EC21 Mini PCIe
Hardware Design
LTE Standard Module Series
Rev. EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design_V1.3
Date: 2019-08-19
Status: Released
www.quectel.com
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Our aim is to provide customers with timely and comprehensive service. For any
assistance, please contact our company headquarters:
Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd.
Building 5, Shanghai Business Park Phase III (Area B), No.1016 Tianlin Road, Minhang District,
Shanghai, China 200233
Tel: +86 21 5108 6236
Email: info@quectel.com
Or our local office. For more information, please visit:
http://www.quectel.com/support/sales.htm
For technical support, or to report documentation errors, please visit:
http://www.quectel.com/support/technical.htm
Or email to: support@quectel.com
GENERAL NOTES
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.
COPYRIGHT
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.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 1 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
About the Document
History
Revision Date Author Description
1.0 2016-06-07
1.1 2017-01-24
1.2 2019-04-30
Yeoman CHEN/
Frank WANG
Lyndon LIU/
Rex WANG
Woody WU/
Nathan LIU/
Frank WANG
Initial
1. Deleted description of EC21-AUTL and EC21-CT
Mini PCIe in Table 1.
2. Updated key features of EC21 Mini PCIe in Table 2.
3. Added current consumption of EC21 Mini PCIe in
Chapter 4.7.
4. Updated mechanical dimensions of EC21 Mini PCIe
in Figure 15.
5. Updated conducted RF output power in Table 16.
6. Updated conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-A in Table 18.
7. Added conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-KL in Table 21.
8. Added conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-J in Table 22.
1. Added new variants EC21-EU Mini PCIe/EC21-EC
Mini PCIe and related information.
2. Added pin definition and description of pin 44 in
Figure 2 and Table 4.
3. Updated mechanical dimensions in Figure 18.
4. Added USIM_PRESENCE in (U)SIM interface and
updated the reference circuit in Chapter 3.4.
5. Updated reference circuit of USB interface in
Chapter 3.5.
6. Modified description of W_DISABLE# signal in
Chapter 3.8.3.
7. Modified description of LED_WWAN# signal in
Chapter 3.8.5.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 2 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
8. Added thermal consideration in Chapter 6.7.
9. Updated UMTS and GSM features and added
storage temperature range in Table 2.
10. Added operating frequencies in Table 15
11. Added GNSS frequency in Table 16.
12. Updated antenna requirements in Table 17.
13. Updated EC21 Mini PCIe conducted RF output
power in Table 20.
14. Updated conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-E Mini PCIe in Table 21.
15. Updated conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-A Mini PCIe in Table 22.
16. Updated conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-V Mini PCIe in Table 23
17. Updated conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-AUT Mini PCIe in Table 24.
18. Added conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-AU Mini PCIe in Table 27.
19. Added conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-EU Mini PCIe in Table 28.
20. Added conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-EC Mini PCIe in Table 29.
21. Added current consumption of EC21-EC Mini PCIe
in Table 34.
1.3 2019-08-19
Ward WANG/
Owen WEI
1. Deleted the information of GNSS supported on
EC21-EC Mini PCIe in Table 1.
2. Added ThreadX variant EC21-AUX Mini PCIe and
updated related contents in Table 1.
3. Updated supported protocols and USB serial driver
in Table 2.
4. Updated conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-EU Mini PCIe in Table 29.
5. Added conducted RF receiving sensitivity of
EC21-AUX Mini PCIe in Table 31.
6. Added current consumption of EC21-AUX Mini
PCIe in Table 36.
7. Added current consumption of EC21-EU Mini PCIe
in Table 37.
8. Added current consumption of EC21-AU Mini PCIe
in Table 38.
9. Added note 2 for antenna requirement in Chapter
5.4.1.
10. Deleted current consumption of EC21-EC Mini
PCIe, and the data will be updated in the future
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 3 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
version.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 4 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Contents
About the Document ................................................................................................................................ 2
Contents .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Table Index ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure Index .............................................................................................................................................. 8
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 9
1.1. Safety Information ................................................................................................................. 10
2 Product Concept ............................................................................................................................. 14
2.1. General Description .............................................................................................................. 14
2.2. Description of Product Series ................................................................................................ 15
2.3. Key Features ......................................................................................................................... 16
2.4. Functional Diagram ............................................................................................................... 19
3 Application Interfaces ..................................................................................................................... 20
3.1. Pin Assignment ..................................................................................................................... 20
3.2. Pin Description ...................................................................................................................... 21
3.3. Power Supply ........................................................................................................................ 24
3.4. (U)SIM Interface .................................................................................................................... 25
3.5. USB Interface ........................................................................................................................ 27
3.6. UART Interface ..................................................................................................................... 29
3.7. PCM and I2C Interfaces ........................................................................................................ 29
3.8. Control and Indicator Signals ................................................................................................ 32
3.8.1. RI Signal ...................................................................................................................... 33
3.8.2. DTR Signal .................................................................................................................. 33
3.8.3. W_DISABLE# Signal ................................................................................................... 33
3.8.4. PERST# Signal ............................................................................................................ 34
3.8.5. LED_WWAN# Signal ................................................................................................... 34
3.8.6. WAKE# Signal ............................................................................................................. 35
4 GNSS Receiver ................................................................................................................................ 36
5 Antenna Connection ....................................................................................................................... 37
5.1. Operating Frequency ............................................................................................................ 37
5.2. GNSS Frequency .................................................................................................................. 38
5.3. GNSS Performance .............................................................................................................. 39
5.4. Antenna Requirements ......................................................................................................... 40
5.4.1. Antenna Requirements ................................................................................................ 40
5.4.2. Antenna Connectors and Mating Plugs ....................................................................... 41
6 Electrical, Reliability and Radio Characteristics .......................................................................... 43
6.1. General Description .............................................................................................................. 43
6.2. Power Supply Requirements ................................................................................................. 43
6.3. I/O Requirements .................................................................................................................. 44
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 5 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
6.4. RF Characteristics ................................................................................................................ 44
6.5. ESD Characteristics .............................................................................................................. 50
6.6. Current Consumption ............................................................................................................ 50
6.7. Thermal Consideration .......................................................................................................... 60
7 Dimensions and Packaging ............................................................................................................ 62
7.1. General Description .............................................................................................................. 62
7.2. Mechanical Dimensions of EC21 Mini PCIe .......................................................................... 62
7.3. Standard Dimensions of Mini PCI Express ............................................................................ 63
7.4. Packaging Specifications ...................................................................................................... 64
8 Appendix A References .................................................................................................................. 65
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 6 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Table Index
TABLE 1: DESCRIPTION OF EC21 MINI PCIE ................................................................................................ 15
TABLE 2: KEY FEATURES OF EC21 MINI PCIE ............................................................................................. 16
TABLE 3: I/O PARAMETERS DEFINITION ....................................................................................................... 21
TABLE 4: PIN DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................... 21
TABLE 5: PIN DEFINITION OF VCC_3V3 AND GND PINS ............................................................................. 24
TABLE 6: PIN DEFINITION OF (U)SIM INTERFACE ....................................................................................... 25
TABLE 7: PIN DEFINITION OF USB INTERFACE ........................................................................................... 27
TABLE 8: PIN DEFINITION OF UART INTERFACE ......................................................................................... 29
TABLE 9: PIN DEFINITION OF PCM AND I2C INTERFACES ......................................................................... 30
TABLE 10: PIN DEFINITION OF CONTROL AND INDICATOR SIGNALS ....................................................... 32
TABLE 11: AIRPLANE MODE CONTROLLED BY HARDWARE METHOD ..................................................... 33
TABLE 12: AIRPLANE MODE CONTROLLED BY SOFTWARE METHOD ..................................................... 34
TABLE 13: INDICATIONS OF NETWORK STATUS (AT+QCFG="LEDMODE",0, DEFAULT SETTING) ......... 35
TABLE 14: INDICATIONS OF NETWORK STATUS (AT+QCFG="LEDMODE",2) ........................................... 35
TABLE 15: OPERATING FREQUENCIES ........................................................................................................ 37
TABLE 16: GNSS FREQUENCY ....................................................................................................................... 38
TABLE 17: GNSS PERFORMANCE ................................................................................................................. 39
TABLE 18: ANTENNA REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................... 40
TABLE 19: POWER SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 43
TABLE 20: I/O REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 44
TABLE 21: CONDUCTED RF OUTPUT POWER OF EC21 MINI PCIE ........................................................... 44
TABLE 22: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-E MINI PCIE .......................................... 45
TABLE 23: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-A MINI PCIE .......................................... 45
TABLE 24: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-V MINI PCIE .......................................... 46
TABLE 25: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-AUT MINI PCIE ..................................... 46
TABLE 26: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-KL MINI PCIE ........................................ 46
TABLE 27: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-J MINI PCIE .......................................... 47
TABLE 28: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-AU MINI PCIE ....................................... 47
TABLE 29: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-EU MINI PCIE ....................................... 48
TABLE 30: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-EC MINI PCIE ....................................... 48
TABLE 31: CONDUCTED RF RECEIVING SENSITIVITY OF EC21-AUX MINI PCIE ..................................... 49
TABLE 32: ESD CHARACTERISTICS OF EC21 MINI PCIE ............................................................................ 50
TABLE 33: CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21-A MINI PCIE ..................................................................... 50
TABLE 34: CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21-V MINI PCIE ..................................................................... 51
TABLE 35: CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21-KL MINI PCIE ................................................................... 52
TABLE 36: CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21-AUX MINI PCIE ................................................................ 52
TABLE 37: CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21-EU MINI PCIE .................................................................. 55
TABLE 38: CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21-AU MINI PCIE .................................................................. 57
TABLE 39: GNSS CURRENT CONSUMPTION OF EC21 MINI PCIE SERIES MODULE ............................... 60
TABLE 40: RELATED DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................ 65
TABLE 41: TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... 65
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 7 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Figure Index
FIGURE 1: FUNCTIONAL DIAGRAM ............................................................................................................... 19
FIGURE 2: PIN ASSIGNMENT ......................................................................................................................... 20
FIGURE 3: REFERENCE CIRCUIT OF POWER SUPPLY .............................................................................. 25
FIGURE 4: REFERENCE CIRCUIT OF (U)SIM INTERFACE WITH AN 8-PIN (U)SIM CARD CONNECTOR 26
FIGURE 5: REFERENCE CIRCUIT OF (U)SIM INTERFACE WITH A 6-PIN (U)SIM CARD CONNECTOR ... 26
FIGURE 6: REFERENCE CIRCUIT OF USB INTERFACE .............................................................................. 28
FIGURE 7: TIMING IN PRIMARY MODE .......................................................................................................... 31
FIGURE 8: TIMING IN AUXILIARY MODE ....................................................................................................... 31
FIGURE 9: REFERENCE CIRCUIT OF PCM APPLICATION WITH AUDIO CODEC ...................................... 32
FIGURE 10: RI BEHAVIOR ............................................................................................................................... 33
FIGURE 11: TIMING OF RESETTING MODULE .............................................................................................. 34
FIGURE 12: LED_WWAN# SIGNAL REFERENCE CIRCUIT DIAGRAM ........................................................ 34
FIGURE 13: WAKE# BEHAVIOR ...................................................................................................................... 35
FIGURE 14: DIMENSIONS OF ANTENNA CONNECTORS (UNIT: MM) ......................................................... 41
FIGURE 15: MECHANICALS OF U.FL-LP MATING PLUGS ........................................................................... 41
FIGURE 16: SPACE FACTOR OF MATING PLUGS (UNIT: MM) ..................................................................... 42
FIGURE 17: REFERENCED HEATSINK DESIGN ........................................................................................... 61
FIGURE 18: MECHANICAL DIMENSIONS OF EC21 MINI PCIE .................................................................... 62
FIGURE 19: STANDARD DIMENSIONS OF MINI PCI EXPRESS ................................................................... 63
FIGURE 20: DIMENSIONS OF THE MINI PCI EXPRESS CONNECTOR (MOLEX 679100002) .................... 64
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 8 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
1 Introduction
This document defines EC21 Mini PCIe module, and describes its air interfaces and hardware interfaces
which are connected with customers’ applications.
