Neoway N10 Installation manual

N10 Hardware User Guide
N10 Hardware User Guide
Version 1.7

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Copyright © Neoway Technology Co., Ltd. 2017. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior
written consent of Neoway Technology Co., Ltd.
Trademarks
is the trademark of Neoway Technology Co., Ltd.
All other trademarks and trade names mentioned in this document are the property of their respective
holders.
Notice
This document provides guide for users to use N10.
This document is intended for system engineers (SEs), development engineers, and test engineers.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice due to product version update or
other reasons.
Every effort has been made in preparation of this document to ensure accuracy of the contents, but all
statements, information, and recommendations in this document do not constitute a warranty of any kind,
express or implied.
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Website: http://www.neoway.com

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Revision Record
Issue
Changes
Revised By
Date
V1.0
Initial version
Shen Tongqiao
2017-04
V1.1
Modified UART port output message in Chapter 4.1.4
Modified conduction receiver sensitivity
Shen Tongqiao
2017-02
V1.2
Modified Pin43 in Chapter 3.2
Modified UART level conversion circuit in Chapter 4.2
Shen Tongqiao
2017-04
V1.3
Deleted Circuit Switch Data from Table 2-1
Shen Tongqiao
2017-05
V1.4
Added memory information
Modified dimensions
Added description of automatic shutdown triggered by
low-voltage and watchdog
Modified supply voltage range
Shen Tongqiao
2017-06
V1.5
Deleted the description of watchdog
Shen Tongqiao
2017-07
V1.6
Corrected the definition of USB pins
Shen Tongqiao
2017-09
V1.7
Corrected the baudrate of the UART interface
Corrected the pulses of the RING signal
Corrected description of the audio interface
Shen Tongqiao
2017-11

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Contents
About This Document ......................................................................................................... 1
1 About N10 ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 2
1.2 Block Diagram ................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Specifications ..................................................................................................................................... 3
2 Pin Description and PCB Foot Print .............................................................................. 5
2.1 Specifications and Pin Definition ....................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Pin Definition ..................................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 PCB Foot Print ................................................................................................................................. 10
3 Interface Design............................................................................................................... 11
3.1 Power Supply ....................................................................................................................................11
3.1.1 Design Requirements ...............................................................................................................11
3.1.2 VIO28...................................................................................................................................... 15
3.1.3 VRTC ...................................................................................................................................... 15
3.1.4 Power-On/Off Control and Procedure..................................................................................... 16
3.1.5 RESET .................................................................................................................................... 19
3.2 UART ............................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3 USB .................................................................................................................................................. 22
3.4 DTR and RING ................................................................................................................................ 23
3.4.1 DTR Pin .................................................................................................................................. 23
3.4.2 RING Signal............................................................................................................................ 24
3.5 SIM Card .......................................................................................................................................... 25
3.6 LIGHT.............................................................................................................................................. 26
3.7 Audio ................................................................................................................................................ 27
3.8 RF ..................................................................................................................................................... 29
3.8.1 RF Design and PCB Layout .................................................................................................... 29
3.8.2 Recommended RF Connection................................................................................................ 30
4 Electric Features and Reliability................................................................................... 32
4.1 Electric Feature................................................................................................................................. 32
4.2 Temperature...................................................................................................................................... 32
4.3 Current.............................................................................................................................................. 33
4.4 ESD Protection ................................................................................................................................. 34
5 RF Features........................................................................................................................ 35
5.1 Operating Band................................................................................................................................. 35
5.2 Transmitting Power and Receiving Sensitivity................................................................................. 35
5.2.1 Transmitting Power ................................................................................................................. 35
5.2.2 Receiving Sensitivity............................................................................................................... 36
6 Mounting the Module onto the Application Board.................................................. 37
7 Package .............................................................................................................................. 38
8 Abbreviations................................................................................................................... 39

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Table of Figures
Figure 1-1 N10 Block Diagram............................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2-1 Top view of N10 module ....................................................................................................... 5
Figure 2-2 PCB foot print recommended for N10 (unit: mm) .............................................................. 10
Figure 3-1 Current peaks and voltage drops ......................................................................................... 12
Figure 3-2 Capacitors used for the power supply.................................................................................. 12
Figure 3-3 Reference design of power supply control .......................................................................... 13
Figure 3-4 Reference design of power supply controlled by p-MOSFET............................................. 13
Figure 3-5 Reference designs of separated power supply ..................................................................... 15
Figure 3-6 VRTC reference design ....................................................................................................... 16
Figure 3-7 Power-on procedure............................................................................................................. 17
Figure 3-8 Power-off procedure ............................................................................................................ 18
Figure 3-9 Reference circuit for power-on/off control .......................................................................... 18
Figure 3-10 Reference circuit for power-on/off controlled by high level ............................................. 19
Figure 3-11 Reset circuit with triode separating ................................................................................... 20
Figure 3-12 Signal connection between DCE and DTE........................................................................ 20
Figure 3-13 Recommended level shifting circuit 1 ............................................................................... 21
Figure 3-14 Recommended level shifting circuit 2 ............................................................................... 22
Figure 3-15 USB circuit ........................................................................................................................ 23
Figure 3-16 RING indicator for incoming call...................................................................................... 24
Figure 3-17 RING indicator for SMS ................................................................................................... 24
Figure 3-18 Reference design of SIM card interface ............................................................................ 25
Figure 3-19 Reference of SIM card socket ........................................................................................... 26
Figure 3-20 LED indicator .................................................................................................................... 27
Figure 3-21 Reference design of MIC differential connections ............................................................ 28
Figure 3-22 Reference design for common audio input ........................................................................ 28
Figure 3-23 Reference design for speaker output.................................................................................. 29
Figure 3-24 Reference design for antenna interface.............................................................................. 29
Figure 3-25 RF layout reference ........................................................................................................... 30
Figure 3-26 Encapsulation specifications of Murata RF connector ...................................................... 31
Figure 3-27 RF connections .................................................................................................................. 31

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Table of Tables
Table 1-1 N10 Specifications.................................................................................................................. 3
Table 2-1 N10 specifications .................................................................................................................. 5
Table 2-2 N10 Pin definition................................................................................................................... 6
Table 3-1 Power supply and switch interface ........................................................................................11
Table 3-2 UART.................................................................................................................................... 20
Table 3-3 USB interface........................................................................................................................ 22
Table 3-4 DTR and RING pins ............................................................................................................. 23
Table 3-5 SIM card interfaces............................................................................................................... 25
Table 3-6 LED indicator ....................................................................................................................... 26
Table 3-7 Audio interface...................................................................................................................... 27
Table 4-1 Electric feature of the module............................................................................................... 32
Table 4-2 Temperature Feature ............................................................................................................. 32
Table 4-3 Current feature ...................................................................................................................... 33
Table 4-4 ESD feature of the module.................................................................................................... 34
Table 5-1 Operating band...................................................................................................................... 35
Table 5-2 Transmitting power (GSM800&EGSM900)......................................................................... 35
Table 5-3 Transmitting power (DCS1800&PCS1900).......................................................................... 36

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About This Document
This document defines the features, indicators, and test standards of the N10 GPRS module and provides
reference for the hardware design. With Neoway_N10_AT_Commands_Mannual, this user guide can help
development engineers complete wireless communications application easily.

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1 About N10
N10 is a compact wireless GSM/GPRS module. It provides high-quality voice, SMS, and data services.
N10 is widely used in industrial and consumer applications.
1.1 Overview
The N10 module adopts 64-pin LCC package and its dimensions are 23.5 mm x 17 mm x 2.2 mm, which
can meet most customer requirements for space reduction. It has the following hardware resources and
features:
UART interface, used for data communications, software upgrades and debugging, supports
hardware flow control
Audio interface, differential MIC input and SPK output
10 bit ADC analog check input, voltage ranges from 0 V to 2.8 V
Support SIM card 1.8/3.0V self-adaption, embedded SIM card
Support RING (incoming call and SMS reminder)/LIGHT (work indicator)/DTR (sleep mode)
function
Support network time synchronization and timing switch
Support firmware upgrade and commissioning via USB interface
1.2 Block Diagram
The N10 module consists of baseband controller, Flash ROM, RF section, application interfaces, etc. All
sections coordinate with each other to provide such communication functions as GPRS data and voice. Its
design block diagram is shown in Figure 1-1.

