Pimoroni
Clipper LTE 4G Breakout (SP/CE)
· MPN: PIM716
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$45.00
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Clipper lets you receive and transmit data over 4G LTE cellular networks - perfect for remote or mobile projects.WiFi is great, but sometimes you want your c...
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Clipper lets you receive and transmit data over 4G LTE cellular networks - perfect for remote or mobile projects.
WiFi is great, but sometimes you want your connected project to Just Work, wherever in the world it is. Perhaps you're going to a festival and don't know if there will be wireless connectivity to control your weird LED art installation. Maybe you're trying to get the tech in your shed to talk to your home automation software, but the range of your wireless router won't quite reach. Possibly you're attaching sensors to a distant beehive, canal boat, bicycle or other object with a remote or transient location?
Hooking your microcontroller up to cellular / mobile data could be your solution! Typically, transmitting sensor readings from or commands to microcontrollers doesn't consume much data compared to the needs of modern smartphones, so a small amount of pay-as-you-go data used like this goes a long way.
Clipper has a SP/CE connector on board - this means you can connect it easily to any SP/CE compatible microcontroller or add-on using a handy cable (of course, there's also pads if you'd prefer to solder wires to it). Click here to view all things SP/CE!
It also has an SMA connector for attaching an antenna. Cables and antennae are sold separately, or you can pick up a kit which includes them - just add a microcontroller!
Starter kit contains
- Clipper 4G LTE Breakout
- SP/CE cable
- Antenna (108mm)
Features
-
SIMCom A7683E 4G LTE module
- Frequency Bands: LTE-FDD B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28
- Control Via AT Commands (SIMCom AT-Command Manual)
- SP/CE connector (8 pin JST-SH)
- SIM card slot
- SMA connector for attaching an antenna
- No soldering required (if you connect using SP/CE).
- Compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico / RP2040 / RP2350
- Compatible with Raspberry Pi computers
- Dimensions: 35x29x5mm (Antenna connector is 11mm tall)
Regional compatibility
The 4G LTE module on Clipper supports the following frequency bands:
B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28
B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28
If you're planning on using the breakout outside of Europe we'd suggest first checking your local carriers offer 4G LTE on these bands. Networks in North America in particular only use a couple of these frequency bands, and so coverage may be limited.
Pinout and Schematic
- Schematic
- Pin functions (these functions are available via the SP/CE connector, and as unpopulated headers on the breakout):
- GND - Ground (this is pin 1 on the SP/CE connector, nearest the SIM card holder)
- PWRKEY - Power key pin, needs to be toggled low and then high to power up the module
- RX - UART input to breakout
- RESET - Reset pin, pull high to keep breakout active
- NETLIGHT - Output from LTE module, for blinking a LED when there is a network connection. It has a max output drive of 7mA and if you wire an external LED to this pin it should have a series resistor.
- TX - UART output from the breakout
- VDDIO - IO voltage input, 3.0 - 3.6V recommended for reliable IO. Low current consumption.
- VDD - 3.7V - 6.0V power input to the breakout (scroll down for current consumption info)
Getting Started
You can use Clipper with Raspberry Pi Pico (or other RP2040 or RP2350 based microcontrollers) using our custom MicroPython build, which has (experimental) LTE support built in:
- Download pirate brand MicroPython for RP2350 boards
- Download pirate brand MicroPython for RP2040 boards
- MicroPython example
You can also use it with a Raspberry Pi computer (if you wire it up to the correct pins) using Pi OS's built in `ppp` library - we found the article below helpful when setting it up:
Notes
- VDD current consumption info from our testing:
- Idle: 17mA
- Sleep modes: 0.12mA - 1.63mA
- Peak current consumption when transmitting: 700mA (the peak current is only reached for a brief moment, and the 440uF of capacitors on the breakout help to smooth the peaks)
- The average currents we saw when actively using the module were in the 50mA - 100mA range.
- The LTE module has quite a sensitive undervoltage circuit, so if your breakout keeps turning off randomly or when you try and do anything with it check your power supply and wiring is up to the task!
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- 4G LTE
- 4G LTE is a cellular data standard used for internet access through mobile networks. For this controller, LTE expansion matters when a project needs remote connectivity where wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi is not available.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- Headers
- Rows of metal pins used to plug a module into a breadboard or connect it with jumper wires. Pre-soldered headers make the module easier to use straight away without needing to solder the pins yourself.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- MicroPython
- A version of the Python programming language made to run on microcontrollers. It matters because it lets beginners write readable code to control LEDs, sensors, motors and displays without needing to start with lower-level languages.
- RP2040
- A microcontroller chip used on many maker boards, with enough speed and flexible I/O for some camera and display projects. Compatibility with RP2040 matters because camera modules often need many pins and careful timing to read image data successfully.
- RP2350
- A microcontroller chip from Raspberry Pi used as the main processor on some development boards. Knowing the board is built around an RP2350 helps you check software support, pin capabilities and whether it suits MicroPython projects.
- SMA
- A threaded coaxial connector commonly used for antennas. It matters because you need antennas with matching SMA connectors, or suitable adapters, for the LTE and GNSS antenna ports.
- UART
- UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.
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