Tracker SoM Datasheet

SoM

Functional description

Overview

The AssetTracker SoM is a System-on-a-Module (SoM) with:

  • LTE Cat 1 (selected countries in the EMEAA region) or LTE Cat M1 (North America) cellular modem
  • GNSS (supports GPS and Galileo) with up to 1.8m accuracy and untethered dead-reckoning
  • Support for CAN bus and 5V power for CAN devices
  • Built-in Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
  • Castellated module can be reflow soldered to your base board, and is available on an evaluation board or carrier board
Model Region
T402 / T404 North America
T523 / T524 EMEAA†

†EMEAA: Selected countries in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including Australia and New Zealand. See the cellular carrier list for more information.


Features

  • GNSS u-blox Neo M8U for GNSS with on-board dead-reckoning for up to 1.8m CEP50 GPS accuracy
    • Supports GPS L1C/A, Galileo E1B/C
    • Support for battery-backup for almanac and ephemeris data
  • Quectel BG96-MC modem (T402 / T404)
    • LTE Cat M1 module for North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
    • LTE FDD bands supported: B1, B2,B3, B4,B5, B8, B12,B13, B18, B19, B20, B28
  • Quectel EG91-EX modem (T523 / T524)
    • LTE Cat 1 module for EMEAA region
    • 3GPP E-UTRA Release 13
    • Cat 1 bands supported: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28
    • 2G and 3G fallback (900, 1800, and 2100 MHz)
    • Support for Europe only (T523)
    • Support for selected countries in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including Australia and New Zealand (T524)
  • Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 SoC
    • ARM Cortex-M4F 32-bit processor @ 64MHz
    • 1MB flash, 256KB RAM in SoC
    • Bluetooth 5: 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, 500 Kbps, 125 Kbps
    • Supports DSP instructions, HW accelerated Floating Point Unit (FPU) and encryption functions
    • Up to +8 dBm TX power (down to -20 dBm in 4 dB steps)
    • NFC-A tag
  • Wi-Fi location: on-board ESP32 offers SSID scanning for using third-party Wi-Fi location services
  • PMIC (Power Management ISED) and Fuel Gauge
  • On-module additional 8MB SPI flash
  • CAN Bus: on-board, integrated CAN Bus controller and transceiver making it ideal for fleet and micromobility
  • Boost Converter to power 5V CAN devices from a 3.6V battery
  • RTC: External real-time clock with support for an optional separate battery
  • Watchdog Timer: integrated hardware WDT
  • 10 Mixed signal GPIO (8 x Analog, 10 x Digital, UART, I2C, SPI)
  • USB 2.0 full speed (12 Mbps)
  • JTAG (SWD) pins
  • Support for external RGB status LED
  • Support for external Reset and Mode buttons
  • On-module MFF2 Particle SIM
  • Bluetooth chip antenna on module, switchable to use U.FL connector in software.
  • Five on-module U.FL connectors for cellular, GNSS, BLE, Wi-Fi, and alternative GNSS.
  • Castellated module designed to be reflow soldered to your own custom base board, or pre-populated on a Particle Evaluation Board or Carrier Board.
  • FCC (United States), ISED (Canada), and CE (European Union) certified
  • RoHS compliant (lead-free)

Model comparison

T404 T402 T524 T523
Region NorAm NorAm EMEAA Europe
EtherSIM    
Supply Secure    
Lifecycle GA Deprecated GA Deprecated
  • EtherSIM devices generally have a larger number of carriers and more may be added in the future
  • NorAm: North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
  • EMEAA: Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (not all countries supported)
  • See the Carrier list for specific carrier and country compatibility
  • See the Supply secure FAQ for more information
  • See Lifestyle stages for more information

Device OS support

It is recommended that you use the latest version in the 4.x LTS release line with the Tracker SoM.

Tracker Edge v18 requires a minimum of Device OS 3.3.0. Device OS 3.x is a developer preview release and has reached its end-of-support date. We recommend that all Tracker fleets upgrade to Device OS 4.x.

For information on upgrading Device OS, see Version information. For the latest version shipped from the factory, see Manufacturing firmware versions page. See also Long Term Support (LTS) releases.

Interfaces

Block diagram

Block Diagram

Power

The Tracker SoM can be powered via the VIN (3.9V-17VDC) pin, over USB, or a LiPo battery.

VIN

The input voltage range on VIN pin is 3.9VDC to 17VDC. When powering from the VIN pin alone, make sure that the power supply is rated at 10W (for example 5 VDC at 2 Amp). If the power source is unable to meet this requirement, you'll need connect the LiPo battery as well. An additional bulk capacitance of 470uF to 1000uF should be added to the VIN input when the LiPo Battery is disconnected. The amount of capacitance required will depend on the ability of the power supply to deliver peak currents to the cellular modem.

LiPo

This pin serves two purposes. You can use this pin to connect a LiPo battery (either directly or using a JST connector), or it can be used to connect an external DC power source (and this is where one needs to take extra precautions). When powering it from an external regulated DC source, the recommended input voltage range on this pin is between 3.6V to 4.4VDC. Make sure that the supply can handle currents of at least 3Amp. This is the most efficient way of powering the module since the PMIC bypasses the regulator and supplies power to the module via an internal FET leading to lower quiescent current.

When powered from a LiPo battery alone, the power management IC switches off the internal regulator and supplies power to the system directly from the battery. This reduces the conduction losses and maximizes battery run time. The battery provided with the module is a Lithium-Ion Polymer battery rated at 3.7VDC 1,800mAh. You can substitute this battery with another 3.7V LiPo with higher current rating. Remember to never exceed this voltage rating and always pay attention to the polarity of the connector. A LiPo battery with internal protection circuits is recommended.

Typical current consumption is around 180mA and up to 1.8A transients at 5VDC. In deep sleep mode, the quiescent current is 130uA [this value may change] (powered from the battery alone).

The MAX17043 fuel gauge is only compatible with single cell lithium-ion batteries. The state-of-charge (SoC) values will not be accurate with other battery chemistries.

VBUS

VBUS is connected to the USB detect pin of nRF52840 to enables the USB interface. The recommended input voltage range is between 4.35V to 5.5V DC. It is also connected to the bq24195 PMIC to allow for DPDM, detection of the power capacity of the USB port.

3V3 Pin

This pin is the output of the on-board 3.3V switching regulator that powers the microcontroller and the peripherals. This pin can be used as a 3.3V power source with a max load of 800mA. Unlike the Photon, this pin CANNOT be used as an input to power the module.

RTC_BAT

This is the supply to the real-time clock battery backup. 1.4 to 3.6V.

Voltage Typical Current Peak Current Unit
3.0V 56 330 nA
1.8V 52 290 nA

If the RTC battery is not used, connect RTC_BAT to ground.

GNSS_BAT

This is the supply for maintaining the u-blox GNSS ephemeris and almanac data when removing power. This can use the same battery as RTC_BAT, can be a super-capacitor, or can be omitted. 1.5 to 3.6V. Typical current is 15 uA.

