Setting up LTE connection using the Quectel EM06 4G LTE Module on the Edge-V and FreeBSD

Hello.

I would like to know if the Quectel EM06 4G LTE Module is compatible with the Edge-V. I want to use it in the EU.

According with this post :

https://forum.khadas.com/t/setting-up-lte-connection/7583/4

It seems that Kingsley showed that the EM06 4G module can be used with the M2X extension :

https://www.khadas.com/product-page/m2x-extension-board

I would also know where I can download the firmware with LTE support for Linux for the EM06 4G module,because I plan to port the code to FreeBSD. The file mentioned on that post is here :

https://dl.khadas.com/products/edge/firmware/android/edge_pie_v190912.7z

BUT,it seems that it is for Android. I need to have the firmware for Linux,if it does exist.

An alternative could be to purchase the USB interface version of the EM06 separately.

Can someone point me to that ? And I would also like to know if the official firmware will also work for the USB interface version of the EM06.

Hello @Mario_Marietto

M.2 EM06 LTE module is not compataile for Edge-V, so you cant use it.

If you want to port the driver to FreeBSD, you can take this patch as a reference.

Hello.

Help me to understand how to connect the EM06 LTE module via USB to the Edge-V. Or suggest me a similar product that can use the same source code stored in this github :

And anyway,in the post below I can see clearly that it can be connected using the M2X interface…how can this be explained ?

@Mario_Marietto the reundant pins of the M.2 Connector of the VIM3 are used for providing USB pins which are available on the M2X for LTE connection which is USB based, so even though it may appear as a m.2 card, it operates over USB, so the USB driver will work just fine, you can check this by looking at the board schematics (pin 6 & 8 of SBC side are d+ and d- of USB)

Hello.

I’m not an hardware engineer,I’m not able to understand the board schematics,sorry. So,I expect only easy answers to my questions,that are the following ones :

  1. you are talking about VIM3,but I’ve bought the EDGE-V

  2. I need to understand,better if you use easy drawings,how to connect the EM06 using the M2X interface to the Edge-V using the proper pins.

Very thanks.

Current M2 EM06 4G module is not compataile for Edge-V, you can’t use it.

You have to buy a USB-A interface 4G module and connect it to the Edge-V USB-A host.

Please,can you suggest one ? (USB-A interface 4G module) ? The point here is that I need one that has a very low profile,because it should fit inside the little space of a phablet enclosure.

Hello @Mario_Marietto

Sorry, we don’t have suggested model.

Another way is to use a M2 to USB adaptor.

Is this good ?

https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005008023998672.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2ita

Do you have developed a “click and go” GUI for placing and receiving phone calls in Android and / or Linux ?

No , phone call is not supported.

––> No , phone call is not supported.

Can you elaborate more ? Phone calls are not supported by the GUI or by the Quectel EM06 4G LTE Module ? Or by the driver ? I would like to know which part should I improve to place and receive the phone calls.

Hello @Mario_Marietto

EM06 4G module + Edge-V , the phone call is not supported and we havent tested.

Asked to ChatGPT :

I would like to know if I can place and receive phone calls using the EM06 4G module on the khadas Edge-V.

Bro replied :

That’s a good question. The short answer is: maybe, but with important caveats. It depends on which variant of the EM06 you have (or intend to use), and whether your setup supports the required interfaces (audio, etc.). Here’s what I found and how to assess feasibility:


What the EM06 is and its capabilities

  • The EM06 is a 4G LTE module (Cat-6) in M.2 (NGFF) form factor. auroraevernet+3quectel.com+3Amazon Web Services, Inc.+3

  • According to the EM06 hardware-design documents, the EM06 series comes in two “types”:
    Telematics version — supports both voice + data
    Data-only version — supports only data (no voice) سیسوگ+1

  • So whether voice calls are possible depends on that version. If you have the telematics version, voice is supported in hardware. quectel.com+3auroraevernet+3Amazon Web Services, Inc.+3

