Nordic Semiconductor nRF9160 Quick setup guide

nRF9160
Hardware Integration Guide
v1.0
v1.0 / 2019-05-29

Contents
Revision history.................................. iii
1About this document.............................. 4
2Device overview.................................5
2.1 Operating conditions ............................... 5
2.2 Bands of operation ................................ 5
2.3 Supported FCC rules ............................... 5
2.4 Host device manufacturer responsibility ....................... 5
3nRF9160 module................................ 6
3.1 Block diagram .................................. 6
3.2 Pin assignment ................................. 7
3.3 Pin description ................................. 7
4Antennas.................................... 10
4.1 Antenna interface ................................ 10
4.2 Antenna port test connector ........................... 11
5Test modes................................... 12
5.1 BB functional test ................................ 12
5.2 RF functional test ................................ 12
5.2.1 RX test .................................. 13
5.2.2 TX test ...................................13
5.2.3 GPS SNR test ................................ 14
5.3 RF signaling test ................................ 15
6Reference circuitry...............................16
6.1 Schematics ...................................16
6.2 Bill of materials ................................. 16
6.3 PCB layout ................................... 16
6.4 PCB specification ................................ 17
6.5 Antenna type ..................................18
7Regulatory information............................ 20
7.1 Certified bands ................................. 20
7.2 FCC/ISED regulatory notices ........................... 21
Legal notices................................... 24
v1.0 ii

Revision history
Date Version Description
May 2019 1.0 First release
v1.0 iii

1About this document
This document complements the nRF9160 Product Specification (PS) to provide recommendations
and guidelines for designing devices based on the nRF9160 module. This document is intended for the
customers of Nordic Semiconductor, especially device manufacturers and hardware engineers.
v1.0 4

2Device overview
nRF9160 is an LTE made simple cellular IoT System in Package (SiP) module that is pre-certified for
customers for building end devices on it. nRF9160 consists of an ARM® Cortex®- M33 microcontroller
and 3GPP LTE release 13 compliant embedded Cat-M and Cat-NB LTE modem. The microcontroller has an
inbuilt 1 MB flash memory, ARM TrustZone®, and 32 general purpose I/O pins. The LTE modem includes
transceiver with global cellular band coverage, ultra-low current consumption, and single 50 Ω antenna
interface.
2.1 Operating conditions
For the nRF9160 temperature range, voltage range, and physical dimensions, see nRF9160 Product
Specification.
2.2 Bands of operation
For an up-to-date list of certified cellular bands, see section Regulatory certifications on the Nordic
Semiconductor web page.
2.3 Supported FCC rules
The nRF9160 module has been certified to comply with the following FCC rules:
• 47 CFR Part 22
• 47 CFR Part 24
• 47 CFR Part 27
• 47 CFR Part 90
• 47 CFR part 2.1091
• FCC Part 15 Subpart B
If the device manufacturer will apply the integration and test instructions of this document to the host
device, then these certifications can be applied to the host device, except for FCC Part 15 Subpart B which
needs to be retested.
2.4 Host device manufacturer responsibility
Note: The nRF9160 device is only authorized for the rules listed in Supported FCC rules on page
5. The host device manufacturer is responsible for compliance to any other FCC rules that
apply to the host device not covered by the nRF9160 grant of certification. It is mandatory for the
host device manufacturer to assure the final device’s compliance with FCC Part 15 Subpart B even if
certification has been granted to nRF9160.
v1.0 5

