M.2 (NGFF) WWAN modem USB breakout board¶

• Table of contents
• M.2 (NGFF) WWAN modem USB breakout board
  • version history
  • Picture of assembled board
  • Design Files, Schematics, Component Placement
  • Where to buy
    • Open Source Hardware
  • Fully assembled kits for purchase
  • Further reading
• Commercial Support

This is a small break-out board for M.2 (NGFF) type cellular / WWAN modems.

It allows you to insert a M.2 modem from any vendor, and it will provide you with:

• microUSB-B (3.0) socket for connection to a USB Host (like your PC/Laptop or Embedded System)
• 5V DC input for power supply (USB supply usually insufficient for current peaks of a modem)
• all unused m.2 pins on a 2.54mm break-out header
• 2x SIM card slot for a 2FF-sized SIM, USIM or RUIM cards (dual-SIM)
• socket for the PCIe lane on the m.2 connector; allows you to connect the board to a PCIe bus/port of a computer by means of a PCIe slot adapter (not included)

Particularly the break-out header is useful to get access to various signals exported in a non-standard fashion by some modem models, such as digital audio PCM.

version history¶

v3 :

• PCBA now supports 3042 and 3052 M.2/NGFF cards
• PCBA dimensions changed to 90mm by 90mm
• added a fourth MHF4-SMA connector combination w/ TVS + add a forth MHF4-MHF4 pigtail to kit in webshop

v2 :

• connect pin 4 @X2 to GND (solves OS #4216)
• swap Rx and Tx (solves OS #4230)
• new SMA + MHF4 connector positions
• first version sold in sysmocom webshop

v1 :

• initial version supporting 3042 cards
• three MHF4-SMA connector combination w/ TVS

Picture of assembled board¶

Design Files, Schematics, Component Placement¶

The design files can be found in the ngff-breakout directory of the osmo-small-hardware git repository. See https://gitea.osmocom.org/electronics/osmo-small-hardware/src/branch/master/ngff-breakout

Where to buy¶

Open Source Hardware¶

The general idea of Open Hardware projects is that anyone is allowed to build the design. So feel free to take the design files and build it yourself, either modified or unmodified. Please make sure you always

• attribute the original author (Attribution)
• release any changes to the design files under the same terms (Share Alike)

Fully assembled kits for purchase¶

If you would like to buy a fully-assembled version of this board, including all required accessories, you are able to order it from the sysmocom webshop

The sysmocom data sheet includes a list of all included accessories.

Further reading¶

• Pictures
• Quectel RM500Q

Commercial Support¶

Commercial support as well as development, system integration and training services for this project are available from sysmocom