u-blox EVK-NINA-B3 User Manual
B3 series
5 low energy modules. It also describes the different options for debugging
EVK-NINA-B3
Evaluation kit for NINA-B3 modules
User guide
Abstract
This document describes how to set up the EVK-NINA-B3 evaluation kit to evaluate NINAstandalone Bluetooth®
and the development capabilities included in the evaluation board.
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EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
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Copyright © u
Document information
Title EVK-NINA-B3
Subtitle Evaluation kit for NINA-B3 modules
Document type User guide
Document number UBX-17056481
Revision and date R07 7-Dec-2020
Disclosure restriction C1-Public
This document applies to the following products:
Product name Type number Software support PCN reference
EVK-NINA-B301 EVK-NINA-B301-00 Open CPU EVK-NINA-B311 EVK-NINA-B311-01 u-connectXpress -
EVK-NINA-B302 EVK-NINA-B302-00 Open CPU EVK-NINA-B312 EVK-NINA-B312-01 u-connectXpress -
EVK-NINA-B306 EVK-NINA-B306-00 Open CPU EVK-NINA-B316 EVK-NINA-B316-01 u-connectXpress -
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-blox AG.
-blox.com.
-blox.
s is” and u-blox assumes no liability for its use. No warranty, either express or
may be revised by u-blox at any time without notice. For the most recent
ticular
EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
Contents
Document information ............................................................................................................................. 2
Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
1 Product description ............................................................................................................................ 5
1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
1.2 Kit includes ................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Key features ................................................................................................................................................. 7
1.4 EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram .................................................................................................................... 8
1.5 Connectors ................................................................................................................................................... 9
2 Setting up the evaluation board .................................................................................................. 10
2.1 Evaluation board setup ............................................................................................................................ 10
2.2 Starting up ................................................................................................................................................. 10
EVK-NINA-B31x ................................................................................................................................ 10
EVK-NINA-B30x ................................................................................................................................ 11
2.3 Measuring current consumption ........................................................................................................... 11
Using an ampere meter ................................................................................................................... 11
Using a volt meter ............................................................................................................................. 11
Using an external power supply or power analyzer .................................................................... 12
3 Board configuration ......................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Powering options ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Selecting the power configuration jumpers ................................................................................ 13
Default power configuration, 3.3 V ............................................................................................... 16
Battery powered, 3 – 1.7 V .............................................................................................................. 17
Battery powered with protection diode, 2.7 – 1.7 V ................................................................... 18
External supply, 3.6 – 1.7 V ............................................................................................................. 19
Raspberry Pi HAT .............................................................................................................................. 20
3.2 Disconnecting NINA signals from board peripherals ........................................................................ 20
4 Interfaces and peripherals ............................................................................................................ 23
4.1 Buttons and LEDs ..................................................................................................................................... 23
4.2 Arduino interface ...................................................................................................................................... 24
Arduino shield compatibility ........................................................................................................... 25
4.3 Raspberry Pi compatible interface ........................................................................................................ 26
Powering considerations ................................................................................................................. 28
UART ................................................................................................................................................... 28
EEPROM support .............................................................................................................................. 29
4.4 Additional Interfaces ................................................................................................................................ 29
Extra memory – external Flash ...................................................................................................... 30
Extra USB to UART interface ......................................................................................................... 31
CPU trace interface .......................................................................................................................... 31
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 32
A Schematics ........................................................................................................................................ 32
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B Glossary .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Related documents ................................................................................................................................ 39
Revision history ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Contact ....................................................................................................................................................... 41
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1 Product description
1.1 Overview
The u-blox EVK-NINA-B3 evaluation kit is a versatile development platform that allows quick
prototyping of a variety of extreme low-power Internet of Things (IoT) applications, using full
Bluetooth 5, NFC, and IEEE 802.15.4.
The u-blox EVK-NINA-B3 boards are available in the following variants, depending on the required
antenna and software solution:
• EVK-NINA-B301, with an open CPU NINA-B301 module and an antenna connector for connecting
to external antennas.
• EVK-NINA-B311, with a u-connect NINA-B311 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress
software, and an antenna connector for connecting to external antennas.
• EVK-NINA-B302, with an open CPU NINA-B302 module that includes an internal antenna (a unique
2.4 GHz metal sheet antenna, soldered onto the module).
• EVK-NINA-B312, with a u-connect NINA-B312 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress software
and an internal antenna (a unique 2.4 GHz metal sheet antenna soldered onto the module).
• EVK-NINA-B306, with an open CPU NINA-B306 module that includes an internal PCB trace
antenna.
• EVK-NINA-B316, with a u-connect NINA-B316 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress software
and an internal PCB trace antenna.
Figure 1: EVK-NINA-B301/-B311 evaluation board
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Figure 2: EVK-NINA-B302/-B312 evaluation board
⚠ Take care when handling the EVK-NINA-B302 or EVK-NINA-B312. Applying force to the NINA
module might damage the internal antenna.
Figure 3: EVK-NINA-B306/-B316 evaluation board
The evaluation boards provide access to all the 38 GPIO pins and interfaces available on the
NINA-B3 modules through a variety of connectors and interfaces including Arduino™ Uno R3 [1] and
Raspberry Pi [2] header connectors.
The stand-alone NINA-B3 modules include an Arm
flash and 256 kB RAM, running at a system clock of 64 MHz. This has been integrated inside the
Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 chip that the modules are based on. The evaulation board provides
simple USB drag-n-drop programming and a SEGGER J-Link debug interface that can be used with
the Open CPU variants of the EVK. Nordic Semiconductors, the manufacturer of the nRF52840 chip
that the NINA-B3 series are based on, provides 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 1 MB internal
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1.2 Kit includes
The EVK-NINA-B3 evaluation kit includes the following:
• NINA-B3 evaluation board
• 2.4 GHz antenna with U.FL connector (only in EVK-NINA-B301 and EVK-NINA-B311)
• NFC antenna
• USB cable
• Quick start card
1.3 Key features
• u-blox NINA-B3 Bluetooth low energy module based on the Nordic nRF52840 chipset
o Full Bluetooth 5 support
o NFC tag functionality
o 802.15.4 PHY
o Integrated Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller with 1 MB flash, 256 kB RAM, and 64 MHz
system clock
o USB 2.0
o Wide 1.7-3.6 V supply range
• The NINA-B3 module supports different interfaces that can be configured to any of the 38
available GPIO pin(s):
o 8 analog capable inputs
o 12 PWM capable outputs
o 3x SPI
o 2x UART with HW flow control
o 2x I2C
o 1x I2S
o 1x PDM input
o 1x Quadrature decoder
• EVK-NINA-B31x support for u-connectXpress software
• EVK-NINA-B30x support for developing your own software on the Open CPU NINA-B3 module
• Full UART to USB converter with a Virtual COM port, allowing control of the extended UART
features of 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 NINA-B3
• Dedicated USB connector for the NINA-B3 USB interface
• Additional flash memory can be added to the board for use by the NINA-B3 module
• 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 NINA-B3 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
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UART
to USB
USB
conn.
Interface
MCU
(Program &
Debug Unit)
USB
Hub
USB
conn.
Batt.
holder
Power
plug
RF
conn.
Vol tage
Level
Shifters
UART
SWD
Flash
Memory
3.3 V VDD_NINA
DC/DC
reg.
Protect.
diodes
NFC antenna
connector
Dedicated NINA
USB 2.0 conn.
VDD_NINA
Bluetooth
8 0 2 . 15 . 4
Arduino Uno R3 interface
D0D1D2D3D4D5D6
D7
D8D9D10
D11
D12
D13
SCL
SDA
A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
IOREF
3V3
5V
VIN
GND
RESET
ADC/Comp.
GPIO/Dig. Interface GPIO/Dig. Interface
UART
GPIO/Dig. Int.
UART
SW2
Raspberry Pi 40 pin GPIO header
3V3
5V
GND
GPIO/Digital Interface
UART
ID_SC
ID_SD
RPi_3
RPi_4
RPi_5
RPi_6
RPi_7
RPi_2
RPi_8
RPi_9
RPi_10
RPi_11
RPi_12
RPi_13
RPi_14
RPi_15
RPi_16
RPi_17
RPi_18
RPi_19
RPi_20
RPi_21
RPi_22
RPi_23
RPi_24
RPi_25
RPi_26
RPi_27
NINA
Module
User
RGB LED
User
buttons
Reset
button
NINA
SWD conn.
NINA signal
jumper header
SWD
UART
UART
COM port
pin header
Power selector
jumper headers
USB
USB
USB
3.3 V
3.3 V
QSPI
20-pin Trace
connector
ETM/ITM
Trace
USB
NFC
RF
VBUS
VBUS
CR2032
3 V
5 - 12 V
NINA COM port
NINA program & debug
Additional COM port
1. 7 - 3 . 6 V
Raspberry Pi pin
NINA Open CPU function
NINA Open CPU function
Arduino pin
NINA Connectivity Software function
NINA Connectivity Software function
1.4 EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram
The block diagram in Figure 4 shows the major interfaces and internal connections of the EVK-NINAB3. The following sections describe in detail how the different interfaces are connected and may be
used, as well as how the evaluation board may be configured to suit the needs of the user.