This document can help customers to quickly understand module interface specifications, electrical and
mechanical details as well as other related information of EC21 Mini PCIe module. To facilitate its
application in different fields, relevant reference design is also provided for customers’ reference.
Associated with application note and user guide, customers can use the module to design and set up
mobile applications easily.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 9 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
1.1. 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 EC21 Mini PCIe module. 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.
Cellular terminals or mobiles operating over radio signals and cellular network
cannot be guaranteed to connect in all possible conditions (for example, with
unpaid bills or with an invalid (U)SIM card). When emergent help is needed in such
conditions, please remember using emergency call. In order to make or receive a
call, the cellular terminal or mobile must be switched on in a service area with
adequate cellular signal strength.
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.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 10 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
FCC Certification Requirements.
According to the definition of mobile and fixed device is described in Part 2.1091(b), this device is a
mobile device.
And the following conditions must be met:
1. This Modular Approval is limited to OEM installation for mobile and fixed applications only. The antenna
installation and operating configurations of this transmitter, including any applicable source-based time-
averaging duty factor, antenna gain and cable loss must satisfy MPE categorical Exclusion Requirements
of 2.1091.
2. The EUT is a mobile device; maintain at least a 20 cm separation between the EUT and the user’s body
and must not transmit simultaneously with any other antenna or transmitter.
3.A label with the following statements must be attached to the host end product: This device contains
FCC ID: XMR201909EC21AUX.
4.To comply with FCC regulations limiting both maximum RF output power and human exposure to RF
radiation, maximum antenna gain (including cable loss) must not exceed:
❒ GSM850: <11.206dBi
❒ GSM1900: <12.140dBi
❒ WCDMA B2/LTE B2/ LTE B7: <8dBi
❒ WCDMA B4LTE B4: <5dBi
❒ WCDMA B5/LTE B5: <9.416dBi
5. This module must not transmit simultaneously with any other antenna or transmitter
6. The host end product must include a user manual that clearly defines operating requirements and
conditions that must be observed to ensure compliance with current FCC RF exposure guidelines.
For portable devices, in addition to the conditions 3 through 6 described above, a separate approval is
required to satisfy the SAR requirements of FCC Part 2.1093
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 11 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
If the device is used for other equipment that separate approval is required for all other operating
configurations, including portable configurations with respect to 2.1093 and different antenna
configurations.
For this device, OEM integrators must be provided with labeling instructions of finished products.
Please refer to KDB784748 D01 v07, section 8. Page 6/7 last two paragraphs:
A certified modular has the option to use a permanently affixed label, or an electronic label. For a
permanently affixed label, the module must be labeled with an FCC ID - Section 2.926 (see 2.2
Certification (labeling requirements) above). The OEM manual must provide clear instructions
explaining to the OEM the labeling requirements, options and OEM user manual instructions that are
required (see next paragraph).
For a host using a certified modular with a standard fixed label, if (1) the module’s FCC ID is not visible
when installed in the host, or (2) if the host is marketed so that end users do not have straightforward
commonly used methods for access to remove the module so that the FCC ID of the module is visible;
then an additional permanent label referring to the enclosed module:“Contains Transmitter Module FCC
ID: XMR201909EC21AUX” or “Contains FCC ID: XMR201909EC21AUX” must be used. The host OEM
user manual must also contain clear instructions on how end users can find and/or access the module
and the FCC ID.
The final host / module combination may also need to be evaluated against the FCC Part 15B criteria
for unintentional radiators in order to be properly authorized for operation as a Part 15 digital device.
The user’s manual or instruction manual for an intentional or unintentional radiator shall caution the
user that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. In cases where the manual is provided only in
a form other than paper, such as on a computer disk or over the Internet, the information required by
this section may be included in the manual in that alternative form, provided the user can reasonably be
expected to have the capability to access information in that form.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 12 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
To ensure compliance with all non-transmitter functions the host manufacturer is responsible for ensuring
compliance with the module(s) installed and fully operational. For example, if a host was previously
authorized as an unintentional radiator under the Declaration of Conformity procedure without a
transmitter certified module and a module is added, the host manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that
the after the module is installed and operational the host continues to be compliant with the Part 15B
unintentional radiator requirements.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 13 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
2 Product Concept
2.1. General Description
EC21 Mini PCIe module provides data connectivity on LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD, DC-HSDPA, HSPA+, HSDPA,
HSUPA, WCDMA, EDGE and GPRS networks with PCI Express Mini Card 1.2 standard interface. It
supports embedded operating systems such as WinCE, Linux, Android etc., and also provides audio,
high-speed data transmission and GNSS functionalities for customers’ applications.
EC21 Mini PCIe module can be applied in the following fields:
PDA and Laptop Computer
Remote Monitor System
Vehicle System
Wireless POS System
Intelligent Meter Reading System
Wireless Router and Switch
Other Wireless Terminal Devices
This chapter generally introduces the following aspects of EC21 Mini PCIe module:
Product Series
Key Features
Functional Diagram
NOTE
EC21 Mini PCIe contains Telematics version and Data-only version. Telematics version supports voice
and data functions, while Data-only version only supports data function.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 14 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
2.2. Description of Product Series
EC21 Mini PCIe series contains 10 variants, and are listed in the following table.
Table 1: Description of EC21 Mini PCIe
Product Series Description
Support GSM: 900/1800MHz
Support WCDMA: B1/B5/B8
EC21-E Mini PCIe
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
EC21-A Mini PCIe
EC21-V Mini PCIe
EC21-AUT Mini PCIe
EC21-AU Mini PCIe3)
Support WCDMA: B2/B4/B5
Support LTE-FDD: B2/B4/B12
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
Support LTE-FDD: B4/B13
Support LTE receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
Support WCDMA: B1/B5
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B5/B7/B28
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
Support GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Support WCDMA: B1/B2/B5/B8
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B28
Support LTE-TDD: B40
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
3)
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B8/B18/B19/B26
EC21-J Mini PCIe
Support LTE receive diversity
Support digital audio
2)
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8
EC21-KL Mini PCIe
Support LTE receive diversity
Support digital audio
2)
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 15 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Support GSM: 900/1800MHz
Support WCDMA: B1/B8
EC21-EU Mini PCIe
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B28A
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B28A
Support WCDMA: B1/B8
EC21-EC Mini PCIe
Support GSM: 900/1800MHz
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support digital audio
2)
Support GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Support WCDMA: B1/B2/B4/B5/B8
Support LTE-FDD: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B28
EC21-AUX Mini PCIe3)
Support LTE-TDD: B40
Support LTE/WCDMA receive diversity
Support GNSS
Support digital audio
1)
2)
3)
NOTES
1)
1.
GNSS function is optional.
2)
2.
Digital audio (PCM) function is only supported on Telematics version.
3)
3.
B2 band on EC21-AU Mini PCIe and EC21-AUX Mini PCIe module does not support receive
diversity. Additionally, EC21-AUX Mini PCIe is based on ThreadX OS.
2.3. Key Features
The following table describes the detailed features of EC21 Mini PCIe module.
