Digi ConnectCore 6UL Quick user guide

ConnectCore® 6UL
SBC Express
Hardware Reference Manual

Revision history—90001520
Revision Date Description
01 October
2016
Alpha release
A June
2017
Modified regulatory and certification information as required by RED (Radio
Equipment Directive); added mechanical drawings.
B January
2020
Clarified VCC_LICELL voltage specifications.
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© 2019 Digi International Inc. All rights reserved.
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or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time.
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Product name and model
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ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 2

ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 3
Description of issue
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Contents
About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express
Features and functionality 6
Placement 7
Top view 7
Bottom view 8
Block diagram 9
Interfaces
Power connector 11
Coin cell connector 12
Boot mode 13
Boot from USB 14
Power and reset buttons 15
JTAG 17
SWD 19
Console port 21
MicroSD 23
10/100 Mbps Ethernet 24
Ethernet PHY power management 25
Embedded antenna 26
USB host 27
USB device 28
Expansion connector 30
Pinout of the Raspberry Pi expansion connector 33
Grove connectors 34
User LED and button 36
Specifications
Electrical specifications 38
Supply voltages 38
Power consumption 38
Mechanical specification 39
Top view 39
Bottom view 40
Profile view 40
Environmental specifications 40
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 4

ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 5
Regulatory information
Maximum power and frequency specifications 42
Europe 42
Declarations of Conformity 42
CE mark 42

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express is a compact board featuring the Digi ConnectCore 6UL System-on-
module (SoM). The ConnectCore 6UL System-on-module integratesan NXP i.MX6UL application
processor with DDR3 and NAND flash memory, WLAN/Bluetooth, power management IC, a crypto-
authentication security chip, and a Microcontroller AssistTM (MCA) for additional functionality.
The Digi ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express is a development board for evaluating the Digi ConnectCore
6UL System-on-module. The reference-design castellated edge development board enables you to
explore and develop firmware before designing your own custom carrier board.
Features and functionality
lConnectCore 6UL module
oi.MX6UL single ARM Cortex-A7 core operating at speeds up to 528 MHz
o16-bit DDR3-800 memory interface with a density up to 1GB
o8-bit SLC NAND flash with density up to 2GB
oIEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WLAN and Bluetooth 4.2 dual mode
lPower from either micro USB console connector or dedicated 5V power connector
lBoot source configuration: NAND flash, USB for recovery
lCoin-cell connector to supply the on-module real-time clock (not populated by default)
lPower and reset button
lDebug:
oStandard IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface
oSingle Wired Debug (SWD) interface for the Microcontroller AssistTM (MCA)
oSerial console through USB micro AB-type connector
lStorage:
omicroSD card
oNAND flash
lCommunication:
o10/100 Mbps Ethernet interface
oTwo USB Host 2.0 with stacked USB A-type connector
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 6

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Placement
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 7
oUSB device with micro AB USB connector (shared with one USB host port)
oSISO IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 4.2 dual mode interface with on-board antenna
lExpansion:
oExpansion connector that can accommodate Raspberry PI Hat boards
oThree Grove connectors providing digital, ADC, and I2C connectivity
lUser interface:
oOne user LED
oOne user button
lDimensions:
o87 mm x 63 mm
Placement
Top view

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Placement
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 8
Bottom view

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Block diagram
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 9
Block diagram

Interfaces
Power connector 11
Coin cell connector 12
Boot mode 13
Power and reset buttons 15
JTAG 17
SWD 19
Console port 21
MicroSD 23
10/100 Mbps Ethernet 24
Embedded antenna 26
USB host 27
USB device 28
Expansion connector 30
Grove connectors 34
User LED and button 36
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 10

Interfaces Power connector
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 11
Power connector
A 5V power connector provides power to theConnectCore 6UL SBC Express. A 2-pin, 2.54 mm pitch,
latched vertical connector offers a power rail to the whole system (the board plus the ConnectCore
6UL module.) You can also power the board from the USB console port.
The following table shows the pinout of the power connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VIN 5V power supply line
2 GND
For more information about power supply limitations seeSupply voltages.
Note J3 5V power connector manufacturing part number: TE Connectivity 640456-2

