Quectel BG770A-GL User manual

BG770A-GL TE-A
User Guide
LPWA Module Series
Version: 1.0
Date: 2021-12-29
Status: Released

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Copyright © Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd. 2021. All rights reserved.

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Safety Information
The following safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation, such as usage, service
or repair of any cellular or mobile terminal incorporating the module. Manufacturers of the cellular terminal
should distribute the following safety precautions to users and operating personnel, and incorporate them
into all product manuals. Otherwise, Quectel assumes no liability for customer failure to comply with these
precautions.
Full attention must be paid to driving at all times in order to reduce the risk of an
accident. Using a mobile terminal while driving (even with a handsfree kit) causes
distraction and can lead to an accident. Please comply with laws and regulations
restricting the use of wireless devices while driving.
Switch off the cellular terminal or mobile before boarding an aircraft. The operation
of wireless appliances in an aircraft is forbidden to prevent interference with
communication systems. If there is an Airplane Mode, it should be enabled prior to
boarding an aircraft. Please consult the airline staff for more restrictions on the use
of wireless devices on an aircraft.
Wireless devices may cause interference on sensitive medical equipment, so
please be aware of the restrictions on the use of wireless devices when in
hospitals, clinics or other healthcare facilities.
Cellular or mobile terminals operating over radio signal and cellular network cannot
be guaranteed to connect in certain conditions, such as when the mobile bill is
unpaid or the (U)SIM card is invalid. When emergency help is needed in such
conditions, use emergency call if the device supports it. In order to make or receive
a call, the cellular terminal or mobile must be switched on in a service area with
adequate cellular signal strength. In an emergency, the device with emergency call
function cannot be used as the only contact method considering network
connection cannot be guaranteed under all circumstances.
The cellular terminal or mobile contains a transceiver. When it is ON, it receives
and transmits radio frequency signals. RF interference can occur if it is used close
to TV sets, radios, computers or other electric equipment.
In locations with explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres, obey all posted
signs and turn off wireless devices such as mobile phone or other cellular
terminals. Areas with explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres include
refueling areas, below decks on boats, fuel or chemical transfer or storage
facilities, and areas where the air contains chemicals or particles such as grain,
dust or metal powders.

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About the Document
Revision History
Version
Date
Author
Description
-
2021-12-22
Lex LI
Creation of the document
1.0
2021-12-29
Lex LI
First official release

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Contents
Safety Information.......................................................................................................................................3
About the Document...................................................................................................................................4
Contents.......................................................................................................................................................5
Table Index...................................................................................................................................................6
Figure Index.................................................................................................................................................7
1Introduction..........................................................................................................................................8
2Product Concept..................................................................................................................................9
2.1. Top and Bottom Views.............................................................................................................9
2.2. Component & Interface Introduction .....................................................................................10
3Application Interfaces .......................................................................................................................11
3.1. UART Interfaces....................................................................................................................11
3.2. BTB Connector......................................................................................................................12
3.3. Test Points.............................................................................................................................16
4Operating Procedures.......................................................................................................................18
4.1. Physical Assembly.................................................................................................................18
4.2. Turning On/Off.......................................................................................................................19
4.3. Communicating with the Module via UART Interfaces..........................................................19
4.4. Firmware Upgrading..............................................................................................................20
5Appendix References........................................................................................................................22

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Table Index
Table 1: Components and Interfaces of BG770A-GLTE-A....................................................................... 10
Table 2: Pin Definition of the BTB1 Connector ..........................................................................................13
Table 3: Pin Definition of Test Points.......................................................................................................... 16
Table 4: Related Documents......................................................................................................................22
Table 5: Terms and Abbreviations.............................................................................................................. 22

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Figure Index
Figure 1: BG770A-GL TE-ATop View..........................................................................................................9
Figure 2: BG770A-GL TE-A Bottom View.................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: UART Interface ............................................................................................................................11
Figure 4: CP2102N Driver Installation .......................................................................................................12
Figure 5: BTB Connectors.......................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 6: Test Points................................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 7: Connection Between BG770A-GL TE-A, UMTS&LTE EVB and Antennas................................ 18
Figure 8: Main UART Communication.......................................................................................................20
Figure 9: Emergency Download Mode Test Points.................................................................................... 21

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1Introduction
This user guide describes the application details of BG770A-GL TE-A, which is an assistant tool for
engineers to develop applications and test basic functionalities with Quectel BG770A-GL.
BG770A-GL TE-Ais intended to be used in combination with UMTS&LTE EVB. For detailed description of
UMTS&LTE EVB, see document [1]. This EVB is suitable for the BG770A-GL TE-A’s functional tests. As
peripheral devices on the EVB impact power consumption measurement, if accurate power consumption
test results on TE-A are needed, please contact Quectel Technical Support.

