Hello,
Telit has recently announced the new GE863-GPS, GSM/GPRS module with GPS capability.
It uses a SiRF star III 20-channel single chip GPS receiver.
Is there any possibility to see it at Sparkfun eshop?
Best regards.
I will second this request. We may be getting a deal that would require us to purchase a large quantity of these new modules. It would be nice to have someone in the states selling them.
Not to bad mouth Telit too much, but they continue to promote what I see as vaporware. I get a lot of inquiry emails about this so here is the current breakdown:
Telit has discontinued the GM862-PCS and Trizium
The GM862-Python is still available.
We got an engineering sample of the GM862-Quad 8 months ago, and it didn’t work. I’ve been told Telit is getting held up with FCC approval for the GM862-Quad.
Once the Quad is out (no eta - I’m guessing months), then there is the GM862-Quad-Python. Then there is the get GE863 which is just the Trizium on steroids.
GE863-Quad
GE863-Python
Once these have been launched, then there is something called the GE864, which is a mini version (true BGA) of the GE863. More delay and FCC approval.
Then we have another board - I forget the name - GM864? that is some sort of an ‘easy to use’ modular thing for the GM862. I’m not sure.
Then you have the GM862-GPS and GE863-GPS. Yes! These will be very very cool and will scare the pants off all the people who are scared of big brother - because this little guy will be a wicked tracker.
Even if we could get an ETA, I wouldn’t believe it. Telit is cool, but their marketing department is getting ahead of themselves. I imagine this is just a north america problem and that Telit is mostly already in Europe, but I don’t know. Even if they were available, I don’t think any NorthAmerican shopper can buy them from europe, because customs is going to refuse anything that says cellular and doesn’t have an FCC ID (the current hold up for the GM862-Quad).
And so we wait. SFE will carry anything and everything that Telit is willing to ship us. We are ready to wire away huge amounts of money, but you can’t get around FCC aproval…
-Nathan
That is really dissapointing… I know Sony, Siemens and a few others make cell modules… anything different there?
All other cellular mfgs we’ve come in contact require 1 to 2 rounds of Non-Disclosure Agreement paper work, signing, faxing, procuring first-born child, etc. Siemans had a required dev kit for $1800, not sure about the others. The smaller you are, the harder you have to yell.
Telit has no NDAs, no minimums, no required dev kits. If all you want is a module, all you get is a module.
-Nathan
It would appear that the GM862-GPS has obtained FCC approval and Round Solutions are supplying quotes for the modules. The 60 Euro shipping puts me off from dealing with Round, among other things…
Can Spark Fun take another look at the GM862-GPS?
sparky:
Then you have the GM862-GPS and GE863-GPS. Yes! These will be very very cool and will scare the pants off all the people who are scared of big brother - because this little guy will be a wicked tracker.Even if we could get an ETA, I wouldn’t believe it. Telit is cool, but their marketing department is getting ahead of themselves. I imagine this is just a north america problem and that Telit is mostly already in Europe, but I don’t know. Even if they were available, I don’t think any NorthAmerican shopper can buy them from europe, because customs is going to refuse anything that says cellular and doesn’t have an FCC ID (the current hold up for the GM862-Quad).
And so we wait. SFE will carry anything and everything that Telit is willing to ship us. We are ready to wire away huge amounts of money, but you can’t get around FCC aproval…
-Nathan
Has anybody bought one of these new trizium modules ?
This company supposedly has them in stock in USA:
Has anybody bought from them, they only seem to sell the GE863-QUAD online ?
Thanks
Cool Components in the UK is selling these:
Seems like a good option for those in the UK, or those traveling through the UK. But that would be US$180 + shipping (e.g. US$50+). At that point I might as well deal with Round Solutions based on cost.
Anyone at Spark Fun want to comment on picking up this module?
jandirks:
Cool Components in the UK is selling these:
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to get the GE863-QUAD from someone in the usa like those guys at DAC for $99 and buy a GPS RECIEVER like the LASSEN IQ from sparkfun for $50?
I bought from Rough Solutions before, and it’s a hassle to fax over the CREDIT CARD FORMS and the PO forms, and if dont go through you gotta call them all the way in UK and still have problems trying to get your order out.
It was so much easier buying from SPARKFUN when they actually had the TRIZIUM in stock.
I just ordered 2 of GE863-QUAD from DAC, let’s see if they ship them out.
I will keep you guys posted if everything goes smoothly.
The GE863-QUAD came in today from DAC.
I popped them into the Trizium Development Board, and I was up and running. The Lassen IQ works perfectly with it. I was getting about 50 Kbps on GPRS on T-Mobile. Im clocking in at about 72 Kbps now. So I guess the GSM Code is better on the GE863, cause I haven’t modified my code yet.
What are the chances that a GM86x + GPS + PYTHON module + eval board will be available soon?
sparky:
Not to bad mouth Telit too much, but they continue to promote what I see as vaporware. I get a lot of inquiry emails about this so here is the current breakdown:Telit has discontinued the GM862-PCS and Trizium
The GM862-Python is still available.
We got an engineering sample of the GM862-Quad 8 months ago, and it didn’t work. I’ve been told Telit is getting held up with FCC approval for the GM862-Quad.
Once the Quad is out (no eta - I’m guessing months), then there is the GM862-Quad-Python. Then there is the get GE863 which is just the Trizium on steroids.
GE863-Quad
GE863-Python
Once these have been launched, then there is something called the GE864, which is a mini version (true BGA) of the GE863. More delay and FCC approval.
Then we have another board - I forget the name - GM864? that is some sort of an ‘easy to use’ modular thing for the GM862. I’m not sure.