If you are not powering GNSS_BAT with a battery or super-capacitor, connect GNSS_BAT to 3V3.

  • Saving the ephemeris and almanac data can improve fix/lock time.
  • It won't make a difference on completely cold boot, where is no previously saved data.
  • It does not make a difference if the GNSS is constantly powered or is using a software power save mode.

PMID

This pin is connected to the PMID pin of the bq24195 PMIC. You should leave this pin unconnected.

Antennas

There are a number of U.FL antenna connectors on the Tracker SoM:

Label Purpose
GNSS u-blox GNSS antenna (GPS)
CELL Quectel cellular modem antenna
WIFI Wi-Fi antenna for Wi-Fi geolocation (optional)1
BLE External Bluetooth (optional)2
GNSS/DIV Quectel GNSS antenna (optional)1
DIV LTE cellular receive diversity antenna3

1Not supported at this time.

2There is a BLE chip antenna on the module, the external BLE antenna is optional.

3DIV is the connector for the LTE cellular receive diversity antenna (T523 only). A second cellular antenna can be connected to this connector to improve performance when the device will be moving at high speeds. It is only used for LTE Cat 1 connections and is not supported when in 2G or 3G mode. This antenna is not necessary in most cases and is not included in evaluation kits. The T404/T402 do not have this connector as receive diversity is not supported in LTE Cat M1 mode.

There is no U.FL connector for NFC. If you wish to use the NFC tag feature, you'll need to add an antenna or antenna connector on your base board.

  • 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.
  • For the BLE antenna, it is recommended to use a 2.4 GHz single-frequency antenna and not a 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz antenna, so as to avoid large gain at the frequency twice of 2.4 GHz which can cause the second harmonic radiation of 2.4 GHz to exceed standards.

GNSS Antenna

As the GNSS system is receive-only (no transmitter), you can use any GNSS compatible antenna without affecting the certification. Different GNSS systems use different frequencies. Many antennas are tuned to the United States GPS system, however you can also get multi-GNSS antennas that are compatible with other systems. All of these systems offer coverage world-wide.

System Owner
GPS United States
GLOSNASS Russia
BeiDou China
Galileo European Space Agency

Cellular antenna

The Tracker SoM has been certified with the following antenna:

Antenna SKU Details Links
Particle Cellular Flex Antenna 2G/3G/LTE 4.7dBi, [x1] ANTCW2EA Tracker, B-Series, E-Series Datasheet | Retail Store
Band Frequency (MHz) Peak Gain Average Gain
700/850/900 698-960 1.42 dBi -2.80 dB
1700/1800/1900 1710-1990 3.77 dBi -1.90 dB
2100 1755-2170 4.62 dBi -2.65 dB
2400 2400-2500 4.71 dBi -2.10 dB
2600 2500-2690 4.66 dBi -2.20 dB
Measurement Value
Maximum power 5W
Impedance 50Ω
Size 97.0 x 21.0 x 0.2 mm

Particle devices are certified for use only with the designated antenna specified above. The use of alternative antennas with our modules could necessitate a recertification process. To fully understand the potential consequences of using a non-certified antenna, Particle strongly advises seeking consultation with a qualified RF expert.


Wi-Fi Antenna

The Tracker SoM has been certified with the following Wi-Fi antenna. Note: The same external antenna model is used for Wi-Fi and BLE.

Antenna SKU Links
Particle Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4GHz, [x1] ANT-FLXV2 Datasheet | Retail Store
Particle Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4GHz, [x50] ANT-FLXV2-50 Datasheet
Measurement Value
Peak gain 2.0 dBi
Frequency 2400 - 2500 MHz
Impedance 50Ω
Size 45.1 x 7.4 x 1.0mm

BLE Antenna

The Tracker SoM includes a built-in chip antenna for BLE with a peak gain of 0 dBi. It can also be used with the following external antenna, which is the same model as the Wi-Fi antenna, above.

Antenna SKU Links
Particle Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4GHz, [x1] ANT-FLXV2 Datasheet | Retail Store
Particle Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4GHz, [x50] ANT-FLXV2-50 Datasheet
Measurement Value
Peak gain 2.0 dBi
Frequency 2400 - 2500 MHz
Impedance 50Ω
Size 45.1 x 7.4 x 1.0mm

Peripherals and GPIO

There are 10 exposed GPIO lines labeled A0-A7, TX, and RX. These multi-function pins can be configured for use as GPIO or other interfaces like SPI and I2C.

Shared Peripherals Qty Input(I) / Output(O)
Digital 10 (max) I/O
Analog (ADC) 8 (max) I
UART 1 I/O
SPI 1 I/O
I2C 1 I/O
PWM 10 (max)1 O
Peripheral Type Qty Input(I) / Output(O)
USB 1 I/O
NFC Tag 1 O
CAN Bus 1 I/O

1PWM is divided into three PWM groups. Each group must share the same frequency, but can have different periods.

Note: All GPIO are only rated at 3.3VDC max. CAN bus has a higher voltage rating.

JTAG (SWD)

The AssetTracker SoM exposes the nRF52 SWD interface on the following pins. The Evaluation Board connects these pins to the 2x5 connector used on the Argon and Boron to easily connect the Particle Debugger.

# Pin Function Connected To Description
22 SWDIO JTAG nRF52 nRF52 MCU SWDIO
23 SWDCLK JTAG nRF52 nRF52 MCU SWDCLK
24 SWO JTAG nRF52 nRF52 MCU SWO

This interface can be used to debug your code or reprogram your bootloader, device OS, or the user firmware.

Memory map

nRF52840 flash layout overview

  • Bootloader (48KB, @0xF4000)
  • User Application
    • 256KB @ 0xB4000 (Device OS 3.1 and later)
    • 128KB @ 0xD4000 (Device OS 3.0 and earlier)
  • System (656KB, @0x30000)
  • SoftDevice (192KB)

External SPI flash layout overview (dfu offset: 0x80000000)

  • OTA (1500KB, @0x00689000)
  • Reserved (420KB, @0x00620000)
  • FAC (128KB, @0x00600000)
  • Reserved (2MB @0x00400000)
  • LittleFS (4MB, @0x00000000)

Pins and connectors

Block Diagram

Circular labels are as follows:

Label Purpose
1 Quectel cellular modem antenna
2 Wi-Fi antenna for Wi-Fi geolocation (optional)
3 External Bluetooth (optional)
4 Built-in Bluetooth chip antenna
5 Quectel GNSS antenna (optional)
6 u-blox GNSS antenna (GPS)
7 u-blox Neo M8 GNSS (GPS)
8 Quectel cellular modem

