LTE Cat.1-US Click is a compact add-on board containing a low-power LTE-IoT connectivity solution. This board features the ELS61 (ELS61-US), a multi-band wireless module from Thales. The ELS61-US delivers highly efficient Cat 1 LTE connectivity for M2M IoT solutions offering seamless fallback to 2G and 3G networks. The best in the class solution enables M2M optimized speeds of 10Mbit/s download and 5Mbit/s uplink, making it ideal for many M2M and industrial IoT applications. These applications are not dependent on speed but require the longevity of LTE networks while still providing 3G and 2G connectivity to ensure total population and geographic coverage as LTE rolls out.

LTE Cat.1-US Click is supported by a mikroSDK compliant library, which includes functions that simplify software development.

NOTE: It is necessary to emphasize that Voice over LTE feature (VoLTE) is supported only on ELS61-USA (AT&T, VoLTE, and CSFB) and ELS61-E (CSFB) wireless modules. Special note for the 4G network: Before buying this product, be sure to check if the modules' LTE bands match the 4G capabilities in your country.

LTE Cat.1-US Click as its foundation uses the ELS61, a multi-band wireless module from Thales. There are two Click boards™ to cover two different regions: LTE Cat.1-EU Click for the Europe region, which features the ELS61-E module, and the LTE Cat.1-US Click for the North American region, which features the ELS61-US module. The main difference between these two modules is the supported frequency bands, compliant with the regulations for each region. A complete list of supported bands for each module, along with other relevant info about the module itself, can be found in the attached ELS61 datasheet.

The ELS61-US module featured on LTE Cat.1-US Click comes with a Java® embedded virtual machine leveraging a robust ARM11 architecture that allows device manufacturers to utilize the massive to reduce complexity and speed application integration. The latest Java ME 3.2 client runtime platform reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) and time to market by sharing internal resources such as memory, a large existing codebase, and proven software building blocks. The module uses Multi MIDlet Java execution to host and run multiple applications and protocols simultaneously.

The UART bus of the ELS61-US series module is connected to one side of the level shifter, while the other side (shifted) is connected to the respective mikroBUS™ UART pins. However, the ELS61 series module is designed as the traditional DCE device (Data Communication Equipment) offering the full UART pin count, including the hardware flow control pins (CTS, RTS). These pins are routed to the mikroBUS™ CS (CTS) and the INT pin (RTS) and can be used in the MCU software if the hardware flow control is needed.

An extended security concept with the latest TLS/SSL engine provides secure and reliable TCP/IP connectivity. Its sophisticated sandbox modeling and layered architectures simplify device management and allow simultaneous progress of network operator approvals and application code development for a shorter time to market. The LTE Cat.1 module delivers long product lifespans up to seven years, efficient bandwidth and power utilization plus a feature set that meets the rigorous requirements of M2M IoT solutions including extended operating temperatures from -40°C to 85°C.

The LTE Cat.1-US Click ensures easy integration and a fast time to market for innovative solutions, and it also provides a dependable connectivity platform with the support needed for a fast time to market and a value you can trust.

Given all the possibilities these features offer, the LTE Cat.1-US Click can be used for various applications such as metering, tracking and tracing, remote surveillance, connected signs, fleet management and mHealth.

NOTE: Pins for SPI and I2C are not connected by default on mikroBUS™ since module is always acting as controller which is not allowed for Click board™, but can be enabled by adding 0 ohm resistors to jumpers from J1 to J6 on the back side.

• Interface: GPIO, I²C, SPI, USB
• Compatibility: mikroBUS™
• Dimensions: 57.15 x 25.4mm
• Input Voltage: 3.3V, 5V

• Schematic
• ELS61 Datasheet
• mikroSDK
• GitHub