Qualcomm Gobi is a family of embedded mobile broadband modem products by Qualcomm. Gobi technology 2 was designed to allow for any product with the embedded solution to connect to the internet anywhere a wireless carrier provides data coverage. One of the more notable products that contain a Gobi modem is the iPhone 4 for Verizon, which contains a MDM6600, however it does not take advantage of the support for HSPA+.[1]

Qualcomm MDM9200

History edit

On October 23, 2007, Qualcomm announced the first set of Gobi-enabled chipsets to be commercially available in the second quarter of 2008.[2][3] The first chip produced by Qualcomm, the MDM1000, gained support from PC manufacturer HP[4] as well as wireless carriers Vodafone and Verizon.[5]

Two years later, on February 11, 2009, Qualcomm announced the second generation of Gobi-enabled chipsets, the MDM2000. The MDM2000 added support for additional frequencies which are prevalent in Japan and rural Europe, improved uplink capabilities and other software upgrades.[6]

The third, and most recent, generation of Gobi-enabled chipsets was announced on March 23, 2010 however this generation consists of a total of 6 different chips which support different ranges of wireless standards and data rates. The reasoning behind the multiple chips was to address additional markets such as USB modems, e-readers, gaming devices and machine to machine commercial applications.[7] Qualcomm also introduced software enhancements for select Mobile Data Modem (MDM) chipsets that enabled “a common Gobi software interface (API) across multiple hardware platforms.”[8]

Products edit

 
MDM8200A
 
Qualcomm MDM9635M
 
Qualcomm MDM9615M

The main feature of the Gobi modems is their support of multiple wireless standards such as GSM and CDMA. Newer modems also have support for 4G wireless standards such as HSPA+ and LTE, with a notable omission of WiMax.[8][9] The extensive support of wireless standards allows consumers to choose between multiple carriers based on the modem present in their device. What standard the modem supports and at what rates depends on the chip being used.

Below is a list of Gobi-enabled modem chipsets released by Qualcomm and their features:

MDM1000:[5]

  • Multi-mode modem
  • EV-DO Rev. A support (CDMA)
    • 800, 1900 MHz
  • HSPA support with full backward compatibility with GSM, GPRS and EDGE
    • 850, 1900, 2100 MHz for HSPA
    • 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz for GSM/GPRS/EDGE
  • Simultaneous GPS functionality

MDM2000:[6]

  • All the features of the MDM1000
  • Support for HSPA at 800 and 900 MHz
  • Improved upload speeds for HSPA
  • Improved GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

MDM6200:[8][10]

  • Single-mode modem
  • Only supports HSPA+ with data rates of up to 14.4 Mbit/s
  • GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

MDM6600:

  • Multi-mode modem
  • HSPA+ with data rates of up to 14.4 Mbit/s
  • CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A/Rev. B support
  • GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

MDM8200A:

  • Single-mode modem
  • Only supports HSPA+ with data rates of up to 28 Mbit/s
  • GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

MDM8220:

  • Single-mode modem
  • Only supports Dual-Carrier HSPA+ with data rates of up to 42 Mbit/s
  • GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

MDM9200:

  • Single-mode modem
  • 4G(LTE) data rates of up to 100 Mbit/s with full backward compatibility to Dual-Carrier HSPA+
  • GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

MDM9600:

  • Multi-mode modem
  • 4G (LTE) data rates of up to 100 Mbit/s with full backward compatibility to Dual-Carrier HSPA+
  • EV-DO Rev. A/Rev. B support
  • GPS functionality, including support for Assisted GPS

Model Names and Real World Names edit

Gobi Model Manufacturer Manufacturer Name Chipset
Gobi 1000 Sierra MC ? MDM1000
Gobi 1000 Dell DW5600 MDM1000
Gobi 1000 HP un2400 MDM1000
Gobi 2000 Dell DW5620 MDM2000
Gobi 2000 Sierra MC ? MDM2000
Gobi 2000 HP un2420 MDM2000
Gobi 3000 Sierra MC8355 MDM6600
Gobi 3000 Dell DW5630 MDM6600
Gobi 3000 HP un2430 MDM6600
Gobi 3000 Sierra MC8705 MDM8200A
Gobi 3000 Sierra MC8805 MDM8220
Gobi 3000 Dell DW5570 MDM8220
Gobi 4000 Sierra MC7710 MDM9200
Gobi 4000 novatel E371 MDM9200
Gobi 4000 Sierra MC7304 MDM9215
Gobi 4000 Novatel E362 MDM9600
Gobi 4000 Sierra MC7750 MDM9600
Gobi 4000 HP lt2522 MDM9600
Gobi 5000 Sierra MC7355 MDM9615
Gobi 5000 Sierra MC7354 MDM9615
Gobi 5000 Sierra MC7455 MDM9230

Awards edit

Mobile Innovation Awards - Mobile Computing – LAPTOP Magazine.[11]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Verizon iPhone 4 gets torn apart, Qualcomm MDM6600 chip found inside -- Engadget". engadget.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  2. ^ "Qualcomm Gobi 3G Chip Goes Both Ways: EV-DO or HSDPA". gizmodo.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  3. ^ "Qualcomm's dual-3G Gobi chip handles EV-DO and HSPA -- Engadget". engadget.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  4. ^ "HP latches onto Qualcomm's Gobi chipset". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  5. ^ a b "Qualcomm News and Events - Press Releases - Qualcomm Introduces Gobi Global Mobile Internet GPS Solution for Notebook Computers". qualcomm.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  6. ^ a b "Qualcomm News and Events - Press Releases - Qualcomm Introduces Second-Generation Embedded Gobi Module for Mobile Internet Access". qualcomm.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  7. ^ "Qualcomm adding the kitchen sink to Gobi, including EV-DO Rev. A, dual-carrier HSPA+, and LTE -- Engadget". engadget.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  8. ^ a b c "Qualcomm's Expanded Gobi Connectivity Portfolio Gains Broad Industry Support". qualcomm.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  9. ^ Matt Hamblen. "Qualcomm's new Gobi: A WiMax and Wi-Fi killer? - Computerworld". computerworld.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  10. ^ Qualcomm (2010-03-22). "Gobi Anywhere –The World is Your HotspotTM" (PDF). gobianywhere.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  11. ^ "Qualcomm Gobi - Mobile Innovation Awards - Mobile Computing". 2011-07-13. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2017-10-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

External links edit

  • Gobi Homepage - [1]