Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd. announced the new Quectel SG520B series of 5G Sub-6GHz, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth smart modules. The module series has been developed to meet growing needs for smart modules which can support not only connectivity but also a variety of functions, such as edge computing capability, graphics processing, multimedia and operation of peripherals such as displays, cameras and touch panels. The modules feature a built-in up- to-date Android operating system and are based on the Qualcomm QCM4490 64-bit octa-core processor from Qualcomm Technologies Inc. Offering comprehensive cellular connectivity options including worldwide 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G coverage, with LTE Cat 15 and both 5G Release 16 standalone (SA) and 5G non-standalone (NSA), the modules offer 5G and LTE multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology.

This enables them to address growing market demands for high data rate and link reliability for wireless communications. The utilization in MIMO of multiple antennas at the receiver end at the same time and on the same frequency band significantly minimizes errors and optimizes data speed. Further connectivity choices include 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6E, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax.

and Wi-Fi dual band simultaneous (DBS), with peak data rate up to 3.6Gbps. In addition, the smart modules offer Bluetooth 5.2 and the option of a multi-constellation global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver for applications that require fast and accurate fixes in any environment. Designed for industrial and consumer applications that require high data rates and support for powerful multimedia functions, typical use cases include smart gateways, customer premise equipment (CPE), Mi-Fi devices, point of sale (POS) terminals, cash registers, dashcam, digital signage and industrial PDAs etc.

Available in a 42.5mm x 56.5mm x 2.95mm LGA package, the SG520B Series has an operating temperature range of -35degC ~ +75degC. The modules will support NSA/SA with maximum 5G downlink speeds up to 2.5Gbps and uplink speeds up to 900Mbps. For 5G NSA deployments, the modules will support 2.5Gbps downlink and 550Mbps uplink, again depending on which regional variant is selected.

The modules also support 1080p H.265/H.264 video encoding and coding.