Table 2: Key Features of EC21 Mini PCIe
Feature Details
Function Interface PCI Express Mini Card 1.2 Standard Interface
Power Supply
Supply voltage: 3.0V~3.6V
Typical supply voltage: 3.3V
Class 4 (33dBm±2dB) for GSM850
Transmitting Power
Class 4 (33dBm±2dB) for EGSM900
Class 1 (30dBm±2dB) for DCS1800
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 16 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Class 1 (30dBm±2dB) for PCS1900
Class E2 (27dBm±3dB) for GSM850 8-PSK
Class E2 (27dBm±3dB) for EGSM900 8-PSK
Class E2 (26dBm±3dB) for DCS1800 8-PSK
Class E2 (26dBm±3dB) for PCS1900 8-PSK
Class 3 (24dBm+1/-3dB) for WCDMA bands
Class 3 (23dBm±2dB) for LTE-FDD bands
Class 3 (23dBm±2dB) for LTE-TDD bands
Support up to non-CA Cat 1 FDD and TDD
Support 1.4/3/5/10/15/20MHz RF bandwidth
LTE Features
Support MIMO in DL direction
LTE-FDD: Max 10Mbps (DL)/Max 5Mbps (UL)
LTE-TDD: Max 8.96Mbps (DL)/Max 3.1Mbps (UL)
Support 3GPP R8 DC-HSDPA, HSPA+, HSDPA, HSUPA and WCDMA
Support QPSK, 16-QAM and 64-QAM modulation
UMTS Features
DC-HSDPA: Max 42Mbps (DL)
HSUPA: Max 5.76Mbps (UL)
WCDMA: Max 384Kbps (DL)/Max 384Kbps (UL)
GSM Features
Internet Protocol Features
SMS
GPRS:
Support GPRS multi-slot class 33 (33 by default)
Coding scheme: CS-1, CS-2, CS-3 and CS-4
Max 107Kbps (DL)/Max 85.6Kbps (UL)
EDGE:
Support EDGE multi-slot class 33 (33 by default)
Support GMSK and 8-PSK for different MCS (Modulation and Coding
Scheme)
Downlink coding schemes: CS 1-4 and MCS 1-9
Uplink coding schemes: CS 1-4 and MCS 1-9
Max 296Kbps (DL)/Max 236.8Kbps (UL)
Support TCP/UDP/PPP/FTP/FTPS/HTTP/HTTPS/NTP/PING/QMI/NITZ/
MMS/SMTP/SSL/MQTT/FILE/CMUX*/SMTPS* protocols
Support PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) and CHAP (Challenge
Handshake Authentication Protocol) protocols which are usually used for
PPP connection
Text and PDU mode
Point-to-point MO and MT
SMS cell broadcast
SMS storage: ME by default
(U)SIM Interface Support USIM/SIM card: 1.8V, 3.0V
UART Interface
Audio Features
Baud rate can reach up to 230400bps, 115200bps by default
Used for AT command communication
Support one digital audio interface: PCM interface
GSM: HR/FR/EFR/AMR/AMR-WB
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 17 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
WCDMA: AMR/AMR-WB
LTE: AMR/AMR-WB
Support echo cancellation and noise suppression
Support 16-bit linear data format
PCM Interface
Support long frame synchronization and short frame synchronization
Support master and slave modes, but must be the master in long frame
synchronization
Compliant with USB 2.0 specification (slave only); the data transfer rate
can reach up to 480Mbps
USB Interface
Used for AT command communication, data transmission, GNSS NMEA
output, software debugging, firmware upgrade and voice over USB
Support USB serial drivers for: Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Linux 2.6/3.x/4.1~4.15,
Android 4.x/5.x/6.x/7.x/8.x/9.x, etc.
Antenna Connectors
Include main antenna, diversity antenna and GNSS antenna receptacle
connectors
Rx-diversity Support LTE/WCDMA Rx-diversity
GNSS Features
AT Commands
Physical Characteristics
Gen8C Lite of Qualcomm
Protocol: NMEA 0183
Compliant with 3GPP TS 27.007, 27.005 and Quectel enhanced AT
commands
Size: (51.0±0.15)mm × (30.0±0.15)mm × (4.9±0.2)mm
Weight: approx. 9.8g
Operation temperature range: -35°C ~ +75°C 1)
Temperature Range
Extended temperature range: -40°C ~ +80°C
2)
Storage temperature range: -40°C ~ +90°C
Firmware Upgrade Upgrade via USB interface or DFOTA*
RoHS All hardware components are fully compliant with EU RoHS directive
NOTES
1. 1) Within operation temperature range, the module is 3GPP compliant.
2. 2) Within extended temperature range, the module remains the ability to establish and maintain a
voice, SMS, data transmission, emergency call* (emergency call is not supported on ThreadX
module), etc. There is no unrecoverable malfunction. There are also no effects on radio spectrum
and no harm to radio network. Only one or more parameters like P
might reduce in their value and
out
exceed the specified tolerances. When the temperature returns to normal operation temperature
levels, the module will meet 3GPP specifications again.
3. “*” means under development.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 18 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
2.4. Functional Diagram
The following figure shows the block diagram of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Figure 1: Functional Diagram
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 19 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
3 Application Interfaces
The physical connections and signal levels of EC21 Mini PCIe comply with PCI Express Mini CEM
specifications. This chapter mainly describes the definition and application of the following interfaces of
EC21 Mini PCIe:
Power supply
(U)SIM interface
USB interface
UART interface
PCM and I2C interfaces
Control and indicator signals
Antenna interfaces
3.1. Pin Assignment
The following figure shows the pin assignment of EC21 Mini PCIe module. The top side contains EC21
module and antenna connectors.
Figure 2: Pin Assignment
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 20 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
3.2. Pin Description
The following tables show the pin definition and description of EC21 Mini PCIe on the 52-pin application.
Table 3: I/O Parameters Definition
Type Description
DI Digital Input
DO Digital Output
IO Bidirectional
OC Open Collector
PI Power Input
PO Power Output
Table 4: Pin Description
Pin No.
Mini PCI Express
Standard Name
1 WAKE# WAKE# OC
EC21 Mini PCIe
Pin Name
I/O Description Comment
Output signal used to wake
up the host
2 3.3Vaux VCC_3V3 PI 3.3V DC supply
3 COEX1 RESERVED Reserved
It is
prohibited to
be pulled up
to high level
before
startup.
4 GND GND Mini card ground
It is
prohibited to
5 COEX2 RESERVED Reserved
be pulled up
to high level
before
startup.
6 1.5V NC Not connected
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 21 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
7 CLKREQ# RESERVED Reserved
8 UIM_PWR USIM_VDD PO
Power source for the
(U)SIM card
9 GND GND Mini card ground
10 UIM_DATA USIM_DATA IO Data signal of (U)SIM card
11 REFCLK- UART_RX DI UART receive data
Connect to
DTE’s TX
12 UIM_CLK USIM_CLK DO Clock signal of (U)SIM card
13 REFCLK+ UART_TX DO UART transmit data
Connect to
DTE’s RX
14 UIM_RESET USIM_RST DO Reset signal of (U)SIM card
15 GND GND Mini card ground
16 UIM_VPP RESERVED Reserved
17 RESERVED RI DO
Output signal to wake up
the host
18 GND GND Mini card ground
19 RESERVED RESERVED Reserved
Pulled up by
20 W_DISABLE# W_DISABLE# DI Airplane mode control
default.
Active low.
21 GND GND
Mini card ground
Pulled up by
22 PERST# PERST# DI Fundamental reset signal
default.
Active low.
23 PERn0 UART_CTS DI UART clear to send
Connect to
DTE’s RTS
24 3.3Vaux RESERVED Reserved
25 PERp0 UART_RTS DO UART request to send
Connect to
DTE’s CTS
26 GND GND Mini card ground
27 GND GND Mini card ground
28 1.5V NC Not connected
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 22 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
29 GND GND Mini card ground
Require
30 SMB_CLK I2C_SCL DO I2C serial clock
external
pull-up to
1.8V.
31 PETn0 DTR DI Sleep mode control
Require
32 SMB_DATA I2C_SDA IO I2C serial data
external
pull-up to
1.8V.
33 PETp0 RESERVED Reserved
34 GND GND Mini card ground
35 GND GND Mini card ground
36 USB_D- USB_DM IO USB differential data (-)
37 GND GND Mini card ground
38 USB_D+ USB_DP IO USB differential data (+)
39 3.3Vaux VCC_3V3 PI 3.3V DC supply
40 GND GND Mini card ground
41 3.3Vaux VCC_3V3 PI 3.3V DC supply
LED signal for indicating the
42 LED_WWAN# LED_WWAN# OC
network status of the
module
Require
differential
impedance
of 90Ω.
Require
differential
impedance
of 90Ω.
Active low
43 GND GND
44 LED_WLAN#
USIM_
PRESENCE
DI
Mini card ground
(U)SIM card insertion
detection
45 RESERVED PCM_CLK1) IO PCM clock signal
46 LED_WPAN# RESERVED Reserved
47 RESERVED PCM_DOUT1) DO PCM data output
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 23 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
48 1.5V NC Not connected
49 RESERVED PCM_DIN1) DI PCM data input
50 GND GND Mini card ground
51 RESERVED PCM_SYNC1) IO PCM frame synchronization
52 3.3Vaux VCC_3V3 PI 3.3V DC supply
NOTES
1. Keep all NC, reserved and unused pins unconnected.
1)
2.
The digital audio (PCM) function is only supported on Telematics version.
3.3. Power Supply
The following table shows pin definition of VCC_3V3 pins and ground pins.
Table 5: Pin Definition of VCC_3V3 and GND Pins
Pin Name Pin No. I/O Power Domain Description
VCC_3V3 2, 39, 41, 52 PI 3.0V~3.6V 3.3V DC supply
4, 9, 15, 18, 21,
GND
The typical supply voltage of EC21 Mini PCIe is 3.3V. In the 2G network, the input peak current may reach
2.7A during the transmitting time. Therefore, the power supply must be able to provide enough current,
and a bypass capacitor of no less than 470µF with low ESR should be used to prevent the voltage from
dropping.
The following figure shows a reference design of power supply. The precision of resistor R2 and R3 is 1%,
and the capacitor C3 needs a low ESR.
26, 27, 29, 34, 35,
37, 40, 43, 50
Mini card ground
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 24 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Figure 3: Reference Circuit of Power Supply
3.4. (U)SIM Interface
The (U)SIM interface circuitry meets ETSI and IMT-2000 requirements. Both 1.8V and 3.0V (U)SIM cards
are supported. The following table shows the pin definition of (U)SIM interface.