3nRF9160 module
The nRF9160 SiP module consists of the nRF9160 System on Chip (SoC), power management and RF front-
end section, and passive and clocking components. External to the module are supply source (battery or
mains), SIM solution, and any customer peripherals and sensors. For further details of blocks and their
software controls and dependencies, see nRF9160 Product Specification.
3.1 Block diagram
The following block diagram illustrates the nRF9160 SiP module.
nRF9160
APB
AHB TO APB
BRIDGE
AHB multilayer
SPIM [0..3]
SAADC
GPIOTE
GPIO
UARTE [0..3]
TWIM [0..3]
SPIS [0..3]
EasyDMA
CPU
ARM
CORTEX-M33
AHB-AP
NVIC
ETM
SysTick
NVMC
RTC [0..1]
CODE
EasyDMA
EasyDMA
EasyDMA
TIMER [0..2]
EasyDMA
TWIS [0..3]
EasyDMA
DPPI
IPC
CLOCK
POWER
WDT
UICR
Debug
ETM trace ITM trace
I2S
PDM
EasyDMA
EasyDMA
PWM[0..3]
EasyDMA
LTE-M modem
FICR
Clock control
ARM TrustZone
CryptoCell 310
DMA
KMU
REGULATORS
SPU
master
RAM0RAM1RAM2RAM0RAM1RAM2RAM3
slave
slave
slave
slave
slave
slave
slave slave master
slave
slave
slave
slave
master
master
master
master
master
master
master
master
master
master
slave
APB
P0
(P0.0 – P0.31)
AIN0 – AIN7
AREF0 – AREF1
RTS
CTS
TXD
RXD
SCL
SDA
SCL
SDA
SCK
MOSI
MISO
SCK
MOSI
MISO
CSN
CLK
DIN
MCK
LRCK
SCL
SDOUT
SDIN
OUT0-OUT3
1.8 V USIM
/
USIM
RAM3
/
ANT - LTE
ANT - GPS
High frequency
clock sources
High frequency
clock sources
GPS
Figure 1: nRF9160 module block diagram
v1.0 6

nRF9160 module
3.2 Pin assignment
The following figure illustrates the nRF9160 pinout. For more information, see Pin assignments in nRF9160
Product Specification.
Figure 2: nRF9160 pinout, top (seen through module)
3.3 Pin description
Pin descriptions are provided in the following table. The table can be found in Pin assignments in the
nRF9160 Product Specification, excluding some information that is relevant for the nRF9160 hardware
design.
Pin no Pin name Function Description
1 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
2 P0.05 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
3 P0.06 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
4 P0.07 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
5-9 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
10 Reserved Can be used to improve mechanical rigidity. Solder to main board but do not
connect electrically.
11 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
12 VDD_GPIO Power GPIO power supply input and logic level for GPIOs
13 DEC0 Power Module internal power supply decoupling option. Connect 47uF capacitor
close to module.
14 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
15 P0.08 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
16 P0.09 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
17 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
18 P0.10 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
19 P0.11 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
20 P0.12 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
21 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
22 VDD2 Power RFFE power supply input. Tie to the same voltage level as VDD1.
v1.0 7

nRF9160 module
Pin no Pin name Function Description
23 P0.13 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
24 P0.14 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
25 P0.15 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
26 P0.16 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
27 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
28 P0.17 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
29 P0.18 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
30 P0.19 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
31 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
32 nRESET System reset SoC reset pin
33 SWDCLK SWD Serial wire debug & programming clock input
34 SWDIO SWD Serial wire debug & programming interface
35 P0.20 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input, VDD_GPIO level
36 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
37 P0.21 GPIO Digital I/O and trace buffer clock, VDD_GPIO level
38 P0.22 GPIO Digital I/O and trace buffer TRACEDATA[0], VDD_GPIO level
39 P0.23 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input TRACEDATA[1], VDD_GPIO level
40 P0.24 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input TRACEDATA[2], VDD_GPIO level
41 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
42 P0.25 GPIO Digital I/O and analog input TRACEDATA[3], VDD_GPIO level
43 SIM_RST SIM SIM reset
44 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
45 SIM_DET SIM SIM detect
46 SIM_CLK SIM SIM clock
47 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
48 SIM_IO SIM SIM data
49 SIM_1V8 SIM 1.8V power supply output for SIM
50 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
51 Reserved Reserved Can be used to improve mechanical rigidity. Solder to main board but do not
connect electrically.
52 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
53 MAGPIO2 GPIO Digital I/O, controllable by APP and MDM, fixed 1.8V
54 MAGPIO1 GPIO Digital I/O, controllable by APP and MDM, fixed 1.8V
55 MAGPIO0 GPIO Digital I/O, controllable by APP and MDM, fixed 1.8V
56 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
57 VIO RFFE ctrl Digital I/O, MIPI RFFE VIO compatible, fixed 1.8V
58 SCLK RFFE ctrl Digital I/O, MIPI RFFE CLK compatible, fixed 1.8V
59 SDATA RFFE ctrl Digital I/O, MIPI RFFE DATA compatible, fixed 1.8V
60 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
61 ANT RF Single end 50Ω LTE antenna port
62 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
63 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
64 AUX RF Single end 50Ω ANT loop-back port, external matching network recommended.
65 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
66 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
67 GPS RF Single end 50Ω GPS input port
68 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
69 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
70 Reserved Reserved Can be used to improve mechanical rigidity. Solder to main board but do not
connect electrically.
71 Reserved Reserved Can be used to improve mechanical rigidity. Solder to main board but do not
connect electrically.
72 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
v1.0 8

