RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT Datasheet

Overview

Description

The RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT is a Raspberry Pi 3B+/4 edition cellular communications module that supports Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) connectivity to Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. It has several configuration options including BG96 / EG91 / EG95 for 4G/LTE, NB-IoT, CAT-M, CAT1 or CAT 4 cellular protocol. This device integrates an audio codec and audio amplifier supporting Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) in high definition (HD) and uninterrupted voice calls. For easy use, there are an earphone connector, MIC connector and speaker connector with an audio amplifier.

The module is supported with extendable sensor board connected that follows the mikroBus standard. MikroBus has many kinds of sensor board, such as temperature, humidity, 3 axis sensor and light sensor, allowing easy sensor data transmission. Because of its wide range of supported sensors, it is suitable for applications such as environmental monitoring and presence sensing, that require cellular connectivity.

The RAK2013 is compatible with RAK2245 Pi HAT module via the onboard 40-pin header. It can function as a cellular backhaul to a gateway, providing even greater flexibility for IoT solutions that require cellular as an option for ensuring service reliability.

Features

• Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3B+/4 edition specification
• Quectel BG96/EG91/EG95 for NB-IOT / CAT-M / CAT1 LTE / CAT4 LTE
• Supports Voice over CAT-M or VoLTE
• Supports Nano SIM card or eSIM card
• Integrates audio codec and audio amplifier
• Integrates MikroBus interface to support sensor extended board
• Can be added to another Pi HAT to support LoRa concentrator
• Supports USB connector for higher data rate
• Supports GPS function(only for BG96 module)
• SMA/IPEX antenna optional for LTE and GPS
• Supports I2C, GPIOs, UART and ADC interfaces for Raspberry board
• Supports EEPROM to configure IOs automatically

Specifications

Overview

The overview shows the top view of the RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT and its corresponding outer dimension. It also presents the block diagram that shows the internal architecture of the board.

Module Overview

Here are the top view and external interfaces of RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT add-on board.

Figure 9951: Components of RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT

Figure 9952: Nano Sim Card Slot and ESIM Chip in RAK2013

The outer dimension of the RAK2013 measures 65.0 x 56.0 mm as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 9953: RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT Board Dimension

Block Diagram

Figure 4 shows the internal architecture and external interfaces of RAK2013.

Figure 9954: RAK2013 WisLink Cellular Pi HAT Board

Hardware

The hardware is categorized into eight parts. It discusses the interfacing, pinouts and their corresponding functions and diagrams. It also covers the parameters and standard values of the board in terms of electrical, mechanical and environmental.

Interfaces

It is built with Quectel BG96/EG91/EG95 module and is compatible with Raspberry Pi HAT. It provides the following interfaces, headers, jumpers, button and connectors:

• 40-pins Raspberry connector
• Micro USB
• MikroBus connector
• Earphone jack
• MIC Jack
• Speaker jack
• Reset button
• PWRKEY button
• Nano sim card slot
• LEDs
• Reset button
• USB boot jumper

IPEX Antenna Connectors:

• LTE antenna
• GPS/LTE DIV antenna

Micro-B USB Interface

A standard Micro-B USB compliant with USB 2.0 standard specification is used to provide an interface to connect our device to Raspberry Pi or a PC for control of the board and firmware upgrade. The Micro-B USB pin connection and definition is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9955: Micro-B USB connection

Pin	Description
1	USB_VBUS(+5V)
2	USB-DM
3	USB_DP
4	NC
5	GND

This USB port is connected to the BG96/EG91/EG95 USB interface. The USB interface is used for AT command communication, data transmission, software debugging and firmware upgrade.

LEDs

Three (3) LEDs are used to indicate operating status, here are their functions:

LED Color	Function	LED Status	Description
Green	Power LED	ON	Indicates that the power is good.
Blue	Status	ON	The module is powered on.
		OFF	The module is powered off.
Red	NETLIGHT	ON	Indicates the module's network activity status.
		OFF	Not registered to the network.

RESET Push Button

Reset Push Button is used to reset the BG96/EG91/EG95 module. To reset the module, push the Reset button for one (1) second.

PWRKEY Push Button

When either of Quectel BG96 / EG91 / EG95 module is in power off mode, it can be turned on to normal mode by driving the PWRKEY pin to a low level for at least 100 ms. Note that the module is still in power off mode even when plugging in the power socket, thus, press the PWRKEY to power up the module. When the module is in normal mode, it can be turned to power off mode by pressing the PWRKEY button.

Antenna RF interface

The modules have two RF interfaces for LTE antenna and GPS/LTE DIV antenna over standard UFL connectors (Hirose U. FL-R-SMT) with a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω. The RF ports support both the transmitter and receiver, providing the antenna interface.