Table 6: Pin Definition of (U)SIM Interface
Pin Name Pin No. I/O Power Domain Description
USIM_VDD 8 PO 1.8V/3.0V Power source for (U)SIM card
USIM_DATA 10 IO 1.8V/3.0V Data signal of (U)SIM card
USIM_CLK 12 DO 1.8V/3.0V Clock signal of (U)SIM card
USIM_RST 14 DO 1.8V/3.0V Reset signal of (U)SIM card
USIM_PRESENCE 44 DI 1.8V (U)SIM card insertion detection
EC21 Mini PCIe supports (U)SIM card hot-plug via the USIM_PRESENCE pin. The function supports low
level and high level detections, and it is disabled by default. For more details of AT+QSIMDET command,
please refer to document [2].
The following figure shows a reference design for (U)SIM interface with an 8-pin (U)SIM card connector.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 25 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Module
GND
USIM_VDD
USIM_RST
USIM_CLK
USIM_PRESENCE
USIM_DATA
0R
0R
0R
USIM_VDD
15K
33pF 33pF 33pF
GND
(U)SIM Card Connector
GND
VCC
RST
CLK
100nF
GND
VPP
IO
GND
Figure 4: Reference Circuit of (U)SIM Interface with an 8-pin (U)SIM Card Connector
If (U)SIM card detection function is not needed, please keep USIM_PRESENCE unconnected. A
reference circuit for (U)SIM interface with a 6-pin (U)SIM card connector is illustrated in the following
figure.
USIM_VDD
100nF
Module
15K
GND
USIM_VDD
USIM_RST
USIM_CLK
USIM_DATA
0R
0R
0R
33pF 33pF 33pF
GND
GND
Figure 5: Reference Circuit of (U)SIM Interface with a 6-pin (U)SIM Card Connector
In order to enhance the reliability and availability of the (U)SIM card in customers’ applications, please
follow the criteria below in (U)SIM circuit design:
(U)SIM Card Connector
VCC
RST
CLK IO
GND
VPP
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 26 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Keep placement of (U)SIM card connector to the module as close as possible. Keep the trace length
as less than 200mm as possible.
Keep (U)SIM card signals away from RF and power supply traces.
To avoid cross-talk between USIM_DATA and USIM_CLK, keep them away from each other and
shield them with surrounded ground.
In order to offer good ESD protection, it is recommended to add a TVS diode with parasitic
capacitance not exceeding 15pF. The 0Ω resistors should be added in series between the module
and the (U)SIM card so as to facilitate debugging. The 33pF capacitors are used for filtering
interference of EGSM900. Please note that the (U)SIM peripheral circuit should be close to the
(U)SIM card connector.
The pull-up resistor on USIM_DATA line can improve anti-jamming capability when long layout trace
and sensitive occasion are applied, and should be placed close to the (U)SIM card connector.
3.5. USB Interface
The following table shows the pin definition of USB interface.
Table 7: Pin Definition of USB Interface
Pin Name Pin No. I/O Description Comment
USB_DM 36 IO USB differential data (-) Require differential impedance of 90Ω
USB_DP 38 IO USB differential data (+) Require differential impedance of 90Ω
EC21 Mini PCIe is compliant with USB 2.0 specification. It can only be used as a slave device. Meanwhile,
it supports high speed (480Mbps) mode and full speed (12Mbps) mode. The USB interface is used for AT
command communication, data transmission, GNSS NMEA output, software debugging, firmware
upgrade and voice over USB. The following figure shows a reference circuit of USB interface.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 27 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Test Points
MCU
USB_DM
USB_DP
GND
Module
USB_DM
USB_DP
GND
Minimize these stubs
ESD Array
Close to Module
R3
R4
L1
NM_0R
NM_0R
Figure 6: Reference Circuit of USB Interface
A common mode choke L1 is recommended to be added in series between the module and customer’s
MCU in order to suppress EMI spurious transmission. Meanwhile, the 0Ω resistors (R3 and R4) should be
added in series between the module and the test points so as to facilitate debugging, and the resistors are
not mounted by default. In order to ensure the integrity of USB data line signal, L1/R3/R4 components
must be placed close to the module, and also these resistors should be placed close to each other. The
extra stubs of trace must be as short as possible.
The following principles should be complied with when design the USB interface, so as to meet USB 2.0
specification.
It is important to route the USB signal traces as differential pairs with total grounding. The impedance
of USB differential trace is 90Ω.
Do not route signal traces under crystals, oscillators, magnetic devices and RF signal traces. It is
important to route the USB differential traces in inner-layer with ground shielding on not only upper
and lower layers but also right and left sides.
Pay attention to the influence of junction capacitance of ESD protection components on USB data
lines. Typically, the capacitance value should be less than 2pF.
Keep the ESD protection components to the USB connector as close as possible.
NOTES
1. There are three preconditions when enabling EC21 Mini PCIe to enter into the sleep mode:
a) Execute AT+QSCLK=1 command to enable the sleep mode. Please refer to document [2] for
details.
b) DTR pin should be kept at high level (pulled up internally).
c) USB interface on Mini PCIe must be connected with the USB interface of the host and please
guarantee the USB of the host is in suspend state.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 28 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
2. The ESD device used for USB interface protection has been built in the Mini PCIe, thus the external
ESD device can be reserved for the further use.
3.6. UART Interface
The following table shows the pin definition of the UART interface.
Table 8: Pin Definition of UART Interface
Pin Name Pin No. I/O Power Domain Description
UART_RX 11 DI 3.3V UART receive data
UART_TX 13 DO 3.3V UART transmit data
UART_CTS 23 DI 3.3V UART clear to send
UART_RTS 25 DO 3.3V UART request to send
The UART interface supports 9600bps, 19200bps, 38400bps, 57600bps, 115200bps and 230400bps
baud rates, and the default is 115200bps. This interface can be used for AT command communication.
NOTE
AT+IPR command can be used to set the baud rate of the UART, and AT+IFC command can be used to
set the hardware flow control (hardware flow control is disabled by default). Please refer to document [2]
for details.
3.7. PCM and I2C Interfaces
EC21 Mini PCIe provides one Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) digital interface and one I2C interface.
The following table shows the pin definition of PCM and 12C interfaces that can be applied in audio codec
design.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 29 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Table 9: Pin Definition of PCM and I2C Interfaces
Pin Name Pin No. I/O Power Domain Description
PCM_CLK
PCM_DOUT
PCM_DIN
PCM_SYNC
I2C_SCL 30 DO 1.8V
I2C_SDA 32 IO 1.8V
1)
45 IO 1.8V PCM clock signal
1)
47 DO 1.8V PCM data output
1)
49 DI 1.8V PCM data input
1)
51 IO 1.8V PCM frame synchronization
I2C serial clock.
Require external pull-up to 1.8V.
I2C serial data.
Require external pull-up to 1.8V.
EC21 Mini PCIe provides one PCM digital interface, which supports 16-bit linear data format and the
following modes:
Primary mode (short frame synchronization, works as either master or slave)
Auxiliary mode (long frame synchronization, works as master only)
NOTE
1)
The digital audio (PCM) function is only supported on Telematics version.
In primary mode, the data is sampled on the falling edge of the PCM_CLK and transmitted on the rising
edge. The PCM_SYNC falling edge represents the MSB. In this mode, the PCM interface supports
256KHz, 512KHz, 1024KHz or 2048KHz PCM_CLK at 8KHz PCM_SYNC, and also supports 4096KHz
PCM_CLK at 16KHz PCM_SYNC. The following figure shows the timing relationship in primary mode with
8KHz PCM_SYNC and 2048KHz PCM_CLK.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 30 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Figure 7: Timing in Primary Mode
In auxiliary mode, the data is sampled on the falling edge of the PCM_CLK and transmitted on the rising
edge. The PCM_SYNC rising edge represents the MSB. In this mode, the PCM interface operates with a
256KHz, 512KHz, 1024KHz or 2048KHz PCM_CLK and an 8KHz, 50% duty cycle PCM_SYNC. The
following figure shows the timing relationship in auxiliary mode with 8KHz PCM_SYNC and 256KHz
PCM_CLK.
Figure 8: Timing in Auxiliary Mode
Clock and mode can be configured by AT command, and the default configuration is master mode using
short frame synchronization format with 2048KHz PCM_CLK and 8KHz PCM_SYNC. In addition, EC21
Mini PCIe’s firmware has integrated the configuration on some PCM codec’s application with I2C interface.
Please refer to document [2] for details about AT+QDAI command.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 31 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
The following figure shows a reference design of PCM interface with an external codec IC.
PCM_CLK
PCM_SYNC
PCM_DOUT
PCM_DIN
I2C_SCL
I2C_SDA
Module
BCLK
FS
DACIN
ADCOUT
SCLK
SDIN
Codec
1.8V
MIC_BIAS
MIC+
MIC-
SPKOUT+
SPKOUT-
Figure 9: Reference Circuit of PCM Application with Audio Codec
3.8. Control and Indicator Signals
The following table shows the pin definition of control and indicator signals.
Table 10: Pin Definition of Control and Indicator Signals
Pin Name Pin No. I/O Power Domain Description
RI 17 DO 3.3V Output signal used to wake up the host
DTR 31 DI 3.3V Sleep mode control
Airplane mode control;
W_DISABLE# 20 DI 3.3V
Pulled up by default;
Active low.
PERST# 22 DI 3.3V
Fundamental reset signal;
Active low.
LED signal for indicating the network status
LED_WWAN# 42 OC
of the module;
Active low.
WAKE# 1 OC
Output signal to wake up the host
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 32 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
3.8.1. RI Signal
The RI signal can be used to wake up the host. When a URC returns, there will be the following behaviors
on the RI pin after executing AT+QCFG="risignaltype","physical" command.
