Guidelines for ANT_DET circuit design Figure 35 and Table 25 describe the recommended schematic / components for the antenna detection circuit that must be provided on the application board and for the diagnostic circuit that must be provided on the antenna’s assembly to achieve antenna detection functionality.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual on antenna path with similar characteristics (respectively: removal of linear antenna or RF cable shorted to GND for PIFA antenna). Furthermore, any other DC signal injected to the RF connection from ANT connector to radiating element will alter the measurement and produce invalid results for antenna detection.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.4.2.2 Guidelines for ANT_DET layout design Figure 36 describes the recommended layout for the antenna detection circuit to be provided on the application board to achieve antenna detection functionality, implementing the recommended schematic described in the previous Figure 35 and Table 25: • • • • • • The ANT pin must be connected to the antenna connector by means of a 50 Ω transmission line, implementing the design guidelines described in section 2.4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.5 2.5.1 SIM interface Guidelines for SIM circuit design 2.5.1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • • • • • Connect the UICC / SIM contact C5 (GND) to ground. Provide a 100 nF bypass capacitor (e.g. Murata GRM155R71C104K) on SIM supply line, close to the relative pad of the SIM connector, to prevent digital noise. Provide a bypass capacitor of about 22 pF to 47 pF (e.g.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.5.1.3 Guidelines for single SIM chip connection A solderable SIM chip (M2M UICC Form Factor) must be connected the SIM card interface of the SARA-R4/N4 series modules as described in Figure 38. Follow these guidelines to connect the module to a solderable SIM chip without SIM presence detection: • • • • • • • • Connect the UICC / SIM contacts C1 (VCC) to the VSIM pin of the module. Connect the UICC / SIM contact C7 (I/O) to the SIM_IO pin of the module.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual • • • Provide a bypass capacitor of about 22 pF to 47 pF (e.g. Murata GRM1555C1H470J) on each SIM line (VSIM, SIM_CLK, SIM_IO, SIM_RST), very close to each related pad of the SIM connector, to prevent RF coupling especially in case the RF antenna is placed closer than 10 - 30 cm from the SIM card holder. Provide a low capacitance (i.e. less than 10 pF) ESD protection (e.g.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.6 Data communication interfaces 2.6.1 UART interface 2.6.1.1 Guidelines for UART circuit design Providing the full RS-232 functionality (using the complete V.24 link)24 If RS-232 compatible signal levels are needed, two different external voltage translators can be used to provide full RS232 (9 lines) functionality: e.g. using the Texas Instruments SN74AVC8T245PW for the translation from 1.8 V to 3.3 V, and the Maxim MAX3237E for the translation from 3.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual If the functionality of the DSR, DCD and RI lines is not required, or the lines are not available: Leave DSR, DCD and RI lines of the module floating, with a test-point on DCD • If RS-232 compatible signal levels are needed, two different external voltage translators (e.g. Maxim MAX3237E and Texas Instruments SN74AVC4T774) can be used. The Texas Instruments chips provide the translation from 1.8 V to 3.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Connect the module DTR input to GND using a 0 Ω series resistor, since it may be useful to set DTR active if not specifically handled, in particular to have URCs presented over the UART interface (see the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [1] for the &D, S0, +CNMI AT commands) Leave DSR, DCD and RI lines of the module floating, with a test-point on DCD • • If RS-232 compatible signal levels are needed, the Maxim MAX13234E voltage level translator can be u
