M-SoM datasheet

M-SoM

Overview

The Particle M-SoM contains the following functional units:

  • M.2 SoM form-factor, like the B-Series SoM
  • Can use cellular or Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) for the cloud connection
  • Realtek RTL8722DM MCU (BLE and Wi-Fi)
  • Cellular modem
    • M404: Quectel BG95-M5 LTE Cat M1/2G (Global)
    • M524: Quectel EG91-EX LTE Cat 1 with 2G/3G fallback (EMEAA)
    • M635: Quectel BG95-S5 LTE Cat M1/2G (Global with satellite)

The M404 is fully supported in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is in beta testing in other locations. See the carrier list for country compatibility information.

MCU

The Realtek RTL8722DM is in the same family as the P2 and Photon 2 modules (RTL8721DM), but has additional GPIO.

  • 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
    • U.FL connector for external antenna
  • BLE 5 using same antenna as Wi-Fi
  • Realtek RTL8722DM MCU
    • ARM Cortex M33 CPU, 200 MHz
  • 2048 KB (2 MB) user application maximum size
  • 3072 KB (3 MB) of RAM available to user applications
  • 8 MB flash file system
  • FCC (United States), ISED (Canada), and CE (European Union) certified

Block diagram

Block diagram

Device families

Cellular Only Cellular & Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Only
Developer devices Boron   Photon 2
Production module B-SoM M-SoM P2

Migration guides

If you are migrating to the M-SoM from another Particle device, see also the following migration guides:

Power

VCC

VCC is used to supply power to the cellular module. The recommended input voltage range on this pin is between 3.6V to 4.2V DC. This can be connected directly to a 3.7V LiPo battery. Make sure that the supply can handle currents of at least 2 A.

If you are not using a battery, or using a battery of a different voltage, you should use a regulator to supply 3.7V to 4.2V at 2A. You may want to add additional bulk capacitors to handle the short, high current peak usage when the cellular modem is transmitting.

3V3

3V3 is used to supply power to RTL8722 MCU, logic ICs, memory, etc.. Make sure that the supply can handle a minimum of 500 mA.

These limits do not include any 3.3V peripherals on your base board, so that may increase the current requirements.

Power supply requirements:

  • 3.3V output
  • Maximum 5% voltage drop
  • 100 mV peak-to-peak ripple maximum
  • 500 mA minimum output current at 3.3V recommended for future compatibility
  • Maintain these values at no-load as well as maximum load

In some cases, it may be necessary to add a supervisory/reset IC, such as the Richtek RT9818C or SG Micro SGM809-RXN3L/TR:

  • If your power supply has a slew rate from 1.5V to 3.0V slower than 15 ms, a reset IC is required.
  • If your power supply at power off cannot be guaranteed to drop below 0.3V before powering back up, a reset IC required.

See supervisory reset, below, for additional information.

RF

  • The M-SoM includes three U.FL connectors for external antennas:

    • Cellular
    • Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and BLE
    • GNSS (GPS)
  • Wi-Fi operation in the 5150-5250 MHz band is only for indoor use to reduce the potential for harmful interference to co-channel mobile satellite systems.

Approved Antennas

Certified cellular antennas

The M-SoM is certified with the following cellular antenna:

Antenna SKU Details Links
Wide band LTE cell antenna [x1] PARANTCW1EA M404, M524, M635 Datasheet
Wide band LTE cell antenna [x50] PARANTCW1TY M404, M524, M635 Datasheet

Single quantity M-SoM units and developer kits include a PARANTCW1EA antenna. Tray quantities of the M-SoM do not include antennas.

Dimension Value Unit
Length 116.0 mm
Width 27.0 mm
Thickness 0.2 mm
Cable Length 189.5 mm
Parameter 700/850/900 1700/1800/1900 2100 2400 2600 Unit
Peak gain
PARANTCW1EA 2.8 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 dBi

Certified Wi-Fi/BLE antennas

The M-SoM is certified for use with the same antennas as the P2/Photon 2. The same antenna is shared for Wi-Fi and BLE. Unlike the P2/Photon 2, the external antenna is required for Wi-Fi and BLE and the M-SoM does not include a built-in trace antenna on the module.

Antenna SKU Links
Particle P2/Photon2 Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4/5GHz, [x1] PARANTWM1EA Datasheet | Retail Store
Particle P2/Photon2 Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4/5GHz, [x50] PARANTWM1TY Datasheet

Single quantity M-SoM units and developer kits include a PARANTWM1EA antenna. Tray quantities of the M-SoM do not include antennas.

Do not use the Argon Wi-Fi/BLE antenna (ANT-FLXV2) on the P2, Photon 2, or M-SoM. The Argon antenna does not work with 5 GHz and this will result in poor Wi-Fi performance on the P2, Photon 2, and M-SoM.

Certified GNSS antennas

SKU Description
PARANTGN1EA Particle GNSS FPC Antenna, [x1] Datasheet
PARANTGN1TY Particle GNSS FPC Antenna, [x50] Datasheet

Single quantity M-SoM units and developer kits include a PARANTGN1EA antenna. Tray quantities of the M-SoM do not include antennas. If not using the GNSS feature, the antenna can be omitted from your design.

  • GNSS support will be added in a future version of Device OS. A user firmware library is available now for the M404.
  • Feature such of high-precision, dead-reckoning, and high updates rates will require an external GNSS chip.

General Antenna Guidance

  • The antenna placement needs to follow some basic rules, as any antenna is sensitive to its environment. Mount the antenna at least 10mm from metal components or surfaces, ideally 20mm for best radiation efficiency, and try to maintain a minimum of three directions free from obstructions to be able to operate effectively.
  • Needs tuning with actual product enclosure and all components.

Peripherals and GPIO

Peripheral Type Qty Input(I) / Output(O)
Digital 30 (max) I/O
Analog (ADC) 8 (max) I
UART 2 I/O
SPI 2 I/O
I2C 1 I/O
USB 1 I/O
PWM 11 (max) O

Note: All GPIOs are only rated at 3.3VDC max.

JTAG and SWD

The M-SoM has 4 pads at the bottom exposing the SWD interface of the MCU. This interface can be used to debug your code or reprogram your SoM bootloader, device OS, or the user firmware. We use 4 pogo-pins connecting to these pads during production for firmware flashing.