120ms
High
Low
URC returns
Figure 10: RI Behavior
3.8.2. DTR Signal
The DTR signal supports sleep control function. Driving it to low level will wake up the module.
3.8.3. W_DISABLE# Signal
EC21 Mini PCIe provides a W_DISABLE# signal to disable or enable the RF function (GNSS not included)
W_DISABLE# signal function is disabled by default, and AT+QCFG=“airplanecontrol”,1 can be used to
enable this function. The W_DISABLE# pin is pulled up by default. Driving it to low level will let the module
enter airplane mode.
AT+CFUN can also be used to control the RF status, and the details are as follows:
Table 11: Airplane Mode Controlled by Hardware Method
W_DISABLE# RF Function Status Module Operation Mode
High level RF enabled Normal mode
Low level RF disabled Airplane mode
Software method can be controlled by AT+ CF UN , and has the same effect with W_DISABLE# signal
function, the details is as follows.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 33 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Table 12: Airplane Mode Controlled by Software Method
AT+CFUN=? RF Function Status Module Operation Mode Conditions
0 RF and (U)SIM disabled Minimum functionality mode
Keep W_DISABLE# at high
level.
3.8.4. PERST# Signal
The PERST# signal can be used to force a hardware reset on the card. Customers can reset the module
by driving the PERST# to a low level voltage within the time frame of 150ms~460ms and then releasing it.
The reset scenario is illustrated in the following figure.
VCC_3V3
≤460ms
≥150ms
≥2.3V
V
PERST#
Module
Status
Running
VIL≤0.5V
Resetting
IH
Restart
Figure 11: Timing of Resetting Module
3.8.5. LED_WWAN# Signal
The LED_WWAN# signal of EC21 Mini PCIe is used to indicate the network status of the module, and can
absorb the current up to 40mA. According to the following circuit, in order to reduce the current of the LED,
a resistor must be placed in series with the LED. The LED is emitting light when the LED_WWAN# output
signal is active low.
Figure 12: LED_WWAN# Signal Reference Circuit Diagram
There are two indication modes for LED_WWAN# signal to indicate network status, which can be
switched through following AT commands:
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 34 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
AT+QCFG="ledmode",0 (Default setting)
AT+QCFG="ledmode",2
The following tables show the detailed network status indications of the LED_WWAN# signal.
Table 13: Indications of Network Status (AT+QCFG="ledmode",0, Default Setting)
Pin Status Description
Flicker slowly (200ms Low/1800ms High) Network searching
Flicker slowly (1800ms Low/200ms High) Idle
Flicker quickly (125ms Low/125ms High) Data transfer is ongoing
Always Low Voice calling
Table 14: Indications of Network Status (AT+QCFG="ledmode",2)
Pin Status Description
Low Level (Light on) Registered on network
No network coverage or not registered
High-impedance (Light off)
W_DISABLE# signal is at low level.
(Disable the RF)
AT+CFUN=0, AT+CFUN=4
3.8.6. WAKE# Signal
The WAKE# signal is an open collector signal which is similar to RI signal, but a host pull-up resistor and
AT+QCFG="risignaltype","physical" command are required. When a URC returns, a 120ms low level
pulse will be outputted. The state of WAKE# signal is shown as below.
Figure 13: WAKE# Behavior
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 35 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
4 GNSS Receiver
EC21 Mini PCIe includes a fully integrated global navigation satellite system solution that supports
Gen8C-Lite of Qualcomm (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS).
EC21 Mini PCIe supports standard NMEA-0183 protocol, and outputs NMEA sentences at 1Hz data
update rate via USB interface by default.
By default, EC21 Mini PCIe GNSS engine is switched off. It has to be switched on via AT command. For
more details about GNSS engine technology and configurations, please refer to document [3].
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 36 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
5 Antenna Connection
EC21 Mini PCIe is mounted with three antenna connectors for external antenna connection: a main
antenna connector, an Rx-diversity antenna connector, and a GNSS antenna connector. And Rx-diversity
function is enabled by default. The impedance of the antenna connectors is 50Ω.
5.1. Operating Frequency
The following table shows the operating frequencies of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Table 15: Operating Frequencies
3GPP Band Transmit Receive Unit
GSM850 824~849 869~894 MHz
EGSM900 880~915 925~960 MHz
DCS1800 1710~1785 1805~1880 MHz
PCS1900 1850~1910 1930~1990 MHz
WCDMA B1 1920~1980 2110~2170 MHz
WCDMA B2 1850~1910 1930~1990 MHz
WCDMA B4 1710~1755 2110~2155 MHz
WCDMA B5 824~849 869~894 MHz
WCDMA B8 880~915 925~960 MHz
LTE-FDD B1 1920~1980 2110~2170 MHz
LTE-FDD B2 1850~1910 1930~1990 MHz
LTE-FDD B3 1710~1785 1805~1880 MHz
LTE-FDD B4 1710~1755 2110~2155 MHz
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 37 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD B5 824~849 869~894 MHz
LTE-FDD B7 2500~2570 2620~2690 MHz
LTE-FDD B8 880~915 925~960 MHz
LTE-FDD B12 699~716 729~746 MHz
LTE-FDD B13 777~787 746~756 MHz
LTE-FDD B18 815~830 860~875 MHz
LTE-FDD B19 830~845 875~890 MHz
LTE-FDD B20 832~862 791~821 MHz
LTE-FDD B26 814~849 859~894 MHz
LTE-FDD B28 703~748 758~803 MHz
LTE-TDD B40 2300~2400 2300~2400 MHz
5.2. GNSS Frequency
The following table shows the GNSS frequency of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Table 16: GNSS Frequency
Type Frequency Unit
GPS 1575.42±1.023 MHz
GLONASS 1597.5~1605.8 MHz
Galileo 1575.42±2.046 MHz
BeiDou 1561.098±2.046 MHz
QZSS 1575.42 MHz
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 38 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
5.3. GNSS Performance
The following table shows the GNSS performance of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Table 17: GNSS Performance
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
Cold start Autonomous -146 dBm
Sensitivity
(GNSS)
TTFF
(GNSS)
Accuracy
(GNSS)
NOTES
Reacquisition Autonomous -157 dBm
Tracking Autonomous -157 dBm
Cold start
@open sky
Warm start
@open sky
Hot start
@open sky
CEP-50
Autonomous 35 s
XTRA enabled 18 s
Autonomous 26 s
XTRA enabled 2.2 s
Autonomous 2.5 s
XTRA enabled 1.8 s
Autonomous
@open sky
<2.5 m
1. Tracking sensitivity: the lowest GNSS signal value at the antenna port on which the module can keep
on positioning for 3 minutes.
2. Reacquisition sensitivity: the lowest GNSS signal value at the antenna port on which the module can
fix position again within 3 minutes after loss of lock.
3. Cold start sensitivity: the lowest GNSS signal value at the antenna port on which the module fixes
position within 3 minutes after executing cold start command.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 39 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
5.4. Antenna Requirements
5.4.1. Antenna Requirements
The following table shows the requirements on main antenna, Rx-diversity antenna and GNSS antenna.
Table 18: Antenna Requirements
Type Requirements
Frequency range: 1559MHz~1609MHz
Polarization: RHCP or linear
VSWR: < 2 (Typ.)
GNSS1)
Passive antenna gain: > 0dBi
Active antenna noise figure: <1.5dB
Active antenna gain: > 0dBi
Active antenna embedded LNA gain: <17dB
VSWR: ≤ 2
Efficiency: > 30%
Max input power: 50W
Input impedance: 50Ω
Cable insertion loss: < 1dB
GSM/UMTS/LTE
(GSM850, EGSM900, WCDMA B5/B8,
LTE-FDD B5/B8/B12/B13/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28)
Cable insertion loss: < 1.5dB
(DCS1800, PCS1900, WCDMA B1/B2/B4, LTE-FDD B1/B2/B3/B4)
Cable insertion loss < 2dB
(LTE-FDD B7, LTE-TDD B40)
NOTES
1. It is recommended to use a passive GNSS antenna when LTE B13 or B14 is supported, as the use of
active antenna may generate harmonics which will affect the GNSS performance.
2. Since the GNSS port has a 2.85V voltage output, a passive antenna that causes shorting to GND,
such as PIFA antenna is not recommended.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 40 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
5.4.2. Antenna Connectors and Mating Plugs
The dimensions of the antenna connectors are shown as below.
Figure 14: Dimensions of Antenna Connectors (Unit: mm)
It is recommended to use U.FL-LP mating plugs listed in the following figure to match the antenna
connectors.
Figure 15: Mechanicals of U.FL-LP Mating Plugs
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 41 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
The following figure describes the space factor of mating plugs.
Figure 16: Space Factor of Mating Plugs (Unit: mm)
For more details of the recommended mating plugs, please visit http://www.hirose.com
.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 42 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
6 Electrical, Reliability and Radio
Characteristics
6.1. General Description
This chapter mainly describes the following electrical and radio characteristics of EC21 Mini PCIe:
Power supply requirements
I/O requirements
RF characteristics
GNSS receiver
ESD characteristics
Current consumption
Thermal consideration
6.2. Power Supply Requirements
The input voltage of EC21 Mini PCIe is 3.3V±9%, as specified by PCI Express Mini CEM Specifications
1.2. The following table shows the power supply requirements of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Table 19: Power Supply Requirements
Parameter Description Min. Typ. Max. Unit
VCC_3V3 Power supply 3.0 3.3 3.6 V
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 43 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
6.3. I/O Requirements
The following table shows the I/O requirements of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Table 20: I/O Requirements
Parameter Description Min. Max. Unit
VIH Input High Voltage 0.7 × VCC_3V3 VCC_3V3+0.3 V
VIL Input Low Voltage -0.3 0.3 × VCC_3V3 V
VOH Output High Voltage VCC_3V3-0.5 VCC_3V3 V
VOL Output Low Voltage 0 0.4 V
NOTES
1. The PCM and I2C interfaces belong to 1.8V power domain and other I/O interfaces belong to
VCC_3V3 power domain.
