Digi i.MX6UL Quick user guide

ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL
Single Board Computer
Hardware Reference Manual
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

Revision history—90001531
Revision Date Description
01 October 2016 Alpha release
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ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 2
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

Contents
About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC
Overview 5
Features and functionality 5
Block diagram 7
Placement 8
Top view 8
Bottom view 9
Connectors 10
Top 10
Bottom 11
ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces
Power DC-in jack connector 13
Additional power connector 13
Coin cell connector 13
Boot mode 13
Boot configuration 14
Power and reset buttons 15
I/O Expander 15
JTAG 16
SWD 16
Console port 16
MicroSD 17
4 GBytes eMMC 17
NFC NTAG 18
10/100 Mbps Ethernet 18
Ethernet PHY on/off 19
Antenna connector 19
USB Host 19
USB OTG 21
Mini PCI Expressslot 21
Micro-SIM 23
XBee 24
Parallel display 25
LVDS 27
Parallel camera 28
Audio 29
CAN 30
UART 31
I2C 31
SPI 33
GPIO 33
User LED 34
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 3
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 4
ConnectCore 6UL SBC Specifications
Electrical Specification 35
Supply Voltages 35
Power Consumption 35
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC
Overview
The SBC for ConnectCore for i.MX6UL is an ultra compact Pico-ITX board featuring the Digi
ConnectCore for i.MX6UL system-on-module that integrates an NXP i.MX6UL application processor,
DDR3 memory, NAND flash memory, WLAN/Bluetooth, power management IC for optimized power
consumption applications, and a microcontroller assistant (MCA) for supporting additional
functionality. This stand-alone product serves as the reference design for the ConnectCore for
i.MX6UL system-on-module and can also be used on its own to accelerate time to market.
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 (default: 256MB)
o8-bit SLCNAND flash with density up to 2GB (default: 256MB)
oIEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WLAN and Bluetooth 4.2. dual mode
lPower from either power jack or industrial dedicated 5V power connector
lBoot source configuration: NAND, USB
lCoin-cell battery charger, supplying the on module RTC
lPower and reset button
lDebug:
oStandard IEEE 1149.1 JTAG interface
oSingle Wired Debug (SWD) interface for the microcontroller assistant (MCA) and the I/O
Expander
oTTL serial console
lMultimedia:
oParallel 24-bit LCD interface with FFC on board connector
oLVDS interface with four differential data pairs (cannot work simultaneously with
parallelLCD)
o8-bit parallel camera interface (cannot work simultaneously with microSD or eMMC)
oAudio CODEC with a stereo headphone jack and expansion connectors for speakers, line-
in, mic-in, and line-out lines
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 5
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Features and functionality
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 6
lStorage:
oNAND flash
omicroSD card slot
o4 GBytes eMMC (cannot work simultaneously with the microSD)
lCommunication:
oTwo 10/100MbpsEthernet interface
oTwo USB Host 2.0 through a stacked USB A type connector
oUSB OTG with micro AB USB connector
oSISO IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac +Bluetooth 4.2 dual mode with on-board antenna connector
oMini PCIe slot supporting full and half-size mini PCIe cards
o2 KBytes NFCNTAG
lExpansion:
oUSB Host 2.0 port
oCAN connector with two FlexCAN interfaces including transceivers
oUART connector with one TTL level UART and two RS232 UART ports
oSPI
oAudio connector with MIC, LINE-IN, and LINE-OUT
oAudio connector with speakers and LINE-IN
oGPIO connector with analog input for touch and digital GPIO signals
oI2C
oMMCX antenna connector
lUser interface:
oOne user LED
lI/O Expander: to allow advanced on/off functionality over the carrier board
lDimensions:
oPico-ITX form factor, 10 cm x 7.2 cm
oPCB height 2 mm
oMaximum part height:
nTOP side: 15.6 mm (USB connector)
nBOTTOM side: 6.8 mm (PCIe connector)
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Block diagram
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 7
Block diagram
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Placement
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 8
Placement
Top view
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Placement
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 9
Bottom view
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Connectors
