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M66-IOT Board

Basic Overview #

The M66-IoT board is an optimized and feature-rich development board, making it an excellent choice for getting started with the Quectel M66 module. It is designed to simplify IoT prototyping and supports a wide range of applications, including solar-powered solutions through its integrated MPPT solar charging circuit.

Feature List #

Key highlights of the board include:

  • Built-in Bluetooth antenna
  • USB-to-Serial converter with Micro-USB port for easy debugging and programming
  • Battery socket and charging circuit for Li-Po batteries, with charge status LED indicator
  • MPPT-based solar charger, enabling efficient energy harvesting for off-grid deployments

In addition, the board integrates several useful sensors:

  • Temperature and humidity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • 3-axis accelerometer

Other features that enhance its versatility:

  • 64 Mbit (8MB) flash memory (W25Q64)
  • Microphone and speaker outputs
  • External watchdog timer
  • OLED interface support
  • Level shifters on all I/O pins

With this comprehensive set of features, the M66-IoT board provides a powerful, all-in-one platform that goes far beyond typical development boards—ideal for building and testing next-generation IoT solutions.

M66-iot Board Resources #

Function Description #

The main component and interface placement of the evaluation board is shown in the following figure:

EICUT M66-IOT board — annotated layout showing sensors, antennas, power management, and UART selector.
Top view labeling USB Type-C connector, reset, BLE & GSM antennas, Li-Po charger, battery switch, watchdog disable, sensors (SHT40, 6-axis, ambient light), OLED, MPPT solar circuit, and user key.
EICUT M66-IOT board underside — labeled diagram showing SD card, audio, flash memory, and USB-to-serial interface.
Bottom view labeling SIM1/SD card socket, W25Q64 SPI flash, audio jack, external battery socket, USB-to-serial converter, and level shifter.

M66-IOT Board Configuration #

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

NO. Name Comment
1 USB Type-C Connector The USB port, connected to a CH343P USB-to-Serial converter, is used for programming and communication with the PC.
2 Reset Button Pressing this button will reset the power supply of the entire board.
3 BLE Antenna
4 Battery Switch You can use this switch to connect or disconnect the battery.
5 Li-Po Charger Charger circuit for Li-Po battery, suitable for a 200 mAh battery; this LED indicates the charging status.
6 GSM Antenna You can use a 2G antenna with a 50 Ω impedance, connected via a UFL connector.
7 6-axis accelerometer sensor Interfaced with the M66 module via I²C and includes a dedicated interrupt (INT) pin for event-driven operation.
8 SHT40 The temperature and humidity sensor interfaces with the M66 module using the I²C communication protocol.
9 LEDs Two LEDs: one for network status (Net Light) and one user LED (connected to the RTS pin).
10 Main UART M66 Selector This switch allows toggling the main UART between the GPIO pins and the USB interface.
11 Watchdog Disable Circuit External watchdog implemented using the TPS3823 chip. Note: if the WDG reset jumper is removed, you must reset the watchdog through the RTS pin.
12 Light Ambient Sensor Ambient light sensor implemented using the BH1750 chip.
13 OLED Connector Dedicated connector for connecting an OLED display via the I²C interface.
14 Solar MPPT Circuit High-efficiency solar charging circuit with MPPT technology for optimal energy harvesting.
15 User Key Button
16 SIM1/SIM2 or SD Card Socket Use either two SIM cards, or one SIM card and one microSD card.
17 Microphone and Speaker Output Standard AUX output is supported.
18 8 MB SPI Flash 8 MB flash memory using the W25Q64 chip.
19 External Battery Socket
20 Level Shifter
21 USB to Serial Converter

Evaluation Board Dimensions #

The main pin placement of the evaluation board is shown in the following figure:

EICUT M66-IOT board dimensions — labeled mechanical drawing with mounting hole and pin header measurements.
Mechanical layout with full dimensions: board size 58.5 × 39 mm, hole offsets, and 2.54 mm pin header pitch for expansion connectors.
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Tip

 

• To program the board, slide the switch to the “UART ON USB” position and connect the USB cable to begin programming.

• The SPI interface pins are shared with the onboard flash memory. It is recommended not to use these pins for other purposes to avoid conflicts.

• The battery switch simply connects or disconnects the battery from the circuit; it does not control charging or power regulation.

M66-IOT Board Interfaces #

NO. Name Silkscreen Comment
1 +5V +5V
2 +3.3V +3.3V
3 VDD_EXT +VEXT
4 PCM_SYNC MISO Use only for SPI communication, and make sure to use a dedicated CS (Chip Select) pin.
5 PCM_IN SCK Use only for SPI communication, and make sure to use a dedicated CS (Chip Select) pin.
6 PCM_OUT MOSI Use only for SPI communication, and make sure to use a dedicated CS (Chip Select) pin.
7 PCM_CLK CE
8 Auxiliary TXD A-TXD
9 ADC ADC
10 Auxiliary RXD A-RXD
11 PWR KEY PWR
12 GND GND
13 +3.3V +3.3V
14 Main TXD M-TXD Set the UART selection switch to “UART ON GPIO” to make the UART pins accessible.
15 Main RXD M-RXD Set the UART selection switch to “UART ON GPIO” to make the UART pins accessible.
16 Debug TXD D-TXD
17 Debug RXD D-RXD
18 RFTXMON RFTX
19 RI SCL
20 DCD SDA

Resource Download #

FAQ #

What is the M66-IoT Development Board?
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An all-in-one, feature-packed platform built around the ultra-small Quectel M66 OpenCPU module — perfect for battery/solar-powered IoT projects with integrated sensors, MPPT charging.

Can it run completely off-grid with solar power?
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Yes — includes a true MPPT solar charger, Li-Po charging circuit (with status LED), and battery switch. Just connect a small solar panel (5–6 V) and a Li-Po battery.

Which sensors are built-in?
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SHT40 – High-accuracy temperature & humidity
BH1750 – Ambient light sensor
6-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyroscope) with interrupt pin
All connected via I²C to the M66.

How do I program and debug it?
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Slide the UART switch to “UART ON USB” → connect USB-C → opens as a COM port (CH343P). No external programmer needed. Default baudrate: 115200.

Can I use the main UART on GPIO pins instead of USB?
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Yes — move the UART selector switch to “UART ON GPIO” to route main TX/RX to the breakout pins (M-TXD / M-RXD).

Is there external flash memory?
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Yes — 8 MB (64 Mbit) W25Q64 SPI flash is included for data logging, OTA firmware, or file storage. Note: SPI pins are shared — do not use them for other devices without proper CS management.

Does it support Bluetooth?
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Yes — M66 has Bluetooth 4.0 LE with an onboard high-performance chip antenna.

Can I connect an OLED display?
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Yes — dedicated 4-pin 0.96″/1.3″ OLED header (VCC/GND/SDA/SCL) is provided (3.3 V I²C).

Is there an external watchdog?
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Yes — hardware watchdog using TPS3823 chip. Can be disabled with a jumper if needed. When enabled, you must periodically toggle the RTS pin or the board will reset.

What are the board dimensions?
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58.5 × 39 mm with mounting holes — fits perfectly in small enclosures or on prototyping shields.

Updated on November 19, 2025

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