2. The maximum voltage value of V
for PERST# signal and W_DISABLE# signal is 0.5V.
IL
6.4. RF Characteristics
The following tables show the conducted RF output power and receiving sensitivity of EC21 Mini PCIe
module.
Table 21: Conducted RF Output Power of EC21 Mini PCIe
Frequency Max. Min.
GSM850/EGSM900 33dBm±2dB 5dBm±5dB
DCS1800/PCS1900 30dBm±2dB 0dBm±5dB
GSM850/EGSM900 (8-PSK) 27dBm±3dB 5dBm±5dB
DCS1800/PCS1900 (8-PSK) 26dBm±3dB 0dBm±5dB
WCDMA bands 24dBm+1/-3dB < -49dBm
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 44 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD bands 23dBm±2dB < -39dBm
LTE-TDD bands 23dBm±2dB < -39dBm
Table 22: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-E Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
EGSM900 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
DCS1800 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dbm
WCDMA B1 -110.5dBm / / -106.7dBm
WCDMA B5 -110.5dBm / / -104.7dBm
WCDMA B8 -110.5dBm / / -103.7dBm
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -98.0dBm -101.5dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -96.5dBm -98.5dBm -101.5dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B5 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -98.5dBm -101.0dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -97.0dBm -99.5dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -97.0dBm -101.0dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B20 (10MHz) -97.5dBm -99.0dBm -102.5dBm -93.3dBm
Table 23: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-A Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
WCDMA B2 -110.0dBm / / -104.7dBm
WCDMA B4 -110.0dBm / / -106.7dBm
WCDMA B5 -110.5dBm / / -104.7dBm
LTE-FDD B2 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -98.0dBm -101.0dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B4 (10MHz) -97.5dBm -99.0dBm -101.0dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B12 (10MHz) -97.2dBm -98.0dBm -101.0dBm -93.3dBm
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 45 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Table 24: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-V Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
LTE-FDD B4 (10MHz) -97.5dBm -99.0dBm -101.0dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B13 (10MHz) -97.7dBm -97.0dBm -100.0dBm -93.3dBm
Table 25: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-AUT Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
WCDMA B1 -110.0dBm / / -106.7dBm
WCDMA B5 -110.5dBm / / -104.7dBm
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -98.5dBm -98.0dBm -101.0dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -97.0dBm -100.0dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B5 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -99.0dBm -102.5dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -97.0dBm -98.5dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B28 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -99.0dBm -102.0dBm -94.8dBm
Table 26: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-KL Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -99.5dBm -100.5dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -97.5dBm -99.5dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B5 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -99.5dBm -100.5dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz) -96.0dBm -96.0dBm -98.5dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -99.0dBm -101.0dBm -93.3dBm
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 46 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Table 27: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-J Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -97.5dBm -98.7dBm -100.2dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -96.5dBm -97.1dBm -100.5dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz) -98.4dBm -99.0dBm -101.2dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B18 (10MHz) -99.5dBm -99.0dBm -101.7dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B19 (10MHz) -99.2dBm -99.0dBm -101.4dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B26 (10MHz) -99.5dBm -99.0dBm -101.5dBm -93.8dBm
Table 28: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-AU Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
GSM850 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
EGSM900 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
DCS1800 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
PCS1900 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
WCDMA B1 -110.0dBm / / -106.7dBm
WCDMA B2 -110.0dBm / / -104.7dBm
WCDMA B5 -111.0dBm / / -104.7dBm
WCDMA B8 -111.0dBm / / -103.7dBm
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -97.2dBm -97.5dBm -100.2dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B2 (10MHz) -98.2dBm / / -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -98.7dBm -98.6dBm -102.2dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B4 (10MHz) -97.7dBm -97.4dBm -100.2dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B5 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -98.2dBm -101.0dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz) -97.7dBm -97.7dBm -101.2dBm -94.3dBm
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 47 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz) -99.2dBm -98.2dBm -102.2dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B28 (10MHz) -98.6dBm -98.7dBm -102.0dBm -94.8dBm
LTE-TDD B40 (10MHz) -97.2dBm -98.4dBm -101.2dBm -96.3dBm
Table 29: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-EU Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
EGSM900 -108.5dBm / / -102.0dBm
DCS1800
WCDMA B1
WCDMA B8
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz)
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz)
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz)
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz)
LTE-FDD B20 (10MHz)
LTE-FDD B28 (10MHz)
-108.5dBm
-110dBm
-110dBm
-98.5dBm
-97.8dBm
-96.7dBm
-98.7dBm
-98.7dBm
-99dBm
/ / -102.0dbm
/ / -106.7dBm
/ / -103.7dBm
-99dBm -101.2dBm -96.3dBm
-99.7dBm -101.7dBm -93.3dBm
-98.5dBm -99.7dBm -94.3dBm
-100dBm -102.2dBm -93.3dBm
-99.5dBm -102.2dBm -93.3dBm
-100dBm -102.2dBm -94.8dBm
Table 30: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-EC Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
EGSM900 -108.8dBm / / -102.0dBm
DCS1800 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dbm
WCDMA B1 -110.5dBm / / -106.7dBm
WCDMA B8 -110.5dBm / / -103.7dBm
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -98.0dBm -101.0dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -96.5dBm -98.5dBm -100.0dBm -93.3dBm
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 48 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -95.5dBm -99.5dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz) -97.0dBm -97.0dBm -101.0dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B20 (10MHz) -97.5dBm -99.0dBm -101.0dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B28 (10MHz) -98.6dBm -98.7dBm -101.5dBm -94.8dBm
Table 31: Conducted RF Receiving Sensitivity of EC21-AUX Mini PCIe
Frequency Primary Diversity SIMO1) 3GPP (SIMO)
GSM850 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
EGSM900 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
DCS1800 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
PCS1900 -109.0dBm / / -102.0dBm
WCDMA B1 -110.0dBm -109.5dBm -112dBm -106.7dBm
WCDMA B2 -110.5dBm / / -104.7dBm
WCDMA B4 -110.0dBm -110dBm -112dBm -104.7dBm
WCDMA B5 -111.0dBm -112dBm -113dBm -104.7dBm
WCDMA B8 -111.0dBm -112dBm -113dBm -103.7dBm
LTE-FDD B1 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -97.7dBm -101.2dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B2 (10MHz) -98.5dBm / / -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B3 (10MHz) -99.0dBm -98.8dBm -102.2dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B4 (10MHz) -97.7dBm -97.6dBm -100.2dBm -96.3dBm
LTE-FDD B5 (10MHz) -98.5dBm -98.2dBm -101.0dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B7 (10MHz) -97.7dBm -97.7dBm -101.2dBm -94.3dBm
LTE-FDD B8 (10MHz) -99.0dBm -98.5dBm -102.2dBm -93.3dBm
LTE-FDD B28 (10MHz) -98.0dBm -98.7dBm -101.5dBm -94.8dBm
LTE-TDD B40 (10MHz) -97.5dBm -98.2dBm -101.2dBm -96.3dBm
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 49 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
NOTE
1)
SIMO is a smart antenna technology that uses a single antenna at the transmitter side and two
antennas at the receiver side, which can improve RX performance.
6.5. ESD Characteristics
The following table shows the ESD characteristics of EC21 Mini PCIe.
Table 32: ESD Characteristics of EC21 Mini PCIe
Tested Interfaces Contact Discharge Air Discharge Unit
Power Supply and GND +/-5 +/-10 KV
Antenna Interfaces +/-4 +/-8 KV
USB Interface +/-4 +/-8 KV
(U)SIM Interface +/-4 +/-8 KV
Others +/-0.5 +/-1 KV
6.6. Current Consumption
The following tables describe the current consumption of EC21 Mini PCIe series module.
