ambiq micro Apollo4 Blue EVB User manual

QUICK START GUIDE
Apollo4 Blue EVB
(EVB Revision 3)
Ultra-low Power Apollo SoC Family
Doc. ID: QS-A4B-4p0
Document Revision 4.0, Aug 2021

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Table of Content
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 6
Document Revision History......................................................................................... 7
Reference Documents and Software.......................................................................... 8
Quick Start .................................................................................................................. 9
Overview of the Apollo4 Blue EVB............................................................................ 10
Debug Interface ........................................................................................................ 13
Software Development Tools.................................................................................... 16
Power Supply Options and Measuring Current......................................................... 17
Non-Power Solder Bridges ....................................................................................... 20
Ordering Information................................................................................................. 22

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List of Figures
Apollo4 Blue EVB Revision 3.................................................................................... 10
Apollo4 Blue EVB - Parts Location ........................................................................... 10
Apollo4 Blue EVB - Top-side Parts Location ............................................................ 11
Apollo4 Blue EVB - Bottom-side Parts Location ....................................................... 11
Apollo4 Blue EVB Using On-board J-Link Debugger................................................ 13
Apollo4 Blue EVB’s DEBUG IN Header (J13)........................................................... 14
Apollo4 Blue EVB’s DEBUG OUT Header (J15)....................................................... 14
Apollo4 Blue EVB Power Supplies Solder Bridge Connection.................................. 17
Apollo4 Blue EVB USB Power Sequencing Circuit................................................... 18
Apollo4 Blue EVB VDD18/MIPI Power Sequencing Circuit ...................................... 18
Apollo4 Blue EVB Voltage Selection on Header J2.................................................. 19
Apollo4 Blue EVB Voltage Selection on Header J3.................................................. 19
Audio Jack J18 and AUDADC Audio Source Selections .......................................... 21
Audio Header J17 ..................................................................................................... 21

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List of Tables
Document Revision History......................................................................................... 7
Peripherals Supporting Solder Bridge Connections.................................................. 20
EVB Ordering Information......................................................................................... 22
SoC Ordering Information......................................................................................... 22

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1. Introduction
This document provides guidance in setting up the Apollo4 Blue Evaluation Board (EVB), revision 3, part
number AMA4BEVB, to get started executing code examples, measuring power consumption in various
configurations, and beginning software development.
This version of the EVB contains silicon version B2 of the Apollo4 Blue SoC which supports Bluetooth 5.1
Low Energy(1).
1. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such
marks is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

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2. Document Revision History
Rev # Date Description
3.0 Jul 2021 Initial release for EVB revision 3
4.0 Aug 2021 Updates:
- Reference Documents and Software section added
- Quick Start section added
- Parts Location drawings added
- Ordering Information section added
Table 1: Document Revision History

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3. Reference Documents and Software
The following items may be useful in understanding and using the EVB.
▪ EVB Schematic
▪ Apollo4 SoC Datasheet
▪ Apollo4 Programmer’s Guide
▪ Apollo4 Errata List
▪ AmbiqSuite SDK

