The Sierra Wireless EM9191 is a 5G module offering global connectivity. Designed in an M.2 form factor, the EM9191 is compatible with Sierra Wireless's EM9190 module for a simple upgrade path to mmWave, as well as the EM7690 module to help facilitate the migration and differentiation between 4G LTE and 5G.
This 5G NR Sub-6 GHz embedded module delivers up to 4.5Gbps downlink speed and 660Mbps uplink speed. With automatic 4G and 3G fallback networks and integrated GNSS receiver (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo satellite systems supported), the EM9191 is applicable to a wide range of IoT applications such as industrial routers, home gateways, industrial and consumer laptops, rugged tablet PCs, video surveillance and digital signage.
To speed up development, we recommend you also buy a developer kit:
11131, Sierra Wireless M.2 Developer Kit EM9/EM76 Series
Contains the following certification approvals, listed below for the Sierra Wireless AirPrime EM9191 module:
-USA (FCC)
-Canada (IC)
-Taiwan (NCC)
-Japan
This ZIP archive contains the Mobile Broadband Package for Linux, including the SDK, USB drivers, and the Software Integration and Development Guide.
Mobile Broadband Package for Linux - SDK binaries
Mobile Broadband Package for Linux - Driver binaries
Software Integration and Development Guide
Linux
PCN 41114560 Japan regulatory update
Which antenna ports should I connect antennas to on the LTE or 5G module?
It is important to understand the functionality of the different antenna ports on the cellular module when deciding which ports to use. There is a risk of underutilizing the module by not connecting antennas to the right ports. This guide aims to explain some general terms and abbreviations used to label and describe antenna ports and their different functionalities.
Some antenna port labels that are commonly used on cellular modules are listed below:
MAIN – Primary transmit and receive antenna port. Required for basic functionality.
DIV – Diversity receive port. This port is used to receive the same signal as the primary port, but at a different spatial point. By receiving the same signal at two different spatial points, the module can mitigate destructive effects that might be present on one of the different spatial points. The diversity receive functionality is especially useful in urban environments where the interference environments may be radically different between two spatial points. It is always recommended to use the diversity receive port as this functionality improves the quality and reliability of the overall link.
GNSS – GNSS receive port. GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, examples of such systems are GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou. The available systems may differ between different modules. To see what systems are available for a specific module, please consult the modules hardware documentation. As this antenna port is used for positioning applications, a suitable GNSS antenna needs to be connected to this port in order to utilize this functionality.
MIMO – MIMO port. MIMO stands for Multiple Input Multiple Output and refers to the amount of antennas used at each side of the link. For example, 4x4 DL MIMO means that the base station and the module each use 4 antennas for the modules downlink. Usually, the MIMO label is used to denote antenna ports that are used for spatial multiplexing which is a technique used for increasing the bitrate. This is achieved by splitting the signal into different streams that are transmitted and received on spatially separated antennas on each side of the link. For the majority of cellular modules, spatial multiplexing is only available for the module's downlink.
AUX – Auxiliary antenna port. The available functions on this port may differ between modules. Examples of functionalities that can be present on this port are diversity receive, DL-MIMO and GNSS. Please consult the module's hardware documentation to see which functionalities are present on this port.
Some cellular modules have numeric, non-descriptive labels on their antenna ports. These modules can have different functionalities for different frequency intervals/bands, on one single antenna port. For these modules, consult the hardware documentation to find what functionalities are present for which frequency intervals/bands one the different antenna ports. Please note that antenna ports with transmit functionality for certain frequency bands need to have a antenna connected in order to utilize these frequency bands.
If you have further inquiries regarding antenna ports on cellular modules, please create a Support Ticket by visiting the following link: https://techship.com/support/new/
How do I set USB-interface modes on my Sierra Wireless module?
Sierra Wireless modules can expose different USB interfaces, like MBIM, MODEM, NMEA or RMNET. The different interfaces can be combined or used individually, depending on the specific need for your project.