Interfaces Coin cell connector
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 12
Coin cell connector
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express can be assembled with a 2-pin, 1.25 mm pitch straight connector
that powers the real-time clock (RTC) interface with an external coin cell or supercapacitor when the
main supply is off. When the main power supply rail is connected, it powers the RTC.You can supply
the RTC with a primary Lithium cell (non-rechargeable), a secondary Lithium cell (rechargeable), or a
supercap.
Note The voltage range of the coin cell supply must be between 1.8 - 3.3 V.
The following table shows the pinout of the coin cell connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VCC_LICELL Power supply for RTC
2 GND
Note J13 Coin cell connector manufacturing part number: MOLEX 53047-0210

Interfaces Boot mode
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 13
Boot mode
By default, the ConnectCore 6UL module boots from internal board settings, allowing it to boot from
internal NAND memory. For advanced functionality, the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express provides two
resistors to configure the SOM boot mode.
You can select the boot mode by configuring the resistors in one of the following combinations:
Boot mode
Resistor configuration
R19 R21
Boot from board settings (default) Populated Not populated
Boot from fuses Not populated Populated

Interfaces Boot mode
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 14
Boot from USB
You can close the USB mode jumper on the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express to force the i.MX6UL to
boot from the source programmed in the one-time-programmable (OTP) bits. If the boot configuration
OTP bits are not programmed, the CPU falls back to booting into USB debug mode.
The default state for the jumper is open, which configures the i.MX6UL to boot from board settings
(boot from NAND flash). If the NAND flash doesn't contain valid firmware, the i.MX6UL also falls back to
booting into USB debug mode. You can use this functionality for recovery purposes, such as if the boot
loader is erased or cannot boot.
For more information about boot mode configuration, see the ConnectCore 6UL module Hardware
Reference Manual.

Interfaces Power and reset buttons
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 15
Power and reset buttons
The power button on the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express is connected to the on-module MCA, which
provides the following functionality:
Board status Power button action Response
OFF Short press Power on
ON or SLEEP Long press for 5 seconds Power off
SLEEP Short press Wake up
ON Short press Sleep
You can also reset the ConnectCore 6UL System-on-module by pressing the Reset button on
theConnectCore 6UL SBC Express.

Interfaces Power and reset buttons
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 16
Note You can configure the duration of some power button actions. See the ConnectCore 6UL SBC
Express documentation or ConnectCore 6UL SBC Pro documentation for more information.

Interfaces JTAG
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 17
JTAG
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express provides two options for accessing the i.MX6UL JTAG debug port.
The first option is a 2x5, 1.27mm pitch pin header on the top side of the board that, by default, is not
populated. The following table shows the pinout of the JTAG connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 3.3V 3.3V supply voltage of the JTAG interface
2 JTAG_TMS Test mode state signal
3 GND
4 JTAG_TCK Test clock signal
5 GND
6 JTAG_TDO Test data output signal
7 NC

Interfaces JTAG
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 18
Pin Signal name Description
8 JTAG_TDI Test data input signal
9 GND
10 POR_B CPU reset
Note J17 JTAG connector manufacturing part number: SAMTEC FTSH-105-01-F-DV
The second option is the Tag Connect footprint on the bottom side of the board. This Tag Connect is
compliant with the ARM 10-pin standard. The JTAG Tag Connect is highlighted in the following picture:

Interfaces SWD
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 19
SWD
As in the JTAG debug interface, the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express provides two options for
programming and debugging the Microcontroller Assist of the ConnectCore 6UL System-on-module.
nThe first option is a 2x5, 1.27 mm pitch pin header footprint on the top side of the board that,
by default, is not populated. The following table shows the pinout of the SWD connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VCC_MCA 3.3V supply voltage of the MCA
2 MCA_SWD_DIO SWD bidirectional data pin
3 GND
4 MCA_SWD_CLK SWD clock signal

Interfaces SWD
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Express Hardware Reference Manual 20
Pin Signal name Description
5 GND
6 NC
7 NC
8 NC
9 GND
10 MCA_RESET_N Reset signal for MCA
Note J18 SWD connector manufacturing part number: SAMTEC FTSH-105-01-F-DV
nThe second option is the ARM 10-pin standard-compliant Tag Connect footprint on the bottom
side of the board. The SWD Tag Connect is highlighted in the following picture: