Quectel L80 User manual

L80&L80-R&L86&LC86L
EVB User Guide
GNSS Module Series
Version: 2.0
Date: 2020-12-22
Status: Released
www.quectel.com

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information.All information supplied herein is subject to change without prior notice.
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Copyright
The information contained here is proprietary technical information of Quectel. Transmitting, reproducing,
disseminating and editing this document as well as using the content without permission are forbidden.
Offenders will be held liable for payment of damages.All rights are reserved in the event of a patent grant
or registration of a utility model or design.
Copyright © Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd. 2020. All rights reserved.

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About the Document
Revision History
Version
Date
Author
Description
1.0
2014-08-18
Bond SUN
Initial
2.0
2020-12-22
Ronnie HU
1. Incorporated the information of L80, L80-R and L86
EVB user guides (created separately years ago) into
this manual.
2. Added the applicable module LC86L.

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Contents
About the Document...................................................................................................................................3
Contents.......................................................................................................................................................4
Table Index...................................................................................................................................................5
Figure Index.................................................................................................................................................6
1Introduction..........................................................................................................................................7
1.1. Safety Information.......................................................................................................................7
2General Overview.................................................................................................................................8
2.1. Top View......................................................................................................................................8
2.2. EVB KitAccessories ...................................................................................................................9
2.3. EVB and Accessories Assembly...............................................................................................10
3EVB Interfaces....................................................................................................................................12
3.1. Micro-USB Interface..................................................................................................................12
3.2. Antenna Interface......................................................................................................................12
3.3. Switches and Buttons ...............................................................................................................13
3.4. Status Indication LEDs..............................................................................................................14
3.5. Test Points.................................................................................................................................15
4EVB Operation Procedures...............................................................................................................17
4.1. Communication Through Micro USB Interface.........................................................................17
4.2. Firmware Upgrade....................................................................................................................18
5Using PowerGPS................................................................................................................................20
5.1. COM and Baud Rate Setting....................................................................................................20
5.1.1. Interface Explained ........................................................................................................21
5.2. PMTK Command Sending........................................................................................................22
5.3. Automatic TTFF Testing............................................................................................................23
6Appendix A References.....................................................................................................................28

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Table Index
Table 1:Available Interfaces ........................................................................................................................8
Table 2: List of Accessories........................................................................................................................ 10
Table 3: Switches and Buttons...................................................................................................................14
Table 4: Status Indication LEDs.................................................................................................................15
Table 5: Pin Description of Test Points (J401)........................................................................................... 16
Table 6: PowerGPS Interface Explained.................................................................................................... 21
Table 7: Related Documents...................................................................................................................... 28
Table 8: Terms and Abbreviations..............................................................................................................28

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Figure Index
Figure 1: Top View of the EVB.....................................................................................................................8
Figure 2: EVB Kit Accessories .....................................................................................................................9
Figure 3: EVB and Accessories Assembly..................................................................................................11
Figure 4: Micro-USB Connector.................................................................................................................12
Figure 5: Antenna Connector..................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 6: Switches and Buttons................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 7: Status Indication LEDs................................................................................................................14
Figure 8: GNSS EVB Test Points (J401).................................................................................................... 15
Figure 9: USB Ports ...................................................................................................................................17
Figure 10: COM Port Setting Interface of QCOM......................................................................................17
Figure 11: FlashTool Configurations for Firmware Upgrade...................................................................... 18
Figure 12: PowerGPS Interface (Not Connected)..................................................................................... 20
Figure 13: PowerGPS Interface (Connected)............................................................................................ 21
Figure 14: PMTK Command Sending via PowerGPS............................................................................... 23
Figure 15: Static TTFF Testing via PowerGPS ..........................................................................................24
Figure 16: Choose Reference Location..................................................................................................... 24
Figure 17: Click Use Mean Position...........................................................................................................25
Figure 18: Click Configuration....................................................................................................................25
Figure 19: Set TTFF Time-out (Sec).......................................................................................................... 26
Figure 20: Click Run/Stop Button............................................................................................................... 27

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1Introduction
In this document you can find the information on how to use the evaluation board (EVB) to develop and
test Quectel L80, L80-R, L86, and LC86L modules.
1.1. Safety Information
The following safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation, such as usage, service
or repair of any terminal incorporating Quectel L80, L80-R, L86 and LC86L modules. Manufacturers of the
terminal should distribute the following safety information to users and operating personnel and include
these guidelines into all manuals supplied with the product. Otherwise, Quectel assumes no liability for
customers’ failure to comply with these precautions.
Ensure that the use of the product conforms to the national safety and
environmental regulations, and is allowed to be used in the country and in the
required environment.
Keep away from explosive and flammable materials. The use of electronic
products in extreme power supply conditions and locations with potentially
explosive atmospheres may cause fire and explosion hazards.
The product must be powered by a stable voltage source. Additionally, the wiring
must conform to security and fire prevention regulations.
Proper ESD handling procedures must be applied throughout the mounting,
handling and operation of any application that incorporates the module to avoid
ESD damages.