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4. Quick Start
The EVB Kit comes with the following items:
▪ Apollo4 Blue Evaluation Board (EVB), revision 3
▪ USB Type C cable
▪ Four adhesive-backed rubber feet
▪ Extra jumpers
Caution: The EVB has components loaded on the back of the board. Care should be taken to not damage
these components. The included rubber feet should be applied to the bottom of the board to prevent direct
contact between the components and a desk surface.
The EVB comes with jumpers pre-configured for default operation. Also, it has been pre-programmed with
the FreeRTOS Fit example program. To start EVB program execution, connect the USB-C cable from a
USB port on a PC to the J-Link USB connector (J6) on the EVB, and turn on the power switch (SW4). The
blue LED under the power switch should illuminate.
To observe program execution, do the following steps:
▪ Start a Bluetooth explorer application such as LightBlue Explorer on a mobile phone or other device that
can serve as a bluetooth host device.
▪ If diagnostic message are desired, start a SWO session by bringing up a Segger J-Link SWO Viewer
(see Software Development Tools section for link to Segger tools download site). For “device” select
“AMA4B2KK-KBR” and set SWO clock to 1000 KHz.
▪ Reset the board by pressing switch SW3.
▪ After reset, the Apollo4 will start advertising and bluetooth traffic will appear in the SWO viewer. One of
the messages in the SWO viewer will indicate that this device called “Fit” (EVB) is advertising.
▪ The device “Fit” will appear in the list of devices in the host application (App). By selecting it, the host will
connect to the “Fit” device on the EVB.
▪ The App and Fit will exchange several commands and responses (events) until the SWO message
reports that “Fit got evt 41).
The AmbiqSuite SDK provides many example programs that may be run on the EVB. To run these
examples, download the SDK via the link provided above and select any of the pre-built examples in the
SDK at /boards/apollo4b_sip_evb/examples.

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5. Overview of the Apollo4 Blue EVB
The Apollo4 Blue EVB, version 3, features Arduino-compatible headers and an integrated J-Link
debugger:
Figure 1. Apollo4 Blue EVB Revision 3
Figure 2. Apollo4 Blue EVB - Parts Location

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Figure 3. Apollo4 Blue EVB - Top-side Parts Location
Figure 4. Apollo4 Blue EVB - Bottom-side Parts Location
The EVB has these features:
▪ Apollo4 Blue SoC in the SiP package (AMA4B2KK-KBR-B2)
▪ Low power reference design
▪ Multiple power/clock options
▪ USB Type C connector for power/download/debug
▪ USB Type C connector for power/data to Apollo4

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▪ On-board PCB (MIFA) antenna
▪ Segger J-Link debugger
▪ Debugger-in port (J13) (SWD or ETM)
▪ Debugger-out port with connection-indication LED (J15)
▪ Three user-controlled LEDs
▪ Two push buttons for application use, plus a reset push button
▪ Power slide switch with LED power indicator
▪ Five Arduino-style headers (J7, J9-J12) for pin/power access to a shield board
▪ Test points for power measurements
▪ High-speed connector (J8 - QSH-030-01-L-D-A) for interfacing to displays and/or high-speed memory
▪ RF switch/connector (Murata MM8430-2610RA1) for BLE PHY testing
▪ Multiple solder-bridge options for power supply flexibility and peripheral access options
▪ 3.5 mm audio jack (SJ-435107) for evaluating low-power analog audio interface
▪ CE Mark and RoHS compliant
5.1 Secure Boot on the Apollo4 Blue SoC
Apollo4 Blue SoC parts from the Ambiq Micro factory are preprogrammed with a Secure Bootloader and an
uninitialized Customer Info Space, referred to as INFO0. Initial provisioning of the part would include
programming a valid INFO0 and programming the main firmware image in the flash. The Apollo4 Blue EVB
is shipped with the INFO0 configuration pre-programmed with optimal settings for the EVB layout:
1. Default boot to non-secure mode
2. Enable Boot Override to Push Button on GPIO18 (OTP setting) - BTN0/SW1
3. Enable wired updates over UART0
A. UART0 is mapped to JLINK (OTP Setting).
B. Baud rate is 115200 bps, no-parity, 8-bit data length, no flow control.
C. Timeout is 3 seconds.
For your reference, the following settings are programmed into INFO0 on the Apollo4 Blue SoC resident on
the EVB:
▪ Simo Buck is NOT enabled.
▪ Secure Bootloader (SBL) interface is configured to UART using GPIO47 and GPIO60, which allows
secure boot to be performed over the J-Link COM interface of the EVB.
▪ SBL override pin is configured to GPIO18 which is BTN0/SW1 on the EVB.
▪ All Flash and Debugger protection features are disabled.
For information on changing the INFO0 settings as well as using the Secure Bootloader, please refer to the
README.txt file, which can be found in the tools\apollo4b_scripts folder of the latest SDK release
supporting the Apollo4 family. This folder contains a number of python scripts to demonstrate generation of
INFO0 settings, customer main images, and the creation of images for the Wired Update protocol over
UART.