Figure 4: EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram
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J5
2
1
1 4
GNDVIN
5 - 12 V
NFC1
GND
GND
NFC2
U.FL RF coax
GND
GND
N/C
VDD_IO
GND
SWDIO
SWDCLK
GPIO_8
N/C
RESET_N
BT1
J17
Power
J8
J16
USB
Debug
J12
Antennas
J11
J10
CR2032
+
3V
2
1
10
9
Micro USB
Micro USB
J17
Debug
Power
Antennas
USB
USB
J8
J5
BT1
J12
J16
J10
J11
Board Connectors
1.5 Connectors
Figure 5 shows the available connectors of the EVK-NINA-B3 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
J8 Power supply, COM
J16 Power supply and
Table 1: EVK-NINA-B3 connector description
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Function Description
connector
connector
connector
port and debug USB
NINA USB port
charged.
Pin header that connects to the u-blox NFC antenna included in the kit. The antenna
can be mounted in either direction.
U.FL coaxial connector that can be used to connect antennas or RF equipment. This
connector is only included in the EVK-NINA-B301/EVK-NINA-B311.
10-pin, 50 mil pitch connector that can be used to connect external debuggers to the
NINA-B3 module. The NINA-B3 modules support Serial Wire debug (SWD) and Serial
Wire Viewer, but not JTAG debug.
The main USB connector that is used to program, debug, and communicate with the
NINA module. It can also be used to power the entire board.
Additional USB connector directly connected to the NINA-B3 USB interface. Can also
be used to power the entire board.
EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
2 Setting up the evaluation board
2.1 Evaluation board setup
The EVK-NINA-B311/-B312/-B316 is delivered with the u-connectXpress software installed on the
module.
Before connecting the module, download and install the latest u-blox s-center evaluation software
from the u-blox website.
To use Bluetooth low energy on the EVK-NINA-B301/-B311, connect a 2.4 GHz antenna to the U.FL
antenna connector (J10). The other EVK versions include antennas on the NINA module.
Plug in either an external power supply in the J5 connector or connect to a USB host with a USB cable
attached to the J8 connector. You can also power the evaluation board with a CR2032 coin cell
battery. The NFC antenna can be connected to the J11 connector.
☞ Make sure that the power configuration jumpers are connected according to your use case.
See Section 3.1 for details, the default configuration shown in section 3.1.2 will work for most
use cases.
⚠ Be careful to check polarity before connecting an external power supply to the EVK-NINA-B3
evaluation board. Center conductor is positive (+) and the ring is negative (-).
The operating system will install the correct drivers automatically. The drivers will have to be installed
only the first time you connect the unit to a new computer.
⚠ If the drivers are not installed automatically, download nRF Connect from www.nordicsemi.com to
get the J-Link CDC UART driver.
Two COM ports will automatically be assigned to the unit by Windows:
• The COM port labeled ‘USB Serial Port’ is used to communicate with the NINA module’s UART
interface.
• The COM port labeled ‘JLink CDC UART Port’ can be used as an extra USB to the UART
interface; see section 4.4.2 for more information.
Do the following to view the assigned COM ports on Windows 7:
• Open the Control Panel and click Hardware and Sound.
• Click Device Manager in Devices and Printers. This will open Device Manager window where you
can view the assigned COM ports.
To view the assigned COM ports on Windows 10, right click on the Windows Start button and select
Device Manager.
2.2 Starting up
EVK-NINA-B31x
2.2.1.1 General usage
The EVK-NINA-B31 is delivered with u-connectXpress SW, and contains a secure boot that will only
allow signed SW from u-blox to boot.
Perform the following steps to enable communication with the module:
1. Start the u-blox s-center evaluation software.
2. Use the default baudrate 115200, 8N1 with flow control.
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You can now communicate with the module using AT commands.
For a list of available AT commands, see the u-connect AT commands manual [5]. To get started with
the basic use case set up of the EVK-NINA-B3 with u-blox u-connect software, see the
u-connectXpress user guide [7].
2.2.1.2 u-connect software
Go to the u-blox support webpage to obtain the latest available firmware. Instructions on reflashing
the EVK-NINA-B3 can be found in the Software section of the NINA-B3 system integration manual [4].