Pogo Pins

Additionally, SWD is supported on pins on the M.2 connector:

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
43 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, PWM, GPIO, shared with pin 53 SWCLK PB[3]
53 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, PWM, GPIO, SWCLK, shared with pin 43 SWCLK PB[3]
55 D27 D27 GPIO, SWDIO (SWD_DATA), do not pull down at boot SWDIO PA[27]
  • SWD is on the same pins as GPIO, so by default once user firmware boots, SWD is no longer available unless SWD is enabled at compile time. This is the same as Gen 2 (STM32) but different than Gen 3 (nRF52840).
  • SWO (Serial Wire Output) is not supported on the RTL8722DM.
  • Pins 43 and 53 are shared

Pin information

Pinout diagram

Pinout

Pin function by pin name

Pin Name Module Pin PWM MCU
A0 / D19 23 ADC_0       PB[4]
A1 / D18 33 ADC_1       PB[5]
A2 / D17 35 ADC_2         PB[6]
A3 / D16 37 ADC_4         PB[1]
A4 / D15 41 ADC_5         PB[2]
A5 / D14 43 ADC_6 SWCLK     PB[3]
A5 / D14 53 ADC_6 SWCLK     PB[3]
A6 / D29 45 ADC_3       PB[7]
A7 / WKP 47 ADC_7         PA[20]
CELL USBD- 46            
CELL USBD+ 44            
CELL VBUS 74            
CELL_RI 75            
D0 22   Wire (SDA)       PB[0]
D1 20   Wire (SCL)       PA[31]
D2 42     SPI1 (SCK) Serial1 (RTS)   PA[14]
D3 40     SPI1 (SS) Serial1 (CTS)   PA[15]
D4 66         PB[18]
D5 68         PB[19]
D6 70         PB[20]
D7 72         PB[21]
D8 48     SPI (SS)     PA[19]
D20 19           PA[1]
D21 17           PA[0]
D22 62           PA[9]
D23 64           PA[10]
D24 58       Serial2 (TX)   PA[7]
D25 60       Serial2 (RX)   PA[8]
D26 59           PA[4]
D27 55   SWDIO       PA[27]
GNSS_TX 18            
MISO / D11 50     SPI (MISO)   PA[17]
MOSI / D12 52     SPI (MOSI)   PA[16]
NC 14            
RGBB 65           PB[22]
RGBG 63           PB[23]
RGBR 61           PA[30]
RX / D10 38     SPI1 (MISO) Serial1 (RX) PA[13]
SCK / D13 54     SPI (SCK)     PA[18]
SIM_CLK 71            
SIM_DATA 73            
SIM_RST 69            
SIM_VCC 67            
TX / D9 36     SPI1 (MOSI) Serial1 (TX) PA[12]
USBDATA- 13           PA[25]
USBDATA+ 11           PA[26]

Pin function by M.2 pin

Module Pin Pin Name PWM MCU
11 USBDATA+           PA[26]
13 USBDATA-           PA[25]
14 NC            
17 D21           PA[0]
18 GNSS_TX            
19 D20           PA[1]
20 D1   Wire (SCL)       PA[31]
22 D0   Wire (SDA)       PB[0]
23 A0 / D19 ADC_0       PB[4]
33 A1 / D18 ADC_1       PB[5]
35 A2 / D17 ADC_2         PB[6]
36 TX / D9     SPI1 (MOSI) Serial1 (TX) PA[12]
37 A3 / D16 ADC_4         PB[1]
38 RX / D10     SPI1 (MISO) Serial1 (RX) PA[13]
40 D3     SPI1 (SS) Serial1 (CTS)   PA[15]
41 A4 / D15 ADC_5         PB[2]
42 D2     SPI1 (SCK) Serial1 (RTS)   PA[14]
43 A5 / D14 ADC_6 SWCLK     PB[3]
44 CELL USBD+            
45 A6 / D29 ADC_3       PB[7]
46 CELL USBD-            
47 A7 / WKP ADC_7         PA[20]
48 D8     SPI (SS)     PA[19]
50 MISO / D11     SPI (MISO)   PA[17]
52 MOSI / D12     SPI (MOSI)   PA[16]
53 A5 / D14 ADC_6 SWCLK     PB[3]
54 SCK / D13     SPI (SCK)     PA[18]
55 D27   SWDIO       PA[27]
58 D24       Serial2 (TX)   PA[7]
59 D26           PA[4]
60 D25       Serial2 (RX)   PA[8]
61 RGBR           PA[30]
62 D22           PA[9]
63 RGBG           PB[23]
64 D23           PA[10]
65 RGBB           PB[22]
66 D4         PB[18]
67 SIM_VCC            
68 D5         PB[19]
69 SIM_RST            
70 D6         PB[20]
71 SIM_CLK            
72 D7         PB[21]
73 SIM_DATA            
74 CELL VBUS            
75 CELL_RI            

GPIO (Digital I/O)

Pin M-SoM Pin Name M-SoM GPIO MCU Special boot function
17 D21 PA[0]  
19 D20 PA[1]  
20 D1 PA[31]  
22 D0 PB[0]  
23 A0 / D19 PB[4]  
33 A1 / D18 PB[5]  
35 A2 / D17 PB[6]  
36 TX / D9 PA[12]  
37 A3 / D16 PB[1]  
38 RX / D10 PA[13]  
40 D3 PA[15]  
41 A4 / D15 PB[2]  
42 D2 PA[14]  
43 A5 / D14 PB[3] SWCLK. 40K pull-down at boot.
45 A6 / D29 PB[7]  
47 A7 / WKP PA[20]  
48 D8 PA[19]  
50 MISO / D11 PA[17]  
52 MOSI / D12 PA[16]  
53 A5 / D14 PB[3] SWCLK. 40K pull-down at boot.
54 SCK / D13 PA[18]  
55 D27 PA[27] SWDIO. 40K pull-up at boot. Low at boot triggers MCU test mode.
58 D24 PA[7] Low at boot triggers ISP flash download
59 D26 PA[4]  
60 D25 PA[8] Goes high at boot
62 D22 PA[9]  
64 D23 PA[10]  
66 D4 PB[18]  
68 D5 PB[19]  
70 D6 PB[20]  
72 D7 PB[21]  
  • All GPIO are 3.3V only and are not 5V tolerant
  • The drive strength is 4 mA per pin in normal drive and 12 mA per pin in high drive mode on the M-SoM.
  • There is a maximum of 200 mA across all pins. The total maximum could be further limited by your 3.3V regulator.
  • Drive strength selection using pinSetDriveStrength is only available in Device OS 5.5.0 and later on the M-SoM.

Certain GPIO will change state at boot, or cause the MCU to enter a special mode. See the boot mode pins section, below, for more information.

ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
23 A0 / D19 A0 Analog in, GPIO, PWM ADC_0 PB[4]
33 A1 / D18 A1 Analog in, GPIO, PWM ADC_1 PB[5]
35 A2 / D17 A2 Analog in, GPIO ADC_2 PB[6]
37 A3 / D16 A3 Analog in, PDM CLK, GPIO ADC_4 PB[1]
41 A4 / D15 A4 Analog in, PDM DAT, GPIO ADC_5 PB[2]
43 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, PWM, GPIO, shared with pin 53 ADC_6 PB[3]
45 A6 / D29 A6 Analog in, GPIO, PWM, M.2 eval PMIC INT ADC_3 PB[7]
47 A7 / WKP A7 Analog In, WKP, GPIO D28 ADC_7 PA[20]
53 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, PWM, GPIO, SWCLK, shared with pin 43 ADC_6 PB[3]
  • ADC inputs are single-ended and limited to 0 to 3.3V
  • Resolution is 12 bits
  • SoM pin 43 (A5) on the M-SoM is shared with SoM pin 53 (SWD_CLK). You cannot use A5 and SWD at the same time. If you implement SWD on your base board, driving pin A6 will prevent SWD from functioning. The SWD_CLK will be driven at hoot by the MCU.

The ADCs on the M-SoM (RTL872x) have a lower impedance than other Particle device MCUs (nRF52, STM32F2xx). They require a stronger drive and this may cause issues when used with a voltage divider. This is particularly true for A7, which has an even lower impedance than other ADC inputs.

For signals that change slowly, such as NTC thermocouple resistance, you can add a 2.2 uF capacitor to the signal. For rapidly changing signals, a voltage follower IC can be used.

UART serial

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
36 TX / D9 Serial TX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MOSI, I2S MCLK Serial1 (TX) PA[12]
38 RX / D10 Serial RX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MISO Serial1 (RX) PA[13]
40 D3 D3 GPIO, Serial1 CTS flow control (optional), SPI1 SS Serial1 (CTS) PA[15]
42 D2 D2 GPIO, Serial RTS flow control (optional), SPI1 SCK Serial1 (RTS) PA[14]
58 D24 D24 GPIO, Serial2 TX, do not pull down at boot Serial2 (TX) PA[7]
60 D25 GPIO25, Serial2 RX Serial2 (RX) PA[8]
  • The UART pins are 3.3V and must not be connected directly to a RS-232C port or to a 5V TTL serial port
  • Hardware flow control is optional; if not used then the RTS and CTS pins can be used as regular GPIO
  • Serial1 uses the RTL872x UART_LOG peripheral
  • Serial2 uses the RTL872x HS_UART0 peripheral
  • Supported baud rates: 110, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 14400, 19200, 28800, 38400, 57600, 76800, 115200, 128000, 153600, 230400, 380400, 460800, 500000, 921600, 1000000, 1382400, 1444400, 1500000, 1843200, 2000000, 2100000, 2764800, 3000000, 3250000, 3692300, 3750000, 4000000, 6000000

SPI

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
36 TX / D9 Serial TX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MOSI, I2S MCLK SPI1 (MOSI) PA[12]
38 RX / D10 Serial RX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MISO SPI1 (MISO) PA[13]
40 D3 D3 GPIO, Serial1 CTS flow control (optional), SPI1 SS SPI1 (SS) PA[15]
42 D2 D2 GPIO, Serial RTS flow control (optional), SPI1 SCK SPI1 (SCK) PA[14]
48 D8 D8 GPIO, SPI SS SPI (SS) PA[19]
50 MISO / D11 D11 GPIO, PWM, SPI MISO SPI (MISO) PA[17]
52 MOSI / D12 D12 GPIO, PWM, SPI MOSI SPI (MOSI) PA[16]
54 SCK / D13 D13 GPIO, SPI SCK SPI (SCK) PA[18]
  • The SPI port is 3.3V and must not be connected directly to devices that drive MISO at 5V
  • If not using a SPI port, its pins can be used as GPIO
  • Any pins can be used as the SPI chip select
  • Multiple devices can generally share a single SPI port
  • SPI uses the RTL872x SPI0 peripheral (50 MHz maximum speed)
  • SPI1 uses the RTL872x SPI1 peripheral (25 MHz maximum speed)
  • Note: The P2/Photon 2 maximum speeds for SPI and SPI1 are reversed from the M-SoM

Even though the B-SoM and M-SoM both have two SPI interfaces, note that the M-SoM SPI1 is on different pins.

Pin B-SoM Pin Name B-SoM SPI M-SoM Pin Name M-SoM SPI
36 TX / D9   TX / D9 SPI1 (MOSI)
38 RX / D10   RX / D10 SPI1 (MISO)
40 D3 SPI1 (MOSI) D3 SPI1 (SS)
42 D2 SPI1 (SCK) D2 SPI1 (SCK)
48 D8 SPI (SS) D8 SPI (SS)
50 MISO / D11 SPI (MISO) MISO / D11 SPI (MISO)
52 MOSI / D12 SPI (MOSI) MOSI / D12 SPI (MOSI)
54 SCK / D13 SPI (SCK) SCK / D13 SPI (SCK)
66 D4 SPI1 (MISO) D4  

I2C

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
20 D1 D1 GPIO, I2C SCL Wire (SCL) PA[31]
22 D0 D0 GPIO, I2C SDA Wire (SDA) PB[0]
  • The I2C port is 3.3V and must not be connected directly a 5V I2C bus
  • Maximum bus speed is 400 kHz
  • External pull-up resistors are required for I2C

PWM

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
23 A0 / D19 A0 Analog in, GPIO, PWM PB[4]
33 A1 / D18 A1 Analog in, GPIO, PWM PB[5]
36 TX / D9 Serial TX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MOSI, I2S MCLK PA[12]
38 RX / D10 Serial RX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MISO PA[13]
43 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, PWM, GPIO, shared with pin 53 PB[3]
45 A6 / D29 A6 Analog in, GPIO, PWM, M.2 eval PMIC INT PB[7]
50 MISO / D11 D11 GPIO, PWM, SPI MISO PA[17]
52 MOSI / D12 D12 GPIO, PWM, SPI MOSI PA[16]
53 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, PWM, GPIO, SWCLK, shared with pin 43 PB[3]
66 D4 D4 GPIO, PWM PB[18]
68 D5 D5 GPIO, PWM, I2S TX PB[19]
70 D6 D6 GPIO, PWM, I2S CLK PB[20]
72 D7 D7 GPIO, PWM, I2S WS PB[21]
  • All available PWM pins on the M-SoM share a single timer. This means that they must all share a single frequency, but can have different duty cycles.

