SKU_TEL0179_Gravity_Air780E_4G_CAT1_Communication_Module WIKI

Introduction

The Air780E is a 4G CAT1 communication module operating in the LTE-FDD B1/B3/B5/B8 and LTE-TDD B34/B38/B39/B40/B41 frequency bands.

The Air780E communication module supports a maximum communication rate of up to 10Mbps (downlink) and up to 5Mbps (uplink). It comes integrated with a rich set of network protocols including TCP/UDP/PPP/HTTP/NITZ/NDIS/NTP/HTTPS/MQTT, and employs a standard serial port for data transmission and reception. This converts the previously complex communication methods into simple serial port programming, significantly reducing software development costs and facilitating rapid IoT project development.

Additionally, the module features a low power consumption mode of 0.6mA during sleep mode, UART serial port data wake-up, and periodic interrupt wake-up. If data is reported every 5 minutes, a 500mA battery can last up to 26 days in PRO mode and 36 days in STD mode, greatly benefiting IoT projects sensitive to power consumption.

The Air780E module includes a built-in USB network card function, using a TYPE-C interface for connection. Through practical testing, this series of modules supports driver-free USB network card functionality on PC, Raspberry Pi, UNIHIKER, and LattePanda, allowing for the rapid addition of 4G communication capabilities to your development boards. Additionally, the onboard UART communication interface and AT command usage facilitate easy connections to various MCU or development boards for swift development of projects based on 4G communication networks.

The following are the functional parameters of our 4G series wireless communication modules for your reference and selection:

Features

• Supports LTE-FDD B1/B3/B5/B8 and LTE-TDD B34/B38/B39/B40/B41 frequency bands.
• Offers 4G CAT1 communication with maximum data rates of up to 10Mbps (downlink) and up to 5Mbps (uplink).
• Integrates network protocols such as TCP/UDP/PPP/HTTP/NITZ/NDIS/NTP/HTTPS/MQTT, eliminating the need for low-level development.
• Features a UART interface with AT command control for standard serial communication, ensuring ease of use.
• Equipped with a TYPE-C interface and USB network card functionality, supporting driver-free USB network capabilities on PC, Raspberry Pi, UNIHIKER, and LattePanda.
• Includes a low-power mode, with serial data wake-up and periodic interrupt wake-up features.
• Compatible with 3.3V and 5V logic level.
• Supports a power supply voltage range of 5V-12V.

Application

• Agricultural and forestry monitoring
• Industrial pollution environmental detection
• Remote lighting control
• Mobile payment networks
• External 4G communication for industrial PC
• Interactive communication
• Warehouse and building IoT projects
• Home IoT projects

Specification

• Applicable regions: China, India, Southeast Asia, and other areas
• Supported bands: LTE-FDD: B1/B3/B5/B8, LTE-TDD: B34/B38/B39/B40/B41
• Supported protocols: TCP/UDP/PPP/HTTP/NITZ/NDIS/NTP/HTTPS/MQTT
• Speed: 10Mbps (downlink) / 5Mbps (uplink)
• Low power consumption: As low as 0.6mA in sleep mode, supports UART serial data wake-up and periodic interrupt wake-up
• Development mode: AT commands
• Communication interface: UART (PH2.0-4P Gravity interface)
• SIM card slot: Nano SIM card Level compatibility: 3.3V/5V
• Antenna interface: SMA female connector (external thread, internal pin)
• Antenna specifications: 4G/LTE 50mm elbow rubber stick antenna, SMA-J interface (SMA internal thread, internal pin)
• Power supply voltage:
  • USB port: 5V
  • Terminal block: 5V-12V (recommended for long-term deployment)
  • UART interface: 3.3V-5V (this interface has lower power and may not ensure normal communication, only for testing)
• Operating Temperature: -40°C ~ 85°C
• PCB size: 42mm×37mm

Functional Diagram

Precautions:

1. External 5V-12V power supply is required when the module uses PH2.0 socket for serial communication
2. Net - Network signal indicator light

• Blue light on for 0.2 seconds, off for 1.8 seconds: searching for network
• Blue light on for 1.8 seconds, off for 0.2 seconds: standby state
• Blue light on for 0.125 seconds, off for 0.125 seconds: data transmission state

Note: This status prompt only applies to successful PPP dialing or AT command active PDP activation, successful RNDIS networking

1. Short-term output of log information and debugging information during boot process

Dimensional Diagram

Common AT Commands

Note: This AT command is case insensitive

Caution: Upon connecting the module to a computer, three COM ports will appear, of which only one is designated for AT command debugging. The remaining two COM ports are not operational.

MQTT Sample Application

This example is to send the set message to the Easy IoT platform through the AT command, operating the Air780E module

Hardware preparation:

• Air780E 4G CAT1 communication module x1
• Windows10 PC x1
• SIM card x1
• USB data cable x1

Note: This module supports USB drivers under Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Linux, Android and other operating systems, so no need to install drivers

Command set used

Demonstration of Sending Messages to the Target Server:

Enter Easy IoT. If you do not possess an account, you may commence by registering one.

Upon successful login, proceed to open your workspace. Retrieve your credentials: username, password. Then, proceed to add a novel device, denoted as a Topic, and meticulously document the aforementioned three pivotal parameters.

1. Open SSCOM Assistant, send AT+CPIN? to query if the SIM card is normal. If +CPIN: READY is returned, it indicates that the SIM card is normal. If +CME ERROR: 10 is returned, it means that the SIM card is not inserted.

2. AT+CGATT? ** queries whether it is attached to the data network. **+CGATT: 1 indicates that the current GPRS is already attached. If +CGATT: 0 is returned, it indicates that it is not attached.

3. AT+MCONFIG="12345678987","user","password" (Set MQTT related parameters, in this example, "clientid" is customized as "12345678987", the customized "clientid" has a maximum of 256 bytes and cannot be the same, otherwise, the last one just connected to the server will be kicked off; enter the account (user) and password (password) obtained on the Easy IoT platform in "user" and "password" respectively)

4. AT+MIPSTART="iot.dfrobot.com","1883" (Establish TCP connection, Note: Receiving OK only means that the 4G module starts to process this command, and does not mean that TCP is successfully connected; only when CONNECT OK is received is the successful response. If other responses are received, you can refer to the AT manual in the additional information at the bottom of the document)

5. AT+MCONNECT=1,60 (The client requests a session connection to the server, where "1" means to establish a new session, "60" means that at least one message needs to be sent within 60 seconds of the keep-alive time, including PING request, otherwise the connection will be disconnected, and the device side needs to initiate a reconnection. The range of keep-alive time is 1-65535. Note: After sending the MCONNECT command, receiving OK only means that the 4G module starts to process this command, and does not mean that MQTT is successfully connected; only when CONNACK OK is received is the successful response)

6. AT+MSUB="mqtt/sub_topic",0 (Subscribe to the topic, where "mqtt/sub_topic" represents the topic (Topic) obtained on the Easy IoT platform, and "0" represents subscribing to the topic at most once. Note: After sending the MSUB command, receiving OK only means that the 4G module starts to process this command, and does not mean that MQTT has successfully subscribed; only when SUBACK is received is the successful response)

7. AT+MPUB="mqtt/pub_topic",2,0,"HELLO DFROBOT" (Publish message, "mqtt/sub_topic" represents the topic (Topic) obtained on the Easy IoT platform, the second parameter indicates that only one message is published, the third parameter is the retention flag, generally set to 0, the server does not store this message and cannot remove or replace any existing retention messages; the fourth parameter is the content of the published message, up to 4100 bytes. If you publish at least one message, you need to change the second parameter to "1", if you publish at most one message, you need to change the second parameter to "0" Note: After sending the MPUB command, if QOS is not 0, then receiving OK only means that the 4G module starts to process this command, and does not mean that MQTT has successfully published; only when PUBACK (when QOS is 1) or PUBCOMP (when QOS is 2) is received is the successful response)

8. Finally, enter the Easy IoT workspace, check the details of the created topic, and query the information received from the module.

Note: All published commands need to check "Add Carriage Return Line Feed"

Raspberry Pi Network Card Usage Steps:

The Air780E module not only has the function of a communication module, but can also connect to the Windows system and Raspberry Pi as a network card. In the following example, we will show how to use the Air780E module for Internet operations on the Raspberry Pi.

Hardware preparation:

Air780E module ×1

Raspberry Pi 4 B ×1

5”800×480 Raspberry Pi DSI Fully Fitted Touch Screen ×1

Keyboard ×1

Operation Steps:

1. Connect the 5-inch touch screen to the Raspberry Pi with the FPC cable
2. Ensure that the SMT PCB nut of the touch screen contacts the ground
3. Next, insert the SIM card into the Air780EU module, and connect the Air780EU module and keyboard to the Raspberry Pi via USB
4. Then, power on the Raspberry Pi and wait for the screen to display
5. Open the Raspberry Pi terminal and use the "lsusb" command to check whether the module's vid and pid are correct

lsusb

When the module is correctly connected to the Raspberry Pi, the displayed vid and pid are 19d1 and 0001 respectively

7. Use the "ifconfig" command to view network interface information, including enabled network cards and their corresponding IP addresses

ifconfig

8. If the eth0 network card appears, disable it and enable the eth1 network card

sudo ifconfig eth0 down
sudo ifconfig eth1 up

9. Use the "ifconfig" command again to confirm that the eth1 network card is enabled and has the correct IP address

ifconfig

Wait a moment, the network connection will be successful, and you can surf the Internet normally afterwards

Query of Return Value Results and Meaning

More Material Download

• TEL0179_Schematic.pdf

• AT_Command_Set

• TEL0179_2D_CAD.pdf

• TEL0179_2D_CAD.rar

• TEL0179-3D_STP.rar

Frequently Asked Questions

No customer has any questions about this product yet, feel free to contact us via qq or forum!

For more questions and interesting applications, you can visit the forum for reference or posting.