Pin Definition

RAK2013 board is composed of four (4) connectors: J3, J15, J16, and J17.

J3 - Boot Jumper

• Jumper for BG96/EG91/EG95 USB boot
• J3 open: Boot normally
• J3 shorted: Force the module to boot from USB port

J15 - Raspberry Connector

Figure 9956: RAK2013 Raspberry Connector

The table below shows the pin connections of the raspberry connector.

Pin No.	RAK2013	Raspberry Definition
1	NC	3V3
2	CONN_5V0	5V
3	SDA_to_MikroBus	GPIO2 (SDA1)
4	CONN_5V0	5V
5	SCL_to_MikroBus	GPIO3 (SCL1)
6	GND	GND
7	PA_SHNT	GPIO4 (GCLK)
8	BG96_RX	GPIO14 (TXD0)
9	GND	GND
10	BG96_TX	GPIO15 (RXD0)
11	NC	GPIO17 (GPIO_GEN0)
12	BG96_PWRKEY	GPIO18 (GPIO_GEN1)
13	RST_ MikroBus	GPIO27 (GPIO_GEN2)
14	GND	GND
15	BG96_DTR	GPIO22 (GPIO_GEN3)
16	Reserved for GPS TX	GPIO23 (GPIO_GEN4)
17	NC	3V3
18	Reserved for GPS RX	GPIO24 (GPIO_GEN5)
19	MikroBus_MOSI	GPIO10 (SPI_MOSI)
20	GND	GND
21	MikroBus _MISO	GPIO9 (SPI_MISO)
22	MikroBus _INT	GPIO25 (GPIO_GEN6)
23	MikroBus _CLK	GPIO11 (SPI_SCLK)
24	NC	GPIO8 (SPI_CE0_N)
25	GND	GND
26	MikroBus _CS	GPIO7 (SPI_CE1_N)
27	ID_SDA	ID_SD
28	ID_SCL	ID_SC
29	BG96_W_DISABLE	GPIO5
30	GND	GND
31	BG96_RESET	GPIO6
32	MikroBus_PWM	GPIO12
33	NC	GPIO13
34	GND	GND
35	NC	GPIO19
36	BG96_PSM	GPIO16
37	BG96AP READY	GPIO26
38	BG96_RI	GPIO20
39	GND	GND
40	BG96_STATUS	GPIO21

J16 and J17 – MikroBus Interface

Figure 9957: MikroBus Interface

RF Characteristics

Frequency Bands and Data Rate

RAK2013 supports different frequency bands based on the module mounted on the board.

BG96 Module

BG96 is a series of LTE Cat M1/Cat NB1/EGPRS modules offering a maximum data rate of 300 Kbps downlink and 375 Kbps uplink.

Frequency	BG96
LTE - FDD	B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B8 / B12 / B18
LTE - TDD	B39 (for CAT M1 only)
EGPRS	850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz

EG91 Module

Quectel EG91 is a series of LTE CAT 1 module optimized specially for M2M and IoT applications. It delivers M2M-optimized speeds of 10Mbps downlink and 5Mbps uplink. This makes the EG91 an ideal solution for numerous IoT applications that are not reliant on high speed connectivity but still require the longevity and reliability of LTE networks.

Frequency	EG91-E	EG91-NA
LTE FDD	B1 / B3 / B7 / B8 / B20 / B28A	B2 / B4 / B5 / B12 / B13
WCDMA	B1 / B8	B2 / B4 / B5
GSM / EDGE	900 / 1800 MHz	-
Region	Europe	North America

EG95 Module

Quectel EG95 is a series of LTE category 4 module optimized specially for M2M and IoT applications. Adopting 3GPP Rel. 11 LTE technology, it delivers 150Mbps downlink and 50Mbps uplink data rates.

Frequency	EG95-E	EG95-NA
LTE FDD	B1 / B3 / B7 / B8 / B20 / B28A	B2 / B4 / B5 / B12 / B13
WCDMA	B1 / B8	B2 / B4 / B5
GSM / EDGE	900 / 1800 MHz	-
Region	Europe	North America

Antennas

For module built-in BG96, there is one LTE antenna and one GPS antenna. For module built-in EG91/EG95, there are two (2) LTE antennas and no GPS antenna with the module.

1. LTE Antenna

Overview

Figure 9958: LTE Antenna

Antenna Dimension

The LTE antenna for the RAK2013 covers a working frequency band from 824 MHz to 2690 MHz.