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6. Debug Interface
Figure 5 shows the Apollo4 Blue EVB set up for standard debug using the on-board J-Link debugger and
on-board power supply. The on-board J-Link debugger is on the other side of the board and not shown in
the figure.
Figure 5. Apollo4 Blue EVB Using On-board J-Link Debugger
The debug interface is supported by standard J-Link drivers from Segger. Please refer to “Software
Development Tools” on page 16 for more details on J-Link debug support.
6.1 Use of External Debugger
This EVB also supports the use of an external Cortex SWD debug interface through a 20-pin debug header
(DEBUG IN - J13) as shown in Figure 6. See the EVB schematic for connector pinout.

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Figure 6. Apollo4 Blue EVB’s DEBUG IN Header (J13)
No jumper changes are required to use an external debug adapter. Simply connect the external debug
adapter with a 10-pin ribbon cable connector to the “DEBUG IN” header.
6.2 Use of J-Link Adapter as an External Target Board Debugger
The EVB also offers the ability to be used as a J-Link debug adapter for any target board that has an
Apollo family MCU.
Figure 7. Apollo4 Blue EVB’s DEBUG OUT Header (J15)

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To utilize this functionality, use a 10-pin low-pitch standard debug connector to connect the “DEBUG OUT”
header (J15) on the EVB to the debug header on the target board. The EVB will automatically detect when
the “DEBUG OUT” header is connected to another target board and reconfigure the integrated J-Link to
connect to this external board rather than the on-board Apollo4 Blue. See the EVB schematic for connector
pinout.
Note: A voltage on pin 1 of the J15 header is required for the above mentioned automatic switch to occur.
Also, if the target VDD doesn't match the on-board VDD_1.8V voltage (1.9V default), and to avoid possible
voltage level conflicts on the debug I/O port, VDDIO of the J-Link processor should be changed to the
target voltage by cutting SB19 and shorting SB20 (VDD_EXT) or SB21 (VDD_EXT_DBG). See “Power
Supply Options and Measuring Current” on page 17.

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7. Software Development Tools
The standard Segger J-Link debug interface is used on the Apollo4 Blue EVB. Please install the latest
Segger J-Link software, and configure your preferred development IDE (Keil, IAR, or Eclipse) to use J-Link
debug interface.
Links to development tools that support Apollo4 Blue:
▪SEGGER J-Link Software (6.96 or later): https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink
▪ KEIL uVision 5 (MDK5.34 or later): https://www.keil.com/demo/eval/arm.htm
▪ Latest Keil Pack (Also used by Eclipse): http://www.keil.com/dd2/pack/#/third-party-download-dialog
▪ IAR Version (8.42.2 or later): https://www.iar.com/iar-embedded-workbench/tools-for-arm/arm-cortex-m-
edition/
▪ GCC 5.3.1: https://gcc.gnu.org
Regardless of preferred IDE, please install the Segger J-Link software. All of the above development
environments support J-Link, but you must have the latest J-Link software installed. Most alternate
development environments also are supported by J-Link.
Please refer to the AmbiqSuite Getting Started Guide (AMSDKGS) provided with any SDK release for
more details on setting up development IDEs to use J-Link.

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8. Power Supply Options and Measuring Current
The Apollo4 Blue EVB is intended to operate off of a 5V supply, which is used to generate downstream
voltages.
There are two power supply options for the Apollo4 Blue EVB SoC:
▪ Operate at 1.9V by default as provided by the on-board power supply (referred to as nominal
“VDD_1.8V”). This can be adjusted to 1.8V by shorting SB4 shown on the Power Supplies page of the
EVB schematic(1).
▪ Provide externally supplied power.
The Apollo4 Blue EVB utilizes solder-bridges for connecting and disconnecting rails from power supplies,
whether generated on-board or off-board. Figure 8 shows the solder-bridge connection strategy between
various on-board power supplies and Apollo4 Blue power rails.
Figure 8. Apollo4 Blue EVB Power Supplies Solder Bridge Connection
Figure 9 shows the USB power sequencing circuit producing the voltage supplied to VDDUSB33 and
VDDUSB0_9 through solder-bridges SB13 and SB11, respectively. These solder bridges are shorted by
default.
1. Refer to the EVB schematic and assembly drawing for purpose and location of all solder bridges on the
EVB.

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Figure 9. Apollo4 Blue EVB USB Power Sequencing Circuit
Similarly, Figure 10 shows the power sequencing circuit producing the voltage supplied to the MIPI VDD18
supply through solder-bridge SB9. This solder bridge is also shorted by default.
Figure 10. Apollo4 Blue EVB VDD18/MIPI Power Sequencing Circuit

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As shown in Figure 11 and Figure 12, headers J2 and J3 provide easy access to the various system and
chip-level power supplies present on the EVB. These can be used in conjunction with the above solder-
bridges to measure current, monitor voltage, or provide externally generated power to each specific rail.
Figure 11. Apollo4 Blue EVB Voltage Selection on Header J2
Figure 12. Apollo4 Blue EVB Voltage Selection on Header J3
If the user would like to use a separate power supply for the EVB, then SB3 shown in Figure 8 should be
cut, and either SB5 should be shorted with solder or pins 3 and 4 of J3 should be jumpered). The external
power rail can be applied to VDD_EXT on J3, pin 3. Consult the electrical specifications in the Apollo4 Blue
Datasheet for the acceptable operating range for VDD_MCU.
Note that the JLINK I/O voltage should be set to the new VDD_IO of the chip, and therefore SB19 (not
shown in Figure 8) should be opened and SB20 should be shorted (soldered).
Note also that the use of the on-board SoC supply may be restored by disconnecting the external supply
and either shorting SB3 once again or by jumpering between pins 1 and 2 of J3. The J-Link I/O voltage
also should be restored.As another example, if it is desired to measure the BLE current provided by the
VDD_1.8V source for the Apollo4 Blue SIP package, SB7 may be cut, and a current probe may be applied
between VDD_MCU on J2, Pin 1 and VDDB on J2, Pin 2. After measuring current, SB7 may be shorted or
a jumper may be placed across J2, pins 1 and 2.

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9. Non-Power Solder Bridges
9.1 Solder Bridges for Reducing Trace Length to Optimize Performance
The following peripherals support solder-bridge connections, which allow for optimized performance by
reducing overall trace length at the cost of losing connectivity to their respective GPIO headers. Note that
these connections can be reset by applying solder across the solder-bridge.
Additionally, the LED indicators can be disconnected from GPIO30, GPIO60 and GPIO90 by opening their
respective solder-bridges (SB37, SB39, and SB38). GPIO47, GPIO58, GPIO59 and GPIO60 are used for
UART communication with the on-board J-Link. Opening SB26-SB29 frees these pins for exclusive use
with the standard GPIO headers J10 and J12.
9.2 Solder Bridges for Audio Selectivity
As shown in Figure 13, a single audio jack, J18, provides stereo audio input routed to AUDADC (also
referred to as LPADC) inputs on the SoC. Alternatively, up to 4 single-ended or 2 differential pair audio
signals as shown in Figure 14 can be input on connector J17 which is routed on the EVB as differential
pair(s) to AUDADC inputs. The default (shorted) solder bridge configuration enables either of these input
options.
Peripheral GPIO Description
Display Controller, MSPI0 37, 64-73 Opening solder-bridges connects these GPIO exclusively to J8, with
minimal trace stubs
ETM 50-54, 55 (open by default) Opening solder-bridges connect these GPIO exclusively to J13. SWO
is default connection to J13 (shared with GP55, SWTRCTL)
Table 2: Peripherals Supporting Solder Bridge Connections