PDM

Pulse density modulation digital microphones can be used with the Microphone_PDM library and the M-SoM, but only on specific pins:

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
37 A3 / D16 A3 Analog in, PDM CLK, GPIO PB[1]
41 A4 / D15 A4 Analog in, PDM DAT, GPIO PB[2]

USB

The M-SoM supports a USB interface for programming the device and for USB serial (CDC) communications. The module itself does not contain a USB connector; you typically add a micro USB or USB C connector on your base board. It is optional but recommended.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
11 USBDATA+ USB Data+ PA[26]
13 USBDATA- USB Data- PA[25]
44 CELL USBD+ Cellular Modem USB Data+  
46 CELL USBD- Cellular Modem USB Data-  
  • The CELL USB connector does not need to be populated on your board. It is used for reprogramming the cellular modem firmware, which is rarely done as it often requires recertification of the device.

RGB LED

The M-SoM supports an external common anode RGB LED.

One common LED that meets the requirements is the Cree CLMVC-FKA-CL1D1L71BB7C3C3 which is inexpensive and easily procured. You need to add three current limiting resistors. With this LED, we typically use 1K ohm current limiting resistors. These are much larger than necessary. They make the LED less blinding but still provide sufficient current to light the LEDs. If you want maximum brightness you should use the calculated values - 33 ohm on red, and 66 ohm on green and blue.

A detailed explanation of different color codes of the RGB system LED can be found here.

The use of the RGB LED is optional, however it is highly recommended as troubleshooting the device without the LED is very difficult.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
61 RGBR RGB LED Red PA[30]
63 RGBG RGB LED Green PB[23]
65 RGBB RGB LED Blue PB[22]
  • On the M-SoM, Pin RGBR (PA[30]) has a 10K hardware pull-up in the module because it's a trap pin that controls the behavior of the internal 1.1V regulator. This does not affect the RGB LED but could affect your design if you are repurposing this pin as GPIO. You must not hold this pin low at boot.

Boot mode pins

These pins have a special function at boot. Beware when using these pins as input as they can trigger special modes in the MCU.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
43 A5 / D14 SWCLK. 40K pull-down at boot. PB[3]
53 A5 / D14 SWCLK. 40K pull-down at boot. PB[3]
55 D27 SWDIO. 40K pull-up at boot. Low at boot triggers MCU test mode. PA[27]
58 D24 Low at boot triggers ISP flash download PA[7]
60 D25 Goes high at boot PA[8]
61 RGBR Low at boot triggers trap mode PA[30]

BLE (Bluetooth LE)

If you wish to use Wi-Fi on the M-SoM you will need to provide a way to configure it. Wi-Fi setup works the same as the P2, Photon 2, and Argon, and uses BLE. See Wi-Fi setup options for more information.

BLE 5.3 BLE Central Mode and BLE Peripheral Mode are supported.

Full-speed BLE modes such as A2DP used for BLE audio are not supported.

Wi-Fi and BLE share the same antenna so you do not need to include a separate antenna to use both.

Sleep

The M-SoM can wake from STOP or ULTRA_LOW_POWER sleep mode on any GPIO, RISING, FALLING, or CHANGE.

The M-SoM can only wake from HIBERNATE sleep mode on certain pins, RISING, FALLING, or CHANGE.

The M-SoM preserves the state of outputs during STOP or ULTRA_LOW_POWER sleep mode. In HIBERNATE, outputs are high-impedance.

Most pins can use INPUT_PULLUP or INPUT_PULLDOWN in sleep modes. The exception is HIBERNATE sleep mode where pin D21 can only use an external hardware pull-up or pull down.

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
17 D21 D21 GPIO, I2S RX No internal pull up or pull down in HIBERNATE sleep mode. PA[0]
36 TX / D9 Serial TX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MOSI, I2S MCLK Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[12]
38 RX / D10 Serial RX, PWM, GPIO, SPI1 MISO Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[13]
40 D3 D3 GPIO, Serial1 CTS flow control (optional), SPI1 SS Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[15]
42 D2 D2 GPIO, Serial RTS flow control (optional), SPI1 SCK Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[14]
47 A7 / WKP A7 Analog In, WKP, GPIO D28 Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[20]
48 D8 D8 GPIO, SPI SS Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[19]
50 MISO / D11 D11 GPIO, PWM, SPI MISO Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[17]
52 MOSI / D12 D12 GPIO, PWM, SPI MOSI Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[16]
54 SCK / D13 D13 GPIO, SPI SCK Pin can wake from HIBERNATE sleep PA[18]

SETUP and RESET button

It is highly recommended that you add MODE (SETUP) and RESET buttons to your base board using momentary switches that connect to GND. These are necessary to change the operating mode of the device, for example to enter listening or DFU mode.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
34 RST Hardware reset. Pull low to reset; can leave unconnected in normal operation. CHIP_EN
46 MODE MODE button. Pin number constant is BTN. External pull-up required! PA[4]

The MODE button does not have a hardware pull-up on it, so you must add an external pull-up (2.2K to 10K) to 3V3, or connect it to 3V3 if not using a button.

The RST pin does have an internal weak pull-up, but you may want to add external pull-up on that as well, especially if you use an off-board reset button connected by long wires.

Supervisory reset

In many cases, it may be desirable to include a supervisory reset IC in your design. The design below is from the Photon 2 and uses the small and inexpensive Richtec RT9818C. This chip will hold the MCU in reset until there is sufficient voltage to successfully boot. This can be helpful if your power supply cannot guarantee a sufficient slew rate.

Of note in this design, the VDD pin of the RT9818C is connected to 3V3. The design is configurable by moving a zero-ohm resistor to disable supervisory reset (by connecting to GND) or to use VIN. Note that the RT9818C has a maximum input voltage of 6V which is compatible with the Photon 2. Keep this in mind if using VIN on designs that have larger VIN voltages.

Of course you can simply wire VDD to 3V3 instead of including the configurable resistors.

PMIC Notes

When using the M-SoM with a bq24195 PMIC, note the following:

By default, the bq24195 sets the input current limit, which affects powering by VIN and VUSB, to 100 mA. This affects the VSYS output of the PMIC, which powers both the cellular modem and 3V3 supply, and is not enough to power the M-SoM in normal operation.

If your device has the default firmware (Tinker), it will attempt to connect to the cloud, brown out due to insufficient current, then the device will reset. This may result in what appears to be the status LED blinking white, but is actually rolling reboot caused by brownout.

A factory new M-SoM does not enable the PMIC setup. To enable the use of the bq21415, you must enable the system power feature PMIC_DETECTION in your code. This defaults to off because the M-SoM can be used without a PMIC, or with a different PMIC, and also requires I2C on D0/D1, and some base boards may use those pins as GPIO.

Because the input current limit does not affect the battery input (Li+), for troubleshooting purposes it can be helpful to attach a battery to help rule out input current limit issues. It's also possible to supply 3.7V via a bench power supply to the battery input, instead of VIN.