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 10
Connectors
Top
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Connectors
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 11
Bottom
Connector Interface Manufacturer Manufacturer PN
J1 5V power jack Bobbintron Electrical
Corp
CSCD443CCS011B00G
J2 Coin cell Molex 53047-0210
J3 Power and reset Molex 53047-0310
J4 3.3V output Molex 53047-0210
J5 5V output Molex 53047-0210
J6 Ethernet 1 XMultiple XMG-9799-8821-100D-L1TO-H-
HIM
J7 microSD Molex 500873-0806
J8 Ethernet 2 XMultiple XMG-9799-8821-100D-L1TO-H-
HIM
J9 Console Molex 53047-0410
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

About the ConnectCore 6UL SBC Connectors
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 12
Connector Interface Manufacturer Manufacturer PN
J10 Boot mode Samtec TSW-102-07-G-S
J12 Mini PCIe Foxconn AS0B226-S68Q-7H
J14 Micro SIM Molex 78727-0001
J15 USB Host KYCON KUSBX-AS2N
J16 USB OTG KYCON KMMX-ABSMT5SG-30TR
J17 Parallel camera Omron XF2M-2015-1A
J18 Antenna Amphenol 908-22101
J21 Parallel display Omron XF2M-4015-1A
J22 Audio jack CUI Inc. SJ1-3515-SMT
J23-J24 XBee module Samtec SMM-110-02-F-S-P-TR
J25 XBee expansion Molex 53047-0310
J26 Audio expansion Molex 53047-0810
J27 CAN expansion Molex 53047-0610
J28 I2C expansion Molex 53047-0610
J29 UART expansion Molex 53047-1410
J30 GPIO expansion Molex 53047-1410
J31 LVDS Hirose DF14A-20P-1.25H
J32 USB expansion Molex 53047-0610
J33 Audio expansion Molex 53047-0610
J34 SPI expansion Molex 53047-0810
J35 5V power TE Connectivity 640456-2
J36 NFC NTAG Molex 53047-0210
SW1 Power button ITT KSC221JLFS
SW2 Reset button ITT KSC221JLFS
SW4 RF kill button C&K Components TDA02H0SB1
CAD1 JTAG Tag connect - -
CAD2 SWD Tag connect - -
CAD3 IO Expander Tag
connect
- -
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces Power DC-in jack connector
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 13
ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces
Power DC-in jack connector
A 5V DC-In powerjack connector provides power to the entire ConnectCore 6UL SBC system. A green
LED on the top of the board lights up when the SBC registers a valid voltage.
A 5V load switch is used to control the power delivered to the SBC. This power switch is controlled
through the GPIO PWR_EN I/O Expander PTA4.
An overvoltage circuit protects the SBC from voltages higher than 6.5V (up to 12V).
Additional power connector
In addition to the power jack assembled on the SBC, a 2-pin, 2.54 mm pitch, latched vertical connector
on the top side of the PCB offers an alternative power rail to the whole system. This power input is
also protected against overvoltage events.
The following table shows the pinout of the power connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VIN 5V power supply rail
2 GND
Coin cell connector
A 2-pin, 1.25 mm pitch straight connector provides battery charging functionality and powers the real-
time-clock (RTC) interface when the main supply is off. (The main power supply railwill power the RTC
while it is connected. You can supply the RTC with a primary Lithium cell (non-rechargeable), a
secondary Lithium cell (rechargeable), or a supercap.)
Note Coin cell recommended voltage: 3.3V. For more information about the coin cell, see Electrical
Specification.
The following table shows the pinout of the coin cell connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VCC_LICELL Power supply for RTC
2 GND
Boot mode
By default, the ConnectCore 6UL module will boot from the internal board settings, allowing it to boot
from internal NAND memory. However, it is possible to boot from USB through a jumper(J10). This
jumper forces 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.
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces Boot configuration
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 14
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 advanced functionality, the ConnectCore 6UL SBC provides four resistors to configure the SOM
boot mode. For more information about boot mode configuration, please refer to the ConnectCore for
i.MX6UL system-on-module Hardware Reference Manual.
The following table shows resistor configuration for the different boot modes:
R24 R25 R28 R29 Comment
Not populated Not populated Populated Populated Boot from fuses
Populated Not populated Not populated Populated Boot from serial downloader
Not populated Populated Populated Not populated Boot from board settings (default)
Populated Populated Not populated Not populated Reserved
Note A different resistor configuration may prevent the CC6ULmodule from booting.
