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UFI001B & UFI001C Pinouts: EDL 9008 Recovery Pads & 1.8V UART

The UFI001B / UFI001C boards are simple, rugged, and straightforward to service, with EDL test points positioned directly adjacent to the SIM slot.

PCB Layout & Test Point Map

Section titled “PCB Layout & Test Point Map”

Top / SIM Side

Section titled “Top / SIM Side”
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ [USB-A]                                                 │
   │                                                         │
   │        ┌─────────────────────────┐                      │
   │        │     MSM8916 SoC         │                      │
   │        │     (under shield)      │     [TX] [RX] [GND]  │
   │        └─────────────────────────┘     (1.8V UART pads) │
   │                                                         │
   │        ┌─────────────────────────┐                      │
   │        │     Micro-SIM Tray      │   (o) (o) <── EDL    │
   │        │                         │       Test Pads      │
   │        └─────────────────────────┘                      │
   │                                                         │
   │   [Antenna Pad]                                         │
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

1. Entering Qualcomm EDL Mode (9008)

Section titled “1. Entering Qualcomm EDL Mode (9008)”

When the boot partition is corrupted or fastboot fails to respond:

  1. Unplug the dongle from all USB ports.
  2. Locate the two small round gold pads immediately adjacent to the side of the metal SIM cage.
  3. Bridge both pads together using metal tweezers or a bent paperclip.
  4. While holding the bridge, insert the USB connector into your computer.
  5. Wait 2 seconds, then release the tweezers.
  6. Verify device enumeration on your host:
    Terminal window
    lsusb | grep 05c6:9008
    # 05c6:9008 Qualcomm, Inc. Gobi Wireless Modem (QDL mode)

You can now use edl.py or QFIL to re-flash partition tables, bootloaders, and firmware images.

2. Hardware UART Serial Console (1.8V Logic)

Section titled “2. Hardware UART Serial Console (1.8V Logic)”

The UFI001 exposes UART on 3 small circular pads near the edge of the PCB opposite the RF shield:

Pinouts:

Section titled “Pinouts:”
  • TX: Connect to USB adapter RX (Output from MSM8916).
  • RX: Connect to USB adapter TX (Input to MSM8916).
  • GND: Solder to USB connector shield or common Ground.
  • Baud Rate: 115200, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit (8N1).

3. GPIO Assignments & Status LEDs

Section titled “3. GPIO Assignments & Status LEDs”
Function Hardware GPIO Polarity Description
Wi-Fi LED GPIO 1 Active High Blinks during wireless transmission
Cellular (4G) LED GPIO 2 Active High Steady when registered on LTE
SIM Detect GPIO 50 Pull-up Low when SIM is seated

4. External Antenna Modification

Section titled “4. External Antenna Modification”

Next to the onboard ceramic antenna, there is an unpopulated SMD coaxial footprint:

  • Solder an IPEX MHF1 / u.FL socket to attach external high-gain antennas.
  • When doing this mod, scrape away the thin copper trace going to the internal ceramic antenna to avoid RF impedance mismatch.

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.