[Gta04-owner] Invitation to indicate interest in next batch of GTA04A5 boards

[Sven Dyroff]

Hello Nikolaus,

>> b) Make a little board equipped with the modem so, that it can be 
connected
>>    to the modem connector of this GTA04A5.
>> 
>> c) Offer the handheld variant of the GTA04 ("OpenPhoenux 3704") in this 
way.
>>    There should be enough place within the case in order to do so.
>
> Originally we had experimented with modems from Telit which have such 
B2B connectors.
> But there was simply no space and there was no connector that we could 
have used for
> the antenna (you can't have RF signals go over the same type of 
connectors as the
> digital signals). So we did choose the OPTION GTM601 which is a LGA 
soldered to the
> PCB.

If you put the OPTION GTM601 on a separate board designed by yourself, 
you're free to choose any connector that seems appropriate to you. In 
particular you can use three connectors instead of only one:

a) Digital control and audio signals, that means the link to the GTA04 
board.

b) Power. Perhaps even spend the modem its own power supply (controlled by 
the appropriate GPIO), so that you can connect this board directly to the 
battery.

c) Antenna. In particular you can connect the antenna directly to this 
board. There's no reason why the antenna should be connected to the GTA04 
board in case that the modem is located on its own board.

> 4. you can't develop such protocols and test them on the real air waves. 
I.e. you need
>   a network simulator e.g. from Rhode&Schwarz. Or buy a Ferrari from the 
money you
>   need to invest.

You're only talking about the situation within Europe. I don't think that 
anyone will say anything iin case someone makes developments on real air 
waves who is located in Siberia or deep outback of Australia or something 
like this. Who knows where all the possible interested developers live?

> So if you organize to develop and certify such a device, we will happily 
integrate it
> into a future GTA0x.

That's what I wanted to hear.  :-))

> 5. to legally operate such a device you need a licence and 
certification. Expect an
>    amount equivalent to several Ferraris to finally get through this 
process...

Ooops.   :-((

Someone out there who could donate us some Ferraris in order to do the 
needed certification... ?

> 2. LTE protocols are not easily written in one weekend. Expect a project 
with first
>    results after at least 2 years, maybe 5.
> 3. at that time there will be 5G

That's not a real argument. IIUC GTA01/GTA02 made it for 2G at a time 
where 3G was already up to date. Currently we even don't have an open 
source 3G modem. So I suggested 4G just for the reason to overjump 3G. If 
we have an open source 4G modem, we can overjump 5G again and begin to 
develop 6G, directly...   ;-))

> I don't want to discourage you to develop an open source LTE modem.
>
> But there are some things to consider.
> 1. you need a baseband chip. MAX2580 and MAX2553 look good - but it 
starts with the
>    datasheet being available on request only. This means that you have 
to convince
>    them that you are a customer with big quantities so that it is 
interesting enough
>    for them to talk to you.

It's clear that I'm not in the position to do so. But perhaps I didn't 
express clear enough what my intention is:

You heavily asked for more developers. You wanted to hear unexpected 
ideas. You're asking for more orders for the GTA04A5. I tried to show you 
an easy and cheap way, how a simple modification of the layout of 
GTA04A5's plate and of advertising strategy could open a perspective to a 
possible new community of developers, who could order GTA04A5 boards.

Even the separate modem board needs not to be produced before there's any 
real interest for it. But the GTA04A5 board already needs to be prepared 
for it, because any later redesign costs much more money and would once 
more require a new production cycle, what is a really unrealistic 
scenario.

Best regards
   Sven

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