NetComm Wireless NTC-100 User manual

Quick Start Guide
NTC-100
4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem

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Quick start guide
This quick start guide will help you set up and connect your device quickly and easily.
More advanced set up instructions can be found in the user guide which can be
downloaded from www.netcommwireless.com/product/m2m/ntc-100.
Package contents
The NTC-100 package includes:
1 x NTC-100
1 x DIN rail mounting bracket
1 x Torx screw
1 x Y-cable
(Nano-t to DE-9 and DC power input)
1 x Quick Start Guide

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
1 x DIN rail mounting bracket
Prerequisites
Depending on your circumstances, you may require some of the following items to
complete the installation of the NTC-100 serial modem:
• An AC/DC power adapter,
-2.1mm centre positive jack,
-100-240V AC : 12V DC/1.5A (used in conjunction
with the included Y-cable)
• A suitable cellular antenna such as the NANT-00001-000
(LTE Tube Antenna)
• A standard USB to USB Micro Type B cable
• Additional screws and fasteners
• A Windows PC or other device with an available serial or USB port
• A terminal emulation client such as PuTTY
• A T6 Torx driver to secure the SIM slot (optional)

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Device Overview
Cellular antenna
connector
10-pin NANO-t (locking) connector
(power and serial interface)
84 mm
89 mm
50 mm

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Reset button
Network
Status
SIM card slot
Micro USB 2.0 port
21 mm

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Installation
Connecting the antenna
Connect the antenna to the SMA connector on the NTC-100 serial modem by
placing it on the SMA connector and turning it in a clockwise direction.

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Inserting the SIM card
1. Lift the cover from the right side. This reveals the Micro USB 2.0 port and the
reset button.
2. Slide the cover to the right to reveal the SIM card slot.

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3. Insert the SIM card into the slot with the gold SIM conductor pins facing
down. Push the SIM card in until it locks in place. To remove the SIM card,
push it in again and it will unlock.
4. Slide the cover back to the left and then push the right side closed.
5. To lock the protective cover, fasten the provided Torx screw into the hole
below the SIM card slot on the bottom of the device using a T6 Torx driver.

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Powering the NTC-100 serial modem via 5V Micro
USB socket
The NTC-100 serial modem features a USB port which can optionally be used for
serial connectivity, terminal emulation or for establishing a PPP internet connection.
The USB port enumerates a number of endpoints after the USB port driver is
installed.
Connect a standard USB to USB Micro Type B cable (not included) between the
NTC-100 serial modem and a powered USB port on your device (e.g. computer).
The USB cable provides the NTC-100 serial modem with power and an emulated
serial port input.
Power and serial communication options
The NTC-100 serial modem may be connected and powered by:
• The built-in 5V Micro USB socket (USB cable not included)
OR
• The 10-pin power/data connector using the included Y-cable.

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1. For USB port communication, you must install a driver compatible with the
NTC-100 serial modem’s embedded Quectel BG96 cellular module. The
Windows drivers are available from the NTC-100 serial modem product page
on the NetComm Wireless website (www.netcommwireless.com/product/
m2m/ntc-100).
2. After the download has completed, install the driver by double-clicking on the
downloaded le and following the installer prompts.
3. Open the Control Panel and then Device Manager. The NTC-100 serial
modem appears under Ports with three Quectel USB entries.
The COM port used for each port is displayed in brackets next to each port type.
For terminal access, take note of the COM port assigned to the Quectel USB
AT Port. In the screenshot above, it is COM11. For further instructions, see the
Accessing the NTC-100 via terminal emulator section of this guide.

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Powering the NTC-100 via Y-cable
The included Y-cable features a breakout cable providing a DC Jack. Connect the
Serial plug to a Serial port on your device (e.g. computer) and then connect a 4.5-
36V power source to the DC Jack to power the unit. Connect the 10-pin plug into
the 10-pin connector on the NTC-100 serial modem.
After powering up, the NTC-100 serial modem is ready to establish a serial
communication link. See the next section for instructions on accessing the NTC-
100 serial modem via terminal emulator.
Conguring the NTC-100 via SMS
A full list of SMS commands used to control and congure the NTC-100 are
available in the User Guide.