  • On Quectel’s product listing, the EM06 supports “DTMF, USB 2.0 interface, multi-constellation GNSS, etc.” quectel.com

  • Some third-party listings show “Voice Call Support: Yes” for EM06-E modules. Techship

  • However, in some user reports / forums, people using EM06-E report issues making voice calls (e.g. “NO CARRIER” on dialing) — possibly due to missing VoLTE support or the modem falling back to 3G/2G which may not be supported in their area. Quectel Forums

  • Also, the hardware design documentation states that for the voice function (WCDMA) the module consumes a certain current and uses an audio interface (PCM) for audio path. Amazon Web Services, Inc.+1

Thus, EM06 can support voice if it’s the telematics version and properly interfaced.


Limitations / compatibility with Edge-V

Even if the EM06 (telemetrics version) supports voice, that does not guarantee you can use voice calls seamlessly when it’s plugged into the Edge-V. There are several potential showstoppers:

  1. Edge-V M.2 interface lacks USB lines for 4G module
    On the Khadas forums, a staff or user (numbqq) states:

    “Edge-V doesn’t support the EM06 4G module with M.2 interface … it is because Edge-V M.2 interface don’t contain the USB signal so you can’t use the M.2 interface 4G module on the Edge-V M.2 interface. But you can use a USB interface 4G module.” Khadas Community

    In other words: the M.2 socket on the Edge-V might be wired only for NVMe (PCIe) and not include the USB data lines that many LTE modules need, meaning the module might be “detected” at the board level, but it has no interface to exchange data/commands. Thus, in practice the EM06 might not work on Edge-V via M.2 even for data, let alone voice. Khadas Community

  2. Driver / firmware support
    Even if hardware paths exist, you’ll need drivers in Linux (or your OS) to interface with the module, expose modem ports (e.g. via ttyUSB* or cqdma / qmi / wwan interfaces), support audio (PCM paths), and support voice calls (e.g. via AT commands or modem drivers). If the particular firmware build for Edge-V does not include voice/modem support, you may need to build or patch it.
    Also, many users indicate that EM06 was supported on VIM3/Android builds by Khadas. Khadas Community+2Khadas Community+2
    But for Edge-V, user posts suggest they were unable to detect or use the module when using the M.2 slot. Khadas Community

  3. Network / VoLTE support constraints
    Even if hardware & driver support are present, voice calls these days often require VoLTE (voice over LTE) on many networks (if the 2G/3G fallback is disabled). If the module or your carrier does not support VoLTE, and your network does not support 2G/3G fallback, voice calls may fail. As one forum user wrote for EM06-E:

    “If it does not support VoLTE, the module will automatically drop from 4G network to 3G or 2G when making a call. If you do not support 3G network, you need to support VoLTE on the SIM and base station side …” Quectel Forums

    So your carrier, SIM plan, and module firmware must support VoLTE (or fallback) for voice to reliably work.

  4. Audio path / routing
    Even if the module supports voice, you need to connect its audio interface (usually digital voice: PCM, I2S, etc.) to the Edge-V (or external audio codec) so that the board can drive a speaker / mic. If there’s no connection from module to audio subsystem, you might have “voice capability in modem” but no way to hear or speak through it.


Conclusion: what is likely in your case?

Given the evidence:

  • The Khadas forum explicitly states that the Edge-V’s M.2 interface lacks USB lines for LTE modules, meaning EM06 over M.2 won’t work on Edge-V. Khadas Community

  • Even if you bypass that (e.g. by using a USB-based EM06 or external modem module), you’d still need voice support (telematics version), driver support in your OS, and VoLTE support from your mobile carrier.

  • Some users report the EM06-E works only for data (and SMS) but not for voice, in their setup. Quectel Forums

So, in practice, placing and receiving voice calls using EM06 on Edge-V is quite unlikely unless you overcome multiple hardware, driver, and network hurdles and have exactly the right module variant.

If you like, I can help you design a working setup: e.g. a USB 4G modem that works with Edge-V and supports voice (VoLTE) and how to wire up audio. Do you want me to propose one?