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Providing the TXD and RXD lines only 30 If the functionality of the CTS, RTS, DSR, DCD, RI and DTR lines is not required in the application, or the lines are not available, then: Connect the module RTS input line to GND or to the CTS output line of the module, since the module requires RTS active (low electrical level) if HW flow-control is enabled (AT&K3, which is the default setting) Connect the module DTR input line to GND using a 0 Ω series resistor, becaus
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Additional considerations If a 3.0 V Application Processor (DTE) is used, the voltage scaling from any 3.0 V output of the DTE to the corresponding 1.8 V input of the module (DCE) can be implemented as an alternative low-cost solution, by means of an appropriate voltage divider. Consider the value of the pull-down / pull-up integrated at the input of the module (DCE) for the correct selection of the voltage divider resistance values.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.6.2 USB interface 2.6.2.1 Guidelines for USB circuit design The USB_D+ and USB_D- lines carry the USB serial data and signaling. The lines are used in single-ended mode for full speed signaling handshake, as well as in differential mode for high speed signaling and data transfer. USB pull-up or pull-down resistors and external series resistors on USB_D+ and USB_D- lines as required by the USB 2.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Use the following general routing guidelines to minimize signal quality problems: • • • • • Route USB_D+ / USB_D- lines as a differential pair Route USB_D+ / USB_D- lines as short as possible Ensure the differential characteristic impedance (Z0) is as close as possible to 90 Ω Ensure the common mode characteristic impedance (ZCM) is as close as possible to 30 Ω Consider design rules for USB_D+ / USB_D- similar to RF transmission lines, being them coupled diffe
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.6.5 DDC (I2C) interface 2.6.5.1 Guidelines for DDC (I2C) circuit design ☞ DDC (I2C) interface is not supported by “00” and “01” product versions: the DDC (I2C) interface pins should not be driven by any external device. The DDC I2C-bus master interface can be used to communicate with u-blox GNSS receivers and other external I2C-bus slaves as an audio codec.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Connection with u-blox 1.8 V GNSS receivers Figure 51 shows an application circuit for connecting the cellular module to a u-blox 1.8 V GNSS receiver: • • • The SDA and SCL pins of the cellular module are directly connected to the related pins of the u-blox 1.8 V GNSS receiver. External pull-up resistors are not needed, as they are already integrated in the cellular module.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual u-blox GNSS 3.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Module operating status indication provided by a GPIO pin (see section 1.6.1) SIM card detection provided over GPIO5 pin (see Figure 39 / Table 28 in section 2.5) • • 3V8 SARA-R4/ N4 R3 DL1 GPIO1 16 Net work Indicat or R1 T1 R2 Figure 53: Application circuit for network indication provided over GPIO1 Reference Description Part Number - Manufacturer R1 10 kΩ Resistor 0402 5% 0.1 W Various manufacturers R2 47 kΩ Resistor 0402 5% 0.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.9 Reserved pins (RSVD) SARA-R4/N4 series modules have pins reserved for future use, marked as RSVD. All the RSVD pins are to be left unconnected on the application board, except for the RSVD pin number 33 that can be externally connected to ground. 2.10 Module placement An optimized placement allows a minimum RF line’s length and closer path from DC source for VCC.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.11 Module footprint and paste mask Figure 54 and Table 37 describe the suggested footprint (i.e. copper mask) and paste mask layout for SARA modules: the proposed land pattern layout reflects the modules’ pins layout, while the proposed stencil apertures layout is slightly different (see the F’’, H’’, I’’, J’’, O’’ parameters compared to the F’, H’, I’, J’, O’ ones).