The input current limit can result in a situation where you can't bring up a M-SoM because it browns out continuously, but also cannot flash code to it to stop if from browning out. There are two general solutions:

  • Attach a battery or supply by Li+ when bringing up a board.
  • Use SWD/JTAG and reset halt the MCU. This will prevent it from connecting to the cloud, so you can flash Device OS and firmware to it by SWD.

The input current limit is actually controlled by three factors:

  • The power source max current setting in the PMIC. The default is 900 mA. It can be set to 100, 150, 500, 900, 1200, 1500, 2000, or 3000 mA.
  • It is also limited by the hardware ILIM resistor. On Particle devices with a built-in PMIC, this is set to 1590 mA, but if you are implementing your own PMIC hardware, you can adjust this higher.
  • When connected by USB, it will use DPDM, current negotiation via the USB DP (D+) and DM (D-) lines.

Note that some 2A tablet chargers and multi-port USB power supplies supply 2A but do not implement DPDM; these will be treated as if VIN was used, and you must set the power source current, otherwise the input current will be limited to 900 mA, which is not enough to power a 2G/3G cellular modem without an attached battery.

Cellular modem USB pins

The cellular modem USB pins are optional on custom base boards. These pins are used for low-level diagnostics and reprogramming the cellular modem firmware.

Note, however, the Particle has never done a cellular modem firmware upgrade in the field because doing so generally requires recertification, and is there is a high likelihood that the upgrade will fail, rendering the modem unusable.

Cellular modem could be reprogrammed by removing the SoM from your board and putting it in the M.2 SoM breakout board, which has the cellular modem USB connector.

# Pin Common Function nRF52 Description
44 Quectel USB D+ SOM0 IO Data+ pin of the cellular modem USB port.
46 Quectel USB D- SOM1 IO Data- pin of the cellular modem USB port.
74 Quectel VBUS SOM23 IO USB detect pin for cellular modem. 5V on this pin enables the Quectel USB interface.
75 Quectel RI SOM94 IO Ring indicator

SIM Pins

  • The SIM pins should be left unconnected
  • You cannot use these pins for an external SIM card, despite their names
Pin Pin Name Description
69 SIM_RST Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Reset Output from cellular modem.
71 SIM_CLK Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Clock Output from cellular modem.
73 SIM_DATA Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Data I/O of cellular modem with internal 4.7 k pull-up.

Technical specification

I/O Characteristics

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Peak Unit
Input-High Voltage VIH 2.0 V
Input-Low Voltage VIL 0.8 V
Output drive strength (normal drive) 4 mA
Output drive strength (high drive) 12 mA
Total output drive (all pins) 200 mA

Power consumption (M524)

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Peak Unit
Operating current (uC on, peripherals and radio disabled) Iidle 26.4 26.6 26.9 mA
Operating current (uC on, BLE advertising) Ible_adv 62.9 66.1 84.2 mA
Operating current (uC on, BLE connected but idle) Ible_conn_idle 62.4 66.7 74 mA
Operating current (uC on, BLE scanning) Ible_scan 50.5 57.2 87.7 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular on but not connected) Icell_idle 36.7 44.4 907 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connecting to cloud) Icell_conn_cloud 40.2 97.4 840 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected but idle) Icell_cloud_idle 37 43.1 132 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting) Icell_cloud_tx 39.9 164 851 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi on but not connected) Iwifi_idle 26.1 26.3 26.6 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connecting to access point) Iwifi_conn_ap 44.3 67.3 298 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connecting to cloud) Iwifi_conn_cloud 61 68.2 357 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connected but idle) Iwifi_cloud_idle 61.9 64.1 68.4 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connected and transmitting) Iwifi_cloud_tx 60.1 64.8 309 mA
STOP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Istop_gpio 419 421 425 uA
STOP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Istop_intrtc 412 415 418 uA
ULP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Iulp_gpio 419 421 425 uA
ULP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Iulp_intrtc 412 415 418 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Ihib_gpio 23.9 26.1 28.6 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, RTC wake-up Ihib_intrtc 24.5 26.5 28.1 uA

1The min, and particularly peak, values may consist of very short transients. The typical (typ) values are the best indicator of overall power consumption over time. The peak values indicate the absolute minimum capacity of the power supply necessary, not overall consumption.

Power consumption (M404)

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Peak Unit
Operating current (uC on, peripherals and radio disabled) Iidle 27.7 27.9 28.1 mA
Operating current (uC on, BLE advertising) Ible_adv 65.5 69.5 85.9 mA
Operating current (uC on, BLE connected but idle) Ible_conn_idle 65.5 70.1 77 mA
Operating current (uC on, BLE scanning) Ible_scan 52.6 60.5 91.1 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting) Icell_cloud_tx 36.2 159 816 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular on but not connected using LTE Cat M1) Icell_idle_catm1 41.5 46.7 217 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connecting to tower using LTE Cat M1) Icell_conn_twr_catm1 39.8 43.9 131 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connecting to cloud using LTE Cat M1) Icell_conn_cloud_catm1 39.7 83.5 181 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected but idle using LTE Cat M1) Icell_cloud_idle_catm1 41.8 44.5 155 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting using LTE Cat M1) Icell_cloud_tx_catm1 40.1 83.6 177 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular on but not connected using 2G) Icell_idle_2g 38.9 44.7 1700 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connecting to tower using 2G) Icell_conn_twr_2g 36.9 128 1700 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connecting to cloud using 2G) Icell_conn_cloud_2g 35.9 98.3 1740 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected but idle using 2G) Icell_cloud_idle_2g 35.8 40.3 114 mA
Operating current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting using 2G) Icell_cloud_tx_2g 32 152 1720 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi on but not connected) Iwifi_idle 27.3 30.4 101 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connecting to access point) Iwifi_conn_ap 25.4 68.9 353 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connecting to cloud) Iwifi_conn_cloud 59.8 109 469 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connected but idle) Iwifi_cloud_idle 61.6 64.5 184 mA
Operating current (uC on, Wi-Fi connected and transmitting) Iwifi_cloud_tx 60.7 64.9 349 mA
STOP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Istop_gpio 542 547 551 uA
STOP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Istop_intrtc 512 515 518 uA
ULP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Iulp_gpio 542 547 551 uA
ULP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Iulp_intrtc 512 515 518 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Ihib_gpio 41.9 44 45.8 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, RTC wake-up Ihib_intrtc 41.1 43.4 45.3 uA

1The min, and particularly peak, values may consist of very short transients. The typical (typ) values are the best indicator of overall power consumption over time. The peak values indicate the absolute minimum capacity of the power supply necessary, not overall consumption.

