Sierra Wireless AirPrime SL808 Series User manual

ProductTechnicalSpecification
& Customer Design Guidelines
AirPrime SL808X
2400058
Rev 1

Preface
Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 3
Important
Notice Due to the nature of wireless communications, transmission and reception of data
can never be guaranteed. Data may be delayed, corrupted (i.e., have errors) or be
totally lost. Although significant delays or losses of data are rare when wireless
devices such as the Sierra Wireless modem are used in a normal manner with a
well-constructed network, the Sierra Wireless modem should not be used in
situations where failure to transmit or receive data could result in damage of any
kind to the user or any other party, including but not limited to personal injury,
death, or loss of property. Sierra Wireless accepts no responsibility for damages
of any kind resulting from delays or errors in data transmitted or received using
the Sierra Wireless modem, or for failure of the Sierra Wireless modem to
transmit or receive such data.
Safety and
Hazards Do not operate the Sierra Wireless modem in areas where blasting is in progress,
where explosive atmospheres may be present, near medical equipment, near life
support equipment, or any equipment which may be susceptible to any form of
radio interference. In such areas, the Sierra Wireless modem MUST BE
POWERED OFF. The Sierra Wireless modem can transmit signals that could
interfere with this equipment.
Do not operate the Sierra Wireless modem in any aircraft, whether the aircraft is
on the ground or in flight. In aircraft, the Sierra Wireless modem MUST BE
POWERED OFF. When operating, the Sierra Wireless modem can transmit
signals that could interfere with various onboard systems.
Note: Some airlines may permit the use of cellular phones while the aircraft is on the
ground and the door is open. Sierra Wireless modems may be used at this time.
The driver or operator of any vehicle should not operate the Sierra Wireless
modem while in control of a vehicle. Doing so will detract from the driver or
operator's control and operation of that vehicle. In some states and provinces,
operating such communications devices while in control of a vehicle is an offence.
Limitation of
Liability The information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Sierra Wireless. SIERRA WIRELESS AND
ITS AFFILIATES SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ANY AND ALL
DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, GENERAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL,
PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUE OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR REVENUE
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE ANY SIERRA WIRELESS
PRODUCT, EVEN IF SIERRA WIRELESS AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR THEY ARE
FORESEEABLE OR FOR CLAIMS BY ANY THIRD PARTY.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall Sierra Wireless and/or its
affiliates aggregate liability arising under or in connection with the Sierra Wireless
product, regardless of the number of events, occurrences, or claims giving rise to
liability, be in excess of the price paid by the purchaser for the Sierra Wireless
product.

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
4 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
Patents This product may contain technology developed by or for Sierra Wireless Inc.
This product includes technology licensed from QUALCOMM®3G.
This product is manufactured or sold by Sierra Wireless Inc. or its affiliates under
one or more patents licensed from InterDigital Group.
Copyright ©2010 Sierra Wireless. All rights reserved.
Trademarks AirCard®and Watcher® are registered trademarks of Sierra Wireless. Sierra
Wireless, AirPrimeand the Sierra Wireless logo are trademarks of Sierra
Wireless.
Windows®and Windows Vista®are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
QUALCOMM®is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Used
under license.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contact
Information
Consult our website for up-to-date product descriptions, documentation,
application notes, firmware upgrades, troubleshooting tips, and press releases:
www.sierrawireless.com
Revision
History
Sales Desk: Phone: [phone]
Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time
E-mail: [email protected]
Post: Sierra Wireless
13811 Wireless Way
Richmond, BC
Canada V6V 3A4
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.sierrawireless.com
Revision
number Release date Changes
1December 2010 Created document

Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 5
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
General features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Support features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Support tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Hardware development components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Ordering information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Environmental issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
RoHS directive compliant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Disposing of the product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Functional Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Functional architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chipsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Extended AT commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Burst transmission current requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Power input (VCC_3V6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Start-up current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Ground connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Decoupling of power supply signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mechanical specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mechanical illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Embedded SIM (eSIM). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Thermal considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
SED (Smart Error Detection) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
6 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
Firmware upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
System design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Pin configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Digital I/O electrical information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Signal reset states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Reference schematic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
General purpose input/output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Main serial link (UART1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
UART1 pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Interface implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SIM interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SIM pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Application notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
USB 2.0 interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
USB pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Application notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Host-developed USB drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
USB Suspend mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
USB Resume mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
RF interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
RF connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
RF pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
RF performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Antenna specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Radiated emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Radiated sensitivity measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Audio interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Contents
Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 7
Analog audio interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Microphone features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Speaker features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Supported voice features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Short Message Service (SMS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
UMTS radio access bearers supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Digital audio interface (PCM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
PCM pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
PCM waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
JTAG interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Signals and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Power on/off signal (POWER_ON_N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Application notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Reset Signal (SYSTEM_RESET_N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Application notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Wake signal (WAKE_N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Disable signal (W_DISABLE_N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Application notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Buzzer output (BUZZER_EN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
8 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
Flash LED (LED_FLASH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Power rail (VREF_1V8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Application notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Reserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Power Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Power states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Power state transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Network technology specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
UMTS WCDMA FDD specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Supported specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
UMTS (WCDMA) / GSM specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Design Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
General rules and constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
PCB layout recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
PCB specifications for the application board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Recommended PCB landing pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Routing constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Power supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
SIM interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Audio circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
RF circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
EMC and ESD recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Mechanical integration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Contents
Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 9
Operating system upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Embedded Testability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Testing assistance provided by Sierra Wireless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Integration requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
IOT/Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Module testing recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Serial link access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
RF output accessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Certification Compliance and Recommended Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
UMTS compliance acceptance and certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Certification compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Applicable standards listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Important notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Safety and hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Important compliance information for North American users . . . . . . . . .109
EU regulatory conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Safety Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
RF safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Exposure to RF energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Efficient terminal operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Antenna care and replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
General safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Electronic devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Vehicle electronic equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Medical electronic equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Blasting areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Potentially explosive atmospheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Connector and Peripheral Device References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
JTAG connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Web site support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Reference documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Sierra Wireless documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Industry/other documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Abbreviations/acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 11
List of Figures
Functional architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Exploded view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dimensioned view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Unit label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
SL808x System block (TBD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
SL808X device pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
MIC equivalent circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Example—MIC differential connection with LC filter (TBD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Example—MIC differential connection without an LC filter (TBD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Example—MIC single-ended connection with LC filter (TBD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Example - MIC single-ended connection without an LC filter (TBD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
SPK equivalent circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Example - SPK differential connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Example - SPK single-ended connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
PCM frame waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
PCM sampling waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Automatic (‘triggered’) power state transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
PCB structure example for the application board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Power supply routing example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
AppCad screenshot for MicroStrip design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Routing examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Recommended thermocouple location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Main serial link (UART1) debug access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

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12 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058

Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 13
List of Tables
Supported bands/ connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Modem features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Power and ground specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Power supply requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Radio burst rates—Connected mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Start-up current peak range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Mechanical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Available interfaces and signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
SL808X LGA pad pin assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Electrical characteristics—1.8 V type (1V8) digital I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Reset state definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
GPIO interface features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
GPIO pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
UART1 interface features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Serial port UART1 interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
USIM interface features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
USIM interface signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
SIM socket pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
USB interface features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
USB interface pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
USB interface electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
USB interface features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
RF interface pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Band support, Conducted Tx Power, and Conducted Rx Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Main antenna (ANT_PRI) specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Audio interface features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Analog audio interface connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
MIC input electrical characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Microphone interface parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Recommended components for a MIC differential connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Recommended components for a MIC single-ended connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Speaker information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
SPK electrical characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Speaker interface parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Supported voice features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Supported supplementary services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
SMS features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
PCM audio interface features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Audio pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Digital audio interface AC characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Available signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Power signal features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
ON/~OFF signal pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Reset signal features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Reset signal pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
14 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
Reset signal electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Reset settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Wake signal features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Wake signal pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Wireless Disable signal features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Wireless disable signal pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Buzzer signal features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Buzzer output pin description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
LED signal features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
LED_FLASH pin description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
LED_FLASH signal electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
VREF_1V8 pin descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
1.8 V connector pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
VREF_1V8 signal electrical characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Averaged standby DC power consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Averaged call mode data DC power consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Miscellaneous DC power consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Supported SL808X power states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Supported GPRS / EDGE power classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Power state transitions (including voltage/temperature trigger levels) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Supported WCDMA FDD specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Supported GSM / GPRS specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
UMTS (WCDMA)/GSM specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
ESD specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Standards conformity for the SL808X embedded module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Customizable features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
List of abbreviations/acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 15
1
1. Introduction
The AirPrime SL808X Embedded Module1is a 74-pin soldered-down
module. Its wireless UMTS-based modem provides (as listed in
Ta b le 1- 1 ) data connectivity on HSDPA, WCDMA, EDGE, and GPRS
networks, and, for specific devices, GPS and voice functionality.
1.1 General features
Ta b le 1- 2 lists several AirPrime SL808X Embedded Module features.
1. SL808X—SL8080/SL8081/SL8082/SL8083/SL8084/SL8085.
Table 1-1: Supported bands/ connectivity
SL8080 SL8081 SL8082 SL8083 SL8084 SL8085
GSM850
EGSM900
DCS1800
PCS1900

Band 1 (UMTS2100)    
Band 2 (UMTS1900)  
Band 5 (UMTS850)    
Band 8 (UMTS900)  
GPS (1575.42) 
Voice 
Table 1-2: Modem features
Feature Description
Physical •Small form factor (74-pin solderable pad LGA)—25mm x 30mm x 2.35mm
(nominal)
•Complete body shielding
•Embedded SIM available (SIM integrated at component level)
•RF connection pads—Tx/Rx (all modems) and GPS (Voice/GPS modems only)
•Baseband signals connection
Electrical •Single supply voltage (VCC)—3.3V–4.3V
•Complete body shielding—No additional shielding required

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
16 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
SMS •Send and receive (mobile originate and mobile terminate)
·Mobile-originated / terminated over CS and PS channels
·Mobile-originated SMS over PS falls back to CS if PS service is not available,
or there is a PS network failure.
•New message notification
•Message sorting
•Multiple recipients
•Return voice call
•Save contact details
•Mobile-originated SMS e-mail
•Mobile-originated / terminated SMS concatenation
•Mobile-originated SMS e-mail concatenation
•Receipt notification
Application
interface •NDIS NIC interface support (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,
Windows CEa, Linux)
•Multiple non-multiplexed USB channel support
•Dial-up networking
•USB selective suspend to maximize power savings
•AT command interface—(non-voice) 27.007 standard, plus proprietary
extended AT commands
•CnS—Sierra Wireless' proprietary Control and Status host interface protocol
•Software Development Kits (SDK) including APIs (Application Program Inter-
faces) and drivers (core, device) for Windows, Windows CE, and Linux
•Optional eSIM support
Phone book Supports Release 99 phone book features
Packet mode •Dual-mode UMTS (WCDMA) / HSDPA / EDGE / GPRS operation
•GPRS class B, multislot class 10 operation—Supports CS1–CS4 coding
schemes
•EDGE multislot class 12 operation—Supports MCS1–MCS9 coding schemes
•UMTS (WCDMA) R99 data rates—384 kbps downlink, 384 kbps uplink
•HSDPA
·Category 5/6 data rate—3.6 Mbps (peak rate)
·Category 12 data rate—1.8 Mbps
•Circuit-switched data bearers—64 kbps (maximum) uplink and downlink
Table 1-2: Modem features (Continued)

Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 17
Connectivity/
GSM •Multiple (up to 16) cellular packet data profiles
•Traditional modem COM port support for DUN, CSD, and AT commands
(concurrent with NDIS)
•Suspend / Resume
•Sleep mode for minimum idle power draw
•SIM application tool kit with proactive SIM commands
•Enhanced Operator Name String (EONS)
•Profile list. Typical carrier profiles are available in a drop-down list in Watcher;
the user can select a profile rather than enter all the parameters.
•Automatic GPRS attach at power-up
•GPRS detach
•GPRS detach only
•Combined GPRS / IMSI detach; MS-initiated and network-initiated detach
•Mobile-originated PDP context activation / deactivation
•Support QoS profile
·Release 99 QoS negotiation—Background, Interactive, and Streaming
·Release 97—Precedence Class, Reliability Class, Delay Class, Peak
Throughput, Mean Throughput
•Static and Dynamic IP address. The network may assign a fixed IP address or
dynamically assign one using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
•PAP and CHAP support
•PDP context type (IPv4). IP Packet Data Protocol context
•RFC1144 TCP/IP header compression
•Interaction with existing GSM services (MO/MT SMS voice calls) while:
·GPRS is attached, or
·In a GPRS data session (class B GPRS suspend / resume procedures)
•Support for EAP-SIM authentication and PC / SC. EAP-SIM is available
through:
·The API
·AT commands
·The PC / SC interface
VoicebSupports:
•All GSM vocoders, Enhanced Full Rate (EFR), Full Rate (FR), Half Rate (HR),
and WCDMA Adaptive Multirate (AMR) encoders
•MO and MT calling
•Echo cancellation and noise reduction
•Emergency calls (112, 110, 911, etc.)
•Incoming call notification
•TTY/TDD compatibility through microphone/speaker connections using the
audio interface
Table 1-2: Modem features (Continued)

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
18 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
Supplementary
servicesb•Call Barring
•Call Forwarding
•Call Hold
•Caller ID
•Call Waiting
•Multi-party service
•USSD
GPScProvides:
•Standalone GPS functionality
•gpsOneXTRA™
•A-GPS features
•NMEA support
Note: GPS specifications are preliminary targets that are subject to change without
notice. Actual GPS functionality is dependent on the firmware version, and on
module configuration.
Network
selection •Network selection procedures described in 3G 22.011, R5 (June 2005),
3G 23.122 (June 2005), and 3G 43.022, R4
•RRC connection reject message to redirect from a 3G system to a 2G system,
according to 25.331, R5 (June 2004)
•A CPHS Customer Service Profile-like feature [PLMN Mode bit] on a USIM /
SIM that hides network selection related menus
•Initial HPLMN scan at two minutes after power on
•An HPLMN rescan irrespective of the serving MCC
•Selective disabling of any 2G or 3G frequency band
•Equivalent PLMN
•Network selection generally within 30 seconds of power up
•Enhanced network selection (ENS)
RF •Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz)
•Dual-band UMTS WCDMA FDD
·SL8080/SL8081: 850 MHz, 1900 MHz
·SL8082/SL8083: 900 MHz, 2100 MHz
·SL8084/SL8085: 850 MHz, 2100 MHz
•GPS (1575.42 MHz) (SL8080/82/84 only)
Environmental Operating temperature ranges
•Normal use (3GPP compliant): -20C to +65C
•Industry extended temperature range (non-3GPP compliant): TBD
Table 1-2: Modem features (Continued)

Rev 1 Dec.10 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 19
1.2 Support features
The SL808X offers the following support features:
•Standard 1-year warranty
•Extended warranties available (additional one or two years)
•Enabling software (drivers, SDK, etc.): Windows, Windows CE, Linux
1.3 Support tools
The SL808X is compatible with the following support tools from Sierra Wireless
and authorized third parties:
•Sierra Wireless Watcher connection manager (available for Windows and
Mac operating systems)
•CDMA Air Interface Tool (CAIT) from Qualcomm
•QXDM from Qualcomm
Interfaces •1.8 V digital section
•3 V/1.8 V SIM interface
•Serial (UART1)
•Audio—Analog and digital (PCM)
•SIM/Embedded SIM
•USB 2.0 slave
•LCD
Operating
system •Full GSM or GSM/GPRS/EGPRS operating system stack
a. Contact Sierra Wireless for platform-specific Windows CE support details.
b. Voice/Supplementary services on SL8080/SL8082/SL8084
c. GPS on SL8080/SL8082/SL8084
Table 1-2: Modem features (Continued)

Product Technical Specification & Customer Design Guidelines
20 Proprietary and Confidential - Specifications subject to change 2400058
1.4 Accessories
The Universal SL Dev Kit includes:
•Embedded Modem Interface Kit
•Documentation suite
•Initial allotment of support hours
•USB cable
•Serial cable
•Power supply
•Quad-band antenna
•Handset
1.5 Hardware development components
Sierra Wireless manufactures two hardware development components to facilitate
the hardware integration process:
•AirPrime SL Socket-Up Board—Adapter board into which an SL module is
embedded. This board may be used as a stand-alone platform for basic
hardware development. See Reference schematic on page 40 for details.
•AirPrime SL Development Kit—Hardware development platform that
integrates with the socket-up board. The development kit provides access to
all of the interfaces supported by the SL module.
For instructions on using the SL Development Kit, see [1] SL Dev Kit Quick Start
Guide (TBD).
1.6 Ordering information
To order, contact the Sierra Wireless Sales Desk at [phone] between
8 AM and 5 PM Pacific Time.
1.7 Environmental issues
1.7.1 RoHS directive compliant
The AirPrime SL808X Embedded Module is compliant with
RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC which sets limits for the use of
certain restricted hazardous substances. This directive states
that "from 1st July 2006, new electrical and electronic
equipment put on the market does not contain lead, mercury,
cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls
(PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)".