BGA technology is easy to process and permits a high number of inputs and outputs on a relatively small footprint. BGA modules are fitted by means of a grid of solder balls on the underside of the package. The material costs of the product are reduced as no board-to-board connectors are required.
The HE863 measures a compact 31.4mm x 41.4mm x 2.9mm. The solder balls are spaced further apart than with most other BGA systems (2/2.5mm compared with 0.8/0.5mm), making for easier assembly. All models in the series have the same footprint for maximum compatibility.
The HE863 supports quad-band GSM, GPRS/EDGE multislot class 33, 3GPP stack Release 6 and dual-band HSPA with 5.76 Mbps (uplink) and 7.2 Mbps (downlink). There are three pin-compatible variations of HSPA (900/2100, 850/1900 and 850/2100) to enable global use. Telit supplies the module with an optional embedded GPS/A-GPS receiver.
The module is intended for data transmission devices with a long lifetime that are intended for long-term use even after 2G network switch-off and require high throughput. Examples for application fields are smart metering, healthcare, surveillance and tracking applications.