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2Product Concept
2.1. Top and Bottom Views
A
C
BD
E
F G
H
I
Figure 1: BG770A-GL TE-A Top View
J
J
Figure 2: BG770A-GL TE-A Bottom View

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2.2. Component & Interface Introduction
Detailed information about components and interfaces of BG770A-GL TE-A is listed below.
Table 1: Components and Interfaces of BG770A-GL TE-A
SN
Component/Interface
Description
A
UART_AUX
Connects to auxiliary UART through CP2102N USB to UART bridge
with the highest baud rate at 3 Mbps.
B
External 1.8 V LDO
Provides additional 1.8 V voltage to PON_TRIG switch. Note that
when UART_DBG and UART_AUX are not connected with a USB
cable, LDO does not work.
C
UART_DBG
Connects to debug UART through CP2102N USB to UART bridge
with the highest baud rate at 3 Mbps.
D
PON_TRIG Switch
When the switch is at “1V8”state, PON_TRIG is pulled up high. At
“GND”state, PON_TRIG is grounded via a 100 kΩ resistor.
E
UART_DBG Test Points
Short-circuit these two test points (DEBUG_TXD and DEBUG_RXD)
and then reset the module via the RESET button on EVB, the
BG770A-GL enters the recovery mode.
F
GNSS Antenna Interface
GNSS antenna connector
G
Main Antenna Interface
Main antenna connector
H
Polymer Tantalum
Capacitor
According to tests, these two capacitors have a leakage current of
over 2 μA.
I
Automatic Power-on
Switch
Switching to “ON”turns on the power-on circuit automatically. When
VBAT rushes from 0 V to 3.3 V, the module will boot automatically. By
switching to “OFF”, the power circuit is disconnected automatically.
When the automatic power-on circuit is enabled, there is a constant
current consumption of about 700 μA.
J
CP2102N USB to UART
Bridges
For more information, see Chapter 3.1.
All other interfaces and test points, which are not mentioned in the table above, are reserved for
debugging purpose only - they are not for customers.
NOTE

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3Application Interfaces
3.1. UART Interfaces
Figure 3: UART Interface
UART_DBG is for firmware upgrading, software debugging, log outputting and NMEA messages
outputting. UART_AUX is used for RF calibration and log outputting.
Install the USB to UART Bridge VCP Driver before you use the UART interfaces. Access Silicon Labs’
official website from here CP2102N_QFN28 to acquire the installation package.
The detailed downloading and installation steps are illustrated below. Some new versions of Windows 10
may automatically install the driver. The figure below is an example of the installation under the Windows
x64 system. Once the driver is installed, you can receive boot logs via QCOM, or for subsequent firmware
upgrades.

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Figure 4: CP2102N Driver Installation
3.2. BTB Connector
The BTB connector is used to connect TE-A to UMTS&LTE EVB. Most module pins are connected to
BTB1 connector; some pins are connected directly to TE-A’s peripheral circuit or test points; and no pins
are connected to BTB2 connector.
Module signals derived from BTB1 connector are listed below:
⚫PCM
⚫I2C
⚫RESET_N
⚫PWRKEY
⚫ADC1
⚫ADC0
⚫STATUS_N
1
⚫NET_STATUS
⚫GPIO
⚫USB
⚫AP_READY
⚫W_DISABLE#
⚫Main UART
1
To synchronize with the indication LEDs on UMTS&LTE EVB, an inverter is added to the STATUS output signal of
BG770A-GL, therefore the signal of BTB1 connector is defined as "STATUS_N".

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⚫VDD_EXT
⚫USIM
Figure 5: BTB Connectors
Table 2: Pin Definition of the BTB1 Connector
Pin No.
Pin Name
I/O
Pin No.
Pin Name
I/O
100
VBAT
PI
99
VBAT
PI
98
VBAT
PI
97
VBAT
PI
96
GND
-
95
VBAT
PI
94
GND
-
93
GND
-
92
GND
-
91
GND
-
90
-
-
89
-
-
88
AP_READY
DI
87
-
-
86
-
-
85
-
-
84
W_DISABLE#
DI
83
USB_VBUS
DI

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82
-
-
81
GND
-
80
MAIN_RXD
DI
79
USB_DM
AIO
78
MAIN_TXD
DO
77
USB_DP
AIO
76
MAIN_DTR
DI
75
GND
-
74
MAIN_RTS
DI
73
-
-
72
MAIN_CTS
DO
71
-
-
70
MAIN_DCD
DO
69
-
-
68
MAIN_RI
DO
67
GPIO4
DIO
66
VDD_EXT
PO
65
NET_STATUS
DO
64
GND
-
63
-
-
62
GPIO3
DIO
61
STATUS_N
DO
60
GPIO2
DIO
59
-
-
58
GPIO5
DIO
57
-
-
56
GPIO7
DIO
55
GND
-
54
GND
-
53
ADC0
AI
52
-
-
51
GND
-
50
-
-
49
ADC1
AI
48
-
-
47
GND
-
46
-
-
45
PWRKEY
DI
44
-
-
43
RESET_N
DI
42
-
-
41
-
-
40
-
-
39
GND
-
38
GND
-
37
I2C_SCL
DO
36
-
-
35
I2C_SDA
DIO
34
-
-
33
GND
32
-
-
31
PCM_CLK
DO

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30
-
-
29
PCM_SYNC
DO
28
-
-
27
PCM_OUT
DO
26
-
-
25
PCM_IN
DI
24
-
-
23
-
-
22
-
-
21
-
-
20
-
-
19
-
-
18
-
-
17
-
-
16
GND
-
15
-
-
14
USIM_DET
DI
13
-
-
12
USIM_VDD
PO
11
-
-
10
USIM_DATA
DIO
9
-
-
8
USIM_CLK
DO
7
-
-
6
USIM_RST
DO
5
-
-
4
USIM_GND
-
3
GND
-
2
GND
-
1
GND
-

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3.3. Test Points
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
10
7
11
12 13
14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21 24
22 25
26
27
23
28
29
Figure 6: Test Points
Table 3: Pin Definition of Test Points
2
The “Pin Name” column is defined as per the module pins that the test points connect to; therefore, the Pin Names might
be different from the test point names (i.e., the silk screen printed names on the TE-A).
No.
Pin Name 2
I/O
Description
1
GPIO6
DIO
General-purpose input/output
2
AUX_RTS 2
DI
DTE request to send signal from DCE (Connects to DTE’s RTS)
3
AUX_RXD
DI
Auxiliary UART receiver
4
GRFC1
DO
Generic RF controller
5
AUX_CTS 2
DO
DTE request to send signal from DCE (Connects to DTE’s CTS)
6
AUX_TXD
DO
Auxiliary UART transmitter
7
VDD_1V8
PO
External 1V8 LDO output
8
GRFC2
DO
Generic RF controller
9
GPIO1
DIO
General-purpose input/output
10
PON_TRIG
DI
Used to enter or exit e-l-DRX, sleep, PSM and power-down

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All other test points, which are not mentioned in the table above, are reserved for debugging purpose only
- they are not for customers.
modes
11
DBG_CTS 2
DO
DTE request to send signal from DCE (Connects to DTE’s CTS)
12
DBG_TXD
DO
Debug UART transmitter
13
DBG_RTS 2
DI
DTE request to send signal from DCE (Connects to DTE’s RTS)
14
DBG_RXD
DI
Debug UART receiver
15
USB_DM
AIO
USB differential data (-)
16
USB_DP
AIO
USB differential data (+)
17
USB_VBUS
AI
USB connection detection
18
RESET_N
DI
Reset the module
19
PWRKEY
DI
Turn on/off the module
20
VDD_EXT
PO
Provide 1.8 V for external circuit
21
ADC1
AI
General-purpose ADC interface
22
STATUS
DO
Indicate the module's operation status
23
AP_READY
DI
Application processor ready
24
ADC0
AI
General-purpose ADC interface
25
NET_ STATUS
DO
Indicate the module's network activity status
26
W_DSIABLE#
DI
Airplane mode control
27
GPIO4
DIO
General-purpose input/output
28
GND
-
-
29
VBAT
PI
Power supply for module
NOTE

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4Operating Procedures
4.1. Physical Assembly
The connection between BG770A-GL TE-A, UMTS&LTE EVB and main/GNSS antenna is presented
below:
Figure 7: Connection Between BG770A-GL TE-A, UMTS&LTE EVB and Antennas

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4.2. Turning On/Off
Turn on/off procedure of BG770A-GL TE-A is controlled by TE-A itself and UMTS&LTE EVB. See
document [1] and document [2] for more information.
1. With the TE-A and UMTS&LTE EVB, BG770A-GL supports automatic power-on according to the
steps illustrated below:
a) Connect the TE-Ato the EVB.
b) Switch the Automatic Power-on switch on TE-A to “ON” state.
c) Power on the EVB by connecting it to a power supply and switch S201 (Power Switch) on EVB to
“ON” state.
d) The module powers on automatically.
2. Use of PON_TRIG switch on TE-A during the turning on procedure:
a) Connect the TE-Ato the EVB.
b) Power on the EVB by connecting it to a power supply and switch S201 (Power Switch) on EVB to
“ON” state.
c) Press S302 (PWRKEY) on EVB for 500–1000 ms, after which switch the PON_TRIG switch on
TE-A to “1V8” state.
d) The module powers on.
3. Use of PON_TRIG switch on TE-A during the turning off procedure:
a) Press down the S302 button on EVB, or execute AT+APOWD. See document [3] for details of
the command.
b) Switch the PON_TRIG switch on TE-A to “GND” state to power off the module.
4.3. Communicating with the Module via UART Interfaces
1. Connect the main UART of EVB to PC’s USB port with the USB-to-UART converter cable.
2. Connect the debug UART of BG770A-GL TE-A to PC’s USB port with the micro-USB cable.
3. Switch the PON_TRIG switch on BG770A-GL TE-A to “1V8”state (refer to figure below). Please note
that if debug UART is not connected and the PON_TRIG switch is not switched to “1V8”, then the
main UART will be inaccessible.
The debug UART of BG770A-GL is directly connected to TE-A's CP2102N by default. Therefore, COM2
on UMTS&LTE EVB cannot be used for debugging.
NOTE