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Accessing the NTC-100 via terminal emulator
To access the NTC-100 using a terminal emulator:
1. Using your terminal emulator, create a new connection to the COM port
assigned to the connected serial port, with the bitrate set to 115200.
2. If you are accessing the NTC-100 via the USB interface, type AT and Press
Enter in the terminal window that appears. If the NTC-100 is connected, it
replies with OK. Note that you can access only module AT commands from the
USB port.
If you are accessing the NTC-100 via the Serial Y cable, type any character.
The terminal prompts you for a username and password. At the username
prompt, type root then press Enter. At the password prompt, type admin
then press Enter. When logged in, type AT. The NTC-100 replies with OK.
From the Serial interface, you can access module AT commands and custom
application AT commands.
Further AT commands are available in the supporting documentation on the
NetComm Wireless website at
www.netcommwireless.com/product/m2m/ntc-100

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Mounting options
The NTC-100 serial modem can be mounted on a wall, DIN rail or a pole by using
the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is made from polyamide, a exible
material.
DIN rail mounting
The NTC-100 serial modem mounting bracket has been designed to t a TS 35
Type-O DIN rail with a 25mm core.
Bend the mounting bracket at the bend line so that the ridges are able to ‘hold’
onto the DIN rail edges as per the diagram below. Alternatively, if the end of the
DIN rail is open, you can slide the bracket on to the rail. You also have the option
of securing the mounting bracket further by screwing it into place on the rail.

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Wall mounting
Select the location where you would like to attach the NTC-100 serial modem.
Attach the mounting bracket to the chosen wall or ceiling by using the 3 screw
holes (screws not included).
Pole mounting
Use cable ties (max 4mm width) through the holes on the mounting bracket to afx
the NTC-100 to a pole.

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Inserting the
NTC-100 into the
mounting bracket
Once the bracket is attached to the DIN rail, wall or pole, snap the NTC-100 into
the mounting bracket to hold it in place. The NTC-100 can be snapped into the
mounting bracket in two ways, as shown below.

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Pin outs
10-pin power/data connector
Pin map
Nano-Fit Pin DE-9 Pin Wire Colour RS-232 RS-485 RS-422
12 Green RXD A RD-
21 Blue DCD B RD+
37 Yellow RTS
49Orange RI
55 Black GND GND GND
64 Brown DTR TD-
73 White TXD TD+
86 Purple DSR
98 Grey CTS
10 - Red DC In DC In DC In
Note: The image to the left depicts the
NanoFit header on the NTC-100 as
viewed from the side of the device.

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
USB
1. VUSB 5V
2. USB Data N
3. USB Data P
4. USB ID
5. GND

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LED indicators
The NTC-100 serial modem uses two LEDs to display the current system and
connection status.
Status LED
Status Description
Off The power is off.
Flashing Red Device error.
Flashing Green The NTC-100 is powering up.
Solid Green The NTC-100 is powered up and ready for connection.
Network LED
Functions
Status Description
Off No signal.
Intermittently Red (on 30
seconds, off 30 seconds) No SIM detected.
Blinking Red (displays red
once every 2 seconds) SIM detected but not connected.
Blinking Red, Amber or
Green
Registered to network with poor (red), medium
(amber) or strong (green) signal strength.
Flashing Red, Amber or
Green
Data being transferred with poor (red), medium
(amber) or strong (green) signal strength.

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NTC-100 4G LTE Cat M1/NB1 Industrial IoT Serial Modem
Signal Strength
Network LED Colour Signal Strength
Green High
Amber Medium
Red Low
OFF No signal
Accessories
Additional cables are available for purchase separately. Contact your NetComm
Wireless sales representative to order additional cables. Refer to the table below
for the product codes.
Accessory Name Product Code
Y-Cable (DE-9 female to 10-pin + DC5521 female) MCBL-00004-000
Straight cable (8P8C to 10-pin) MCBL-00003-000
Straight cable (10-pin to open cable) MCBL-00005-000

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Regulatory information
FCC regulations
Federal Communications Commission Notice (United States): Before a wireless
device model is available for sale to the public, it must be tested and certied to
the FCC that it does not exceed the limit established by the government-adopted
requirement for safe exposure.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: