u-blox EVK-ANNA-B112 User Manual
5 low energy modules. It also describes the different options for
EVK-ANNA-B112
Evaluation Kit for ANNA-B112 Bluetooth 5 low energy
modules
User guide
Abstract
This document describes how to set up the EVK-ANNA-B112 evaluation kit to evaluate ANNA-B112
series standalone Bluetooth®
debugging and the development capabilities included in the evaluation board.
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EVK-ANNA-B112 - User guide
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Document Information
Title EVK-ANNA-B112
Subtitle Evaluation Kit for ANNA-B112 Bluetooth 5 low energy modules
Document type User guide
Document number UBX-18018539
Revision and date R02 18-Dec-2020
Disclosure Restriction C1-Public
This document applies to the following products
Product name Type number Firmware version PCN reference
EVK-ANNA-B112U EVK-ANNA-B112U-00 All EVK-ANNA-B112C EVK-ANNA-B112C-00 All -
1
:
1
There is no separate EVK variant for the ANNA-B112-70B module variant. To simulate this module please erase the flash of the EVK.
express written permission of u-blox.
-blox assumes no liability for its use. No warranty, either express or
to, with respect to the accuracy, correctness, reliability and fitness for a particular
-blox at any time without notice. For the most recent
UBX-18018539 - R02 Document Information Page 2 of 31
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-blox AG.
-blox.com.
EVK-ANNA-B112 - User guide
Contents
Document Information ............................................................................................................................. 2
Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
1 Product description ............................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Kit includes ................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Key features ................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.4 EVK-ANNA-B112 block diagram .............................................................................................................. 6
1.5 Connectors ................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.6 Antennas ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.7 Powering options ......................................................................................................................................... 8
1.7.1 Selecting the power configuration jumpers .................................................................................. 8
1.7.2 Default power, 3.3 V ......................................................................................................................... 10
1.7.3 Battery powered, 3 V ........................................................................................................................ 10
1.7.4 Battery powered with protection diode, 2.7 V ............................................................................ 11
1.7.5 External supply .................................................................................................................................. 11
1.7.6 Raspberry Pi HAT .............................................................................................................................. 12
1.8 Arduino interface ...................................................................................................................................... 12
1.8.1 Arduino shield compatibility ........................................................................................................... 14
1.9 Raspberry Pi compatible interface ........................................................................................................ 14
1.9.1 Powering considerations ................................................................................................................. 17
1.9.2 UART ................................................................................................................................................... 17
1.9.3 EEPROM support .............................................................................................................................. 17
1.10 Buttons and LEDs ..................................................................................................................................... 18
1.11 Disconnecting ANNA signals from board peripherals ....................................................................... 18
1.12 Software debug options .......................................................................................................................... 20
2 Setting up the evaluation board .................................................................................................. 21
2.1 Evaluation board setup ............................................................................................................................ 21
2.2 Starting up ................................................................................................................................................. 21
2.2.1 EVK-ANNA-B112 .............................................................................................................................. 21
2.2.2 Getting the latest u-connectXpress software ............................................................................ 21
2.2.3 Open CPU............................................................................................................................................ 22
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 23
A Placement and Schematics .......................................................................................................... 23
B Glossary .............................................................................................................................................. 29
Related documents ................................................................................................................................ 30
Revision history ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Contact ....................................................................................................................................................... 31
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1 Product description
1.1 Overview
The u-blox EVK-ANNA-B112 evaluation kit is a versatile development platform that allows quick
prototyping of a variety of extremely low-power Internet of Things (IoT) applications, using
Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth mesh, and NFC.
The EVK-ANNA-B112 evaluation kit is available with two board variants that offer different antenna
solutions:
• EVK-ANNA-B112U – supplied with an ANNA-B112U module, u-connectXpress software, and
antenna connector for connecting to external antennas.
• EVK-ANNA-B112C – supplied with an ANNA-B112C module, u-connectXpress software, and
internal, 2.4 GHz antenna (integrated in the SiP).
Through a variety of connectors, including Arduino™ Uno R3 and Raspberry Pi header connectors,
the EVK-ANNA-B112 provides access to all 25 IO pins on the ANNA-B112 module.
The stand-alone ANNA-B112 module, included in the kit, is based on the Nordic Semiconductor
nRF52832 chip. The nRF52832 uses an Arm
and 64 kB RAM, running at a system clock of 64 MHz.
The evaluation board offers simple USB drag-n-drop programming with a SEGGER J-Link debug
interface that can be used with the open CPU variants of the EVK. Nordic provide a free Software
Development Kit (SDK) with a broad selection of drivers, libraries, and example applications that can
be used for rapid prototyping.
®
Cortex®-M4F microcontroller with 512 kB internal flash
Figure 1: EVK-ANNA-B112 evaluation boards
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Figure 2: Left: EVB ANNA-B112U including U.FL connector; Right: EVB ANNA-B112C including an internal antenna.
Figure 3: Left: EVB ANNA-B112U including NFC antenna; Right: EVB ANNA-B112U including NFC antenna, turned 180
degrees. Both options are valid.
1.2 Kit includes
The EVK-ANNA-B112 evaluation kit includes the following:
• EVK-ANNA-B112 evaluation board
• 2 pcs 2.4 GHz external antennas with U.FL connector (only in EVK-ANNA-B112U)
• NFC antenna
• USB cable
• Quick Start card
1.3 Key features
• u-blox ANNA-B112 Bluetooth low energy module based on the Nordic nRF52832 chipset:
o Bluetooth 5 support
o Bluetooth mesh
o NFC tag functionality
o Integrated Arm® Cortex®-M4F microcontroller with 512 kB flash, 64 kB RAM, and 64
MHz system clock
o Wide 1.7-3.6 V supply range
• The ANNA-B112 module supports different interfaces that can be configured to any of the
25 available IO pin(s):
o 8 analog capable inputs
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o 12 PWM capable outputs
o 3x SPI
o 1x UART with HW flow control
o 2x I
o 1x I
2
C
2
S
• Full UART to USB converter with a Virtual COM port that allows control of the extended UART
features of the u-blox u-connectXpress software
• On-board J-Link debugger/programmer:
o Mass Storage Device interface to PC, for drag-n-drop programming
o Debug port
o An additional Virtual COM port that, for example, may be connected to add-on boards
or to a debug UART on the ANNA-B112
• RGB LED and push buttons
• Arduino UNO R3 and Raspberry Pi compatible pin header interfaces
• Jumper headers and level shifters allow for flexible powering options of the ANNA-B112
module, even with full board support. They isolate the module entirely and control each power
net separately in order to precisely measure low power applications or disconnect only
unused parts of the board to save battery life.
• Multiple board power supply options:
o 5-12 V power plug
o 5 V USB supply
o 5-12 V Arduino VIN input
• Battery holder supporting CR2032 coin cell batteries
1.4 EVK-ANNA-B112 block diagram
The block diagram of EVK-ANNA-B112 is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: EVK-ANNA-B112 block diagram
The block diagram shows the major interfaces and internal connections of the EVK-ANNA-B112. The
following sections describe in detail how the different interfaces are connected and used, and how
the evaluation board may be configured to suit the needs of the user.
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1.5 Connectors
Figure 5 shows the available connectors on the EVK-ANNA-B112 and their layout. Table 1 describes
the connectors and their uses in detail.
Figure 5: Available connectors and their pinout
Connector
annotation
J5 Power supply 2.1 mm power jack, the center pin is the positive terminal. 5 – 12 V input.
J17 Power supply Pin header that can be used to connect external power supplies. 5 – 12 V input.
BT1 Battery holder CR2032 coin cell battery holder. CR2032 usually has a 3 V potential when fully
J11 NFC antenna
J10 2.4 GHz RF antenna
J12 Cortex Debug
J21 Cortex Debug+ETM
J8 Power supply, COM
Table 1: EVK-ANNA-B112 connector description
Function Description
charged.
Pin header that connects to the u-blox NFC antenna included in the kit.
connector
U.FL coaxial connector that can be used to connect antennas or RF equipment. This
connector
connector
connector
port and debug USB
connector is included only in the EVK-ANNA-B112U.
10-pin, 50 mil pitch connector that can be used to connect external debuggers to
the ANNA-B112 module. The ANNA-B112 modules support Serial Wire debug
(SWD) and Serial Wire Viewer, but not JTAG debug.
20-pin, 50 mil pitch connector. This extended connector has the same features as
J12, but also allows for instruction trace operations via the Embedded Trace
Macrocell (ETM) of the Cortex
This requires a special external debugger. Note that the 50 mil pitch pin header is
not soldered onto the evaluation board by default.
The main USB connector that is used to program, debug, and communicate with the
ANNA-B112 module. It can also be used to power the entire board.
®
-M4F microcontroller inside the ANNA-B112 module.
1.6 Antennas
The ANNA-B112 can be used both with external and internal antenna. The EVK-ANNA-B112C uses
the internal antenna of the ANNA-B112 and the EVK-ANNA-B112U has the antenna signal
connected to an U.FL connector.
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The EVK-ANNA-B112U is delivered with two different types of external antennas.
• FXP75.07.0045B
• PC17.07.0070A
Both are design to be mounted on a plastic casing for best performance.
For more details on the parameters of the internal and the external antennas, see the ANNA-B112
Data Sheet [1].