SoM Pin description

# Pin Function Connected To Description
Right Side
1 GND POWER Ground
2 GNSS_BAT POWER IN GNSS Battery backup for GNSS
3 GNSS_RESET IO GNSS & IOEX GNSS hardware reset. Can be controlled by this pin or software.
4 GNSS_VBUS USB PWR GNSS GNSS USB power. Optional.
5 GNSS_P USB D+ GNSS GNSS USB interface D+. Optional.
6 GNSS_N USB D- GNSS GNSS USB interface D-. Optional.
7 GNSS_PULSE OUT GNSS GNSS time pulse output. Can be used for a GNSS fix LED.2
8 GND POWER Ground
9 NC Leave unconnected.
10 GND POWER Ground
11 WIFI_EN IO WIFI & IOEX ESP32 enable. Can be controlled by this pin or software.
12 WIFI_BOOT IO WIFI & IOEX ESP32 boot mode. Can be controlled by this pin or software.
13 WIFI_TXD OUT WIFI ESP32 serial TX
14 WIFI_RXD IN WIFI ESP32 serial TX
15 CELL_VBUS USB PWR CELL Cellular modem USB power. Optional.
16 CELL_D+ USB D+ CELL Cellular modem USB interface D+. Optional.
17 CELL-D- USB D- CELL Cellular modem USB interface D-. Optional.
18 NC SOM18 Leave unconnected.
19 NC SOM19 Leave unconnected.
20 NC SOM20 Leave unconnected.
21 NC SOM21 Leave unconnected.
22 SWDIO JTAG nRF52 nRF52 MCU SWDIO
23 SWDCLK JTAG nRF52 nRF52 MCU SWDCLK
24 SWO JTAG nRF52 nRF52 MCU SWO
25 GND POWER Ground
26 NFC2 NFC nRF52 nRF52 NFC antenna. Supports NFC tag mode only. Optional.
27 NFC1 NFC nRF52 nRF52 NFC antenna. Supports NFC tag mode only. Optional.
28 RGB_BLUE RGB LED nRF52 Common anode RGB status LED, blue. Optional.
29 RGB_GREEN RGB LED nRF52 Common anode RGB status LED, green. Optional.
30 RGB_RED RGB LED nRF52 Common anode RGB status LED, red. Optional.
31 GND POWER Ground
32 MODE INPUT nRF52 External MODE button input, active low. Optional.
33 RESET INPUT nRF52 External RESET button input, active low. Optional.
34 NC SOM34 Leave unconnected.
35 NC SOM35 Leave unconnected.
36 NC SOM36 Leave unconnected.
37 NC SOM37 Leave unconnected.
38 A7 IO nRF52 A7, D7, SS, WKP
39 A6 IO nRF52 A6, D6, SPI SCK
40 A5 IO nRF52 A5, D5, SPI MISO
41 A4 IO nRF52 A4, D4, SPI MOSI
42 GND POWER Ground
Top Side
43 GND POWER Ground
44 NC SOM44 Leave unconnected.
45 3V3 POWER OUT TPS62291 3.3V power output. 1000 mA maximum include nRF52 and other peripheral use.
46 TS IN PMIC Battery temperature sensor
47 PMID POWER OUT PMIC PMIC power output in OTG mode.
48 GND POWER Ground
49 VIN POWER IN PMIC Power input 3.9VDC to 17VDC.
50 STAT OUT PMIC PMIC charge status. Can be connected to an LED. Active low. Optional.
51 VBUS POWER IN PMIC & nRF52 nRF52 USB power input. Can be used as a power supply instead of VIN.
52 GND POWER Ground
53 LI+ POWER PMIC Connect to Li-Po battery. Can power the device or be recharged by VIN or VBUS.
Left Side
54 GND POWER Ground
55 A0 IO nRF52 A0, D0, Wire SDA, Thermistor1
56 A1 IO nRF52 A1, D1, Wire SCL, User button1
57 A2 IO nRF52 A2, D2, Serial1 CTS, GNSS lock indicator1
58 A3 IO nRF52 A3, D3, Serial1 RTS, M8 GPIO1
59 NC SOM59 Leave unconnected.
60 NC SOM60 Leave unconnected.
61 NC SOM61 Leave unconnected.
62 NC SOM62 Leave unconnected.
63 AGND POWER nRF52 nRF52 analog ground. Can connect to regular GND.
64 CAN_N CAN CAN CAN Data-
65 CAN_P CAN CAN CAN Data+
66 CAN_5V XCL9142F40 5V power out, 370 mA maximum. Can be controlled by software.
67 GND POWER Ground
68 MCU-D- USB D- nRF52 MCU USB interface D-. Optional.
69 MCU_D+ USB D+ nRF52 MCU USB interface D+. Optional.
70 GND POWER Ground
71 MCU_RX IO nRF52 Serial RX, GPIO D9, Wire3 SDA
72 MCU_TX IO nRF52 Serial TX, GPIO D8, Wire3 SCL
73 RTC_BAT POWER AM18X5 RTC/Watchdog battery +. Connect to GND if not using.
74 RTC_BTN IN AM18X5 RTC EXTI. Can use as a wake button.
75 GND POWER Ground
76 NC SOM76 Leave unconnected.
77 NC SOM77 Leave unconnected.
78 NC SOM78 Leave unconnected.
79 NC SOM79 Leave unconnected.
80 NC SOM80 Leave unconnected.
81 NC SOM81 Leave unconnected.
82 NC SOM82 Leave unconnected.
83 CELL_GPS_RX IN CELL Cellular modem GPS serial RX data.
84 CELL_GPS_TX OUT CELL Cellular modem GPS serial TX data.
85 CELL_RI OUT CELL Cellular modem ring indicator output.
86 GND POWER Ground
87 CELL_GPS_RF RF CELL Cellular modem GPS antenna. Optional.
88 GND POWER Ground
89 GND POWER Ground
90 GNSS_BOOT GNSS u-blox GNSS boot mode
91 GNSS_ANT_PWR GNSS u-blox GNSS antenna power
92 GNSS_LNA_EN GNSS u-blox GNSS LNA enable or antenna switch
93 GND POWER Ground
94 GNSS_RF GNSS GNSS antenna.
95 GND POWER Ground

Note: All GPIO, ADC, and peripherals such as I2C, Serial, and SPI are 3.3V maximum and are not 5V tolerant.

Pin numbers match the triangular numbers in the graphic above.

1Pin usage on the Tracker One.

2The GNSS_PULSE pin can be used for a hardware GPS lock indicator, however the Tracker One controls the GNSS Lock indicator in software and connects the LED to pin A2.

nRF52 pin assignments

SoM Pin GPIO Analog Other PWM nRF Pin
55 D0 A0 Wire SDA1 Group 0 P0.03
56 D1 A1 Wire SCL1 Group 0 P0.02
57 D2 A2 Serial1 CTS Group 0 P0.28
58 D3 A3 Serial1 RTS Group 0 P0.30
41 D4 A4 SPI MOSI Group 1 P0.31
40 D5 A5 SPI MISO Group 1 P0.29
39 D6 A6 SPI SCK Group 1 P0.04
38 D7 A7 SPI SS, WKP Group 1 P0.05
72 D8 Serial1 TX, Wire3 SCL Group 2 P0.06
71 D9 Serial1 RX, Wire3 SDA Group 2 P0.08

1Pull-up resistors are not included. When using as an I2C port, external pull-up resistors are required.


System peripheral GPIO

Name Description Location
BTN MODE Button P1.13
PMIC_INT PMIC Interrupt P0.26
LOW_BAT_UC Fuel Gauge Interrupt IOEX 0.0
RTC_INT Real-time clock Interrupt P0.27
BGRST Cellular module reset P0.07
BGPWR Cellular module power P0.08
BGVINT Cellular power on detect P1.14
BGDTR Cellular module DTR IOEX 1.5
CAN_INT CAN interrupt P1.09
CAN_RST CAN reset IOEX 1.6
CAN_PWR 5V boost converter enable IOEX 1.7
CAN_STBY CAN standby mode IOEX 0.2
CAN_RTS0 CAB RTS0 IOEX 1.4
CAN_RTS1 CAN RTS1 IOEX 1.2
CAN_RTS2 CAN RTS2 IOEX 1.3
SEN_INT IMU interrupt P1.07
ANT_SW1 BLE antenna switch P1.15
GPS_PWR u-blox GNSS power IOEX 0.6
GPS_INT u-blox GNSS interrupt IOEX 0.7
GPS_BOOT u-blox GNSS boot mode IOEX 1.0
GPS_RST u-blox GNSS reset IOEX 1.1
WIFI_EN ESP32 enable IOEX 0.3
WIFI_INT ESP32 interrupt IOEX 0.4
WIFI_BOOT ESP32 boot mode IOEX 0.5

Status LED

The Tracker SoM does not have an on-module RGB system status LED. We have provided its individual control pins for you to connect an LED of your liking. This will allow greater flexibility in the end design of your products.

Device OS assumes a 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.

Technical specifications

Absolute maximum ratings

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Max Unit
Supply
Supply Input Voltage VIN -2.0 +22.0 V
Supply Input Current IIN-MAX-L 1.5 A
VBUS USB supply voltage VUSB -0.3 +5.8 V
Supply Output Voltage VIN +4.8 V
Supply Output Voltage V3V3 +3.3 V
Supply Output Current I3V3-MAX-L 800 mA
LiPo Battery Voltage VLiPo -0.5 +6.0 V
CAN Supply Voltage 5 V
CAN Supply Current 370 mA
I/O pin voltage
VI/O IO -0.3 +3.6 V
NFC antenna pin current
INFC1/2 NFC1/NFC2 80 mA
Radio
BT RF input level (52840) 10 dBm
Environmental
Storage temperature -40 +85 °C
ESD Susceptibility HBM (Human Body Mode) VESD 2 kV

Stresses beyond those listed under absolute maximum ratings may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated under recommended operating conditions is not implied. Exposure to absolute-maximum-rated conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.


Parameter Symbol Min Typ Max Unit
Supply voltages
Supply Input Voltage VIN 3.9 17.0 V
VBUS USB supply voltage VUSB 4.35 5.0 5.5 V
LiPo Battery Voltage VLiPo 3.6 4.3 V
Environmental
Normal operating temperature1 -20 +25 +75 °C
Extended operating temperature2 -40 +85 °C
Humidity Range Non condensing, relative humidity 95 %

Notes:

1 Normal operating temperature range (fully functional and meet 3GPP specifications).

2 Extended operating temperature range (RF performance may be affected outside normal operating range, though module is fully functional)


Power consumption (T404/T402)

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Peak Unit
Operating Current (uC on, peripherals and radio disabled) Iidle 3.35 3.38 4.39 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular on but not connected) Icell_idle 21.3 277 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connecting to tower) Icell_conn_twr 16.8 56.7 329 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connecting to cloud) Icell_conn_cloud 19.1 53.3 292 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connected but idle) Icell_cloud_idle 19.2 21.2 97.1 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting) Icell_cloud_tx 19.5 63.6 280 mA
STOP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Istop_gpio 556 806 1170 uA
STOP mode sleep, analog wake-up Istop_analog 588 831 1230 uA
STOP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Istop_intrtc 593 835 1240 uA
STOP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, advertising Istop_ble_adv 858 2330 uA
STOP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, connected Istop_ble_conn 875 1600 uA
STOP mode sleep, serial wake-up Istop_usart 577 798 1210 uA
STOP mode sleep, cellular wake-up Istop_cell 7.66 17.2 90.1 mA
STOP mode sleep, IMU wake-up Istop_imu 548 834 1250 uA
STOP mode sleep, CAN wake-up Istop_can 605 817 1210 uA
STOP mode sleep, GPS wake-up Istop_gps 23.7 31.1 46.3 mA
ULP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Iulp_gpio 114 479 uA
ULP mode sleep, analog wake-up Iulp_analog 117 508 uA
ULP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Iulp_intrtc 114 509 uA
ULP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, advertising Iulp_ble_adv 186 2200 uA
ULP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, connected Iulp_ble_conn 203 1070 uA
ULP mode sleep, serial wake-up Iulp_usart 287 530 934 uA
ULP mode sleep, cellular wake-up Iulp_cell 3.06 16.9 83.4 mA
ULP mode sleep, IMU wake-up Iimu_imu 175 616 uA
ULP mode sleep, CAN wake-up Ican_can 142 528 uA
ULP mode sleep, GPS wake-up Iulp_gps 23.6 30.9 45.7 mA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Ihib_gpio 103 503 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, analog wake-up Ihib_analog 100 493 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, external RTC wake-up Ihib_extrtc 94.3 590 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, IMU wake-up Ihib_imu 151 590 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, CAN wake-up Ihib_can 121 477 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 (t524/t523)