Table 33: Current Consumption of EC21-A Mini PCIe
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
AT+CFUN=0 (USB disconnected)
3.5 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 5.0 mA
I
VBAT
Sleep state
WCDMA PF=128 (USB disconnected) 4.4 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 5.3 mA
LTE-FDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 4.5 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 50 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 32.0 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB connected) 45.0 mA
Idle state
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 32.0 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB connected) 45.0 mA
WCDMA B2 HSDPA @21.59dBm 582.0 mA
WCDMA B2 HSUPA @22.17dBm 675.0 mA
WCDMA data
WCDMA B4 HSDPA @21.47dBm 575.0 mA
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
WCDMA B4 HSUPA @21.73dBm 637.0 mA
WCDMA B5 HSDPA @20.02dBm 686.0 mA
WCDMA B5 HSUPA @20.18dBm 577.0 mA
LTE-FDD B2 @22.93dBm 926.0 mA
LTE data
transfer
LTE-FDD B4 @22.72dBm 934.0 mA
(GNSS OFF)
LTE-FDD B12 @23.26dBm 835.0 mA
WCDMA B2 @22.88dBm 610.0 mA
WCDMA
voice call
WCDMA B4 @23.21dBm 743.0 mA
WCDMA B5 @23.13dBm 643.0 mA
Table 34: Current Consumption of EC21-V Mini PCIe
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
3.8 mA
Sleep state
AT+CFUN=0 (USB disconnected)
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 5.3 mA
LTE-FDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 4.9 mA
I
VBAT
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 30.0 mA
Idle state
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB connected) 42.0 mA
LTE data
LTE-FDD B4 @23.59dBm 997.0 mA
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
LTE-FDD B13 @24.05dBm 724.0 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 51 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Table 35: Current Consumption of EC21-KL Mini PCIe
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
AT+CFUN=0 (USB disconnected)
Sleep state
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 5.6 mA
LTE-FDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 4.7 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 35.0 mA
Idle state
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB connected) 49.0 mA
I
VBAT
LTE-FDD B1 @22.78dBm 972.0 mA
LTE-FDD B3 @23.03dBm 974.0 mA
LTE data
transfer
LTE-FDD B5 @23.03dBm 764.0 mA
(GNSS OFF)
LTE-FDD B7 @22.89dBm 959.0 mA
LTE-FDD B8 @22.86dBm 839.0 mA
Table 36: Current Consumption of EC21-AUX Mini PCIe
3.5 mA
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
AT+CFUN=0 (USB disconnected)
1.79 mA
GSM DRX=2 (USB disconnected) 3.06 mA
GSM DRX=9 (USB disconnected) 2.36 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 3.70 mA
I
VBAT
Sleep state
WCDMA PF=128 (USB disconnected) 3.28 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 4.41 mA
LTE-FDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 3.59 mA
LTE-TDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 4.45 mA
LTE-TDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 3.68 mA
GSM DRX=5 (USB disconnected) 22.4 mA
Idle state
GSM DRX=5 (USB connected) 42.8 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 52 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 23.1 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB connected) 43.4 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 30.7 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB connected) 43.5 mA
LTE-TDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 31.2 mA
LTE-TDD PF=64 (USB connected) 43.8 mA
GSM850 4DL/1UL @32.50dBm 335.0 mA
GSM850 3DL/2UL @31.69dBm 537.0 mA
GSM850 2DL/3UL @29.48dBm 605.0 mA
GPRS data
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
GSM850 1DL/4UL @28.35dBm 701.0 mA
EGSM900 4DL/1UL @33.50dBm 386.0 mA
EGSM900 3DL/2UL @32.04dBm 563.0 mA
EGSM900 2DL/3UL @29.52dBm 606.0 mA
EGSM900 1DL/4UL @28.45dBm 703.0 mA
DCS1800 4DL/1UL @29.72dBm 194.0 mA
DCS1800 3DL/2UL @28.82dBm 291.0 mA
DCS1800 2DL/3UL @26.79dBm 361.0 mA
DCS1800 1DL/4UL @25.71dBm 450.0 mA
PCS1900 4DL/1UL @29.44dBm 202.0 mA
PCS1900 3DL/2UL @28.60dBm 306.0 mA
PCS1900 2DL/3UL @26.46dBm 370.0 mA
PCS1900 1DL/4UL @25.36dBm 456.0 mA
GSM850 4DL/1UL PCL=8 @27.08dBm 223.0 mA
EDGE data
transfer
GSM850 3DL/2UL PCL=8 @25.80dBm 370.0 mA
(GNSS OFF)
GSM850 2DL/3UL PCL=8 @23.80dBm 492.0 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 53 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
GSM850 1DL/4UL PCL=8 @22.60dBm 623.0 mA
EGSM900 4DL/1UL PCL=8 @27.42dBm 227.0 mA
EGSM900 3DL/2UL PCL=8 @26.23dBm 371.0 mA
EGSM900 2DL/3UL PCL=8 @24.10dBm 492.0 mA
EGSM900 1DL/4UL PCL=8 @22.80dBm 626.0 mA
DCS1800 4DL/1UL PCL=2 @26.50dBm 171.0 mA
DCS1800 3DL/2UL PCL=2 @25.50dBm 280.0 mA
DCS1800 2DL/3UL PCL=2 @23.60dBm 387.0 mA
DCS1800 1DL/4UL PCL=2 @22.37dBm 504.0 mA
WCDMA data
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
PCS1900 4DL/1UL PCL=2 @26.26dBm 170.0 mA
PCS1900 3DL/2UL PCL=2 @25.30dBm 280.0 mA
PCS1900 2DL/3UL PCL=2 @23.10dBm 389.0 mA
PCS1900 1DL/4UL PCL=2 @21.97dBm 508.0 mA
WCDMA B1 HSDPA @21.57dBm 650.0 mA
WCDMA B1 HSUPA @21.79dBm 667.0 mA
WCDMA B2 HSDPA @22.00dBm 706.0 mA
WCDMA B2 HSUPA @21.98dBm 715.0 mA
WCDMA B5 HSDPA @22.90dBm 617.0 mA
WCDMA B5 HSUPA @22.66dBm 633.0 mA
WCDMA B8 HSDPA @21.59dBm 624.0 mA
WCDMA B8 HSUPA @21.37dBm 654.0 mA
LTE-FDD B1 @23.36dBm 938.0 mA
LTE data
LTE-FDD B2 @23.18dBm 953.0 mA
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
LTE-FDD B3 @23.13dBm 814.0 mA
LTE-FDD B4 @23.25dBm 778.0 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 54 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD B5@23.06dBm 697.0 mA
LTE-FDD B7 @23.17dBm 886.0 mA
LTE-FDD B8 @22.89dBm 852.0 mA
LTE-FDD B28 @22.55dBm 939.0. mA
LTE-TDD B40 @23.27dBm 421.0 mA
GSM850 PCL=5 @32.40dBm 322.0 mA
GSM
voice call
EGSM900 PCL=5 @33.58dBm 379.0 mA
DCS1800 PCL=0 @29.45dBm 182.0 mA
PCS1900 PCL=0 @29.56dBm 195.0 mA
WCDMA B1 @22.15dBm 714.0 mA
WCDMA voice
call
WCDMA B2 @22.77dBm 780.0 mA
WCDMA B5 @23.16dBm 658.0 mA
WCDMA B8 @22.62dBm 698.0 mA
Table 37: Current Consumption of EC21-EU Mini PCIe
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
AT+CFUN=0 (USB disconnected)
3.6 mA
GSM DRX=2 (USB disconnected) 5.3 mA
GSM DRX=9 (USB disconnected) 4.2 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 5.1 mA
WCDMA PF=128 (USB disconnected) 4.5 mA
I
VBAT
Sleep state
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 5.6 mA
LTE-FDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 4.8 mA
GSM DRX=5 (USB disconnected) 24.7 mA
Idle state
GSM DRX=5 (USB connected) 38.0 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 55 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 25.3 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB connected) 38.0 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 26.0 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB connected) 37.0 mA
EGSM900 4DL/1UL @33.39dBm 389.3 mA
EGSM900 3DL/2UL @32.47dBm 593.6 mA
EGSM900 2DL/3UL @29.49dBm 611.6 mA
GPRS data
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
EDGE data
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
EGSM900 1DL/4UL @28.05dBm 682.1 mA
DCS1800 4DL/1UL @31.44dBm 260.9 mA
DCS1800 3DL/2UL @30.38dBm 391.2 mA
DCS1800 2DL/3UL @28.27dBm 464.2 mA
DCS1800 1DL/4UL @27.01dBm 550.5 mA
EGSM900 4DL/1UL PCL=8 @26.39dBm 198.6 mA
EGSM900 3DL/2UL PCL=8 @25.39dBm 303.9 mA
EGSM900 2DL/3UL PCL=8 @23.34dBm 372.8 mA
EGSM900 1DL/4UL PCL=8 @22.26dBm 451.4 mA
DCS1800 4DL/1UL PCL=2 @26.49dBm 190.5 mA
DCS1800 3DL/2UL PCL=2 @25.23dBm 300.4 mA
DCS1800 2DL/3UL PCL=2 @22.96dBm 394.8 mA
DCS1800 1DL/4UL PCL=2 @22.08dBm 496.9 mA
WCDMA B1 HSDPA @23.00dBm 754.6 mA
WCDMA data
WCDMA B1 HSUPA @22.57dBm 662.3 mA
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
WCDMA B8 HSDPA @22.97dBm 749.9 mA
WCDMA B8 HSUPA @22.52dBm 662.5 mA
LTE data LTE-FDD B1 @22.09dBm 875.2 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 56 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
transfer
LTE-FDD B3 @22.42dBm 938.3 mA
(GNSS OFF)
LTE-FDD B7 @22.21dBm 1036.0 mA
LTE-FDD B8 @23.37dBm 897.5 mA
LTE-FDD B20 @22.72dBm 913.0 mA
LTE-FDD B28A @21.72dBm 898.8 mA
GSM
voice call
WCDMA voice
call
EGSM900 PCL=5 @33.53dBm 385.0 mA
DCS1800 PCL=0 @31.20dBm 256.0 mA
WCDMA B1 @23.45dBm 794.6 mA
WCDMA B8 @23.51dBm 792.0 mA
Table 38: Current Consumption of EC21-AU Mini PCIe
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
AT+CFUN=0 (USB disconnected)
2.8 mA
GSM DRX=2 (USB disconnected) 4.3 mA
GSM DRX=9 (USB disconnected) 3.3 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 3.5 mA
Sleep state
WCDMA PF=128 (USB disconnected) 3.1 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 4.6 mA
I
VBAT
LTE-FDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 3.9 mA
LTE-TDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 4.7 mA
LTE-TDD PF=128 (USB disconnected) 3.9 mA
GSM DRX=5 (USB disconnected) 24.1 mA
GSM DRX=5 (USB connected) 37.4 mA
Idle state
WCDMA PF=64 (USB disconnected) 25.4 mA
WCDMA PF=64 (USB connected) 38.4 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 57 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 25.4 mA
LTE-FDD PF=64 (USB connected) 38.8 mA
LTE-TDD PF=64 (USB disconnected) 25.8 mA