nRF9160 module
Pin no Pin name Function Description
73 Reserved Reserved Can be used to improve mechanical rigidity. Solder to main board but do not
connect electrically.
74-82 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
83 P0.26 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
84 P0.27 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
85 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
86 P0.28 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
87 P0.29 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
88 P0.30 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
89 P0.31 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
90 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
91 COEX2 GPIO Coexistence interface, VDD_GPIO level
92 COEX1 GPIO Coexistence interface, VDD_GPIO level
93 COEX0 GPIO Coexistence interface, VDD_GPIO level
94 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
95 P0.00 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
96 P0.01 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
97 P0.02 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
98 GND_Shield Power Microshield GND, connect strongly to module GND
99 P0.03 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
100 P0.04 GPIO Digital I/O, VDD_GPIO level
101 ENABLE Power Module enable signal. Connect to VDD1 to enable module.
102 VDD1 Power SoC power supply input. Must be at same voltage level as VDD2 power supply
input for RFFE.
103 VSS Power Module main GND, connect strongly to application board GND plane. Main
thermal exit path from module to application board.
104-127 Reserved Can be used as improvement of mechanical rigidity. Solder to main board but
do not connect electrically.
Table 1: Pin assignments
v1.0 9

4Antennas
The nRF9160 module supports multiple cellular frequency bands as listed in Bands of operation on page
5. As the electrical size of the antenna sets fundamental limits for antenna bandwidth, it is recommended
to select an antenna supporting only the operational bands of the final device and optimize the antenna
performance at frequencies in question. The smaller the electrical size, the narrower the reachable
bandwidth and the lower the radiation efficiency.
If wide bandwidth and small physical size is required from the final device, antenna tuners may be
advantageous: antenna input matching can be optimized for the frequency of operation at a time. It is also
possible to design the antenna to have tunable resonant frequency. Antenna suppliers and design houses
provide solutions for size limited antennas. The nRF9160 module provides control for external antenna
tuners.
Note: The nRF9160 module has been certified only with the antenna solution presented in
Reference circuitry on page 16. However, it is possible to use other antenna types and models
with nRF9160. Adequate testing and regulator certifications are always required from the final
device regardless of antenna selection.
4.1 Antenna interface
The nRF9160 module has a single-ended 50 Ω antenna port where the antenna solution shall be
connected. nRF9160 is evaluated with a 50 Ω antenna load. To ensure good overall RF performance,
antenna impedance and the characteristic impedance of the transmission line (i.e. cable) connecting the
antenna and antenna port must be 50 Ω. Impedance mismatch may lead to performance degradation.
Maximum antenna VSWR 2:1 is recommended but VSWR 3:1 can still be accepted in the final device.
Respective minimum return loss values are 9.5 dB and 6.0 dB.
The length of the transmission line from the antenna to the nRF9160 antenna port should be kept as
short as possible to minimize losses, as this loss is directly deteriorating the module’s transmitted and
received power. Additionally, low-loss matching circuit between the antenna and the nRF9160 antenna
port is recommended to minimize loss caused by antenna and PCB routing mismatch. Reserving space
from device manufacturer's application board for matching components (e.g. π-circuit) is recommended.
This is because, for example, catalog antennas are typically tuned on reference board and differences
to device mechanics may impact antenna impedance. It is also possible that device mechanics change
during the development phase of the final device, and these modifications may impact antenna
performance. Matching components can be used to compensate the impact of mechanics change to
antenna impedance, and thus it may not be mandatory to modify the antenna itself.
The nRF9160 module has an internal ESD circuit in the antenna port, but additional ESD components at
device manufacturer's application board may be used. The design of the ESD circuit shall be such that the
impact on RF frequencies is negligible.
Note: ESD filtering may be necessary for some active components that can be used at antenna
path. Such components can be, for example, RF switches and antenna tuners. For further ESD
requirements, see the RF switch and antenna tuner datasheets.
v1.0 10