Power consumption (M635)

To be determined at a later date. When operated on LTE Cat M1 or 2G, should be similar to M404.

Radio specifications

Realtek RTL872x for Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz

Feature Description Minimum Typical Maximum Unit
Frequency Range Center channel 2412 - 2484 MHz
Output power 1 Mbps CCK - 20 21 dBM
11 Mbps CCK - 18 21 dBM
BPSK rate 1/2, 6Mbps OFDM - 20 21 dBM
64QAM rate 3/4, 54Mbps OFDM - 17 18 dBM
HT20-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - 19 20 dBM
HT20-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - 16 17 dBM
HT40-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - 19 20 dBM
HT40-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - 16 17 dBM
Tx EVM BPSK rate 1/2, 6Mbps OFDM - - -5 dB
64QAM rate 3/4, 54Mbps OFDM - - -25 dB
HT20-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - - -5 dB
HT20-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - - -28 dB
HT40-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - - -5 dB
HT40-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - - -28 dB
Output power variation -1.5 - 1.5 dBm
Carrier suppression - - -30 dBm

Realtek RTL872x for Wi-Fi 5 GHz

Feature Description Minimum Typical Maximum Unit
Frequency Range Center channel 5180 - 5825 MHz
Output power BPSK rate 1/2, 6Mbps OFDM - 19 19 dBM
64QAM rate 3/4, 54Mbps OFDM - 14 15 dBM
HT20-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - 17 18 dBM
HT20-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - 13 14 dBM
HT40-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - 17 18 dBM
HT40-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - 13 14 dBM
Tx EVM BPSK rate 1/2, 6Mbps OFDM - - -5 dB
64QAM rate 3/4, 54Mbps OFDM - - -25 dB
HT20-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - - -5 dB
HT20-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - - -28 dB
HT40-MCS 0, BPSK rate 1/2 - - -5 dB
HT40-MCS 7, 64QAM rate 5/6 - - -28 dB
Output power variation -1.5 - 1.5 dBm
Carrier suppression - - -30 dBm

Realtek RTL872x for BLE

Feature Description Minimum Typical Maximum Unit
Frequency Range 2402 - 2480 MHz
Tx Output power -10 4.5 dBM

Cellular characteristics for BG95-M5 (M404)

Parameter Value
Protocol stack 3GPP Release 14
RAT LTE Cat M1
LTE FDD Bands Band 12 (700 MHz)
Band 13 (700 MHz)
Band 28 (700 MHz)
Band 20 (800 MHz)
Band 5 (850 MHz)
Band 26 (850 MHz)
Band 8 (900 MHz)
Band 4 (1700 MHz)
Band 3 (1800 MHz)
Band 2 (1900 MHz)
Band 25 (1900 MHz)
Band 1 (2100 MHz)
Band 66 (2100 MHz)
GSM Bands GSM850 (850 MHz)
EGSM900 (900 MHz)
DCS1800 (1800 MHz)
PCS1900 (1900 MHz)
Power class Class 4 (33dBm ± 2dB) for GSM850
Class 4 (33dBm ± 2dB) for EGSM900
Class 1 (30dBm ± 2dB) for DCS1800
Class 1 (30dBm ± 2dB) for PCS1900
Class E2 (27dBm ± 3dB) for GSM850 8-PSK
Class E2 (27dBm ± 3dB) for EGSM900 8-PSK
Class E2 (26dBm ± 3dB) for DCS1800 8-PSK
Class E2 (26dBm ± 3dB) for PCS1900 8-PSK
Class 3 (23dBm ± 2dB) for LTE FDD bands

Cellular characteristics for EG91-EX (M524)

Parameter Value
Protocol stack 3GPP Release 13
RAT LTE Cat 1
LTE FDD Bands Band 28A (700 MHz)
Band 20 (800 MHz)
Band 8 (900 MHz)
Band 3 (1800 MHz)
Band 1 (2100 MHz)
Band 7 (2600 MHz)
WCDMA Bands Band 8 (900 MHz)
Band 1 (2100)
GSM Bands EGSM900 (900 MHz)
DCS1800 (1800 MHz)
Power class Class 4 (33dBm ± 2dB) for EGSM900
Class 1 (30dBm ± 2dB) for DCS1800
Class E2 (27dBm ± 3dB) for EGSM900 8-PSK
Class E2 (26dBm ± 3dB) for DCS1800 8-PSK
Class 3 (24dBm ± 3dB) for WCDMA bands
Class 3 (23dBm ± 2dB) for LTE FDD bands

Mechanical specifications

Mechanical drawing

Mechanical Drawing

Dimensions are in millimeters.


Mating connector and land pattern

The mating connector is a an M.2 (NGFF) type 4. Note that there are several different key configurations for the M.2, and type 4 is different than is commonly used on SSDs.

One compatible connector is the TE 2199230-4. It is widely available including at suppliers such as DigiKey.

M.2 Connector

Screw Assembly

The M.2 SoM requires a screw to hold the SoM in place because the M.2 connector does not have integrated locks and the SoM will pop up if not attached to the base board. The screw also provides better vibration resistance than locking clips.

  • This is one style of standoff.

Screw Assembly

The screw should be connected to the ground plane on your base board.

Design Considerations

We strongly recommend against placing components under the SOM board because there is not enough height.

Keep-Out Area

Product Handling

ESD Precautions

The M-SoM contains highly sensitive electronic circuitry and is an Electrostatic Sensitive Device (ESD). Handling an M-SoM without proper ESD protection may destroy or damage it permanently. Proper ESD handling and packaging procedures must be applied throughout the processing, handling and operation of any application that incorporates the Particle M-SoM. ESD precautions should be implemented on the application board where the M-SoM is mounted. Failure to observe these precautions can result in severe damage to the M-SoM!

Connectors

The U.FL antenna connector is not designed to be constantly plugged and unplugged. The antenna pin is static sensitive and you can destroy the radio with improper handling. A tiny dab of glue (epoxy, rubber cement, liquid tape or hot glue) on the connector can be used securely hold the plug in place.

The M.2 edge connector is static sensitive and should be handled carefully. The M.2 connector is not designed for repeated removal and insertion of the module.


Default settings

The M-SoM comes pre-programmed with a bootloader and a user application called Tinker. This application works with an iOS and Android app also named Tinker that allows you to very easily toggle digital pins, take analog and digital readings and drive variable PWM outputs.

The bootloader allows you to easily update the user application via several different methods, USB, OTA, Serial Y-Modem, and also internally via the Factory Reset procedure. All of these methods have multiple tools associated with them as well.