Here is how to set the different USB interface configurations. (In this example we use a Sierra Wireless EM7421, but it will be similar for many other Sierra Wireless modules.)
Make sure you get an OK after every AT command sent.
We start by typing:
AT
To be able to view what we just sent to the module we type:
ATE1
Since this feature is password protected we need to type:
AT!ENTERCND=”A710”
To see what USB interface we are currently using, just type AT!USBCOMP? and you should receive something like this:
Config Index: 1
Config Type: 3 (Generic)
Interface bitmask: 0000010D (diag,nmea,modem,rmnet0)
OK
Config index is what the type applies to and should be set to 1.
The config type means what USB composition is used. For this module USBIF-MBIM (1), PCIE USBIF (2), Legacy Generic (3) or RNDIS (4) are available.
Interface bitmask is the part where we see what USB interface our module is set to.
Now, to see what our USB interface options are we need to type:
AT!USBCOMP=?
Here we can see that for this module we have the following options:
DIAG - 0x00000001
NMEA - 0x00000004
MODEM - 0x00000008
RMNET0 - 0x00000100
MBIM - 0x00001000
These values are hexadecimal. So, for an example, if we wanted to activate all the options (DIAG, NMEA, MODEM and MBIM) we just add these values together.
If we open the Windows Calculator in Programmer mode (and make sure you have “HEX” selected!) and add all the values together like this 1 + 4+ 8 +1000, we will get 100D. (Please note, RMNET0 and MBIM cannot be used simultaneous for this module. Refer to the manual of your specific module to when setting up the USB interface.)
If we then send the following AT command to the module, we will set it to DIAG, NMEA, MODEM and MBIM:
AT!USBCOMP=1,3,100D
Again, type AT!USBCOMP? to confirm we have the new settings selected, it should look like this:
Config Index: 1
Config Type: 3 (Generic)
Interface bitmask: 0000100D (diag,nmea,modem,mbim)
OK
For further information please take a look at the AT command user guide available on the product's specific page under "technical documentation", which is available for download once logged in.
How do I select specific bands on my Sierra Wireless module?
The AT command AT!BAND can be used to select what specific GSM and LTE bands that you want to be active on your module.
If you are experiencing poor DL or UL speeds, one solution may be to only select the bands that you know are available, which can increase the transfer speeds.
(Please note that the following examples are when using a Sierra Wireless EM7421)
First, see that you get an “OK” with command:
AT
Then, to make sure you can see what command has been sent, type:
ATE1
Since what we are about to do is password protected, we need to type:
AT!ENTERCND="A710"
When entering AT!BAND? it will return a reply looking like (for example):
AT!BAND?
Index, Name, GW Band Mask L Band Mask 1 TDS Band Mask L Band Mask 2 L Band Mask 3 L Band Mask 4
00, All Bands 000200000C400000 000007A0880800C5 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000
OK
The "00" is referring to the selected preset, "All Bands" to the preset name, "000200000C400000" to GSM bands and "000007A0880800C5" to selected LTE bands in hexadecimal.
To get information on all available bands, we need to type:
AT!BAND=?
Starting at the GSM band (at chapter "AT!BAND - Select/return frequency band set" in the AT command reference manual) we can see that 000200000C400000 corresponds to “0002000000000000 - B8 (900) + 0000000008000000 - B6 (800) + 0000000004000000 - B5 (850) + 0000000000400000 - B1 (2100) = 000200000C400000 (All GSM Bands)”
Now for LTE, which is probably what is a little tricky to understand. Let’s start the Windows Calculator and change it to Programmer mode. If you copy the "000007A0880800C5" into the calculator window it should convert it to binary.
HEX: 0000 07A0 8808 00C5
BIN: 0111 1010 0000 1000 1000 0000 1000 0000 0000 1100 0101
If you look at the line of BIN above you can see what bands are active (1) and which are not (0). Looking from right to left, the first bit corresponds to B1, second bit to B2, third bit B3, and so on…
HEX: 0000 07A0 8808 00C5
BIN: 0111 1010 0000 1000 1000 0000 1000 0000 0000 1100 0101
Selected bands: B1+B3+B7+B8+B20+B28+B32+B38+B40+B41+B42+B43
So if I, for example, only want the GSM bands "GSM 900MHz + GSM 850MHz", and LTE bands "B3, B4, B7, B28" we enter the following:
AT!BAND= 11,"Custom User Preset",0002000004000000,000000000800004C
Now we have created a new preset slot “11”, a name for the preset “Custom User Preset” and selected bands for GSM “GSM 900MHz + GSM 850MHz” and also selected bands for LTE "B3, B4, B7, B28", see explanation below:
Bands: B3, B4, B7, B28
Binary: 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0100 1100
Hexadecimal: 800 004C
Now we want to make sure our newly created preset is selected, so we type:
AT!BAND=11
And finally to check that we have selected the preset we again type AT!BAND? and should get the following response:
Index, Name, GW Band Mask L Band Mask 1 TDS Band Mask L Band Mask 2 L Band Mask 3 L Band Mask 4
11, Custom User Preset 0002000004000000 000000000800004C 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 000000000000000
OK
For further information please take a look at the AT command user guide available on the product's specific page under "technical documentation", which is available for download once logged in.
How to collect initial diagnostics data for Sierra Wireless EM919x and EM7690 series cellular modules when requesting technical support?
In order to troubleshoot and solve a technical problem, we ask you to please provide information about your system and logs from the related module when creating a technical support ticket.
Please provide a problem description of what exact problem is and in what precise situations it is present.
Describe the host system:
-Hardware (system board, peripherals...)
-Operating system and detailed versions (E.g. Windows, Linux dist, release, kernel...)
-Drivers and driver versions
Identify the precise details of cellular module found on label:
-Model
-SKU/BOM or P/N code
(For RMA returns the IMEI number is required also)
If you are running on a Linux based system, please capture the terminal logs bellow:
uname -a
lsusb
lsusb -t
ifconfig -a
ls -l /dev/serial/by-id
ls -l /sys/bus/usb-serial/devices
dmesg
The log output requested from the commands bellow, can be acquired from the module by accessing one of the USB enumerated serial (COM) interfaces accepting AT commands. (In Windows this is generally found listed as a Modem interface or AT commands serial interface in the device manager and in Linux it is usually found on /dev/ttyUSB2 interface). Send the following commands to the module and capture the text output and include them when creating the the technical support ticket.
Sierra Wireless :
AT
ATE1
ATI
AT!ENTERCND="A710"
AT!PRIID?
AT!IMPREF?
AT!IMAGE?
AT+CFUN?
AT!UIMS?
AT+CPIN?
AT+CREG?
AT+CGREG?
AT+CEREG?
AT+COPS?
AT!GSTATUS?
AT+CGDCONT?
AT$QCPDPP?
AT+CGATT?
AT+CGACT?
AT+CGCONTRDP
AT+CGPADDR
AT!BAND?
AT!BAND=?
AT!LTEINFO?
AT!LTECA?
AT!RXDEN?
AT!PCINFO?
AT!USBCOMP?
AT!USBCOMP=?
AT!SELRAT?
AT!SELRAT=?
AT!USBSPEED?
AT!PCOFFEN?
AT!CUSTOM?
AT!CUSTOM=?
AT!PCTEMP?
AT!PCVOLT?
AT!PCVOLTLIMITS?
AT!HWID?
AT!ERR
AT!BCFWUPDATESTATUS
AT!TMSTATUS?
AT!RATCA?
The support ticket can be created after login at: https://techship.com/technical_support/
Why does not our EM9190/EM9091/EM7690 appear in our system when connected to our host board?
The Sierra 5G (EM919x) modules and EM7690 has the PCIe host interface as default, as compared to the USB interface. This differs from most other modules on today's market and can be a reason as to why the module is not appearing in your system.