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Figure 1-1 N10 Block Diagram
VBAT
VRTC
Digital
Interface
USB
SIM
UART
ON/OFF
Power
Manager
RF transceiver
FLASH
Digital
Baseband
Analog
Baseband
26MHz Crystal
RF Front-end-module
Audio
Interface
MIC
SPK
ADC
SIM PC
GSM850:Uplink 824~849MHz,Downlink 869~894MHz
EGSM900:Uplink 880~915MHz,Downlink 925~960MHz
DCS1800:Uplink 1710~1785MHz,Downlink 1805~1880MHz
PCS1900:Uplink 1850~1910MHz,Downlink 1930~1990MHz
1.3 Specifications
Table 1-1 N10 Specifications
Specifications
Description
Frequency band
GSM850/EGSM900/DCS1800/PCS1900 quad-band
Sensitivity
< -108 dBm
Transmit power
GSM850/EGSM900 Class4(2W)
DCS1800/PCS1900 Class1(1W)
Protocol
Support GSM/GPRS Phase2/2+
AT commands
GSM07.07
Extended AT commands
Audio
Support voice coding:
HR (Half rate)

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FR (Full rate )
EFR (Enhanced full rate )
AMR (Adaptive multi rate )
Support Echo suppression
Support recording and DTMF detection function
SMS
Support PDU and TEXT mode
Support SMS message receiving and sending and alert for new SMS
messages
Support SMS message management: reading/deleting/storage/list
GPRS Features
Support GPRS CLASS 12
Theoretical maximum uplink transmission rate: 85.6 Kbit/s
Theoretical maximum downlink transmission rate: 85.6 Kbit/s
Embedded TCP/IP protocol, support multi-link
Support server and client mode
Supplementary Service
Call forwarding
Call waiting
Call hold on and multi-way calling
UART
Support AT command sending, data transmission and firmware
download
Support baud rate from 9600 bit/s to 115200 bit/s
Real Time Clock (RTC)
Support real-time clock and time updating
Support timing power-on/off
CPU
ARM7-EJ@270MHz
Memory
ROM: 24Mb
RAM: 32Mb
Antenna Feature
50 Ωcharacteristic impedance
Operating Temperature
-40 ºC to +85 ºC
Operating Voltage
3.3 V to 4.3 V (3.9 V is recommended)
Peak Current
Max 2.0 A
Operating Current
(Idle)
11 mA
Current in Sleep Mode
< 2.5 mA (on live network)
< 1.1 mA (through instrument, DRX=9)

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2 Pin Description and PCB Foot Print
2.1 Specifications and Pin Definition
Table 2-1 N10 specifications
Specifications
N10
Dimensions
(23.5±0.1) mm x (17±0.1) mm x (2.2±0.2) mm (H x W x D)
Weight
1.3 g
Package
64-pin LCC
Figure 2-1 Top view of N10 module

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2.2 Pin Definition
P: indicates power supply pins
NC: indicates pins that are not supported and must not be connected
DI: indicates digital signal input pins
DO: indicates digital signal output pins
I/PD: indicates digital signal input pins with pull-down
I/PU: indicates digital signal input pins with pull-up
AI: indicates analogy signal input pins
AO: indicates analogy signal output pins
Table 2-2 N10 Pin definition
Pin
Pin Name
I/O
Function
Reset
State
Electrical Level
Characteristics (V)
Remarks
Power supply and Switch Interfaces
2, 3, 4
VBAT
P
Power supply input
3.3 V to 4.3 V (3.9 V is
recommended)
45
VIO28
P
2.8 V power supply output
Supply power for IO level
shifting circuit.
Load capability: less than 50 mA
46
VRTC
P
RTC power supply
2.8 V, maximum charging
output current 2 mA
1, 5, 20, 21,
32, 42, 44,
50, 52, 53, 64
GND
P
Ground

