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UFI001B / UFI001C: Buying Guide & Hardware Identification

The UFI001B and UFI001C boards are the foundational reference devices of the OpenStick project. When developer HandsomeYingyan first ported mainline Linux and Debian to low-cost 4G USB modems, the UFI001B was the original target board.

Hardware Specifications

Section titled “Hardware Specifications”
Component Specification
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.2 GHz 64-bit
RAM 512 MB LPDDR3
Storage 4 GB eMMC 5.0 (BGA chip, typically Samsung KLM4G1FETE or Kingston)
Wireless Qualcomm WCN3620 (802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz + Bluetooth 4.0)
Cellular Modem Qualcomm LTE Cat 4 (B1, B3, B5, B8, B38, B39, B40, B41)
SIM Slot Standard Micro-SIM (3FF) push-slide metal cage
Power Input USB-A male 5V, ~280mA idle, up to 1.1A peak LTE

Exterior Shell & Design

Section titled “Exterior Shell & Design”

The UFI001B/C family is commonly encased in a flat white plastic thumb drive with rounded ends:

       ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
       │ [===]    4G [●]   WiFi [●]                       │
[USB]  │                                     UFI001 Dongle│
       │                                                  │
       └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The top shell features two LED indicators labeled 4G and Wi-Fi. The rear panel slides backward to reveal the SIM card slot.

Motherboard Silkscreen Revisions

Section titled “Motherboard Silkscreen Revisions”

Opening the plastic housing reveals the motherboard silkscreen:

  • UFI001B_MB_V01: The earliest reference revision.
  • UFI001B_MB_V02: Enhanced ground shielding and improved thermal dissipation.
  • UFI001C: Compact revision with updated power inductors and slightly altered RF routing.

The central chip must be labeled MSM8916 with the Qualcomm logo.

Purchasing Recommendations

Section titled “Purchasing Recommendations”
  1. Popular Aliases: Often listed on AliExpress and eBay as “Qualcomm 4G USB Modem Stick”, “Car Wi-Fi Dongle UFI001B”, or “4G LTE Portable Router with Qualcomm Chip”.
  2. eMMC Verification: Always confirm the flash chip is a smooth black square BGA package (not an 8-pin or 48-pin chip with visible solder legs).
  3. Price: Typically available for $7 to $12 USD.

Frequently Asked Questions — UFI001B / UFI001C

What is the difference between UFI001B and UFI001C in OpenStick?

Both UFI001B and UFI001C are official reference MSM8916 boards with 512MB RAM and 4GB eMMC. They share the same flashing workflow via lk2nd and OpenStick Debian, with minor LED GPIO polarity differences handled by the device tree.

👉 Ready to flash? Download the 1-Click OpenStick Debian Installer or browse Verified Store Links.