First, make sure that there are no pin-conflicts between the adapter/host board and the module. To avoid any incompatibilities we recommend the Sierra Wireless development Kit (11131) or the Techship MU201 adapter.
To change the host interface from PCIe to USB using the development kit please do the following;
Slide SW201 to the USB connector (CN204).
Change CN203 jumper from 2-3 to 1-2.
To change the host interface from PCIe to USB using the MU201 adapter please do the following;
Connect the 1.27 mm jumper at AS20.
Connect the 1.27 mm jumper at AS22.
What happens when slide SW201 is switched (or jumper placed at AS20) is that pin #20 (PCIE_DIS) is set to high (1.8V) and selects USB as host interface. Changing the jumper on the CN203 (or placing a jumper or AS22) sets pin #22 (VBUS_SENSE) to high (3.135 - 4.2 V) which is used to detect USB during USB connection.
This is further explained in the Sierra Development Kit User Guide and the EM919X-EM7690 Product Technical Specification. These documents are linked to this FAQ and can also be found on the product pages under the "technical documentation" tab.
How to establish a data connection with Sierra Wireless EM9190, EM9191 and EM7690 in Linux using MBIM network interface over USB
5G technology introduces new requirements on the interface links between the host systems and cellular modules.
The Linux community continuously commit necessary changes to the kernel drivers and interface management tools to improve the compatibility and performance.
Because of this, it is important that you base your Linux system builds on up-to-date kernel versions, avoiding many problems already solved.
Ensure that you have up-to-date firmware version in the cellular module. Check the dedicated product page here at Techship and the firmware downloads tab or open a technical support ticket.
Early devices and engineering samples came with a older baseline firmware version and typically need to be updated in a Windows system.
This guide describes how to establish a MBIM data connection in Linux using libmbim library and mbimcli command line interface for Sierra Wireless EM919x series modules when connected over USB to the host system.
The cdc_mbim kernel driver module and libmbim library is used.
Ensure that the cdc_mbim network kernel driver and qcserial usb-serial driver is properly loaded to the module interfaces, refer to Sierra Wireless Mobile broadband package for Linux for more details. Binary version and guide linked below.
It can be checked e.g. through dmesg, usb-devices or lsusb -t commands.
usb-devices
T: Bus=02 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=03 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=5000 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 3.20 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS= 9 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1199 ProdID=90d3 Rev=00.06
S: Manufacturer=Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
S: Product=Sierra Wireless EM9190
S: SerialNumber=
C: #Ifs= 5 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=896mA
I: If#=0x0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=02(commc) Sub=0e Prot=00 Driver=cdc_mbim
I: If#=0x1 Alt= 1 #EPs= 2 Cls=0a(data ) Sub=00 Prot=02 Driver=cdc_mbim
I: If#=0x3 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=techship_serial
I: If#=0x4 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=30 Driver=techship_serial
I: If#=0x5 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=42 Prot=01 Driver=(none)
Should you not have the qcserial drivers loaded correctly, you can try compile our modified option usb-serial kernel driver module techship_serial from git link below and load them into your system build, it is however always recommended that you use the vendor provided or recommended drivers.
See the git readme files for details on pre-requirements, how to clone, compile and use the make file options to install the drivers.
They are available in the following git repository:
https://bitbucket.org/storjor/techship_linux_drivers/
Refer to the mbimcli manual pages for details on the control commands that can be supported by the libmbim library and mbimcli command line interface. Note however that not all mbim commands are supported by all cellular module vendors and might be dependant on chipset families, firmware versions and additional vendor specific command etc.
https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/libmbim/
Example of how to set up a cellular data connection:
Note! A working MBIM network interface data connection requires that the MBIM control message tunnel is kept open at all time also.
To keep it open, start a new session with a mbimcli command, and keep the session open after the command execution by the --no-close attribute.
