Chinese firm Quectel Wireless announced at last week’s Embedded World in Nuremberg the SG560D Android smart module integrating 5G New Radio (NR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Featuring a CPU and GPU, it can be used for complex applications that require both high data rates and computing capabilities such as in-vehicle infotainment, industrial handheld devices, smart gateways, industrial cameras and monitoring devices.

“In the era of AIoT, computing capability becomes more critical to make devices smarter and more responsive,” said Patrick Qian, CEO of Quectel. “Our 5G SG560D module combines 5G and AI technologies to deliver state-of-the-art performance in communication and data processing. I believe the SG560D will offer an excellent option for edge computing requirements and will accelerate the digital transformation of devices in many verticals.”

Powered by the Qualcomm QCM6490 chipset, the device is a 5G sub-6GHz smart module equipped with a Qualcomm Kryo 670 CPU built on Arm v8 Cortex technology as well as a Qualcomm Adreno 642L GPU. Tests indicate that the module can achieve computing performance of up to 14 trillion operations per second (Tops).

It contains an embedded Android 12 operating system to allow for future upgrades to Android 13, 14 and 15. There is a default onboard memory of 4Gbyte LPDDR4X plus 64Gbyte UFS, with multiple memory configurations available.

The product has multi-region variants including SG560D-EU for EMEA, SG560D-NA for North America, SG560D-CN for China and SG560D-WF for worldwide use. It will be available until 2028.

Through the Mipi DSI interface, it can support displays with a maximum resolution of 2520×1080 and a refresh rate of 144Hz. The module provides video performance offering a maximum 4K at 30fps video encode and 4K at 60fps video decode as well as a maximum of five groups of cameras.

Featuring 5G standalone and non-standalone network architectures, it supports downlink 4×4 MIMO and uplink 2×2 MIMO, and is backwards compatible with global LTE and WCDMA networks.

In addition to cellular communication capability, the device supports Wifi 6E bands of 2.4, 5 and 6GHz, dual-band simultaneous, Wifi 2×2 MU-MIMO and Bluetooth 5.2, which should improve network coverage and enhance transmission data rates in different applications.

The module integrates a multi-constellation GNSS receiver and can concurrently receive signals from up to seven constellations. Combining GNSS signals from dual-frequency bands (L1 and L5), the module can deliver fast and accurate positioning performance even in difficult conditions.

With various peripheral interfaces such as dual USB, multiple PCIe and uart, I²S, and SPI, the module provides flexibility and ease of integration to OEM developers in a wide range of AIoT applications including video conferencing systems, live streaming devices, gaming, edge computing, robots, drones, AR, VR and intelligent retail.

Also at the show, Quectel launched the BG773A-GL compact LTE Cat M1, NB1 and NB2 module with integrated SIM (iSIM) support. The iSIM capability provides flexibility and simplicity for integrators and IoT service providers because it enables a device with a single stock-keeping unit (SKU) number to have the right connectivity to support its needs globally.

Ultimately, this provides a simpler way for integrators to adopt cellular connectivity, removing the needs for country-specific SIM cards and simplifying the logistics of traditional, plastic SIM deployments by eradicating the need for on-site or in-country adaptations.

Quectel has been at the forefront of making the promise of iSIM a reality and has been working to tightly align module performance with the new wave of embedded and integrated SIM features that are changing what is possible in IoT connectivity.

The module features low power consumption implemented by the Mips 5150 processor and integrated RAM and flash, which help reduce current consumption to low levels in various modes, including power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX). Importantly, the BG773A-GL boasts a hardware-based security feature because iSIM relies on having a robust secure element to enable it to connect to the best available connectivity at the point of deployment. The module will be commercially available next month.

“We’re delighted to have launched the Quectel BG773A-GL module which brings iSIM-enabled connectivity to the global marketplace,” said Richard Hart, director of global connectivity for Quectel. “By enabling integrators to create a single global product with one SKU, logistics and supply chain issues are eliminated and IoT organisations can simply deploy their products anywhere safe in the knowledge that they will be able to access secure, high-quality connectivity with no need for localisation and different variants to be manufactured for different markets. This is a giant leap forward for simplifying IoT and one of the key steps needed to build a smarter world.”

The module has a compact SMT form factor of 14.9 by 12.9 by 1.9mm and enables integrators and developers to design applications taking advantage of its low power consumption and compact design structure. The standard interfaces and functionalities extend the suitability of the module to a wide range of IoT applications, such as wireless PoS, smart metering, tracking and wearable devices.

Quectel has collaborated with Kigen, an iSIM pioneer and security firm, to enable the iSIM functionality. Kigen’s iSIM OS and insertion services bring a wide selection of networks that augment Quectel connectivity for OEMs to meet their market needs.

“Quectel’s adoption of Kigen iSIM pre-packaged in the BG773A-GL is a testimony to the maturity of iSIM technology and our ecosystem,” said Vincent Korstanje, CEO of Kigen. “Quectel is a market leader in high-volume manufacturing, and this collaboration will enable OEMs to move from pure embedded devices to full IoT for global markets quickly.”