FCC ISED CE Warnings and End Product Labeling Requirements

Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement 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 of the following measures:

  • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
  • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. 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.

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This transmitter module must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. This End equipment should be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20 centimeters between the radiator and your body.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that these conditions can not be met (for example certain laptop configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for re-evaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization.

End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:

  • Contains FCC ID: 2AEMI-M404

Manual Information to the End User The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user’s manual of the end product which integrates this module.

Outdoor Use (US)

To be compliant to FCC §15.407(a) the EIRP is not allowed to exceed 125 mW (21 dBm) at any elevation angle above 30° (measured from the horizon) when operated as an outdoor access point in U-NII-1 band, 5.150-5.250 GHz.


Canada Statement This device complies with Industry Canada’s licence-exempt RSSs. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

  1. This device may not cause interference; and
  2. This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d’Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence.

L’exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes:

  1. l’appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage;
  2. l’utilisateur de l’appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d’en compromettre le fonctionnement.

Caution Exposure: This device meets the exemption from the routine evaluation limits in section 2.5 of RSS102 and users can obtain Canadian information on RF exposure and compliance. Le dispositif répond à l'exemption des limites d'évaluation de routine dans la section 2.5 de RSS102 et les utilisateurs peuvent obtenir des renseignements canadiens sur l'exposition aux RF et le respect.

The final end product must be labelled in a visible area with the following: The Industry Canada certification label of a module shall be clearly visible at all times when installed in the host device, otherwise the host device must be labelled to display the Industry Canada certification number of the module, preceded by the words “Contains transmitter module”, or the word “Contains”, or similar wording expressing the same meaning, as follows:

  • Contains transmitter module ISED: 20127-M524

This End equipment should be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20 centimeters between the radiator and your body. Cet équipement devrait être installé et actionné avec une distance minimum de 20 centimètres entre le radiateur et votre corps.

The end user manual shall include all required regulatory information/warning as shown in this manual.

Outdoor use (CA)

  • Operation in the band 5150–5250 MHz is only for indoor use to reduce the potential for harmful interference to co-channel mobile satellite systems;
  • Operation in the 5600-5650 MHz band is not allowed in Canada. High-power radars are allocated as primary users (i.e., priority users) of the bands 5250-5350 MHz and 5650-5850 MHz and that these radars could cause interference and/or damage to LE-LAN devices.

  • Le dispositif de fonctionnement dans la bande 5150-5250 MHz est réservé à une utilisation en intérieur pour réduire le risque d'interférences nuisibles à la co-canal systèmes mobiles par satellite
  • Opération dans la bande 5600-5650 MHz n'est pas autorisée au Canada. Haute puissance radars sont désignés comme utilisateurs principaux (c.-àutilisateurs prioritaires) des bandes 5250-5350 MHz et 5650-5850 MHz et que ces radars pourraient causer des interférences et / ou des dommages à dispositifs LAN-EL.

European Union (CE)

M404 - European Union (CE)

We, Particle Industries, Inc, declare under our sole responsibility that the product, M404, to which this declaration relates, is in conformity with RED Directive 2014/53/EU and (EU) 2015/863 RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU (Recast).

The full text of the EU declaration of conformity is available at the followingInternet address: https://www.particle.io/

Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.

The operating frequency bands and the maximum transmitted power limit are listed below:

  • BLE 2402-2480MHz 10dBm
  • Wi-Fi 2.4GHz band 2412-2484MHz 20dBm
  • Wi-Fi 5GHz band 5180-5825MHz 23dBm
  • LTE B1 B3 B8 B20 B28 704.5-959.3MHz 1710.7-2687.5 MHz, 25dBm

M524 - European Union (CE)

We, Particle Industries, Inc, declare under our sole responsibility that the product, M524, to which this declaration relates, is in conformity with RED Directive 2014/53/EU and (EU) 2015/863 RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU (Recast).

The full text of the EU declaration of conformity is available at the followingInternet address: https://www.particle.io/

Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.

The operating frequency bands and the maximum transmitted power limit are listed below:

  • BLE 2402-2480MHz 10dBm
  • Wi-Fi 2.4GHz band 2412-2484MHz 20dBm
  • Wi-Fi 5GHz band 5180-5825MHz 23dBm
  • LTE B1 B3 B7 B8 B20 B28 704.5-959.3MHz 1710.7-2687.5 MHz, 25dBm
  • WCDMA 882.4-957.6 MHz 1922.6-2167.4 MHz, 25dBm
  • EGSM900 880-915 MHz, 33 dBm
  • DCS1800 1710-1785 MHz, 30 dBm

United Kingdom

UKCA Conformity:

Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1206)

Outdoor use (world)

This device is restricted to indoor use when operating in the 5150 to 5350 MHz frequency range. This restriction applies in: AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, TR, UA, UK(NI).


Certification documents

FCC (United States) - M404 M-SoM M-Series LTE-M/2G

ISED (Canada) - M404 M-SoM M-Series LTE-M/2G

CE (European Union) - M404 M-SoM M-Series LTE-M/2G

RoHS - M404 M-SoM M-Series LTE-M/2G

CE (European Union) - M524 M-SoM M-Series LTE Cat 1

RoHS - M524 M-SoM M-Series LTE Cat 1


Country compatibility

M404 - Country compatibility

Country Model Technologies Carriers
Canada M404 M1 Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless, Telus
Mexico M404 2G, M1 AT&T, Telcel
United States M404 2G, M1 Alaska Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile (USA), Verizon7

The M404 is fully supported in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is in beta testing in other locations. See the carrier list for country compatibility information.

M404 - Certified bands

Technology Band FCC CE
2G 850 MHz  
2G 900 MHz    
2G 1800 MHz    
2G 1900 MHz  
LTE Cat M1 B1 (2100 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B2 (1900 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B3 (1800 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B4 (1700 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B5 (850 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B8 (900 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B12 (700 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B13 (700 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B20 (800 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B25 (1900 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B26 (850 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B28 (700 MHz)
LTE Cat M1 B66 (2100 MHz)