The Session ID / Transaction ID number (TRID) that is opened with the mbimcli command will be given back in the reply, save it for use in the next mbimcli command.
If the session ID linked to the network data connection is closed, then the data connection on the network interface will also be closed.
Check cellular module device version and capability details:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --query-device-caps --no-close
Check cellular RF radio status:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --query-radio-state --no-close
If not enabled, set it active:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --set-radio-state=on --no-close --no-open=##
Check SIM card subscriber state:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --query-subscriber-ready-status --no-close --no-open=##
If pin is needed, enter it using --enter-pin command:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --enter-pin=#### --no-close --no-open=##
Check cellular network registration state:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --query-registration-state --no-close --no-open=##
If not registered already, try using register automatic:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --register-automatic --no-close --no-open=##
Check the packet data service state:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --query-packet-service-state --no-close --no-open=##
If packet service state is not attached, use attach command:
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --attach-packet-service --no-close --no-open=##
To to start a data connection use the connect command, with the desired parameters for PDP APN, IP type, auth details, etc.
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --connect=apn='data.tre.se',ip-type='ipv4v6' --no-close --no-open=##
Bring down the MBIM network interface:
ip link set dev wwan0 down
Clear any existing IP address and routes:
ip -4 -6 address flush dev wwan0
ip -4 -6 route flush dev wwan0
The mbimcli connect command returns the IP, gateway, DNS, and MTU details for the data connection if established successfully.
Enter the IPv4 details to the network interface in the Linux host system, e.g.:
ip address add 2.67.32.120/28 dev wwan0
ip link set mtu 1500 dev wwan0
Enter the IPv6 details to the network interface in the Linux host system, e.g.:
ip -6 addr add 2a02:aa1:1019:50b6:a5b0:ade:8531:b178/64 dev wwan0
ip -6 link set mtu 1500 dev wwan0
Enable the network interface:
ip link set dev wwan0 up
Apply appropriate network interface routing suitable for your use-case, e.g:
ip route add default dev
ip -6 route add default dev wwan0
You should now have a working cellular network data connection.
Test it e.g. by sending ping requests over the interface:
ping -I wwan0 8.8.8.8 -c 4
PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8) from 2.67.32.120 wwan0: 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=1 ttl=57 time=38.5 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=2 ttl=57 time=36.4 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=3 ttl=57 time=43.5 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=4 ttl=57 time=41.5 ms
--- 8.8.8.8 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3006ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 36.374/39.975/43.500/2.728 ms
ping -6 -I wwan0 2600:: -c 4
PING 2600::(2600::) from 2a02:aa1:1019:50b6:e59e:4d4a:e778:f24e wwan0: 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 2600::: icmp_seq=1 ttl=52 time=156 ms
64 bytes from 2600::: icmp_seq=2 ttl=52 time=171 ms
64 bytes from 2600::: icmp_seq=3 ttl=52 time=169 ms
64 bytes from 2600::: icmp_seq=4 ttl=52 time=167 ms
--- 2600:: ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3006ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 156.153/165.508/170.577/5.576 ms
To stop the cellular data network connection use mbimcli disconnect command.
Use the Session ID from the previous mbimcli command reply in --no-open=## attribute, but do not include the --no-close attribute, doing so closes the session afterwards.
mbimcli -p -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --disconnect --no-open=##
Bring down the interface:
ip link set dev wwan0 down
Clear any remaining IP address and routes:
ip -4 -6 address flush dev wwan0
ip -4 -6 route flush dev wwan0
It is up to the host application to manage and poll the connection state of the cellular module.
E.g. if the connection is lost temporarily due to no network coverage in the current location, the host application should tear down and re-establish the data connection when cellular module is registered in network again.
If the data connection fails for some reason several times, ensure that the connect retry attempts do not take place continuously without some extended delays in-between.
Depending on the cellular network operator, they can enforce lock-out on your subscription/device for certain time periods in order to protect the network from being flooded by requests.