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2General Overview
2.1. Top View
The following figure illustrates the top view of the EVB.
Figure 1: Top View of the EVB
Table 1: Available Interfaces
SN.
Reference Number
Description
A
J403
Antenna connector 1)
B
D303, D304, D305, D306,
D307
Indication LEDs 2) (see Chapter 3.4 for details)

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1. 1) The antenna connector is invalid for the L80-R module, as the module does not support an external
antenna.
2. 2) The L80-R does not support active antenna detection interface, so the D307 (AADET_N) is invalid for
this module as well. Additionally, D305 and D306 are not supported by any of the applicable modules.
3. 3) The L80 and L80-R modules do not support the FORCE_ON interface, so the FORCE_ON button is
invalid for those modules.
2.2. EVB Kit Accessories
Figure 2: EVB Kit Accessories
C
J401
Test points
D
U404
The module
E
S201
USB ←→ SD Card (USB/SD Card alternation switch)
F
S101
POWER switch
G
J103
Micro-USB connector
H
S302
FORCE_ON button 3)
I
S301
RESET button
NOTES

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Table 2: List of Accessories
1) As the L80-R module does not support an external antenna, the active antenna is not included in the EVB
kit for L80-R.
2.3. EVB and Accessories Assembly
For information on how to connect the EVB and its accessories, see the instruction sheet provided in the
EVB Kit. On the following figure you can see the EVB and the accessories when they are assembled.
Items
Description
Quantity
EVB
Evaluation board
1
USB Cable
Micro-USB cable
1
Antenna
Active GNSS antenna1)
1
USB Flash Drive
USB flash drive (including the module-related
documents, tools, and drivers)
1
Instruction Sheet
A sheet of paper giving instructions for EVB
connection, details of EVB accessories, and much
more.
1
Others
Bolts and coupling nuts
4 pairs
NOTE

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Figure 3: EVB and Accessories Assembly
As the L80-R module does not support an external antenna, the active antenna is not included in the EVB
kit for L80-R.
NOTE

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3EVB Interfaces
3.1. Micro-USB Interface
The micro USB connector is used for both power supply input and NMEA sentences output.
Figure 4: Micro-USB Connector
3.2. Antenna Interface
The EVB is mounted with an antenna connector for the connection with an external active GNSS
antenna.
Micro USB
Connector

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Figure 5: Antenna Connector
The antenna connector is invalid for the L80-R module, as the module does not support an external
antenna.
3.3. Switches and Buttons
The following figure illustrates the switches and buttons on the EVB.
Figure 6: Switches and Buttons
Antenna
Connector
NOTE

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Table 3: Switches and Buttons
1) The L80 and L80-R modules do not support the FORCE_ON interface, so the FORCE_ON button is
invalid for these modules.
3.4. Status Indication LEDs
Figure 7: Status Indication LEDs
Reference
No.
Name
I/O
Description
S101
POWER
PI
Powers the EVB on/off
S201
USB ←→ SD
(USB/SD alternation switch)
DI
Switches the data communication port.
Keep the switch on “USB” side, as the modules do
not support the SD-card function.
S302
FORCE_ON 1)
DI
Short press (press and then release) the button to
wake up the module from the backup mode.
S301
RESET
DI
Short press (press and then release) the button to
reset the module.
D307
D303
D304
D305
D306
NOTE

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Table 4: Status Indication LEDs
1. 1) L80-R does not support active antenna detection interface, so D307 is invalid for this module.
2. D305 and D306 LEDs are not supported by any of the applicable modules.
3.5. Test Points
The following figure illustrates the EVB test points.
Figure 8: GNSS EVB Test Points (J401)
Reference
No.
Name
I/O
Description
D303
1PPS
DO
Flash: successful position fix. The frequency is 1 Hz.
Extinct: no position fix.
D304
TXD
DO
Flash: Data output from TXD pin.
Extinct: No data output from TXD pin.
D307
AADET_N 1)
DO
Bright: EVB uses the external active antenna.
Extinct: EVB uses the internal patch antenna.
1
2
5
4
3
NOTES

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Table 5: Pin Description of Test Points (J401)
The other pins are not supported by the applicable modules.
Pin No.
Signal
I/O
Description
1
GND
-
Ground
2
RESET
DI
Resets the module
3
1PPS
DO
1 pulse per second
4
TXD
DO
Transmits data
5
RXD
DI
Receives data
NOTE

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4EVB Operation Procedures
This chapter illustrates the EVB operation procedures.
4.1. Communication Through Micro USB Interface
Step 1: Connect the EVB to your computer with a micro-USB cable through the micro-USB interface,
and then turn on the POWER switch (S101) to power on the EVB.
Step 2: Run the USB flash drive on the PC to install the USB driver. After installation, the USB port
numbers can be viewed through a device manager, as shown below.
Figure 9: USB Ports
Step 3: Install and then use the QCOM tool provided by Quectel to realize the communication between
the module and the PC.
The following figure shows the COM Port Setting interface of QCOM: select the correct “COM
Port” (USB port number shown in the figure above) and set the correct “Baudrate” (the default
value: 9600 bps). For more details of the usage of QCOM, see document [4].
Figure 10: COM Port Setting Interface of QCOM

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4.2. Firmware Upgrade
Quectel L80, L86 and LC86L modules upgrade the firmware via micro-USB interface. Follow the
procedures below to upgrade firmware.
Step 1: Install and open the firmware upgrade tool FlashTool on your computer.
Step 2: Connect the EVB to the PC with a micro-USB cable through the micro-USB interface, and then
turn on the POWER switch (S101) to power on the EVB.
Step 3: Follow the steps below to start firmware upgrade.
a) Click the “Settings” “Baud rate” dropdown list and select the “115200”.
b) Click the “Settings” “COM Port” dropdown list and select the COM port.
c) Select the files to be downloaded: tick the boxes next to the "Reserve" and the "ROM" to select
the corresponding file path ("Reserve" corresponds to the download management file, and
"ROM" to the firmware to be downloaded).
d) Click the “Download”, “OK”and “Go” buttons to start firmware upgrade.
Figure 11: FlashTool Configurations for Firmware Upgrade

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As the L80-R module is the ROM-based version without built-in Flash, the module has no firmware upgrade
function.
NOTE