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6
ON/OFF
DI
ON/OFF input
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<VBAT
Low-level pulse triggers
ON/OFF state.
47
RESET
DI
Reset input
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<3.1
Internally pulled up to 2.8 V
Low level triggers reset.
Audio
7
SPKP
AO
Positive electrode of speaker output
Maximum 800 mW@8Ω
8
SPKN
AO
Negative electrode of speaker output
9
MIC_P
AI
Positive electrode of MIC input
Vpp≤200 mV
10
MIC_N
AI
Negative electrode of MIC input
UART Interface
38
RTS
DO
Request to send
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<3.1;
0<VOL<0.42;
2.38<VOH<2.8
39
CTS
DI
Clear to send
40
TXD
DO
UART data transmit
Used for command sending and
receiving
41
RXD
DI
UART data receive
I/PU
SIM Card
16
SIM_CLK
DO
SIM card clock
0<VIL<0.25*VSIM;
0.75*VSIM<VIH<VSIM;
0<VOL<0.15*VSIM;
Compatible with 1.8/3.0 V SIM
card
17
SIM_RST
DO
SIM card reset

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18
SIM_IO
DI/O
SIM card data
0.85*VSIM<VOH<VSIM
19
VSIM
P
SIM card power output
Work Indicator
33
LIGHT
DO
Status LED
I/PD
2.8 V/4 mA output
SMS and Call Reminder
34
RING
DO
Ring output
I/PD
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<3.1;
0<VOL<0.42;
2.38<VOH<2.8
Detect incoming voice calls or
SMS messages
Sleep Mode Control
35
DTR
DI
Sleep mode control
I/PD
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<3.1;
0<VOL<0.42;
2.38<VOH<2.8
Used together with AT
commands
ADC Testing
14
ADC1
AI
10-bit ADC
Analog input
Detectable voltage range: 0 V to
2.8 V
GPRS Antenna
51
GPRS_ANT
AI/O
GPRS antenna interface
50 Ωimpedance

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USB Interface
11
VBUS
AI
USB voltage check
Complying with the
USB1.1 standard
Used for firmware download
12
USB_DM
DI/O
USB interface differential data line
13
USB_DP
DI/O
Reserved Pins
15, 22~31,36,
37, 43, 48,
49, 54~63
NC
Do not connect these pins to
power supply or ground.
The maximum input voltage at all IO ports (including peak signal current) cannot exceed 3.1 V because the module uses a 2.8 V IO power system. In the application
of the module, the IO output voltage from the 3.3 V power supply system of the external circuit might greatly overshoot 3.1 V due to the signal integrity design. In
this situation, the IO pins of the module might be damaged if the IO signals are connected to the IO port on the 2.8 V systems. To rectify this issue, take measures to
match the level. For details, see the 3.2 UART.

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2.3 PCB Foot Print
LCC packaging is adopted to package the pins of the N10 module. Figure 2-2 shows the recommended
PCB foot print.
Figure 2-2 PCB foot print recommended for N10 (unit: mm)

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3 Interface Design
3.1 Power Supply
Table 3-1 Power supply and switch interface
Pin
Signal
I/O
Function
Remarks
2, 3, 4
VBAT
P
Main power supply input
3.3 V to 4.3 V (3.9 V is recommended)
1, 5, 20, 21,
32, 42, 44,
50, 52, 53, 64
GND
P
Ground
45
VIO28
P
2.8 V power supply output
Used only for level shifting
Loading capability < 50 mA
46
VRTC
P
RTC power supply input
2.8 V
6
ON/OFF
DI
ON/OFF input
Low-level triggers ON/OFF state.
47
RESET
DI
Module reset input
Low level triggers reset.
3.1.1 Design Requirements
VBAT is the power supply of the module. Its input voltage ranges from 3.3 V to 4.3 V and the typical
value is 3.9V. In addition to digital signals and analog signals, it supplies power to RF power amplifier.
The performance of the VBAT power supply is a critical path to module's performance and stability. The
peak input current at the VBAT pin can be up to 2 A when the signal is weak and the module works at the
maximum transmitting power. The voltage will encounter a drop in such a situation. The module might
restart if the voltage drops lower than 3.3 V.

