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MC60 Development Board

Supported MC60 Development Board List #

  • Arduino uno R3
  • Arduino uno R3 SMD
  • Arduino Zero
  • Arduino Yun Rev2
  • Arduino UNO Wi-Fi Rev2
  • Arduino UNO R4 Wi-Fi
  • Arduino uno R4 Minima
  • Arduino Leonardo

Feature List #

MC60 Development Board Feature

  • Quad-band: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
  • AT Commands: GSM 07.07, 07.05 and Enhanced AT Commands
  • TCP/UDP/HTTP/FTP/PPP
  • Jamming Detection
  • Audio
  • FOTA
  • Dual SIM, Single Standby
  • OpenCPU
  • GPS+GLONASS
  • QuecFastFix

MC60 Arduino Feature #

The MC60 header Development board is a compact and portable board designed specifically for Arduino. The main equipped modules are the mc60 series wireless communication modules.

The MC60 Development board has a USB Type-C interface, making it convenient for development. Developers only need a USB Type-C cable to easily use the MC60 Development board.

Additionally, the MC60 Development board is compatible with the expansion board of Arduino, which can be directly used on the MC60 Development board.

MC60 Development Board Resources #

Function Description #

The main component and interface placement of the MC60 Development Board is shown in the following figure:

MC60 Development Board Configuration #

The detailed assignment of the peripheral interfaces on the MC60 Development board is as follows:

NO. Name Silkscreen Comment
1 USB Type-C Interface
2 Audio jack 3.5 mm
3 Sim card case 4FF SIM Card 12.3 × 8 mm
4 SD card case Micro SD Card
5 Manual boot Manual Boot Push button
6 External GNSS Antenna GNSS ANT UFL Antenna
7 18pin Header 2.54 mm
8 External GSM Antenna GSM ANT UFL Antenna
9 Button Button If pushed, connects RST pin to ground
10 Boot BOOT If pushed, connects PWRKEY pin to ground and turns on/off MC60 Development Board
11 UART Switch UART Arduino/USB If the switch is on the Arduino UART side, communication between Arduino and MC60 Development Board  is established; if on the USB UART side, communication between USB and MC60 Development Board is established

The MC60 Development Board has 3 functional indication LEDs, as follows:

  • D4: LED Connect 1PPS
  • D3: LED Connect NETLIGHT
  • D2: Power indication LED
EICUT MC60 GSM/GNSS dev board pinout — USB-C, SIM, microSD, U.FL antennas, UART, PWRKEY/RTS.
Annotated pinout: USB-C, SIM, microSD, GNSS/GSM U.FL, UART switch/pins, PWRKEY/RTS.

 

 

Back of EICUT MC60 Arduino header v1.0 PCB with labeled signal header and ground pads.
Back view with labeled Arduino header pin block.

 

MC60 Development Board Dimensions #

EICUT MC60 dev board — mechanical dimensions diagram (mm)
Dimensioned layout with millimeter measurements and connector offsets.

 

The main pin placement of the MC60 Development Board is shown in the following figure:

MC60 dev board pin map — SIM2, GNSS/AUX UART, ADC, control lines, PWRKEY.
Pin functions with directions: SIM2, GNSS/AUX UART, ADC, CTS/RI/DTR/DCD, DBG, VBUS/GND, PWRKEY.
EICUT MC60 board — Arduino header pinout with ATmega mapping: D0–D13, A0–A5, power, I2C/SPI, UART, PWM.
Arduino-compatible header: digital & analog pins, power rails, I2C/SPI, UART; PWM pins highlighted.
💡

Tip

As shown in the image above, Arduino can communicate with the module in two ways: software UART and hardware UART.
Set the switch to Arduino UART mode and connect with a jumper depending on your needs.
To connect the GPS module to the module itself, use a jumper to connect GNRX to AUTX and GNTX to AURX.

MC60 Development Board Interfaces #

Power Header #

NO. Name Silkscreen Comment
8-Pin NC NC
8-Pin IOREF IOREF This provides a logic reference voltage for shields that use it; it is connected to the 5 V bus.
8-Pin RST RST Reset Arduino.
8-Pin 3v3 3v3 3.3 V Arduino regulator; don’t connect to power the module.
8-Pin 5v 5v 5 V Arduino regulator; do not power the module from the Arduino, but the module can power the Arduino.
8-Pin GND GND Ground.
8-Pin GND GND Ground.
8-Pin Vin Vin This pin is used to power the Arduino Uno using an external power source. The voltage should be within the supported range.