Boot configuration
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC has several 10Kresistors to allow for maximum flexibility when setting up
the boot source configuration of the CC6UL module. Detailed information about resistor configuration
is described below:
BOOT_CFG bit
Resistor configuration
Pull-up Pull-down
BOOT_CFG1[0] R222 R112
BOOT_CFG1[1] R233 R133
BOOT_CFG1[2] R234 R147
BOOT_CFG1[3] R235 R153
BOOT_CFG1[4] R17 R238
BOOT_CFG1[5] R236 R156
BOOT_CFG1[6] R237 R166
BOOT_CFG1[7] R100 R239
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces Power and reset buttons
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 15
BOOTSTRAP NAND
BOOT_CFG1[0] Row address cycles:
00 - 3 cycles
01 - 2 cycles
10 - 4 cycles
11 - 5 cycles
BOOT_CFG1[1]
BOOT_CFG1[2] Number of devices:
00 - 1 device
01 - 2 devices
10 - 4 devices
11 - Reserved
BOOT_CFG1[3]
BOOT_CFG1[4] Pages in block:
00 - 128 pages
01 - 64 pages
10 - 32 pages
11 - 256 pages
BOOT_CFG1[5]
BOOT_CFG1[6] Samsung's toggle mode DDR NAND
0 - Raw NAND
1 - Toggle mode NAND
BOOT_CFG1[7] Boot device selection:
1 - Boot from NAND interface
Note Default configuration in bold.
Power and reset buttons
The power button on the ConnectCore 6UL SBC is connected to the on-module MCA, which provides
the following functionality:
Board Status Action Function
OFF Short press Power on
ON or SLEEP Long press for 5 seconds Power off
SLEEP Short press Wake-up
ON Short press Sleep
The ConnectCore 6UL SBCalso has a "Reset" button, which resets the ConnectCore 6UL module.
Note You can configure the duration of some power button actions. See the ConnectCore for i.MX6UL
online documentation for more information
I/O Expander
An additional MCA is carried by the ConnectCore 6UL SBC as an I/O expander. This Microcontroller
Assistant allows extra functionality over the SBC and is focused on power management on the carrier
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces JTAG
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 16
board.
JTAG
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC provides a Tag Connect footprint for accessing the i.MX6UL JTAG debug
port. This footprint is located on the bottom side of the board.
SWD
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC provides two options for programming and debugging the Microcontroller
Assist of the ConnectCore 6UL module. The first option is a 2x5, 1.27mm pitch pin header footprint on
the top side of the board (which, 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
5 GND
6 NC
7 NC
8 NC
9 GND
10 MCA_RESET_N Reset signal for MCA
The second option is the Tag Connect footprint located on the bottom side of the board.
For accessing the SWD interface of the I/O expander, options similar to the on-module MCA are
available: a non-populated 2x5, 1.27 mm pitch pin header and a Tag Connect footprint.
Console port
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC provides a 4-pin, 1.25 pitch connector for the debug console port. The
UART5 port of the ConnectCore 6UL module is used as the console port. The console signal is a serial
TTL which goes through the console connector directly to the i.MX6UL processor. A TTL to USB cable
can be used to access this console port from a host PC USB port. The following table shows the pinout
of the console connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 UART5_TX Transmission line
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces MicroSD
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 17
Pin Signal name Description
2 UART5_RX Receiver line
3 3V3 3.3V power line
4 GND
Console default settings:
Baud rate 115200
Data 8 bit
Parity None
Stop 1 bit
Flow control None
MicroSD
A microSD connector is located on the bottom side of the SBC. This interface is connected to the
USDHC2 controller of the i.MX6UL CPU.
The following table shows the pinout of the microSD socket:
Pin Signal name Description
1 CSI0_DAT14 Serial data 2
2 CSI0_DAT15 Serial data 3
3 SD_CMD Command line
4 3V3 3.3V power line
5 SD_CLK Serial clock
6 GND
7 CSI0_DAT12 Serial data 0
8 CSI0_DAT13 Serial data 1
9 GND
10 GND
4 GBytes eMMC
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC carries a 4 GBytes eMMC memory, which shares the connection to the
i.MX6UL processor with the microSD interface. The devices cannot work simultaneously; the selection
is made via the eMMC/SD# signal, which is driven by the i.MX6UL processor. The eMMC/SD# signal is
connected to the GPIO5_01 port of the i.MX6UL. Its behavior is shown in the table below:
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces NFC NTAG
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 18
eMMC/SD# level Description
Low microSD connected
High eMMC connected
The eMMC memory can be switched off for advanced power management through theeMMC_PWR_
EN I/OExpanderGPIO (PTE24 port).