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Figure 3-1 Current peaks and voltage drops
Figure 3-2 shows a recommended power supply design for the module.
Figure 3-2 Capacitors used for the power supply
Power Supply GPRS Module
Close to the pin of the module
D1 C1 C2 C3 C4
VBAT
Current testing point
I_max
C5
In the circuit, use TVS at D1 to enhance the performance of the module during a burst. SMF5.0AG
(Vrwm=5V&Pppm=200W) is recommended. A large bypass tantalum capacitor (220 μF or 100 μF) or
aluminum capacitor (1000 μF or 470 μF) is expected at C1 to reduce voltage drops during bursts together
with C2 (10 μF capacitor). In addition, add 0.1 μF, 100 pF, and 33 pF filter capacitors to enhance the
stability of the power supply.
A controllable power supply is preferable if used in harsh conditions. The module might fail to reset in
remote or unattended applications, or in an environment with great electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Use the EN pin on the LDO or DC/DC chipset to control the switch of the power supply as shown in
Figure 3-3.

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MIC29302WU in the following figure is an LDO and outputs 3 A current to ensure the performance of the
module.
Figure 3-3 Reference design of power supply control
VCC_IN_5V
GPRS_EN VBAT
100 uF
TAN
0.1 uF
TVS
5V
10 uF
470uF
TAN
10K
4.75K
VOUT
MIC29302WU
EN
VIN ADJ
0.1 uF 100pF 33pF
The alternative way is to use a p-MOSFET to control the module's power, as shown in Figure 3-4.
When the external MCU detects the exceptions such as no response from the module or the disconnection
of GPRS, power off/on can rectify the module exceptions.
In Figure 3-4, the module is powered on when GPRS_EN is set to high level.
Figure 3-4 Reference design of power supply controlled by p-MOSFET

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Q2 is added to eliminate the need for a high enough voltage level of the host GPIO. In case GPIO can
output a high voltage greater than VCC_IN_3.9V - |VGS(th)|, where VGS(th) is the Gate Threshold Voltage,
Q2 is not needed.
Reference components:
Q1 can be IRML6401 or Rds(on) p-MOSFET which has higher withstand voltage and drain current.
Q2: a common NPN transistor, e.g. MMBT3904; or a digital NPN transistor, e.g. DTC123. If digital
transistor is used, delete R1 and R2.
C3: 470 μF tantalum capacitor rated at 6.3 V; or 1000 μF aluminum capacitor. If lithium battery is
used to supply power, C3 can be 220 μF tantalum capacitor.
Protection
Place a TVS diode (VRWM=5 V) on the VBAT power supply to ground, especially in automotive
applications. For some stable power supplies, zener diodes can decrease the power supply overshoot.
SMF5.0AG from ONSEMI is an option.
Line Rules
The width of primary loop lines for VBAT on PCB must be able to support the safe transmission of 2 A
current and ensure no obvious loop voltage decrease. Therefore, the loop line width of VBAT is required 2
mm and the ground should be as complete as possible.
Separation
The GPRS module works in burst mode that generates voltage drops on power supply. Furthermore this
results in a 217 Hz TDD noise through power (One of the way generating noise. Another way is through
RF radiation). Analog parts, especially the audio circuits, are subjected to this noise, known as a "buzz
noise" in GSM systems. To prevent other parts from being affected, it's better to use separated power
supplies. The module shall be supplied by an independent power, like a DC/DC or LDO. See Figure 3-5.
DC/DC or LDO should output rated peak current larger than 2 A.
The inductor used in Reference Design (b), should be a power inductor and have a very low resistance.
10 μH with average current ability greater than 1.2 A and low DC resistance is recommended.