LTE-TDD PF=64 (USB connected) 39.0 mA
GSM850 4DL/1UL @32.62dBm 312.8 mA
GSM850 3DL/2UL @32.52dBm 530.6 mA
GSM850 2DL/3UL @30.53dBm 602.5 mA
GSM850 1DL/4UL @29.27dBm 686.0 mA
EGSM900 4DL/1UL @32.76dBm 344.5 mA
GPRS data
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
EGSM900 3DL/2UL @32.80dBm 590.8 mA
EGSM900 2DL/3UL @30.52dBm 657.3 mA
EGSM900 1DL/4UL @29.49dBm 752.4 mA
DCS1800 4DL/1UL @30.05dBm 229.1 mA
DCS1800 3DL/2UL @30.02dBm 365.2 mA
DCS1800 2DL/3UL @29.73dBm 501.5 mA
DCS1800 1DL/4UL @29.62dBm 637.5 mA
PCS1900 4DL/1UL @29.82dBm 228.2 mA
PCS1900 3DL/2UL @29.92dBm 366.9 mA
PCS1900 2DL/3UL @29.76dBm 496.2 mA
PCS1900 1DL/4UL @29.35dBm 628.4 mA
GSM850 4DL/1UL PCL=8 @26.62dBm 191.0 mA
GSM850 3DL/2UL PCL=8 @26.56dBm 303.0 mA
EDGE data
transfer
GSM850 2DL/3UL PCL=8 @26.39dBm 414.2 mA
(GNSS OFF)
GSM850 1DL/4UL PCL=8 @26.25dBm 537.2 mA
EGSM900 4DL/1UL PCL=8 @26.74dBm 196.3 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 58 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
EGSM900 3DL/2UL PCL=8 @26.91dBm 343.9 mA
EGSM900 2DL/3UL PCL=8 @26.78dBm 449.6 mA
EGSM900 1DL/4UL PCL=8 @26.67dBm 570.8 mA
DCS1800 4DL/1UL PCL=2 @26.33dBm 199.2 mA
DCS1800 3DL/2UL PCL=2 @26.65dBm 306.3 mA
DCS1800 2DL/3UL PCL=2 @26.33dBm 419.8 mA
DCS1800 1DL/4UL PCL=2 @26.35dBm 540.1 mA
PCS1900 4DL/1UL PCL=2 @26.01dBm 186.5 mA
PCS1900 3DL/2UL PCL=2 @26.45dBm 315.3 mA
WCDMA data
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
PCS1900 2DL/3UL PCL=2 @26.12dBm 406.6 mA
PCS1900 1DL/4UL PCL=2 @26.09dBm 524.5 mA
WCDMA B1 HSDPA @22.30dBm 758.3 mA
WCDMA B1 HSUPA @21.62dBm 755.7 mA
WCDMA B2 HSDPA @21.93dBm 792.0 mA
WCDMA B2 HSUPA @21.99dBm 799.1 mA
WCDMA B5 HSDPA @22.44dBm 746.5 mA
WCDMA B5 HSUPA @22.14dBm 741.1 mA
WCDMA B8 HSDPA @21.62dBm 625.1 mA
WCDMA B8 HSUPA @21.65dBm 647.4 mA
LTE-FDD B1 @23.71dBm 1025.4 mA
LTE-FDD B2 @23.00dBm 996.0 mA
LTE data
LTE-FDD B3 @23.34dBm 950.1 mA
transfer
(GNSS OFF)
LTE-FDD B4 @23.05dBm 892.1 mA
LTE-FDD B5 @22.84dBm 816.1 mA
LTE-FDD B7 @22.77dBm 1198.1 mA
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 59 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
LTE-FDD B8 @23.04dBm 807.4 mA
LTE-FDD B28A @23.54dBm 932.0 mA
LTE-TDD B40 @23.79dBm 585.2 mA
GSM850 PCL=5 @32.80dBm 316.2 mA
GSM
voice call
EGSM900 PCL=5 @33.16dBm 348.7 mA
DCS1800 PCL=0 @29.81dBm 216.8 mA
PCS1900 PCL=0 @29.79dBm 214.9 mA
WCDMA B1 @23.27dBm 823.4 mA
WCDMA voice
call
WCDMA B2 @22.89dBm 898.7 mA
WCDMA B5 @22.87dBm 776.9 mA
WCDMA B8 @22.89dBm 685.6 mA
Table 39: GNSS Current Consumption of EC21 Mini PCIe Series Module
Parameter Description Conditions Typ. Unit
Searching
(AT+CFUN=0)
Cold start @Passive Antenna 75.0 mA
Lost state @Passive Antenna 74.0 mA
I
VBAT
(GNSS)
Tracking
(AT+CFUN=0)
Instrument environment 44.0 mA
Open Sky @Passive Antenna 53.0 mA
Open Sky @Active Antenna 58.0 mA
6.7. Thermal Consideration
In order to achieve better performance of the module, it is recommended to comply with the following
principles for thermal consideration:
On customers’ PCB design, please keep placement of the PCI Express Mini Card away from heating
sources.
Do not place components on the PCB area where the module is mounted, in order to facilitate adding
of heatsink.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 60 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
Do not apply solder mask on the PCB area where the module is mounted, so as to ensure better heat
dissipation performance.
The reference ground of the area where the module is mounted should be complete, and add ground
vias as many as possible for better heat dissipation.
Add a heatsink on the top of the module and the heatsink should be designed with as many fins as
possible to increase heat dissipation area. Meanwhile, a thermal pad with high thermal conductivity
should be used between the heatsink and module.
Add a thermal pad with appropriate thickness at the bottom of the module to conduct the heat to
PCB.
The following figure shows the referenced heatsink design.
Figure 17: Referenced Heatsink Design
NOTES
1. The module offers the best performance when the internal BB chip stays below 105°C. When the
maximum temperature of the BB chip reaches or exceeds 105°C, the module works normal but
provides reduced performance (such as RF output power, data rate, etc.). When the maximum BB
chip temperature reaches or exceeds 115°C, the module will disconnect from the network, and it will
recover to network connected state after the maximum temperature falls below 115°C. Therefore, the
thermal design should be maximally optimized to make sure the maximum BB chip temperature
always maintains below 105°C. Customers can execute AT+QTEMP command and get the
maximum BB chip temperature from the first returned value.
2. For more detailed guidelines on thermal design, please refer to document [4].
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 61 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
7 Dimensions and Packaging
7.1. General Description
This chapter mainly describes mechanical dimensions as well as packaging specification of EC21 Mini
PCIe module. All dimensions are measured in mm, and the dimensional tolerances are ±0.05mm unless
otherwise specified.
7.2. Mechanical Dimensions of EC21 Mini PCIe
30.00±0.15
8.25±0.10
5.45±0.10
6.38±0.10
6.35±0.10
34.30±0.20
4.00±0.10
Pin1
24.20±0.20
3x3.00±0.10
Top View
5.98±0.10
2xΦ2.60±0.1
48.05±0.20
10.35±0.10
Pin51
0.61±0.05
2.35±0.10
4.90±0.20
1.40±0.10
9.90±0.10
7.26±0.10
1.00±0.10
Side View
50.95±0.15
Figure 18: Mechanical Dimensions of EC21 Mini PCIe
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 62 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
7.3. Standard Dimensions of Mini PCI Express
The following figure shows the standard dimensions of Mini PCI Express. Please refer to document [1]
for detailed A and B.
Figure 19: Standard Dimensions of Mini PCI Express
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 63 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
EC21 Mini PCIe adopts a standard Mini PCI Express connector which compiles with the directives and
standards listed in the document [1]. The following figure takes the Molex 679100002 as an example.
Figure 20: Dimensions of the Mini PCI Express Connector (Molex 679100002)
7.4. Packaging Specifications
The EC21 Mini PCIe is packaged in a tray. Each tray contains 10pcs of modules. The smallest package of
EC21 Mini PCIe contains 100pcs.
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 64 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
8 Appendix A References
Table 40: Related Documents
SN Document Name Remark
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4] Quectel_LTE_Module_Thermal_Design_Guide
Table 41: Terms and Abbreviations
Abbreviation Description
AMR Adaptive Multi-rate
PCI Express Mini Card Electromechanical
Specification Revision 1.2
Quectel_EC2x&EG9x&EM05_AT_Commands_
Manual
Quectel_EC2x&EGxx&EM05_GNSS_AT_
Commands_Manual
Mini PCI Express specification
AT commands manual for EC25, EC21,
EC20 R2.0, EC20 R2.1, EG91, EG95 and
EM05 modules
GNSS AT Commands Manual for EC25,
EC21, EC20 R2.0, EC20 R2.1, EG95,
EG91, EG25-G and EM05 modules
Thermal design guide for LTE modules
including EC25, EC21, EC20 R2.0, EC20
R2.1, EG91, EG95, EP06, EG06, EM06
and AG35.
bps Bits Per Second
BT Bluetooth
CS Coding Scheme
CTS Clear to Send
DC-HSPA+ Dual-carrier High Speed Packet Access
DFOTA Delta Firmware Upgrade Over The Air
DL Down Link
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 65 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
DTE Data Terminal Equipment
DTR Data Terminal Ready
EFR Enhanced Full Rate
EMI Electro Magnetic Interference
ESD Electrostatic Discharge
ESR Equivalent Series Resistance
FDD Frequency Division Duplexing
FR Full Rate
GLONASS
GLObalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, the Russian Global
Navigation Satellite System
GMSK Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying
GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System
GPS Global Positioning System
GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
HR Half Rate
HSPA High Speed Packet Access
HSUPA High Speed Uplink Packet Access
kbps Kilo Bits Per Second
LED Light Emitting Diode
LTE Long-Term Evolution
Mbps Million Bits Per Second
MCU Micro Control Unit
ME Mobile Equipment
MIMO Multiple-Input Multiple-Output
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MO Mobile Originated
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 66 / 64
LTE Standard Module Series
EC21 Mini PCIe Hardware Design
MT Mobile Terminated
NMEA National Marine Electronics Association
PCM Pulse Code Modulation
PDA Personal Digital Assistant
PDU Protocol Data Unit
POS Point of Sale
PPP Point-to-Point Protocol
RF Radio Frequency
RTS Ready To Send
Rx Receive
SIMO Single Input Multiple Output
SMS Short Message Service
TX Transmitting Direction
TVS Transient Voltage Suppressor
UART Universal Asynchronous Receiver & Transmitter
UL Up Link
URC Unsolicited Result Code
USB Universal Serial Bus
(U)SIM (Universal) Subscriber Identification Module
WCDMA Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
WLAN Wireless Local Area Networks
EC21_Mini_PCIe_Hardware_Design 67 / 64
Loading...