Arduino Debuts 4G Global Connectivity for Portenta in a Mini-PCIe Form Factor
Rapidly develop IoT devices with global 4G cellular and GNSS using Arduino Pro's new modules and carrier board.
Arduino kicked off Embedded World 2024 by introducing extensions to its professional Portenta line that add cellular connectivity. The Arduino Pro 4G module provides global cellular coverage and GNSS positioning in a mini-PCIe form factor. The company also unveiled a carrier board targeting its existing Portenta family and the new 4G module.
The two new Arduino Pro 4G modules have different system-on-modules (SoMs), both of which follow a mini-PCIe card form factor. One side of the module has an edge connector, and the other has antenna connectors.
One 4G board targets the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region with a Quectel EC200A-EU modem. The other 4G board has global coverage using a Quectel EG25-G modem and adds global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning. The GNSS support includes GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou (COMPASS), Galileo, and QZSS.
Both cellular modems support 4G technologies and are backward compatible with 2G and 3G networks. Potential applications for the Arduino Pro 4G modules include remote maintenance, fleet management, smart cities, and smart buildings.
Arduino has made it easy to integrate the 4G modules into your device with the mini PCI-E card form factor. After rapidly developing a prototype with Arduino's new carrier board, the off-the-shelf connector allows you to deploy the module to a custom board.
The Portenta Mid Carrier combines a Portenta C33, Portenta H7, or Portenta X8 development board with the Arduino Pro 4G module. Together, you can build devices that use Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity.
The carrier has many connectors and breakouts for Portenta high-density expansion headers. For example, it has dedicated connectors for USB-A and Ethernet. It also features JTAG interfaces for debugging and the same connector styles as the Arduino GIGA for a display shield and camera.
All three products are now available from the Arduino Store — the Arduino Pro 4G Global (with GNSS) module at $65 and the EMEA module for €29. (Note: If your IP is outside of EMEA, you may get a 404 error for that product page.) Neither comes with antennas, but Arduino offers Antenna Kits for each. The Portenta Mid Carrier costs $65.