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.12 Thermal guidelines ☞ The module operating temperature range is specified in the SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet [1]. The most critical condition concerning module thermal performance is the uplink transmission at maximum power (data upload in connected mode), when the baseband processor runs at full speed, radio circuits are all active and the RF power amplifier is driven to higher output RF power.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual SARA-R4/ N4 15pF 3V8 100 uF 100 nF 10 nF 68pF 51 VCC 52 VCC 53 VCC 15pF ANT 39nH 10k 62 27pF Applicat ion Processor TP TP Open drain out put 15 18 PW R_ON SIM Card Holder TP 1k V_INT 4 GPIO5 42 SW 2 VSIM 41 SW 1 CCVCC (C1) SIM _IO 39 CCIO (C7) SIM _CLK 38 CCCLK (C3) SIM _RST 40 CCRST (C2) CCVPP (C6) RESET_N GND (C5) USB 2.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.14 Design-in checklist This section provides a design-in checklist. 2.14.1 Schematic checklist The following are the most important points for a simple schematic check: DC supply must provide a nominal voltage at VCC pin within the operating range limits. VCC voltage supply should be clean, with very low ripple/noise: provide the suggested bypass capacitors, in particular if the application device integrates an internal antenna.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 2.14.3 Antenna checklist Antenna termination should provide 50 Ω characteristic impedance with V.S.W.R at least less than 3:1 (recommended 2:1) on operating bands in deployment geographical area. Follow the recommendations of the antenna producer for correct antenna installation and deployment (PCB layout and matching circuitry). Ensure compliance with any regulatory agency RF radiation requirement, as reported in section 4.2.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 3 ☞ Handling and soldering No natural rubbers, no hygroscopic materials or materials containing asbestos are employed. 3.1 Packaging, shipping, storage and moisture preconditioning For information pertaining to SARA-R4/N4 series reels / tapes, Moisture Sensitivity levels (MSD), shipment and storage information, as well as drying for preconditioning, see the SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet [1] and the u-blox Package Information Guide [17]. 3.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 3.3 3.3.1 Soldering Soldering paste "No Clean" soldering paste is strongly recommended for SARA-R4/N4 series modules, as it does not require cleaning after the soldering process has taken place. The paste listed in the example below meets these criteria. Soldering Paste: OM338 SAC405 / Nr.143714 (Cookson Electronics) Alloy specification: 95.5% Sn / 3.9% Ag / 0.6% Cu (95.5% Tin / 3.9% Silver / 0.6% Copper) 95.5% Sn / 4.0% Ag / 0.5% Cu (95.5% Tin / 4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual ☞ To avoid falling off, modules should be placed on the topside of the motherboard during soldering. The soldering temperature profile chosen at the factory depends on additional external factors like choice of soldering paste, size, thickness and properties of the base board, etc. ⚠ Exceeding the maximum soldering temperature and the maximum liquidus time limit in the recommended soldering profile may permanently damage the module.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual ☞ u-blox gives no warranty against damages to the SARA-R4/N4 series modules caused by performing more than a total of two reflow soldering processes (one reflow soldering process to mount the SARA-R4/N4 series module, plus one reflow soldering process to mount other parts). 3.3.6 Wave soldering SARA-R4/N4 series LGA modules must not be soldered with a wave soldering process.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual ☞ u-blox gives no warranty against damages to the cellular modules caused by any ultrasonic processes.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 4 Approvals 4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Table 38 summarizes the main approvals achieved or planned for SARA-R410M and SARA-R412M modules.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Certification SARA-R410M-01B SARA-R410M-02B SARA-R410M-52B SARA-R410M-03B SARA-R410M-63B SARA-R410M-73B T-Mobile US Sprint LTE Cat M1 Band 25 US Cellular LTE Cat M1 Band 2,4,5,12 Bell LTE Cat M1 Band 2,4,5,12 Telus LTE Cat M1 Band 2,4,5,12 Telstra SARA-R412M-02B SARA-R412M-03B LTE Cat NB1 Band 2,4,5,12 LTE Cat NB1 Band 2,4,5,12 LTE Cat M1 Band 2,4,5,12 LTE Cat M1 Band 3,5,8,28 LTE Cat M1, NB1 Band 3,5,8,28 Softbank LTE Cat M1 Band 1,8 NT
