Neoway N11 Series Installation manual

N11
Hardware User Guide
Issue 1.2
Date 2018-10-13
Neoway Product Document

N11
Hardware User Guide
Copyright © Neoway Technology Co., Ltd
i
Copyright © Neoway Technology Co., Ltd 2018. 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.
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 N11.
This document is intended for system engineers (SEs), development engineers, and test engineers.
THIS GUIDE PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS TO DESIGN THEIR APPLICATIONS.
PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES AND PARAMETERS IN THIS GUIDE TO DESIGN AND COMMISSION.
NEOWAY WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY OF BODILY HURT OR ASSET LOSS CAUSED BY
IMPROPER OPERATIONS.
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.
Neoway provides customers complete technical support. If you have any question, please contact your
account manager or email to the following email addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Website: http://www.neoway.com

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Contents
1 About N11 .................................................................................................. 2
1.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Block Diagram.............................................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Specifications ............................................................................................................................... 3
2 Pin Description .......................................................................................... 5
2.1 Pin Allocation................................................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Pin Definition ................................................................................................................................ 6
3 Application Interfaces ................................................................................ 8
3.1 Power Supply ............................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.1 Design Requirements.......................................................................................................... 8
3.1.2 Power-On/Off Control and Procedure ............................................................................... 12
3.2 UART.......................................................................................................................................... 15
3.3 DTR and RING........................................................................................................................... 18
3.3.2 DTR Pin ............................................................................................................................. 18
3.3.3 RING Signal....................................................................................................................... 18
3.4 SIM Card .................................................................................................................................... 19
3.5 LIGHT......................................................................................................................................... 21
3.6 RF............................................................................................................................................... 22
3.6.1 RF Design and PCB Layout .............................................................................................. 22
3.6.2 Recommended RF Connection ......................................................................................... 24
4 Electric Features and Reliability .............................................................. 25
4.1 Electric Feature .......................................................................................................................... 25
4.2 Temperature ............................................................................................................................... 25
4.3 Current ....................................................................................................................................... 26
4.4 ESD Protection........................................................................................................................... 27
5 RF Features............................................................................................. 28
5.1 Operating Band .......................................................................................................................... 28
5.2 Transmitting Power and Receiving Sensitivity ........................................................................... 28
5.2.1 Transmitting Power............................................................................................................ 28
5.2.2 Receiving Sensitivity.......................................................................................................... 30
6 PCB Foot Print......................................................................................... 31
7 Mounting N11 onto the Application Board................................................ 32
8 Package................................................................................................... 33
9 Abbreviations ........................................................................................... 34

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Table of Figures
Figure 1-1 N11 Block Diagram ........................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2-1 Top view of N11 module.................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3-1 Current peaks and voltage drops ..................................................................................... 9
Figure 3-2 Capacitors used for the power supply .............................................................................. 9
Figure 3-3 Reference design of power supply control ..................................................................... 10
Figure 3-4 Reference design of power supply controlled by p-MOSFET ........................................ 10
Figure 3-5 Reference designs of separated power supply .............................................................. 12
Figure 3-6 Power-on procedure ....................................................................................................... 13
Figure 3-7 Power-off procedure ....................................................................................................... 13
Figure 3-8 Reference circuit for power-on/off control....................................................................... 14
Figure 3-9 Reference circuit for power-on/off controlled by high level............................................. 14
Figure 3-10 Signal connection between DCE and DTE................................................................... 15
Figure 3-11 Recommended level shifting circuit 1 ........................................................................... 16
Figure 3-12 Recommended level shifting circuit 2 ........................................................................... 17
Figure 3-13 RING indicator for incoming call ................................................................................... 19
Figure 3-14 RING indicator for SMS ................................................................................................ 19
Figure 3-15 Reference design of SIM card interface ....................................................................... 20
Figure 3-16 Reference of SIM card socket ...................................................................................... 21
Figure 3-17 LED indicator ................................................................................................................ 22
Figure 3-18 Reference design for antenna interface ....................................................................... 23
Figure 3-19 RF layout reference ...................................................................................................... 23
Figure 3-20 Encapsulation specifications of Murata RF connector ................................................. 24
Figure 3-21 RF connections............................................................................................................. 24
Figure 6-1 PCB foot print recommended for N11 (unit: mm) ........................................................... 31

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Table of Tables
Table 1-1 N11 Specifications.............................................................................................................. 3
Table 2-1 N11 Pin definition ............................................................................................................... 6
Table 3-1 Power supply and switch interface..................................................................................... 8
Table 3-2 UART................................................................................................................................ 15
Table 3-3 DTR and RING pins ......................................................................................................... 18
Table 3-4 SIM card interfaces .......................................................................................................... 19
Table 3-5 LED indicator.................................................................................................................... 21
Table 4-1 Electric feature of the module .......................................................................................... 25
Table 4-2 Temperature Feature........................................................................................................ 25
Table 4-3 Current feature ................................................................................................................. 26
Table 4-4 ESD feature of the module............................................................................................... 27
Table 5-1 Operating band................................................................................................................. 28
Table 5-2 Transmitting power (GSM800&EGSM900) ...................................................................... 28
Table 5-3 Transmitting power (DCS1800&PCS1900)...................................................................... 29