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Peak Unit
Operating Current (uC on, peripherals and radio disabled) Iidle 3.22 3.24 3.26 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular on but not connected) Icell_idle 18.9 22.0 136 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connecting to tower) Icell_conn_twr 35.5 106 726 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connecting to cloud) Icell_conn_cloud 38.0 137 553 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connected but idle) Icell_cloud_idle 19.2 21.2 97.1 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting) Icell_cloud_tx 117 145 787 mA
STOP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Istop_gpio 625 872 1270 uA
STOP mode sleep, analog wake-up Istop_analog 655 853 1210 uA
STOP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Istop_intrtc 632 873 1260 uA
STOP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, advertising Istop_ble_adv 919 2700 uA
STOP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, connected Istop_ble_conn 421 901 1680 uA
STOP mode sleep, serial wake-up Istop_usart 613 840 1240 uA
STOP mode sleep, cellular wake-up Istop_cell 19.2 21.5 149 mA
STOP mode sleep, IMU wake-up Istop_imu 584 858 1250 uA
STOP mode sleep, CAN wake-up Istop_can 622 869 1280 uA
STOP mode sleep, GPS wake-up Istop_gps 23.8 30.8 44.7 mA
ULP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Iulp_gpio 130 139 540 uA
ULP mode sleep, analog wake-up Iulp_analog 132 140 542 uA
ULP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Iulp_intrtc 131 139 531 uA
ULP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, advertising Iulp_ble_adv 132 214 2240 uA
ULP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, connected Iulp_ble_conn 230 1110 uA
ULP mode sleep, serial wake-up Iulp_usart 366 564 933 uA
ULP mode sleep, cellular wake-up Iulp_cell 18.9 21.7 210 mA
ULP mode sleep, IMU wake-up Iimu_imu 172 580 uA
ULP mode sleep, CAN wake-up Ican_can 162 513 uA
ULP mode sleep, GPS wake-up Iulp_gps 23.1 30.2 44.6 mA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Ihib_gpio 111 474 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, analog wake-up Ihib_analog 114 521 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, external RTC wake-up Ihib_extrtc 111 478 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, IMU wake-up Ihib_imu 144 580 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, CAN wake-up Ihib_can 8.76 133 386 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.


GNSS specifications

  • u-blox NEO-M8U untethered dead reckoning module including 3D inertial sensors
  • SPI Interface
  • Supports GPS L1C/A, Galileo E1B/C
Parameter Specification
Dynamics operational limit1 ≤ 4g
Altitude operational limit1 50000 m
Velocity operational limit1 500 m/s
Velocity accuracy2 0.5 m/s
Heading accuracy2 1 degree
Max navigation update rate3 30 Hz
Max navigation latency3 < 10 ms
Parameter GPS Galileo
Time-To-First Fix5 Cold start 30s 57s
Hot start 1.5s 1.5s
Aided start6 3s 7s
Sensitivity 78 Tracking & Navigation -160 dBm -154 dBm
Reacquisiton -159 dBm -152 dBm
Cold Start -147 dBm -133 dBm
Hot Start -156 dBm -151 dBm
Horizontal positioning accuracy Autonomous 9 TBC10
With SBAS11 1.5m -
Altitude accuracy With SBAS12 3.0m -

1 Configured for Airborne < 4g platform

2 50% at 30 m/s

3 High navigation rate mode

5 All satellites at -130 dBm, except Galileo at -127 dBm

6 Dependent on aiding data connection speed and latency

7 Demonstrated with a good external LNA

8 Configured min. CNO of 6 dB/Hz, limited by FW with min. CNO of 20 dB/Hz for best performance

9 CEP, 50%, 24 hours static, -130 dBm, > 6 SVs

10 To be confirmed when Galileo reaches full operational capability

11 CEP, 50%, 24 hours static, -130 dBm, > 6 SVs

12 CEP, 50%, 24 hours static, -130 dBm, > 6 SVs

GNSS GPIO:

Name Description Location
GPS_PWR u-blox GNSS power IOEX 0.6
GPS_INT u-blox GNSS interrupt IOEX 0.7
GPS_BOOT u-blox GNSS boot mode IOEX 1.0
GPS_RST u-blox GNSS reset IOEX 1.1
GPS_CS CAN SPI Chip Select CS Decoder 4

CAN specifications

  • Microchip MCP25625 CAN Controller with Integrated Transceiver
  • SPI Interface
  • Implements CAN2.0B (ISO11898-1)
  • Implements ISO-11898-2 and ISO-11898-5 standard physical layer requirements
  • Up to 1 Mb/sec operation
  • 3 transmit buffers with prioritization and abort features
  • 2 receive buffers
  • 6 filters and 2 masks with optional filtering on the first 2 data bytes
  • CAN bus pins are disconnected when device is unpowered
  • High-ESD protection on CANH and CANL, meets IEC61000-4-2 up to ±8 kV
  • Very low standby current, 10 uA, typical
  • 5V step-up converter (XC9142F50CER), 370 mA maximum
  • CAN terminator resistor is not included

CAN GPIO:

Name Description Location
CAN_INT CAN interrupt P1.09
CAN_RST CAN reset (LOW = reset for 100 milliseconds) IOEX 1.6
CAN_PWR 5V boost converter enable (HIGH = on) IOEX 1.7
CAN_STBY CAN standby mode (HIGH = standby) IOEX 0.2
CAN_RTS0 CAB RTS0 IOEX 1.4
CAN_RTS1 CAN RTS1 IOEX 1.2
CAN_RTS2 CAN RTS2 IOEX 1.3
CAN_CS CAN SPI Chip Select CS Decoder 7

CANH, CANL Absolute Maximum Ratings:

Parameter Maximum
DC Voltage at CANH, CANL -58V to +58V
Transient Voltage on CANH, CANL (ISO-7637) -150V to +100V
ESD Protection on CANH and CANL Pins (IEC 61000-4-2) ±8 kV
ESD Protection on CANH and CANL Pins (IEC 801; Human Body Model) ±8 kV

CAN Transceiver Characteristics

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Max Unit Conditions
Supply Input Voltage VDDA 5.0 V
Supply Current IDD 5 10 mA Recessive; VTXD = VDDA
45 70 mA Dominant; VTXD = 0V
Standby Current IDDS 5 15 µA Includes IIO
CANH, CANL Recessive Bus Output Voltage VO(R) 2.0 2.5 3.0 V VTXD = VDDA
CANH, CANL Bus Output Voltage in Standby VO(S) -0.1 0.0 +0.1 V STBY = VTXD = VDDA; No load
Recessive Output Current IO(R) -5 +5 mA -24V < VCAN < +24V
CANH: Dominant Output Voltage VO(D) 2.75 3.5 4.5 V TXD =0; RL = 50 to 65Ω
CANL: Dominant Output Voltage VO(D) 0.5 1.5 2.25 V RL = 50 to 65Ω
Dominant: Differential Output Voltage VO(DIFF) 1.5 2.0 3.0 V TXD = VSS; RL =50 to 65Ω
Recessive: Differential Output Voltage -120 0 12 mV TXD = VDDA; RL =50 to 65Ω
-500 0 50 mV TXD = VDDA; No load
CANH: Short-Circuit Output Current IO(SC) -120 85 mA VTXD = VSS; VCANH = 0V; CANL: floating
CANL: Short-Circuit Output Current 75 120 mA VTXD = VSS; VCANL = 18V; CANH: floating
Recessive Differential Input Voltage VDIFF(R)(I) -1.0 +0.5 V Normal mode; -12V < V(CANH, CANL) < +12V
-1.0 +0.4 V Standby mode; -12V < V(CANH, CANL) < +12V
Dominant Differential Input Voltage VDIFF(D)(I) 0.9 5.0 V Normal mode; -12V < V(CANH, CANL) < +12V
1.0 5.0 V Standby mode; -12V < V(CANH, CANL) < +12V

Other components

IMU (inertial measurement unit)