EVK-NINA-B30x
2.2.2.1 Nordic Semiconductor SDK
The EVK-NINA-B30x is delivered without any SW preflashed,
If you would like to use the EVK-NINA-B3 together with Nordic Semiconductor SDK, refer to the
Software section of the NINA-B3 System integration manual [4] that describes how to:
• Create your own board file
• Adapt the examples in the Nordic Semiconductor SDK to use this board file
See also the u-blox short range open CPU github repository [8].
2.2.2.2 Software debug options
You can debug the software using the following two options in EVK-NINA-B3:
• Onboard debug solution available on the USB connector
• Using an external debugger connected to J12 connector
An external debugger connected to the J12 connector is useful when powering the evaluation board
with a CR2032 coin cell battery, or through the J5 external power supply connector. It could also be
useful in a scenario where the debug MCU interface has been disconnected from the
NINA-B3 module using the jumpers on the J19 header. The SEGGER J-Link software [6] is required in
order to debug using the onboard J-Link hardware on the EVK-NINA-B3.
2.3 Measuring current consumption
☞ Before starting the current consumption measurement, go through Chapter 3 and identify
which power configuration you will need and if you need to isolate any NINA signals. The jumper
connecting J22 pins 1 and 3 must be removed in order to be able to measure current
consumption.
Figure 6 shows some suggestions for measuring the current consumption of the NINA-B3 module,
and how to connect the various instruments.
Using an ampere meter
An ampere meter should be connected in series with whatever the power source is and what is being
measured. It is possible to measure current this way both while supplying the NINA module from the
onboard 3.3 V regulator and from an external supply.
Using a volt meter
In order to use a voltmeter to measure current, the EVK must first be modified. Solder a low
resistance, high tolerance, 0402 sized resistor to the footprint labeled R6. This resistor will replace
the jumper normally positioned between J22 pins - 1 and 3, and any current running through, it will
produce a voltage across its terminals. Measure this voltage using the voltmeter and calculate the
current using Ohm’s law.
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J22
VCC_IO
VCC
1
GND
5
A
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
1
GND
5
A
6
4
R6
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
3
1
V
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
3
1
A
Ampere meter
Volt meter
One channel Two channels
GND GND
Onboard
3.3 V supply
DC/DC
External supply
1.7 - 3.6 V
-.-- V
Using an external power supply or power analyzer
Connect the instrument terminals to the EVK pins, as shown in Figure 6. An ampere meter may be
added in series. Since an external instrument’s voltage can never perfectly match the EVK’s
generated 3.3 V, there will be a very small current leakage whenever a NINA module signal is
connected to an EVK peripheral, typically in the order of 100’s of nano amps. To reduce this leakage,
use a second external power channel to supply the EVK peripherals. This second channel must also
be used to enable PC communication when using NINA supply voltages other than 3.3 V.
Figure 6: Current consumption measuring options
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Diode protection
3.3 V
DC/DC
Regulator
Fuse
5 V
3.3 V
Diode protection
3 V
2.7 V
J7
Power select
jumper header
J22
NINA power select
jumper header
VDD_NINA
3.3 V
3.3 V
VIN
1.7 - 3.6 V
external supply
J1 and J14
Arduino and
Raspberry Pi
pin headers
VCC
VCC_IO
VDD_IO
NINA
Module
Board
peripherals
BT1
CR2032
3 V
J5
5 - 12 V
J8
5 V
J 16
5 V
J17 pin 2
VIN pin header
5 - 12 V
J1 pin 8
Ardunio VIN pin
5 - 12 V
Diode protection
USB
conn.
Batt.
holder
Power
jack
USB
conn.
3 Board configuration
3.1 Powering options
Power can be supplied to the board in any of the following ways:
• Via any of the USB connectors, J8 or J16
• Using the power jack, J5
• Using the Arduino interface VIN or 5V pin, J1.8 or J1.5
• Using the Raspberry Pi interface 5V pins, J14.2 or J14.4
• 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 7.
⚠ Check the jumper positions carefully; if a jumper is connected in a wrong way, it can permanently
Figure 7: Block diagram of the power net distribution
Selecting the power configuration jumpers
The EVK-NINA-B3 offers flexible powering options for the NINA-B3 module and the board itself. To
configure this, jumpers are added or removed to pin headers, shorting two of the pins together and
connecting or disconnecting different power nets on the evaluation board.
Figure 8 provides an overview of the available EVK power sources and shows the schematic net names
to which they are connected.
damage the components that are ON or connected to the board. Also note that some jumpers
should not be mounted simultaneously.
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