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Table 39 summarizes how some of the SARA-R4/N4 series modules are identified by various bodies.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual The SARA-R4/N4 series modules from “02” product versions onwards include the capability to configure the device by selecting the operating Mobile Network Operator Profile, Radio Access Technology, and bands. In the SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual [2], see the +UMNOPROF, +URAT, and +UBANDMASK AT commands.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 4.2 US Federal Communications Commission notice United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) IDs: • • • u-blox SARA-R404M cellular modules: u-blox SARA-R410M and SARA-N410 cellular modules: u-blox SARA-R412M cellular modules: 4.2.1 • • • • • XPY2AGQN1NNN XPY2AGQN4NNN XPYUBX18ZO01 Safety warnings review the structure Equipment for building-in.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 4.2.3 Modifications The FCC requires the user to be notified that any changes or modifications made to this device that are not expressly approved by u-blox could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. ⚠ Manufacturers of mobile or fixed devices incorporating the SARA-R4/N4 series modules are authorized to use the FCC Grants of the SARA-R4/N4 series modules for their own final products according to the conditions referenced in the certificates.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual ⚠ The gain of the system antenna(s) used for the SARA-R4/N4 series modules (i.e. the combined transmission line, connector, cable losses and radiating element gain) must not exceed the value stated in the ISED Canada Grant for mobile and fixed or mobile operating configurations: • • • 4.3.2 SARA-R410M-01B modules: o 3.67 dBi in 700 MHz, i.e. LTE FDD-12 band o 4.10 dBi in 850 MHz, i.e. LTE FDD-5 band o 6.74 dBi in 1700 MHz, i.e. LTE FDD-4 band o 7.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Additional Canadian information on RF exposure also can be found at the following web address: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf08792.html ⚠ IMPORTANT: Manufacturers of portable applications incorporating the SARA-R4/N4 series modules are required to have their final product certified and apply for their own Industry Canada Certificate related to the specific portable device. This is mandatory to meet the SAR requirements for portable devices.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 4.4 European Conformance CE mark SARA-R410M-02B and SARA-R412M-02B module product versions have been evaluated against the essential requirements of the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU. In order to satisfy the essential requirements of the 2014/53/EU RED, the modules are compliant with the following standards: • • • Radio Spectrum Efficiency (Article 3.2): o EN 301 908-1 o EN 301 908-13 o EN 301 511 Electromagnetic Compatibility (Article 3.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 4.5 National Communication Commission Taiwan The SARA-R410M-02B and SARA-N410-02B product versions have the applicable regulatory approvals for Taiwan (NCC) • SARA-R410M-02B modules NCC ID: CCAA18NB0010T3 CCAA18NB0010T3 • SARA-R410M-03B modules NCC ID: CCAA19NB0010T0 CCAA19NB0010T0 • SARA-N410-02B modules NCC ID: CCAI18NB0050T4 CCAI18NB0050T4 4.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 5 Product testing 5.1 u-blox in-series production test u-blox focuses on high quality for its products. All units produced are fully tested automatically on the production line. Stringent quality control processes have been implemented in the production line. Defective units are analyzed in detail to improve production quality. This is achieved with automatic test equipment (ATE) in the production line, which logs all production and measurement data.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual 5.2 Test parameters for OEM manufacturers Because of the testing done by u-blox (with 100% coverage), an OEM manufacturer does not need to repeat the firmware tests or measurements of the module RF performance or tests over analog and digital interfaces in their production test.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual ☞ The AT+UTEST command sets the module to emit RF power ignoring LTE signaling protocol. This emission can generate interference that can be prohibited by law in some countries. The use of this feature is intended for testing purposes in controlled environments by qualified users and must not be used during the normal module operation. Follow the instructions suggested in the u-blox documentation.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Appendix A Migration between SARA modules A.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual With the u-blox “nested design” solution, any TOBY, LISA, SARA or LARA module can be alternatively mounted on the same space of a single “nested” application board as described in Figure 60. Guidelines for implementing a nested application board, a description of the u-blox reference nested design and a comparison between the TOBY, LISA, SARA and LARA modules are provided in the Nested Design Application Note [23].