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About This Document
Scope
This document is applicable to N11 series.
It defines the features, indicators, and test standards of the N11 module and provides reference for
the hardware design of each interface.
Audience
This document is intended for system engineers (SEs), development engineers, and test engineers.
Change History
Issue
Date
Change
Changed By
1.0
2018-03
Initial draft
Wang Qiang
1.1
2018-03
Modified the signal
Zhuo JianZheng
1.2
2018-09
Added N11 V2
Zhuo JianZheng
Conventions
Symbol
Indication
This warning symbol means danger. You are in a situation that could cause fatal
device damage or even bodily damage.
Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might perform an action that
could result in module or product damages.
Means note or tips for readers to use the module

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Hardware User Guide
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Related Documents
Neoway_N11_Datasheet
Neoway_N11_Product_Specifications
Neoway_N11_AT_Command_Mannual
Neoway_N11_EVK_User_Guide

N11
Hardware User Guide
Copyright © Neoway Technology Co., Ltd
2
1 About N11
N11 is a compact wireless GSM/GPRS module. It provides high-quality SMS and data services. N11
is widely used in industrial and consumer applications.
N11 series include two variants: N11 and N11 V2. These two variants are completely compatible with
each other in pin definition, packaging, and electric feature. In this document, N11 refers to both
variants if there is additional note.
1.1 Overview
The N11 module adopts 20-pin LGA package and its dimensions are 15.8 mm x 13.8 mm x 2.5 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
Support SIM card 1.8/3.0V self-adaption
Support RING (incoming call and SMS reminder)/NET_LIGHT//LIGHT (work indicator)/DTR
(sleep mode) function
1.2 Block Diagram
The N11 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. Its
design block diagram is shown in Figure 1-1.

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Figure 1-1 N11 Block Diagram
ON/OFF
Power
Manager
Flash
Analog
Baseband
Digital
Baseband
RF Front-end-module 26MHz
Crystal
Digital
Iterface
SIM UART
SIM
VBAT
RF transceiver
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 N11 Specifications
Specifications
Description
Dimensions
(15.8±0.1) mm x (13.8±0.1) mm x (2.5±0.2) mm (H x W x D)
Weight
1.3 g
Package
20-pin LGA
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)

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< 1.1 mA (through instrument, DRX=9)
Frequency band
GSM850/EGSM900/DCS1800/PCS1900
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
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
UART
Support AT command sending, data transmission and firmware
download
Support baud rate from 9600 bit/s to 115200 bit/s
Antenna Feature
50 Ω characteristic impedance

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Hardware User Guide
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2 Pin Description
2.1 Pin Allocation
Figure 2-1 Top view of N11 module
GND
GND
GND
VBAT
VBAT
ON/OFF
SIM_DATA
SIM_CLK
SIM_RESET
VSIM
UART_RXD
UART_TXD
DEBUG_RXD
DEBUG_TXD
VDDIO_2P8
DTR
NET_LIGHT
RING
GND
ANT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
N11
Top View
POWER GND ON/OFF SIM ANT OTHERS UART

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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
AI: indicates analogy signal input pins
AO: indicates analogy signal output pins
Table 2-1 N11 Pin definition
Pin
Pin Name
I/O
Function
Electrical Level
Characteristics (V)
Remarks
Power supply and Switch Interfaces
2, 3
VBAT
P
Power supply
input
3.3 V to 4.3 V (3.9
V is
recommended)
1, 4,
10,
19
GND
P
Ground
5
ON/OFF
DI
ON/OFF input
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<VBAT
Low-level pulse
triggers ON/OFF
state.
15
VDDIO_2P8
P
2.8V power
supply output
Used only for level
shifting and to
supply power for
IO. Load capacity
< 50 mA
UART Interface
12
UART_TXD
DO
UART data
transmit
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<3.1;
0<VOL<0.42;
2.38<VOH<2.8
Used for
command sending
and receiving
11
UART_RXD
DI
UART data
receive
SIM Card
6
SIM_DATA
DI/O
SIM card data
0<VIL<0.25*VSIM;
0.75*VSIM<VIH<VSIM;
Compatible with
1.8/3.0 V SIM card
7
SIM_CLK
DO
SIM card clock