ADC Header #

NO. Name Silkscreen Comment
6-Pin ADC0 A0 Analog input (ADC).
6-Pin ADC1 A1 The Arduino Uno has 6 analog pins which utilize ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter).
6-Pin ADC2 A2 These pins serve as analog inputs and can also function as digital inputs or outputs.
6-Pin ADC3 A3 These pins serve as analog inputs and can also function as digital inputs or outputs.
6-Pin ADC4 A4 These pins serve as analog inputs and can also function as digital inputs or outputs.
6-Pin ADC5 A5 These pins serve as analog inputs and can also function as digital inputs or outputs.

Analog to Digital Conversion #

ADC stands for Analog to Digital Converter. ADC is an electronic circuit used to convert analog signals into digital signals. This digital representation of analog signals allows the processor (which is a digital device) to measure the analog signal and use it through its operation.

Arduino Pins A0-A5 are capable of reading analog voltages. On Arduino the ADC has 10-bit resolution, meaning it can represent analog voltage by 1,024 digital levels. The ADC converts voltage into bits which the microprocessor can understand.

One common example of an ADC is Voice over IP (VoIP). Every smartphone has a microphone that converts sound waves (voice) into analog voltage. This goes through the device’s ADC, gets converted into digital data, which is transmitted to the receiving side over the internet.

Digital Header #

NO. Name Silkscreen Comment
18-Pin PD0/TX 0 Serial
18-Pin PD1/RX 1 Communication
18-Pin PD2 2
18-Pin PD3/PWM 3
18-Pin PD4 4
18-Pin PD5/PWM 5
18-Pin PD6/PWM 6
18-Pin PD7 7
18-Pin PB0 8
18-Pin PB1/PWM 9
18-Pin PB2/PWM/SS 10
18-Pin PB3/PWM/MOSI 11 SPI
18-Pin PB4/MISO 12 Communication
18-Pin PB5/SCK 13
18-Pin Ground GND
18-Pin AREF AREF
18-Pin PC4/SDA SDA I2C
18-Pin PC5/SCL SCL Communication

MC60 Header 2*9 #

NO. Name Silkscreen Comment
2*9-Pin Sim2-DATA SDATA You can use it as an output and input.
2*9-Pin Sim-CLK SCLK Digital output
2*9-Pin Sim2-VDD SVDD Power output
2*9-Pin Sim2-RST SRST Digital output
2*9-Pin Clear to send CTS Digital output
2*9-Pin Analog input ADC Analog input
2*9-Pin GNSS-RX GNRX Connect GNSS-RX to AUX-TX by jumpers.
2*9-Pin GNSS-TX GNTX Connect GNSS-TX to AUX-RX by jumpers.
2*9-Pin AUX-TX AUTX For internal communication.
2*9-Pin AUX-RX AURX For internal communication between the GPS module and itself.
2*9-Pin Data carrier detection DCD You can use it as an output and input.
2*9-Pin Data terminal ready DTR Digital output
2*9-Pin DBG-RX DBRX You can use it as an output and input.
2*9-Pin Ring indication RI Digital output
2*9-Pin DBG-TX DBTX You can use it as an output and input.
2*9-Pin VBUS VBUS This pin is powered by USB.
2*9-Pin Ground GND
2*9-Pin Ground GND

 

Getting Started Preparation #

MC60 Development Board

Suppose you want to make a call, send an SMS, or even get the location of a device in your project. There are many solutions available, and the Quectel modules are one of the good choices as a powerful platform for wireless communications. In this tutorial, we will show you how to connect the MC60 hat to an Arduino using the TinyGSM library and use it to send SMS messages and make voice calls.

Okay, before we dive into the coding part, let’s get the required components and libraries ready:

  1. MC60 hat: This hat is fully compatible with Arduino and is pin-to-pin. No additional wiring is needed.
  2. SoftwareSerial Library: This library is used for the software serial communication between the Arduino and the MC60 hat.
  3. Jumpers: You will need jumpers to place the MC60 hat on the Arduino and to set the UART mode to software mode.

Preparation Steps #

  1. Place the MC60 hat on the Arduino.
  2. Set the UART switch to the software mode.
  3. Configure the jumpers to the software mode.

Now that everything is ready, we can start coding and use the MC60 hat to send SMS messages and make voice calls.

MC60 Development Board-2

Download the Library: Download the TinyGSM library from the provided EICUT GitHub link:

📥

TinyGSM Library

Download from GitHub

 

MC60 Development Board-3

 

In next step downloading the library, we need to add it to the compiler.

(Like the image below).

MC60 Development Board-4

Once the library has been added, go to File -> Examples > TinyGSM > smsandvoicecall to select that example.

MC60 Development Board-5

After opening the example, we need to make a few changes to the code:

  1. In the first line, replace it with the following code:

#define TINY_GSM_MODEM_MC60

  1. In line 12, enter the number that you want the module to call.
  2. In line 15, change:

SoftwareSerial SerialAT(2, 3); // RX, TX

to set the baud rate to 115200, since the default baud rate of the module is 115200

After opening the example, we need to make a few changes to the code:

  1. In the first line, replace it with the following code:

#define TINY_GSM_MODEM_MC60

  1. In line 12, enter the number that you want the module to call.
  2. In line 15, change:

SoftwareSerial SerialAT(2, 3); // RX, TX

to set the baud rate to 115200, since the default baud rate of the module is 115200

MC60 Development Board-6

You need to search for and download the required libraries from this section. After downloading, a message indicating successful download and installation will be displayed in the output.

MC60 Development Board-7

If you have followed the above steps correctly, the code will compile and be ready to upload to the Arduino. According to the image below, enter the model and COM port to which the Arduino is connected, and click on the option marked with 3 in the image to start uploading the code.
MC60 Development Board-8

Upon completion of the compilation, place a nano SIM card into the MC60 hat (the operator does not matter) and connect the antenna to the UFL connector on the board.

The power supply for the MC60 hat is 5V, which you can connect from the header pins or via the USB Type-C port.

A very important note is that your power supply must be able to provide a peak current of 1.5 amps for the MC60 hat; otherwise, the module will reset.

Following the completion of the above steps, open the Arduino Serial Monitor and set the baud rate to 115200. The Arduino and the MC60 hat will start communicating with each other via UART, and their messages will be visible on the Arduino’s serial port.”
MC60 Development Board-9
MC60 Development Board-9
MC60 Development Board-10n

Tutorial Code #

// This line of code specifies that the MC60 modem is being used, which uses AT commands similar to the M66
#define TINY_GSM_MODEM_MC60

// These two lines of code include the necessary libraries for working with the MC60 modem and using SoftwareSerial
#include <TinyGsmClient.h>
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

// These three lines of code define the GPRS network access details. In this example, they are not needed as we are only sending SMS and making calls
const char apn[]  = "your_apn"; // Not needed for SMS/Call, only for GPRS
const char user[] = "";
const char pass[] = "";

// This line of code defines the destination phone number
const char phoneNumber[] = "+1234567890";

// This line of code defines the SoftwareSerial pins for communication with the modem
SoftwareSerial SerialAT(2, 3); // RX, TX

// This line of code creates an object of the TinyGsm class to work with the MC60 modem
TinyGsm modem(SerialAT);

void setup() {
  // This section of code initializes the modem. It first sets up the debug serial, then establishes communication with the modem. After that, it restarts the modem and waits for a network connection
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(10);
  SerialAT.begin(115200);
  delay(3000);
  Serial.println("Initializing modem...");
  modem.restart();  // or modem.init();

  // This line of code allows unlocking the SIM card with a PIN
  // modem.simUnlock("1234");
  // This section of code waits for a network connection
  Serial.print("Waiting for network...");
  if (!modem.waitForNetwork()) {
    Serial.println(" failed");
    while (true);
  }
  Serial.println(" connected");
  // This section of code sends an SMS with the message "Hello from MC60!" to the specified phone number
  Serial.println("Sending SMS...");
  if (modem.sendSMS(phoneNumber, "Hello from MC60!")) {
    Serial.println("SMS sent successfully!");
  } else {
    Serial.println("SMS failed to send.");
  }
  // This line of code creates a 5-second delay before making a phone call
  delay(5000);
  // This section of code makes a call to the same phone number and hangs up after 20 seconds
  Serial.print("Calling ");
  Serial.println(phoneNumber);
  modem.callNumber(phoneNumber);
  delay(20000);
  modem.callHangup();
  Serial.println("Call ended.");
}

// This function has no code written in it, as all operations are performed in the `setup()` function
void loop() {
}

FAQ – Digital, PWM, and Communication Protocols #

What does digital mean?
+

Digital is a way of representing voltage in 1 bit: either 0 or 1. Digital pins on the Arduino are pins designed to be configured as inputs or outputs according to the needs of the user. Digital pins are either on or off. When ON they are in a HIGH voltage state of 5V and when OFF they are in a LOW voltage state of 0V.