  • Bosch Sensortec BMI160
  • SPI Interface connected to SPI1 (MISO1, MOSI1, SCK1)
  • Chip Select: SEN_CS (CS Decoder 2)
  • Can wake nRF52 MCU on movement (SEN_INT1)

  • 16 bit digital, triaxial accelerometer and triaxial gyroscope

  • Very low power consumption: typically 925 μA with accelerometer and gyroscope in full operation
  • Allocatable FIFO buffer of 1024 bytes (capable of handling external sensor data)
  • Hardware sensor time-stamps for accurate sensor data fusion
  • Integrated interrupts for enhanced autonomous motion detection

PMIC

  • Texas Instruments bq24195
  • I2C interface (Wire1 address 0x6B)
  • Can interrupt nRF52 MCU on charge status and fault

  • Handles switching between USB, VIN, and battery power

  • LiPo battery charger
  • Charge safety timer, thermal regulation, and thermal shutdown

Fuel gauge

  • MAX17043
  • I2C interface (Wire1 address 0x36)
  • Can interrupt nRF52 MCU on low battery

  • Fuel-gauge system for single cell lithium-ion (Li+) batteries

  • Precision voltage measurement ±12.5mV Accuracy to 5V
  • Accurate relative capacity (RSOC) Ccalculated from ModelGauge algorithm
  • No offset accumulation on measurement
  • No full-to-empty battery relearning necessary

RTC/Watchdog

  • Ambiq Micro AM18X5 Real-Time Clock with Power Management
  • 55 nA power consumption
  • Crystal oscillator
  • I2C interface (Wire1 address 0x68)
  • Can wake MCU from hibernate (SLEEP_MODE_DEEP) at a specific time using RTC_INT.
  • Programmable hardware watchdog
  • RTC powered by XC6504 ultra-low consumption regulator so the main TPS62291 can be shut down from RTC

Wi-Fi Geolocation

The Wi-Fi module is intended for Wi-Fi geolocation only. It cannot be used as a network interface instead of using cellular.

  • ESP32-D2WD
  • SPI Interface
  • Connected to SPI1 (MISO1, MOSI1, SCK1)
  • Chip Select: WIFI_CS (CS Decoder 3)
  • Interrupt: ESP32 IO4 is connected to MCP23S17 I/0 Expander GPA4.

The SoM connector has several pins dedicated to Wi-Fi:

# Pin Function Connected To Description
11 WIFI_EN IO WIFI & IOEX ESP32 enable. Can be controlled by this pin or software.
12 WIFI_BOOT IO WIFI & IOEX ESP32 boot mode. Can be controlled by this pin or software.
13 WIFI_TXD OUT WIFI ESP32 serial TX
14 WIFI_RXD IN WIFI ESP32 serial TX

The WIFI_EN pin turns on the Wi-Fi module. LOW=Off, HIGH=On. The default is off (with a 100K weak pull-down). It can be turned on from Pin 11 on the SoM connection, or in software from the MCP23S17 I/0 Expander 0.3.

The WIFI_BOOT pin enables programming mode.

3.3V Regulator

  • Texas Instruments TPS62291
  • 1.0A at 3.3V
  • Powers nRF52840 MCU and ESP32 Wi-Fi module
  • Can be used by your base board to power 3.3V components
  • 3.3V supply can be powered down from the RTC/Watchdog

Radio specifications

nRF52840

  • Bluetooth® 5, 2.4 GHz
    • 95 dBm sensitivity in 1 Mbps Bluetooth® low energy mode
    • 103 dBm sensitivity in 125 kbps Bluetooth® low energy mode (long range)
    • 20 to +8 dBm TX power, configurable in 4 dB steps

4G LTE cellular characteristics for EG91-EX

Parameter Value
Protocol stack 3GPP Release 13
RAT LTE Cat 1
LTE FDD Bands Band 28 (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

4G LTE cellular characteristics for BG96-MC

Parameter Value
Protocol stack 3GPP Release 13
RAT LTE Cat M1
LTE FDD Bands Band 12 (700 MHz)
Band 12 (700 MHz)
Band 13 (700 MHz)
Band 28 (700 MHz)
Band 20 (800 MHz)
Band 5 (850 MHz)
Band 18 (850 MHz)
Band 19 (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)

ESP32

Espressif Systems ESP32 for Wi-Fi geolocation:

Feature Description
WLAN Standards IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Antenna Port Single Antenna
Frequency Band 2412 to 2484 MHz

I/O characteristics

These specifications are based on the nRF52840 datasheet.

Symbol Parameter Min Typ Max Unit
VIH Input high voltage 0.7 xVDD VDD V
VIL Input low voltage VSS 0.3 xVDD V
VOH,SD Output high voltage, standard drive, 0.5 mA, VDD ≥1.7 VDD - 0.4 VDD V
VOH,HDH Output high voltage, high drive, 5 mA, VDD >= 2.7 V VDD - 0.4 VDD V
VOH,HDL Output high voltage, high drive, 3 mA, VDD >= 1.7 V VDD - 0.4 VDD V
VOL,SD Output low voltage, standard drive, 0.5 mA, VDD ≥1.7 VSS VSS + 0.4 V
VOL,HDH Output low voltage, high drive, 5 mA, VDD >= 2.7 V VSS VSS + 0.4 V
VOL,HDL Output low voltage, high drive,3 mA, VDD >= 1.7 V VSS VSS + 0.4 V
IOL,SD Current at VSS+0.4 V, output set low, standard drive, VDD≥1.7 1 2 4 mA
IOL,HDH Current at VSS+0.4 V, output set low, high drive, VDD >= 2.7V 6 10 15 mA
IOL,HDL Current at VSS+0.4 V, output set low, high drive, VDD >= 1.7V 3 mA
IOH,SD Current at VDD-0.4 V, output set high, standard drive, VDD≥1.7 1 2 4 mA
IOH,HDH Current at VDD-0.4 V, output set high, high drive, VDD >= 2.7V 6 9 14 mA
IOH,HDL Current at VDD-0.4 V, output set high, high drive, VDD >= 1.7V 3 mA
tRF,15pF Rise/fall time, standard drivemode, 10-90%, 15 pF load1 9 ns
tRF,25pF Rise/fall time, standard drive mode, 10-90%, 25 pF load1 13 ns
tRF,50pF Rise/fall time, standard drive mode, 10-90%, 50 pF load1 25 ns
tHRF,15pF Rise/Fall time, high drive mode, 10-90%, 15 pF load1 4 ns
tHRF,25pF Rise/Fall time, high drive mode, 10-90%, 25 pF load1 5 ns
tHRF,50pF Rise/Fall time, high drive mode, 10-90%, 50 pF load1 8 ns
RPU Pull-up resistance 11 13 16
RPD Pull-down resistance 11 13 16
CPAD Pad capacitance 3 pF
CPAD_NFC Pad capacitance on NFC pads 4 pF
INFC_LEAK Leakage current between NFC pads when driven to different states 1 10 μA
  • Rise and fall times based on simulations

  • GPIO default to standard drive (2mA) but can be reconfigured to high drive (9mA) in Device OS 2.0.0 and later using the pinSetDriveStrength() function.