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual A.2 Pin-out comparison Table 41 shows a pin-out comparison between the SARA-G3, SARA-U2, SARA-R4/N4, and SARA-N2 modules.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual No SARA-G3 Pin Name SARA-U2 Pin Name Description SARA-R4 Pin Name Description SARA-N2 Pin Name Description Remarks for migration 12 TXD UART Data Input V_INT level (1.8 V) Internal pull-up:~18 k TXD UART Data Input V_INT level (1.8 V) Internal pull-up: ~8 k TXD UART Data Input V_INT level (1.8 V) Internal pull-up/-down: ~100k TXD UART Data Input VCC level (3.6 V typ.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual No SARA-G3 Pin Name SARA-U2 Pin Name Description SARA-N2 Pin Name Description Remarks for migration GPIO2 / RSVD GPIO (G340/G350) Reserved (G300/G310) V_INT level (1.8 V) Default: GNSS supply enable Driver strength: 6 mA GPIO2 GPIO V_INT level (1.8 V) Default: GNSS supply enable Driver strength: 1 mA GPIO2 GPIO V_INT level (1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual No SARA-G3 Pin Name Description SARA-U2 Pin Name SARA-R4 Pin Name Description Remarks for migration I2S Word Alignment V_INT level (1.8 V) Driver strength: 2 mA I2S_WA / SPI_MOSI I2S Word Alignm38 / SPI MOSI38 V_INT level (1.8 V) Driver strength: 2 mA RSVD Reserved I2S vs SPI vs Reserved I2S_TXD I2S Data Output V_INT level (1.8 V) Driver strength: 2 mA I2S_TXD / SPI_CS I2S Data Out38 / SPI chip select38 V_INT level (1.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual No SARA-G3 Pin Name 51-53 Description SARA-U2 Pin Name Description SARA-R4 Pin Name Description SARA-N2 Pin Name Description Remarks for migration Module Supply Input Normal op. range: 3.2 V – 4.2 V Extended op. range: 3.0 V – 4.3 V Current consumption: ~2.0A pulse current in 2G (recommended ≥100uF) ~0.5A LTE pulse current (recommended ≥10uF) No turn-on applying VCC VCC Module Supply Input Normal op. range: 3.1 V – 4.0 V Extended op. range: 2.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual B Glossary Abbreviation Definition 2G 2nd Generation Cellular Technology (GSM, GPRS, EGPRS) 3G 3rd Generation Cellular Technology (UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA) 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project 8-PSK 8 Phase-Shift Keying modulation ADC Analog to Digital Converter AT AT Command Interpreter Software Subsystem, or attention Cat Category CE European Conformity DC Direct Current DCE Data Communication Equipment DDC Display Data Channel interface
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Abbreviation Definition LTE Long Term Evolution LWM2M Open Mobile Alliance Lightweight Machine-to-Machine protocol M2M Machine-to-Machine MQTT Message Queuing Telemetry Transport N/A Not Applicable NAS Non Access Stratum OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer device: an application device integrating a u-blox cellular module OTA Over The Air PA Power Amplifier PCM Pulse Code Modulation PCN Product Change Notification / Sample Delivery Note /
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Related documents [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] ☞ u-blox SARA-R4/N4 series Data Sheet, document number UBX-16024152 u-blox SARA-R4/N4 series AT Commands Manual, document number UBX-17003787 u-blox EVK-R4/N4 User Guide, document number UBX-16029216 Universal Serial Bus Revision 2.0 specification, https://www.usb.org/ ITU-T Recommendation V.
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Revision history Revision Date Name Comments R01 31-Jan-2017 sfal Initial release R02 05-May-2017 sfal / sses Updated supported features and characteristics Extended document applicability to SARA-R410M-01B product version R03 24-May-2017 sses Updated supported features and electrical characteristics R04 19-Jul-2017 sses Updated supported features and electrical characteristics Added FCC and ISED info for SARA-R410M-01B modules Extended docum
SARA-R4/N4 series - System Integration Manual Contact For complete contact information, visit us at www.u-blox.com. u-blox Offices North, Central and South America u-blox America, Inc. Phone: E-mail: +1 703 483 3180 info_us@u-blox.com Regional Office West Coast: Phone: E-mail: Headquarters Europe, Middle East, Africa Asia, Australia, Pacific u-blox AG Phone: +65 6734 3811 E-mail: info_ap@u-blox.com Support: support_ap@u-blox.com Phone: +41 44 722 74 44 E-mail: info@u-blox.