1.7 Powering options
Power can be supplied to the board in one of the following ways:
• Via the USB connector, J8
• Using the power jack, J5
• Using the Arduino interface VIN pin
• Using the pin header J17
• Plugging in a battery to the battery holder BT1
These power supply sources are distributed to the rest of the board as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Block diagram of the power net distribution
1.7.1 Selecting the power configuration jumpers
The EVK-ANNA-B112 offers flexible powering options for the ANNA-B112 module and the board
itself. To configure this, jumpers are added to or removed from pin headers, shorting two of the pins
together and connecting or disconnecting different power nets on the evaluation board. Figure 7
shows the location of the power configuration jumper headers. The 3V3 net is supplied by the board
and is always powered so long as any of the power sources shown in Figure 6 are connected. The 3V3
net does not provide power unless a jumper is added to jumper header J7.
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Figure 7: Jumper headers J7 and J22 are used to select power configurations
Connector
annotation
J7 1 3V3 Regulated 3.3 V net. This net is supplied by the board and will always be powered
J22 1 VCC ANNA-B112 module voltage supply that connects to the module VCC pin. Shorted
Table 2: Pinout of jumper headers J7 and J22 used to configure the board power nets
Pin
number
2 3V3_PI Connects to the Raspberry Pi header’s (J14) 3V3 pins. If a Raspberry Pi is
3 VBAT_DIODE To protect the battery from current back surges, connect the battery to the
4 VDD_ANNA Connects to J22 pin 3, from where it can be connected to the module supply pin or
5 VBAT Battery + terminal
6 VDD_ANNA Connects to J22 pin 3, from where it can be connected to the module supply pin or
7 3V3 Regulated 3.3 V net. This net is supplied by the board and will always be powered
8 VDD_ANNA Connects to J22 pin 3, from where it can be connected to the module supply pin or
9 3V3 Regulated 3.3 V net. This net is supplied by the board and will always be powered
10 VDD_MCU Supply net for the board functions not directly connected to the ANNA-B112
11 GND Ground net.
12 GND Ground net.
2 VCC_IO VCC_IO pin not connected.
3 VDD_ANNA Connects to J7 pins 4, 6 and 8. Short J22 pins 1 and 3 allow the EVK to power the
4 VDD_IO Supply net for LEDs and peripherals connected directly to the ANNA-B112 module.
5 GND Ground net.
6 GND Ground net.
Schematic
net name
Description
as long as a power source is connected.
connected, this net must be floating to prevent back currents. If a HAT is
connected, this net can be shorted to the EVK 3.3 V supply to power the HAT.
ANNA-B112 module via a protection diode using this pin.
somewhere else.
somewhere else.
as long as a power source is connected.
somewhere else.
as long as a power source is connected.
module; Interface MCU, USB hub, UART to USB converter etc.
to the VCC_IO net via 0 Ω resistor R4 by default.
ANNA-B112 module.
Short J22 pins 2 and 4.
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The following sections describe different jumper configurations and power scenarios that is available
on the board, including the default configuration.
⚠ Check the jumper positions carefully; if a jumper is connected in a wrong way, it can permanently
damage the components that are on the board or connected to it.
1.7.2 Default power, 3.3 V
This is the default power configuration for the evaluation board, and the jumpers are installed out of
the box with this power configuration. All board peripherals are powered up, the ANNA module is
directly supplied by the board and everything is running at 3.3 V.
Figure 8: Jumper positions for default power configuration
Connector
annotation
J7 7, 8 Selects the board regulated 3.3 V net as source for the VDD_ANNA net.
J22 1, 3 Powers up the ANNA module. The ANNA VCC and VCC_IO pins are connected to the selected
Table 3: Jumper positions for default power configuration
Add jumper
to pins
9, 10 Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
2, 4 Powers up the peripherals directly connected to ANNA such as LEDs and external memory
Description
source for the VDD_ANNA net.
with the ANNA supply voltage.
1.7.3 Battery powered, 3 V
When using a battery, Figure 9 shows the default configuration. The battery voltage is connected to
VDD_ANNA, which in turn, is connected to the ANNA-B112 VCC supply. If needed, a jumper can be
added to J22 pins 2 and 4 to supply LEDs and other peripherals with power, as long as this does not
exceed the maximum current rating of the battery. If the ANNA module has to be configured, the
VDD_MCU net can be connected to enable PC communications by adding a jumper to J7 pins 9 and
10.
Figure 9: Jumper positions for battery powered operation, two jumpers are optional
Connector
annotation
J7 5, 6 Selects the battery connected to the battery holder as source for the VDD_ANNA net.
J22 1, 3 Powers up the ANNA module. The ANNA VCC and VCC_IO pins are connected to the selected
Table 4: Jumper positions for battery powered operation, two jumpers are optional
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Add jumper
to pins
9, 10 (Optional) Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
2, 4 (Optional) Powers up the peripherals directly connected to ANNA such as LEDs and external
Description
source for the VDD_ANNA net.
memory with the ANNA supply voltage.
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