Mechanical specifications

Dimensions and weight

Parameter Value Units
Width 28 mm
Length 93 mm
Thickness 4 mm
Weight g

Weight will be provided at a later date.

Mechanical drawing

Dimensons

Dimensions are in millimeters.

Footprint

A footprint, symbol, and device for Eagle CAD can be found in Particle-devices.lbr in the hardware-libraries Github.

You can place traces and vias under the Tracker SoM module, except in the tRestrict area (red with dots) in the footprint. There are exposed manufacturing test pads on the bottom of the SoM in this rectangles, and you should avoid traces on the top layer and visa in this area.

Restrict Dimensons

3D models

3D models of the Tracker SoM module are available in the hardware-libraries Github in formats including step, iges, and stl.

The 3D models are the same for the T404 and T402. They are also the same for the T524 and T523, as the only changes are the SIM card, which is not visible.


Schematics

MCU

MCU Schematic

Cellular

Cellular Schematic

GNSS

GNSS Schematic

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Schematic

CAN

CAN Schematic

User I/O

User I/O Schematic

PMIC

PMIC Schematic

Fuel gauge

Fuel Gauge Schematic

Cell control

Cell Control Schematic

I/O expander

I/O Expander Schematic

QSPI Flash

QSPI Flash Memory Schematic

RTC/Watchdog

RTC/Watchdog Schematic

IMU

IMU Schematic

3V3 Regulator

3V3 Regulator Schematic

Layout considerations

For information on production soldering, stencils, and layout, see AN036 LCC Module SMT.

Assembly

Water soluble flux

Water soluble flux should not be used with the Tracker SoM module. There are components within the Tracker SoM that are moisture-sensitive, and wash water can get trapped under the RF shields, causing damage.

Use no-clean flux instead.

Conformal coatings

We do not recommend using a conformal coating on the Tracker SoM module to protect the module from water. Some components on the SoM cannot be coated and would need to be masked off during coating. This will make the coating process difficult to implement and test.

Using an enclosure that protects both your base board and the Tracker SoM as a single waterproof assembly is recommended instead. This is the process used by the Tracker One, which includes an IP67-rated enclosure and external connectors.


Certification

FCC (United States)

Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

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

The device must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

FCC RF radiation exposure statement

Caution: To maintain compliance with the FCC's RF exposure guidelines, place the product at least 20cm from nearby persons. The module can be installed in mobile or fixed installations only, and it can not be installed in any portable installations.

FCC conditions

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.
  2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This device complies with Part 15, Part 15.247 of the FCC Rules. The FCC ID for this device is 2AEMI-T40X.

If the FCC ID is not visible with the module is installed inside another device, then it must be still responsible for the FCC compliance requirement of the end product which referring to the enclosed module and it also must display a label, such as the following:

Contains Transmitter module FCC ID: 2AEMI-T40X or contains FCC ID: 2AEMI-T40X The host product manufacturer is responsible for compliance to any other FCC rules that apply to the host not covered by the modular transmitter grant of certification. The final host product still requires Part 15 Subpart B compliance testing with the modular transmitter installed.

The end user manual shall include all required regulatory information / warning as shown in this manual, include: This product must be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20 cm between the radiator and user body.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

ISED: 20127-T40X

  • This device complies with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
    • this device may not cause interference.
    • 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:
    • l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et
    • l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.
  • This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
  • Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
  • This device and its antenna(s) must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter, except tested built-in radios.
  • Cet appareil et son antenne ne doivent pas être situés ou fonctionner en conjonction avec une autre antenne ou un autre émetteur, exception faites des radios intégrées qui ont été testées.
  • The County Code Selection feature is disabled for products marketed in the US/Canada.
  • La fonction de sélection de l'indicatif du pays est désactivée pour les produits commercialisés aux États-Unis et au Canada.

Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with IC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator & your body.

Déclaration d'exposition aux radiations: Cet équipement est conforme aux limites d'exposition aux rayonnements IC établies pour un environnement non contrôlé. Cet équipement doit être installé et utilisé avec un minimum de 20 cm de distance entre la source de rayonnement et votre corps.

EU declaration of conformity

We, Particle Industries, Inc., declare under our sole responsibility that the product, T523M and T524M, 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 following Internet 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, 21.5dBm
  • 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

United Kingdom

UKCA Conformity:

