Cavli C17QS Cat 1.bis cellular IoT and GNSS module offers more memory, global support, a new FreeRTOS SDK

Cavli Wireless C17QS is a Cat 1.bis cellular IoT and GNSS module that builds up on the Qualcomm QCX216-powered C16QS Cat 1.bis Cellular IoT module introduced last year, with more memory (2MB RAM) and storage (8MB flash), a wider range of LTE bands, multi-band (L1 and L5) GNSS, and a new FreeRTOS SDK for more flexibility compared to the C16QS.

The Cavli C17QS Cat 1bis module is designed around a Qualcomm QCX217 Arm Cortex-M3 microcontroller clocked at up to 306MHz clock speed and running FreeRTOS real-time operating system. The module features a range of interfaces including UART, USB 2.0, USIM, SWD, ADCs, I2S, I2C, SPI, and GPIO pins. The new module is pin-to-pin compatible with the C16QS module for easier design upgrades.

Cavli C17QS specifications:

Wireless IC – Qualcomm QCX217 Arm Cortex-M3 @ 306 MHz, cellular modem-RF
Memory – 2MB RAM
Storage – 8 MB flash
Cellular connectivity
- LTE CAT 1.bis based on 3GPP Release 14
- Peak speeds – 10Mbps (DL), 5Mbps (UL)
- Global Bands: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/ B14/B18/B19/B20/B25/B26/B28/ B34/B38 TDD/B39/B40 TDD/ B41 TDD/B66/B71
- Optional integrated iSIM in future versions
- Protocols – TCP(S), HTTP(S), FTP(S), MQTT(S), UDP, PPP
Location
- Optional integrated GNSS – GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NavIC, BDS, QZSS, and SBAS Capable (L1+L5)
- WiFi scanning support for indoor location
Interfaces – 4x UART, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USIM x1, 1x SWD, 2x ADC, 1x I2S, 1x SPI, 2x I2C, 8x GPIO, 2x ANT, Network Status Indicator, Power ON Status Indicator
Supply Voltage – 3.8V
Dimensions – 26.5 x 22.5 x 2.3 mm; LGA package pin-to-pin compatible with Q16QS module
Temperature Range – Standard: -35°C to 75°C; extended: -40°C to 85°C

I added new features compared to Q16QS in bold and wrote TDB when the information was not available.

C17QS evaluation kit — Q17QS Device Development Kit (DDK)

The company provides an open SDK for the module but without any further public information released, support for Cavli Hubble cloud-based platform for device management, and a C17QS Device Development kit (DDK) for evaluation and early software development. Sadly all documentation – even the product brief! – is behind a registration wall that requires human approval.

The Cavli C17QS Cat 1.bis Cellular IoT module is suitable for IoT applications for Smart Agriculture (e.g. remote monitoring and management of farming operations), healthcare and e-health (e.g. real-time patient monitoring and advanced telemedicine solutions), logistics, retail, Smart Cities, utilities, manufacturing, etc…

Cavli Wireless did not provide pricing information for the C17QS IoT module, but the C16QS was launched as a sub-$5 Cat 1.bis cellular IoT solution when it was announced last year, so I’d assume the price is in that range, just a little higher. More details may be found on the product page and in the press release.

Thanks to TLS for the tip.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.