Siemens MC46 Tri-Band GSM/GPRS Module; Wireless MC-46 Arduino Toughbook Cellular

• A tri-band GSM/GPRS module perfectly suited for true wireless integration into nearly any project or application--its small weight and footprint makes it possible to fit nearly anywhere.
• These modules are also compatible with some Panasonic Toughbook models to enable cellular data connectivity.
• Available interfaces through the main connector include 2 serial interfaces, 2 analog audio interface, a digital audio interface and a SIM interface. The full pin assignment is available on page 73 of the hardware guide linked to above.
• The simple and ubiquitous AT command set makes using the module a breeze with Arduino, MCUs and PCs. The documentation available for this module is extensive and detailed.
• The GPC mates to DF12E(3.0)-50DP-0.5V(81) (50 pin, 0.5mm board to board socket).

Description:

Designed for use on any GSM network in the world, Siemens MC46 is a tri-band GSM/GPRS engine that works on the three frequencies GSM 850 MHz, GSM 1800 MHz and GSM 1900 MHz. MC46 features GPRS multislot class 10 and supports the GPRS coding schemes CS-1, CS-2, CS-3 and CS-4.

To save space on the application platform, MC46 comes as an extremely slim and compact module. This makes it ideally suited for a broad range of mobile computing devices, such as laptops, notebooks, multimedia appliances, and particularly offers easy integration with PDAs, pocket organizers or miniature mobile phones.

The tiny MC46 module incorporates all you need to create high-performance GSM/GPRS solutions: baseband processor, power supply ASIC, complete radio frequency circuit including a power amplifier and antenna interface. The power amplifier is directly fed from the supply voltage BATT+. The MC46 software is residing in a flash memory device. An additional SRAM enables MC46 to meet the demanding requirements of GPRS connectivity.

The physical interface to the cellular application is made through a board-to-board connector. It consists of 50 pins, required for controlling the unit, transferring data and audio signals and providing power supply lines.

MC46 has two serial interfaces (ASC0 and ASC1) giving you maximum flexibility for easy integration with the Man-Machine Interface (MMI).

An extremely versatile audio concept offers various audio interfaces, each available on the board-to-board connector: a digital audio interface (DAI) and two analog audio interfaces. This allows you to connect up to three audio devices in any combination, all at the same time. Using AT commands you can easily switch back and forth and select different audio modes.

The external dual-band or triple-band antenna can be connected optionally to a connector on the top side or to a pad on the bottom side.

The power saving technique minimizes current consumption to as low as 3mA. In SLEEP mode, MC46 is able to wake up on demand and to resume power saving automatically if no activity is required.

For battery powered applications, MC46 features a charging control which can be used to charge a Li-Ion battery. The charging circuit must be implemented outside the module on the application platform.