I am starting to investigate cellular communication from our AM62/Mallow setup. I looked on the supported peripherals and did not see any mention of a cell modem for the M.2 slot. It looks like it would be the perfect place to put one to keep the board design compact. Has any testing been done with an M.2 Cell Modem such as Fibocom FG132-M.2?
If not, are there any obvious issues that would prevent this from working? I intend to place an order for something in the near future to test with so any information would be helpful.
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Hello,
Integrating cellular communication into your Verdin AM62/Mallow setup using an M.2 slot for a cell modem is a practical approach to maintain compact board design. While specific testing with the Fibocom FG132-M.2 or similar M.2 cell modems may not be explicitly documented, there are several considerations to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.
M.2 Interface Compatibility: Ensure the M.2 slot on the Mallow carrier board supports the necessary interface used by the cell modem, such as USB or PCIe. The Fibocom FG132-M.2, for example, typically requires a USB interface over the M.2 connector.
Driver Support: Verify that the necessary drivers for the cell modem are available and compatible with TorizonCore. For modems that use standard interfaces (e.g., USB), Linux typically has good support, but you may need to ensure that specific drivers or software stacks are included in your TorizonCore build.
Power Requirements: Check the power consumption of the cell modem and ensure the Mallow carrier board can provide sufficient power through the M.2 slot.
Antenna Connections: Ensure there are provisions for the necessary antenna connections for the cell modem to ensure optimal signal strength and quality.
Certifications and Regulatory Compliance: Depending on your region and application, ensure that the cell modem and your final product meet all necessary regulatory requirements and certifications.
Testing and Validation: Before placing a large order, it’s advisable to obtain a sample of the cell modem for testing. This allows you to validate the modem’s compatibility with the Verdin AM62 SoM and Mallow carrier board, including performance, power consumption, and thermal behavior under various conditions.
If the M.2 slot and the TorizonCore version you’re using support USB or the specific interface required by the cell modem, there shouldn’t be any obvious issues preventing the use of an M.2 cell modem. However, thorough testing is crucial to ensure that the modem operates reliably under all expected conditions and integrates seamlessly with your application.
Best regards,
Toradex AI Assistant
Please, also check if these links can help you solve your problem:
I couldn’t find that specific modem tested via internal docs. There is another cellular device that is from Fibocom the FM160-EAU.
From a Fibocom FG132-M.2 datasheet I found. It looks like it uses USB 2.0 or PCIE within the M.2 form factor, and lists OS drivers: Linux/windows/android compatible. So I would assume the default linux drivers will work fine. So there isn’t anything suggesting it would not function as well as expected. fibocom_fg132m.2_datasheet_v1.3.pdf (330.2 KB)
Eric, I was able to find an Sierra Wireless EM7455 M.2 Key Cell Modem here in my facility in another device. I was able to connect it and get everything set up so now I have access to the internet via the cell network, so I can ping outward.
My question now is there a way to access my device through the cell modem? For example, my device hosts a web server that provides data about itself through a web interface. Would there be a way to access that web server from a computer using the cell network?
I think you may want to take a look at remote access. This may be exactly what you are looking for.
Remote access to your device offers interesting advantages. It allows you to access, via SSH, the terminal of your Torizon OS target device, enabling you to test, launch, and manage your system without a physical connection, minimizing the cost with on-site visits. This feature can be important to:
We already have the webserver set up, that is the core of our application and it has been thoroughly tested, so I know that’s good.
I am aware of the remote access as well, but that’s not exactly what I’m trying to understand right now.
My webserver is currently running on the module, I can access it through wifi and through my hardwired ethernet connection. What I am trying to do at this point is access the webserver through the cell connection so that I would have access to the device wherever it goes.
My cell modem is set up and has a connection to the internet, I can ping outward from the module through putty. However, I am unable to access the device from the outside over the cell network. I’m not finding any good information for accessing the board through the IP address assigned via the cell network provider.
Port forwarding can work and you can do it with [Remote Access], It is really recommonded for troubleshooting and debugging. (Remote Access | Toradex Developer Center)