NFC NTAG
A 2KB (2016 bytes of EEPROM and 64 bytes of SRAM) NTAG is carried by the ConnectCore 6UL SBC.
This NTAG is an energy harvesting NFC Forum type 2 Tag with field detection and I2C interface. The
RF interface is based on the ISO/IEC 14443 Type A standard. This RF interface is passive and must be
supplied by an RF field.
The SBC has an antenna connector for the NTAG:
Pin Signal name Description
1 LA Antenna connection LA
2 LB Antenna connection LB
10/100 Mbps Ethernet
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC provides two 10Base-T/100Base-Tx Ethernet interfaces. Two Microchip
LAN8720Ai 10/100 Ethernet PHYs are used. The Ethernet PHYs are connected to the i.MX6UL ENET1
and ENET2 instances respectively. Both Ethernet interfaces are accessible through RJ-45 connectors
with integrated link/activity LEDs. The following table shows the pinout of both RJ45 connectors.
Pin Signal name Description
1 TD+ Transmit pair data (+)
2 TD- Transmit pair data (-)
3 RD+ Receive pair data (+)
4 CT Center tap
5 CT Center tap
6 RD- Receive pair data (-)
7 NC
8 GND
9 LED1_P Green LED anode
10 LED1_N Green LED cathode
11 LED2_P Yellow LED anode
12 LED2_N Yellow LED cathode
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces Antenna connector
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 19
The 10/100 EthernetPHYs have two outputs to indicate the link and activity status of the port. These
outputs are connected to two LEDs, integrated on the Ethernet connectors. The following table shows
the link/activity status indicated by the two LEDs:
Green LED Yellow LED Link/Activity Status
OFF OFF Link OFF
ON OFF 10 Link/no activity
Blinking OFF 10 Link/activity
ON ON 100 Link/no activity
Blinking ON 100 Link/activity
Ethernet PHY on/off
Ethernet PHYs power supply can be controlled through a power switch in order to improve the power
management of the system.Both PHYs shares the same power switch, so both are switched on or off
at the same time. The ENET_PWR I/O ExpanderGPIO (PTC3 port) is the signal that controls this power
switch.
Antenna connector
The ConnectCore 6UL SBC includes an MMCX Jack connector in order to support the wireless and
Bluetooth functionality available in the ConnectCore 6UL module. This antenna is placed on the right
side of the SBC. The on-module antenna and the SBC antenna can not work simultaneously, and only
one of them can be used at one time. The selection between them is done through the double switch
SW4.
This double switch SW4 is also controlling one of the RF Kill signal: RF_KILL_HW#. For generating an RF
Kill event, either this RF_KILL_HW# or the internal RF_KILL_SW# (connected to theI/O Expander
PTE18 port) has to be triggered.
USB Host
The ConnectCore 6UL offers support for four USB Host interfaces. Two of them are available over a
stackable dual USB A-type connector located on the front of the board. The third USB Host is
connected to the PCI Express Mini card connector. The fourth one is available on a 6-pin, 1.25mm pitch
expansion connector. All the USB Hosts can operate at full, high and low speed.
The following table shows the pinout of the dual stackable USB Host connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VIN 5V power line
2 USBH1_D_N USB 1 Differential data signal (-)
3 USBH1_D_P USB 1 Differential data signal (+)
4 GND
5 VIN 5V power line
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending

ConnectCore 6UL SBC interfaces USB Host
ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL SBC Hardware Reference Manual 20
Pin Signal name Description
6 USBH2_D_N USB 2 Differential data signal (-)
7 USBH2_D_P USB 2 Differential data signal (+)
8 GND
The following table shows the pinout of the USB expansion connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VIN 5V power line
2 USBH4_D_P USB 4 Differential data signal (-)
3 USBH4_D_N USB 4 Differential data signal (+)
4 USBH4_OC_N Over current input
5 USBH4_PWR_EN Power enable output
6 GND
The USB hub can be switched off for advanced power management through the USB_PWRI/O
ExpanderGPIO (PTB16 port).
Alpha release: Not for production | Certifications pending