Figure 9959: LTE Antenna Dimension

Antenna Parameter

The specifications and parameter of the antenna are shown below:

Parameters	Specifications
Frequency (MHz)	700	800	880	960	1710	1880	2170
Voltage Standard Wave Ratio (VSWR)	9.3	4.6	3.6	4.9	9.3	4.4	15
Gain (dBi)	1.63	1.84	1.96	2.23	0.03	0.01	1.97
Working Temperature & Humidity	T: -35° C ~ +80° C, H: 0% ~ 95%
Storage Temperature & Humidity	T: -40° C ~ +85° C, H: 0% ~ 95%

2. GPS Antenna

Overview

The GPS antenna for RAK2013 is shown in Figure 10. Only the RAK2013 with BG96 supports the GPS function.

Figure 9960: GPS Antenna

GPS Antenna Dimensions

Figure 9961: GPS Antenna Dimensions

GPS Environmental Requirements

The antenna environmental requirements are listed in the table below:

Conditions	Temperature	Humidity
Working	-35° C ~ +80° C	0% ~ 95%
Storage	-40° C ~ +85° C	0% ~ 95%

GPS Antenna Parameter

The antenna specifications are listed in the table below:

Item	Specification	PET
Range of Receiving Frequency	1575.42±1.1	±2.5
Center Frequency (MHz) w/ 30mm2 GND plane	1575.42	±3.0
Bandwidth (MHz) (Return Loss ≤ -10dB)	≥10	±0.5
VSWR (in Center Frequency)	≤2.0	±0.5
Gain (Zenith) (dBi Typ) w/ 70mm2 GND Plane	4.5	±0.5
Axial Ratio (dB) w/ 70mm2 GND Plane	3.0	±0.2
Polarization	Right-Handed Circular	-
Impedance (Ω)	50	-
Frequency Temperature Coefficient (ppm/ºC)	±10	-

The amplifier specifications are listed in the table below:

Item	Specifications
Frequency Range	1575.42 MHz
Gain	27 dB
VSWR	≤ 2.0 V
Noise Coefficient	≤ 2.0 dBm
DC Voltage	3 ~ 5 V
DC Current	5 ± 2 mA

The environmental test performance specifications are listed below:

Item	Normal Temp	High Temp	Low Temp
Amplifier Gain	27 dB ± 2.0	27 dB ± 2.0	27 dB ± 2.0
VSWR	≤ 2.0	≤ 2.0	≤ 2.0
Noise Coefficient	≤ 2.0	≤ 2.0	≤ 2.0

Electrical Characteristics

Power Requirements

The RAK2013 board operates at 5 V. It can be powered by micro USB with 5 V or powered by the Raspberry Pi board through 40-pin connector. Be cautious because the current of RAK2013 is about 300 mA on average when working in CAT- M1 mode, it can be reached to 2 A for peak when working in GSM900 mode. So you must carefully evaluate your power adapter’s rating.

Parameter	Min	Typical	Max
Current in CAT M mode	-	300 mA	-
Current in GSM mode (peak）	-		2000 mA
Power off mode	-	10 mA	-

Mechanical Characteristics

Module Dimensions

Here is the detailed dimension of RAK2013 module. For full specifications including electrical requirements, visit the GitHub repo.

Minimum HAT requirements:

• The board must be 65 x 56 mm or 65 x 56.5 mm.
• The board must have 3 mm radius corners.
• It must have four (4) mounting holes in the corners and should follow mounting hole specifications.
• The board must have a full 40 W GPIO connector.

Mounting Holes specifications:

• Mounting holes should ideally non-plated. If plated, hole and grounding must be electrically isolated. (Do not connect these to GND)
• Mounting hole ground should be 6.2 mm minimum and either isolated copper or bare board (open solder mask).
• Mounting holes should be drilled to 2.75 ± 0.5 mm.

NOTE

It is recommended to provide slots or cutouts for camera and display flexes so the camera and display can still be used with the HAT attached.

Figure 9962: Mechanical Dimensions

Environmental Requirements

Device

The table below lists the operation and storage temperature requirements:

Parameter	Min	Typical	Max
Operation Temp. Range	-35° C	+25° C	+75° C
Extended Temp. Range	-40° C	-	+80° C
Storage Temp. Range	-40° C	-	+80° C

Schematic Diagram

The schematic diagram shows the power and MikroBus interface of RAK2013.

Figure 9963: Power and MikroBus Interface

Here is the BG96 and Raspberry Interface of RAK2013:

Figure 9964: BG96 and Raspberry Interface

Below are the audio codec and amplifier schematics of RAK2013:

Figure 9965: Audio Codec and Amplifier