Then you have the GM862-GPS and GE863-GPS. Yes! These will be very very cool and will scare the pants off all the people who are scared of big brother - because this little guy will be a wicked tracker.
Even if we could get an ETA, I wouldn’t believe it. Telit is cool, but their marketing department is getting ahead of themselves. I imagine this is just a north america problem and that Telit is mostly already in Europe, but I don’t know. Even if they were available, I don’t think any NorthAmerican shopper can buy them from europe, because customs is going to refuse anything that says cellular and doesn’t have an FCC ID (the current hold up for the GM862-Quad).
And so we wait. SFE will carry anything and everything that Telit is willing to ship us. We are ready to wire away huge amounts of money, but you can’t get around FCC aproval…
-Nathan
uh…there are ways around that, at least for individuals, I wouldn’t recommend for companies…the reason the restrict it is less for ‘regulation’ and more for other reasons, mainly the incorporation back in the 90s of the LBS and Clipper systems into all north american cellular systems. If you think it might not be true, go take apart a phone, Nokias are easiest, GSM recommended since they have an easy to use serial interface and look, you’ll find them though the Clipper is less obvious since it’s driven by the network and not the Flex like the LBS.
Customs will always be hit and miss. Thats why you get it insured. I need an actual, steady, legitimate supply of the newer GM86x series modules…so sneaking them into the states really doesnt sound interesting to me.
Are you talking about the clipper chip?! That never actually made it into production, the project was defunct in 1996. LBS also was not intergated until well after 2000. Before, triangulation was very difficult. Anyone who has ever had to do any law enforcement triangulation with AMPS/TDMA systems would know what i mean. Even GSM systems…
The GPS LBS systems also suck. When GPS signal is degrated or unavailable (more often than not), location data is extremely skewed. An LBS event on my CDMA E911/AGPS phones tell me i am 20 miles away from my home. Yikes.
maokh:
Customs will always be hit and miss. Thats why you get it insured. I need an actual, steady, legitimate supply of the newer GM86x series modules…so sneaking them into the states really doesnt sound interesting to me.Are you talking about the clipper chip?! That never actually made it into production, the project was defunct in 1996. LBS also was not intergated until well after 2000. Before, triangulation was very difficult. Anyone who has ever had to do any law enforcement triangulation with AMPS/TDMA systems would know what i mean. Even GSM systems…
The GPS LBS systems also suck. When GPS signal is degrated or unavailable (more often than not), location data is extremely skewed. An LBS event on my CDMA E911/AGPS phones tell me i am 20 miles away from my home. Yikes.
You’re right triangulation is difficult, in fact on the broad scale nearly impossible, however generalized location information is simple with a cellular system, in fact just like the name implies a cellular network is divided into cells or grids in areas between towers, and they can tell what general area you’re in, otherwise they couldn’t charge you for roaming. And nowadays with the more advanced GSM and GPRS services it’s frightening how much locational information a phone can give, if you don’t believe me, go hack your GPRS enabled phone, you’ll see what I mean if you look closely and are able to process the right information in a way similar to how the network does. I’ve worked for 4 cell phone companies 
for CDMA/TDMA it’s mostly useless and that’s why you get those things telling you you were in another city while making a call sometimes on your bill, I had one of those with GSM once, my phone company was very confused, ended up it was a really bad calculation in their system, kinda caught them with their pants down.
The clipper chip didn’t officially make it into phones, you’re right. But it doesn’t have to be in the phone, the phone has to send a single analog signal for audio in theory, but your phone doesn’t, it sends several digitally encoded analog channels for audio, and one of those channels passes through a clipper system in the US, which listens for keywords and phrases, if it catches enough words to reach a priority # it starts recorded, as the number raises flags are set which may bring the recording to the attention of ‘someone’, if not enough points are accrued in the given time from the first priority word it’s reset. Very simple, and works with basic voice recognition techniques when filtered properly. not a perfect system and not something that can be used in court because it violates your right to privacy, but it is there. It’s also used on most new telephone land lines too.
Officially there’s no clipper chip in a cell phone, but the audio encoder gives off an excess digital signal which is not used during a call. Maybe it’s a conspiracy theory either way, I don’t like the idea.
Back to the actual topic, there are ways to import it but you’d have to be a company working in the proper field, and do a lot of paperwork and not be selling it…best of luck!
[GM862-GPS arrived today. So did a big lot of GM862-Quads GM862-Quad-Pythons.
We’re still trying to get the GE family out of Telit. They really weren’t expecting the north america market to give them so much interest 
[Cool Components! How neat! It’s like what Spark Fun was only 2.5 years ago… Looks like they found all our popular products and started carrying them. Anyone know how they are doing?
-Nathan](http://www.coolcomponents.co.uk)](http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=7917)
I noticed that you are out of RS-232 eval boards now. any idea when that will be available again?
They’re on the list of things to build immediately. Should be 2-3 days.
-Nathan
I have a spare GE863-QUAD if anyone wants to buy one from me. I bought 2 from dacinternational.com but I am only using 1 right now in my design.
I will be posting up a design very soon which incorporates the GE863-QUAD, 802.11b WIFI, 10/100 MBIT RJ-45 NETWORK, and of course a TRIMBLE LASSEN IQ GPS RECIEVER. Did I mention it will also have a onboard LINUX OS with a WEBSERVER.
My company is making this OPEN SOURCE and OPEN HARDWARE. There gonna sell it manufactured and offer the SCHEMATICS and CODE for anyone to play around with it.
I plan on using this thing as the ultimate Car Tracking SYSTEM.
Thanks