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


Country compatibility

Country Model Technologies Carriers
Albania T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 ALBtelecom, Telekom, Vodafone
Algeria T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mobilis, Ooredoo
Aruba T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Setar
Australia T524 3G, Cat1 Optus, Telstra, Vodafone
Austria T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Drei), A1, T-Mobile
Bahrain T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Zain
Bangladesh T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bangalink, GrameenPhone
Belarus T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 A1
Belgium T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Base, Orange, Proximus
Bosnia and Herzegovina T524 2G, 3G BH Telecom, HT Eronet
Botswana T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 BeMobile
Brunei T524 3G, Cat1 DST
Bulgaria T524 2G, 3G A1, Telenor, Vivacom
Burkina Faso T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange
Cabo Verde T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 CVMóvel, Unitel T+
Cambodia T524 2G, 3G Metfone
Canada T404 M1 Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless, Telus
Chad T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Chile T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Claro, Entel, Movistar
Congo (Brazzaville) T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Congo (Kinshasa) T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Côte d'Ivoire T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Croatia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Hrvatski Telekom, Tele2
Cyprus T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Cytamobile-Vodafone, MTN, PrimeTel
Czechia T524 2G, Cat1 O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone
Denmark T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Tre), TDC, Telenor, Telia
Egypt T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Etisalat, Orange
Estonia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Elisa, Tele2, Telia
eSwatini T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Ethiopia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Ethio Telecom
Faroe Islands T524 2G, 3G Faroese Telecom, Vodafone
Finland T524 2G, Cat1 DNA, Elisa, Telia
France T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bouygues, Free Mobile, Orange, SFR
French Guiana T524 2G, 3G Digicel
Gabon T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Germany T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 O2, Telekom, Vodafone
Ghana T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 AirtelTigo, MTN, Vodafone
Gibraltar T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Gibtel
Greece T524 2G, Cat1 Cosmote, Vodafone, Wind
Guinea T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Guinea-Bissau T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Guyana T524 2G Digicel
Hong Kong T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 CMHK, CSL, SmarTone
Hungary T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Magyar Telekom, Telenor, Vodafone
Iceland T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Nova, Siminn, Vodafone
Indonesia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Indosat, Telkomsel, XL Axiata
Ireland T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Tre), Meteor, O2, Vodafone
Israel T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Hot Mobile, Orange, Pelephone
Italy T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 TIM, Vodafone, Wind
Jordan T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Zain
Kazakhstan T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Beeline, K-Cell
Kenya T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Kuwait T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Viva, Zain
Latvia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bite, LMT, Tele2
Liechtenstein T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mobilkom, Orange
Lithuania T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Bite, Omnitel, Tele2
Luxembourg T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, POST, Tango
Macao T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 CTM
Madagascar T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Malawi T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Malaysia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Celcom, DiGi, Maxis
Malta T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Go Mobile, Vodafone
Mexico T404 M1 AT&T, Telcel
Moldova T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Moldcell, Orange
Mongolia T524 2G, 3G Mobicom, Unitel
Montenegro T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mtel, T-Mobile, Telenor
Morocco T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Inwi, Medi Telecom
Mozambique T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Vodacom
Myanmar T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MPT, Telenor
Namibia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Telecom Namibia
Netherlands T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 KPN, T-Mobile, Vodafone
New Zealand T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 2degrees, Spark, Vodafone
Nigeria T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 9mobile, Airtel, Glo, MTN
Norway T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 TDC, Telenor, Telia
Pakistan T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid
Palestine T524 2G, 3G Jawwal
Papua New Guinea T524 2G, 3G bmobile
Poland T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, Play, Plus, T-Mobile
Portugal T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 NOS, TMN, Vodafone
Qatar T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Ooredoo, Vodafone
Romania T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, Telekom Romania, Vodafone
Rwanda T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel, MTN
Serbia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Telenor, VIP
Seychelles T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Sint Maarten T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 TelCell
Slovakia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 O2, Orange, Telekom
Slovenia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 A1, Mobitel
South Africa T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Cell C, MTN, Vodacom
South Korea T524 3G, Cat1 KT, LG U+, SK Telecom
South Sudan T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MTN
Spain T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange, Telefonica, Vodafone, Yoigo
Sri Lanka T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Dialog, Mobitel
Suriname T524 2G, 3G Telesur
Sweden T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3 (Tre), Tele2, Telenor, Telia
Switzerland T524 3G, Cat1 Salt, Sunrise, Swisscom
Taiwan T524 3G, Cat1 Chunghwa, FarEasTone, T Star, Taiwan Mobile
Tanzania T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel
Thailand T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 AIS, DTAC, True Move
Tunisia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Orange Tunisie, Tunisie Telecom
Uganda T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Africell, Airtel, MTN
United Kingdom T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 3, EE, Manx, O2, Sure, Vodafone
United States T404 M1 AT&T, T-Mobile (USA), Verizon7
Vietnam T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 MobiFone, Viettel, Vinaphone
Zambia T524 2G, 3G, Cat1 Airtel

7Verizon in the United States is only supported on enterprise plans.


Ordering information

SKU Description Region Modem EtherSIM Lifecycle Replacement
T404MEA Tracker SoM LTE M1 (NorAm, EtherSIM), [x1] NORAM BG96-MC GA
T404MTY Tracker SoM LTE M1 (NorAm, EtherSIM), Tray [x50] NORAM BG96-MC GA
T524MEA Tracker SoM LTE CAT1/3G/2G (Europe, EtherSIM), [x1] EMEAA EG91-EX GA
T524MTY Tracker SoM LTE CAT1/3G/2G (Europe, EtherSIM), Tray [x50] EMEAA EG91-EX GA
T402MTY Tracker SoM LTE M1 (NorAm), Tray [x50] NORAM BG96-MC NRND T404MTY
T402MEA Tracker SoM LTE M1 (NorAm), [x1] NORAM BG96-MC Deprecated T404MEA
T523MEA Tracker SoM LTE CAT1/3G/2G (Europe), [x1] EMEAA EG91-EX Deprecated T524MEA
T523MTY Tracker SoM LTE CAT1/3G/2G (Europe), Tray [x50] EMEAA EG91-EX Deprecated T524MTY

†EMEAA: Selected countries in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including Australia and New Zealand. See the cellular carrier list for more information.


Product handling

ESD precautions

The Tracker SoM contains highly sensitive electronic circuitry and is an Electrostatic Sensitive Device (ESD). Handling an module 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 module. ESD precautions should be implemented on the application board where the B series is mounted. Failure to observe these precautions can result in severe damage to the module!

Connectors

The U.FL antenna connectors are 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.

Disposal

WEEE

This device must be treated as Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) when disposed of.

Any WEEE marked waste products must not be mixed with general household waste, but kept separate for the treatment, recovery and recycling of the materials used. For proper treatment, recovery and recycling; please take all WEEE marked waste to your Local Authority Civic waste site, where it will be accepted free of charge. If all consumers dispose of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment correctly, they will be helping to save valuable resources and preventing any potential negative effects upon human health and the environment of any hazardous materials that the waste may contain.

Default settings

The AssetTracker 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.

Revision history

Revision Date Author Comments
pre1 2020 Mar 31 RK Preview Release 1
pre2 2020 May 12 RK Added partial dimensions
001 2020 Jun 29 RK First release
002 2020 Jul 10 RK Updated absolute maximum ratings, schematics
003 2020 Jul 17 RK Updated absolute maximum ratings
004 2020 Jul 30 RK Added explanation of DIV connector
005 2020 Aug 06 RK Added crystal to block diagram, added FCC information
006 2020 Aug 18 RK Added ISED (Canada) information
007 2020 Sep 08 RK Added ISED (Canada) information
008 2020 Sep 09 RK Remove 3GPP E-UTRA from T402
009 2020 Sep 16 RK Added power consumption information
010 2002 Sep 25 RK Fixed typo in Istop_usart maximum current
011 2002 Oct 01 RK Fixed VIN maximum voltage in text (is 17V not 12V)
012 2021 Feb 03 RK Change CAN output current to 370 mA
013 2021 Mar 15 RK Updated model, carrier, ordering information
014 2021 May 04 RK Added 2G/3G fallback information for T523/T524
015 2021 May 28 RK Corrected band list for T402/T404 (BG96)
016 2021 Jun 28 RK Added Device OS 3.1 memory map information
017 2021 Jul 28 RK Added mechanical drawing
018 2021 Sep 10 RK Changed wording of peak vs. max current
019 2021 Sep 23 RK Corrected part number for CAN step-up converter
020 2022 Jul 18 RK Correct typo in hot start time on Beidou
021 2022 Aug 29 RK Added EU declaration of conformity
022 2022 Sep 16 RK Added UKCA conformity
023 2023 Jan 31 RK Add Device OS versions
024 2023 Mar 17 RK Pin table listed wrong maximum current for CAN_5V
025 2023 Apr 28 RK Add conformal coating and flux notes
026 2023 Jul 19 RK Block diagram had incorrect RGB pins
027 2023 Nov 20 RK Added link to footprint and restrict information
028 2023 Dec 23 RK Clarify use of PMID pin
029 2024 May 06 RK Updated list of supported GNSS
030 2024 May 20 RK Remove sentence about an external Wi-Fi geolocation service being required