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8
SIM_RESET
DO
SIM card reset
0<VOL<0.15*VSIM;
0.85*VSIM<VOH<VSIM
9
VSIM
P
SIM card
power output
Network indicator
17
NET_LIGHT
DO
Network status
LED
2.8 V/4 mA output
Used with AT
commands
SMS and Call Reminder
18
RING
DO
Ring output
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
16
DTR
DI
Sleep mode
control
0<VIL<0.6;
2.1<VIH<3.1;
0<VOL<0.42;
2.38<VOH<2.8
Used together with
AT commands
GPRS Antenna
20
ANT
AI/O
GPRS antenna
interface
50 Ωimpedance
Reserved Pins
13
DEBUG_TXD
DO
Reserve a test
point. Do not
connect these pins
to power supply or
ground.
14
DEBUG_RXD
DI
Reserve a test
point. 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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3 Application Interfaces
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, 4, 10, 19
GND
P
Ground
5
ON/OFF
DI
ON/OFF input
Low-level triggers ON/OFF state.
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 might 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
Keep above 3. 3 V
3.3V
0 ms 3. 7 ms 7. 4 ms 11.1 ms t
2 A
Voltage
Input
current
3.8V
min
0.577ms
max
2.308ms
Figure 3-2 shows a recommended power supply design for the module.
Figure 3-2 Capacitors used for the power supply
Power Supply N11 Module
Close to the pin of the module
D1 C1 C2 C3 C4
VBAT
Test 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

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shown in Figure 3-3.
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 μF
TAN
0.1 μF
TVS
5V
10 μF
470 μF
TAN
EN
VIN
VOUT
ADJ
MIC29302WU
100 kΩ4.75 kΩ
0.1 μF 100 pF 33 pF
GND
GND
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
VCC_IN_3.9V VBAT
R4
100 kΩ33 pF
10 μF
GPRS_EN
2 kΩ
10 kΩ
0.1 μF
Q1
C1 C2 C4 C5 C7
R1
R2
10 μF 0.1 μF
Q2
TVS
5V
470 μF
C3 C6
100pF
S
G
D

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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.

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Figure 3-5 Reference designs of separated power supply
Other
circuit
DC-DC/LDO
N11
module
DC-DC/LDO
Power
Input
Other
circuit
DC-DC/LDO
N11
module
Power
Input 10 uH
Reference Design (a) Reference Design (b)
Never use a diode to make the drop voltage between a higher input and module power. Otherwise,
Neoway will not provide warranty for product issues caused by this. In this situation, the diode will
obviously decrease the module performances, or result in unexpected restarts, due to the forward
voltage of diode will vary greatly in different temperature and current.
EMC Considerations
Place transient overvoltage protection components like TVS diode on power supply, to absorb the
power surges. SMAJ5.0A/C could be a choice.
3.1.2 Power-On/Off Control and Procedure
Prior to turning on the module, power on the host MCU and finish the UART initialization. Otherwise
conflictions may occur during initialization, due to unstable conditions. ON/OFF is a pin triggered by
low level pulse and used to turn on or off the module.
Power-On Procedure
While the module is off, pull the ON/OFF pin to ground for at least 1.2 second and then release, the
module will start.
If the module adopts a fixed baudrate, an unsolicited message (\r\nMODEM:STARTUP\r\n) will be sent
to host through UART port, indicating that the module is initialized and the UART can respond to the
AT commands.

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Figure 3-6 Power-on procedure
VBAT
ON/OFF
UART
3s
1.2s
During program design, use the unsolicited message \r\nMODEM:STARTUP\r\n to check whether the
module is started or whether the module is reset properly after setting the baud rate.
Pay attention to the interface level exception between MCU and the module, especially the UART port,
might affect the power on procedure of the module. E.g. in the turn on procedure, IO port of MCU has not
completed the initialization and is in the output state, UTXD signal of the port (also the output pin) forced
to pull low or high, the module may not be able to turn on normally.
Power-Off Procedure
While the module is on, pull the ON/OFF pin to ground for at least 500 ms and then release, the
module will try to detach to network and normally 2 seconds later it will shut down. Another approach
to turn off the module is using AT commands. For details, please refer to
Neoway_N11_AT_Commands_Manual.
Figure 3-7 Power-off procedure
VBAT
ON/OFF
UART
2 s
500 ms

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Automatic Shutdown Triggered by Low Voltage
Low voltage of the power supply will trigger automatic shutdown of the module.
The module keeps monitoring the voltage at VBAT. When it is lower than 3.3 V, the module shuts
down automatically.
Power-On/Off Control
Figure 3-8 shows a reference circuit for ON/OFF control with inverted control logic.
Figure 3-8 Reference circuit for power-on/off control
N11 module
ON/OFF
TVS
S 1
Figure 3-9 Reference circuit for power-on/off controlled by high level
USER_ON
N11 module
ON/OFF
4.7 kΩ
47 kΩ
R1
R2
In Figure 3-9, high level takes effect for ON/OFF on the user side (USER_ON) after level shifting.
R1 and R2 can be adjusted according to the driving capability of the USER_ON pin.