M524 - Country compatibility

Country Model Technologies Carriers
Albania M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 ALBtelecom, Telekom, Vodafone
Algeria M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mobilis, Ooredoo
Aruba M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Setar
Australia M524 Cat1 Optus, Telstra, Vodafone
Austria M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Drei), A1, T-Mobile
Bahrain M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Zain
Bangladesh M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bangalink, GrameenPhone
Belarus M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 A1
Belgium M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Base, Orange, Proximus
Bosnia and Herzegovina M524 2G, 3G BH Telecom, HT Eronet
Botswana M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 BeMobile
Brunei M524 3G, Cat1 DST
Bulgaria M524 2G, 3G A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Burkina Faso M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange
Cabo Verde M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 CVMóvel, Unitel T+
Cambodia M524 2G, 3G Metfone
Chad M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Chile M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Claro, Entel, Movistar
Congo (Brazzaville) M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Congo (Kinshasa) M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Côte d'Ivoire M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Croatia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Hrvatski Telekom, Tele2
Cyprus M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Cytamobile-Vodafone, MTN, PrimeTel
Czechia M524 2G, Cat1 O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone
Denmark M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Tre), TDC, Telenor, Telia
Egypt M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Etisalat, Orange
Estonia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Elisa, Tele2, Telia
eSwatini M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Ethiopia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Ethio Telecom
Faroe Islands M524 2G, 3G Faroese Telecom, Vodafone
Finland M524 2G, Cat1 DNA, Elisa, Telia
France M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bouygues, Free Mobile, Orange, SFR
French Guiana M524 2G, 3G Digicel
Gabon M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Germany M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 O2, Telekom, Vodafone
Ghana M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 AirtelTigo, MTN, Vodafone
Gibraltar M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Gibtel
Greece M524 2G, Cat1 Cosmote, Vodafone, Wind
Guinea M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Guinea-Bissau M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Guyana M524 2G Digicel
Hong Kong M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 CMHK, CSL, SmarTone
Hungary M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Magyar Telekom, Telenor, Vodafone
Iceland M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Nova, Siminn, Vodafone
Indonesia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Indosat, Telkomsel, XL Axiata
Ireland M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Tre), Meteor, O2, Vodafone
Israel M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Hot Mobile, Orange, Pelephone
Italy M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 TIM, Vodafone, Wind
Jordan M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Zain
Kazakhstan M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Beeline, K-Cell
Kenya M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Kuwait M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Viva, Zain
Latvia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bite, LMT, Tele2
Liechtenstein M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mobilkom, Orange
Lithuania M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bite, Omnitel, Tele2
Luxembourg M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, POST, Tango
Macao M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 CTM
Madagascar M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Malawi M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Malaysia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Celcom, DiGi, Maxis
Malta M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Go Mobile, Vodafone
Moldova M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Moldcell, Orange
Mongolia M524 2G, 3G Mobicom, Unitel
Montenegro M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mtel, T-Mobile, Telenor
Morocco M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Inwi, Medi Telecom
Mozambique M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Vodacom
Myanmar M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MPT, Telenor
Namibia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Telecom Namibia
Netherlands M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 KPN, T-Mobile, Vodafone
New Zealand M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 2degrees, Spark, Vodafone
Nigeria M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 9mobile, Airtel, Glo, MTN
Norway M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 TDC, Telenor, Telia
Pakistan M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid
Palestine M524 2G, 3G Jawwal
Papua New Guinea M524 2G, 3G bmobile
Poland M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, Play, Plus, T-Mobile
Portugal M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 NOS, TMN, Vodafone
Qatar M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Ooredoo, Vodafone
Romania M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, Telekom Romania, Vodafone
Rwanda M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel, MTN
Serbia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Telenor, VIP
Seychelles M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Sint Maarten M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 TelCell
Slovakia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 O2, Orange, Telekom
Slovenia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 A1, Mobitel
South Africa M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Cell C, MTN, Vodacom
South Korea M524 3G, Cat1 KT, LG U+, SK Telecom
South Sudan M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Spain M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, Telefonica, Vodafone, Yoigo
Sri Lanka M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Dialog, Mobitel
Suriname M524 2G, 3G Telesur
Sweden M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Tre), Tele2, Telenor, Telia
Switzerland M524 3G, Cat1 Salt, Sunrise, Swisscom
Taiwan M524 3G, Cat1 Chunghwa, FarEasTone, T Star, Taiwan Mobile
Tanzania M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Thailand M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 AIS, DTAC, True Move
Tunisia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange Tunisie, Tunisie Telecom
Uganda M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Africell, Airtel, MTN
United Kingdom M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3, EE, Manx, O2, Sure, Vodafone
Vietnam M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MobiFone, Viettel, Vinaphone
Zambia M524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel

M524 - Certified bands

Technology Band CE
2G 900 MHz
2G 1800 MHz
3G B1 (2100 MHz)
3G B8 (900 MHz)
LTE Cat 1 B1 (2100 MHz)
LTE Cat 1 B3 (1800 MHz)
LTE Cat 1 B7 (2600 MHz)
LTE Cat 1 B8 (900 MHz)
LTE Cat 1 B20 (800 MHz)
LTE Cat 1 B28 (700 MHz)

M635 - Country compatibility

Global, country list to be provided a later date.


Ordering information

SKU Description Region Modem EtherSIM Lifecycle Replacement
M404MEA M-Series LTE-M/2G (Global, EtherSIM), [x1] Global BG95-M5 GA
M404MTY M-Series LTE-M/2G (Global, EtherSIM), Tray [x50] Global BG95-M5 GA
M524MEA M-Series LTE CAT1/3G/2G (Europe, EtherSIM), [x1] EMEAA EG91-EX GA
M524MTY M-Series LTE CAT1/3G/2G (Europe, EtherSIM), Tray [x50] EMEAA EG91-EX GA
M635MEA M-Series LTE M1/2G/Satellite Kit (Global, EtherSIM), [x1] Global BG95-S5 In development
  • EMEAA: Selected countries in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including Australia and New Zealand. See the cellular carrier list for more information.

Revision history

Revision Date Author Comments
pre 2023-10-03 RK Initial version
2023-12-20 RK Added FCC and IC IDs. Additional notes for ADCs, D24, and D25
2024-02-08 RK Added power consumption information
2024-02-20 RK M.2 screw assembly should be connected to ground
2024-02-20 RK Added pin drive strength
2024-03-14 RK M SoM pin 45 is not shared. Pins 43 and 53 are both connected to PB[2], but not pin 45.
2024-03-15 RK The UART baud rate 2400, 4800, 380400, 460800 are supported but were not listed
2024-03-26 RK Listed certified bands for FCC and CE
001 2024-04-02 RK General availability
002 2024-04-03 RK Additional transmitter information
003 2024-04-18 RK Add PDM microphone
004 2024-04-23 RK Added links to certification documents
005 2024-04-25 RK Added I/O characteristics
006 2024-04-30 RK Corrected SPI interface speeds
007 2024-07-09 RK Updated cellular modem on M635 to BG95-S5
008 2024-08-21 RK Added supervisory reset information
009 2024-09-03 RK Added clarification of cellular modem USB pins
010 2024-09-24 RK Removed concurrent GNSS warning, added link to library
011 2024-10-02 RK Added warning to not use Argon (ANT-FLXV2) antenna