Plugged in with several different USB cables and the PC doesnt seem to notice, no USB device when trying to deploy over USB (as the transport). No blinking lights at all on the G30HDR. Doesnt it come preloaded with a blink? What else can I try? Seems DOA but I am willing to try any ideas I might have missed. I got 2 in the mail from you guys on friday and both display the same symptoms.
You need to supply he board with 3.3V. I think this was clear but we will clarify this even further.
@ contractorwolf - I like the following breadboard power supplies
@ taylorza - I agree.
Less than a dollar shipped ??? How do they do it ?
Do you sell the specific 3.3v regulator and the cap as a kit? Images of the additional parts installed? Its just the regulator and the c5 capacitor right?
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Three one suggested before or this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00O9YC4DO/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1437096712&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=3.3v+regulator
There are many other options
@ Gus, it would be a good idea to add more details about powering the G30HDR on the sales page. I think most people are going to assume that since it has a USB port that it can be powered that way if they don’t read very closely and do a little mind reading to understand what you mean by “The module only needs 3.3V to operate.”
It would be a nice convenience if you put the voltage regulators in the store and sold them as an accessory. This is going to be THE go-to board for small permanent projects due to its price. If there was a price break at 5 or 10 I bet you would sell even more :whistle:
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@ ianlee74 - agree
You’re too quick to agree 
I added a few lines to the end of my last post that you may not have seen…
@ ianlee74 - still agree 
@ Gus - is there a cap that needs to be added as well? or is it just the 3.3v regulator? You could easily sell that board for $20 if it has the regulator ready to go. At least have it as an option. Accurate instructions with pictures of before and after on the product page would go a long way. A board with a USB port and an unpopulated voltage regulator seems like a major oversight.
I’m not sure if I agree with that. I have been frustrated more than once by daughter-board/breakout-board solutions that just presumed they were also the power provider, when they cannot possibly know the requirements of the larger circuit. If this is a part of a system with its own power subsystem and the usb is only used for debug/deploy, then the redundant, potentially mis-spec’d and usually inert power block could be problematic.
Certainly one of my biggest complaints with the Adafruit Fona GSM/GPRS is that it also has a lipo charging circuit and requires a lipo battery before it will operate. I would have been happier if it just did one thing well - that is, to be a GSM/GPRS breakout board and not trying to be my power solution too.
It just needs to be well documented what is needed to make the thing go - it should do one thing well. I also find it easier to solder stuff in than to pull it out.
In case you missed it, Gus followed this up with an explaination for why the regulator is omitted by default. Its a good reason that isn’t so obvious. This information should definitely be added to the product page.
https://www.ghielectronics.com/community/forum/topic?id=19759
I had forgotten about that post, but yes, that’s exactly the sort of flexibility I meant. It’s my sense that products in this part of the product line are not meant to be plug-and-play pieces for hobbyists, but rather to be functional blocks for production designs.
ok, so it was left with the regulator intentionally un-populated so that it could run more efficiently (i.e. low powered) via a battery? if you run it via a battery but have the 3v regulator populated without using it does it waste more power or something? also no one mentioned whether it needed an additional cap or not.Thanks for the responses!
for low power scenarios you’re not going to run a linear regulator, you’re going to create a high efficiency regulator yourself and pipe in the 3v3.
If you don’t care about efficiency, you can put on a reg.
C5 and C9 are shown around the regulator. C9 is on the output to help smooth transients on the power fed to the processor - according to the pictures on the catalog it is shown as populated. C5 is on the VBUS incoming power from the USB port, and from the pictures it is not populated - if you want to provide smoother input to the regulator, or if the regulator you choose to use requires it, then you should fit it. (my personal view - I’d add it, but it probably isn’t the end of the world if you don’t. Make sure it’s rated at least 16v though)