On the Arduino, when the digital pins are configured as output, they are set to 0 or 5 volts.
When the digital pins are configured as input, the voltage is supplied from an external device. This voltage can vary between 0-5 volts which is converted into digital representation (0 or 1). To determine this, there are 2 thresholds:
• Below 0.8V – considered as 0.
• Above 2V – considered as 1.

When connecting a component to a digital pin, make sure that the logic levels match. If the voltage is in between the thresholds, the returning value will be undefined.

What is PWM?
+

In general, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is a modulation technique used to encode a message into a pulsing signal. A PWM is comprised of two key components: frequency and duty cycle. The PWM frequency dictates how long it takes to complete a single cycle (period) and how quickly the signal fluctuates from high to low. The duty cycle determines how long a signal stays high out of the total period. Duty cycle is represented in percentage.

In Arduino, the PWM enabled pins produce a constant frequency of ~500Hz, while the duty cycle changes according to the parameters set by the user. PWM signals are used for speed control of DC motors, dimming LEDs and more.

PWM duty cycle waveforms showing 0%, 25%, and 100% with period marked.

Period-labeled PWM signals at 0%, 25%, and 100% duty cycle.

What is Serial Communication?
+

Serial communication is used to exchange data between the Arduino board and another serial device such as computers, displays, sensors and more. Each Arduino board has at least one serial port. Serial communication occurs on digital pins 0 (RX) and 1 (TX) as well as via USB. Arduino supports serial communication through digital pins with the Software Serial Library as well. This allows the user to connect multiple serial-enabled devices and leave the main serial port available for the USB.

Software serial and hardware serial – Most microcontrollers have hardware designed to communicate with other serial devices. Software serial ports use a pin-change interrupt system to communicate. There is a built-in library for Software Serial communication. Software serial is used by the processor to simulate extra serial ports. The only drawback with software serial is that it requires more processing and cannot support the same high speeds as hardware serial.

SPI – SS/SCK/MISO/MOSI pins are the dedicated pins for SPI communication. They can be found on digital pins 10-13 of the Arduino Uno and on the ICSP headers.

What is SPI?
+

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) is a serial data protocol used by microcontrollers to communicate with one or more external devices in a bus like connection. The SPI can also be used to connect 2 microcontrollers. On the SPI bus, there is always one device that is denoted as a Master device and all the rest as Slaves. In most cases, the microcontroller is the Master device. The SS (Slave Select) pin determines which device the Master is currently communicating with.

SPI enabled devices always have the following pins:
MISO (Master in Slave out) – A line for sending data to the Master device
MOSI (Master out Slave In) – The Master line for sending data to peripheral devices
SCK (Serial Clock) – A clock signal generated by the Master device to synchronize data transmission.

I2C – SCL/SDA pins are the dedicated pins for I2C communication. On the Arduino Uno they are found on Analog pins A4 and A5.

What is I2C?
+

I2C is a communication protocol commonly referred to as the “I2C bus”. The I2C protocol was designed to enable communication between components on a single circuit board. With I2C there are 2 wires referred to as SCL and SDA.

SCL is the clock line which is designed to synchronize data transfers.
SDA is the line used to transmit data.

Each device on the I2C bus has a unique address, up to 255 devices can be connected on the same bus.

Aref – Reference voltage for the analog inputs.
Interrupt – INT0 and INT1. Arduino Uno has two external interrupt pins.
External Interrupt – An external interrupt is a system interrupt that occurs when outside interference is present. Interference can come from the user or other hardware devices in the network. Common uses for these interrupts in Arduino are reading the frequency a square wave generated by encoders or waking up the processor upon an external event.

Arduino has two forms of interrupt: External and Pin Change.
There are two external interrupt pins on the ATmega168/328 called INT0 and INT1. Both INT0 and INT1 are mapped to pins 2 and 3. In contrast, Pin Change interrupts can be activated on any of the pins.

Updated on November 25, 2025

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