Antennas
4.2 Antenna port test connector
To run conductive RF tests, a test connector nearby the nRF9160 antenna port in the RF transmission line
is needed. The 50 Ω impedance requirement applies also to the test connector, and VSWR and insertion
loss should be minimal. Regardless of whether the nR9160 antenna port is connected to an actual antenna
or test equipment, the load at the nRF9160 antenna should remain as close to 50 Ω as possible.
For a test connector, microwave coaxial switch connectors (for example, Murata MM8130-2600) are a
good choice for this purpose. For conductive tests, a test cable is plugged in which connects the nRF9160
antenna port to the test equipment instead of the antenna. When the test cable is plugged off, the
nRF9160 antenna port is connected to the antenna for real use case or radiated testing. The layout for the
connector must be carefully designed to fulfil the 50 Ω requirement. For detailed guidance on this, see the
coaxial switch connectors datasheets.
v1.0 11

5Test modes
The nRF9160 module is fully calibrated and does not require any calibration in the device manufacturer’s
production. Instead, the manufacturer test should focus on the successful assembly of the module and the
correct co-functionality of the peripheral components connected to nRF9160.
Device manufacturer testing should focus on items such as the following:
• Module is not damaged during handling and assembly
• All module pins are successfully soldered (connectivity and no shorts)
• Module functionality in final product
• Communication to module MCU
• All interfaces between the module and the peripheral circuits
• RF performance and antenna connection
The primary method to implement these tests is by programming FW on the application MCU that will
control the chip during the test. The application MCU programming interface is defined in nRF9160
Product Specification. However, it is also possible to control the device through nRF9160 serial interface
by AT commands. It requires flashing appropriate firmware in the nRF9160 exposing AT command API into
physical interface. By this method nRF9160 can also be controlled not only in device production phase but
also in device manufacturer development phase.
Note: For more information about RF performance related test modes and other supported test
capabilities, see nRF91 AT Commands Reference Guide.
5.1 BB functional test
The nRF9160 programming interface can be used to test the digital interfaces. All GPIO and application
MCU peripherals are described in nRF9160 Product Specification and LTE modem related IO interfaces
(MAGPIO, MIPI RFFE, SIM) are accessed through AT commands described in nRF91 AT Commands
Reference Guide.
5.2 RF functional test
In this document, the focus is on RF test modes and methods.
Device testing can be done either as radiated measurement or as conducted test if the device has a RF test
connector. In both cases the test can be done with basic RF measurement equipment using the AT test
commands that set up the module to test modes bypassing the LTE signaling protocol.
The nRF9160 transceiver supports three main test modes for RF performance verification: RX, TX, and GPS
SNR test modes. A high level description of each test mode is given in the following sections.
Note: To avoid module damage during testing the nRF9160 antenna port must be terminated to
either suitable antenna or 50 Ω termination.
Note: Since the AT test commands enable to emit RF power bypassing the LTE signaling protocol
the emission can cause interference. This feature is thus only intended for use in controlled test
environments and shall not be used during normal module operation following the instructions in
Nordic Semiconductor documentation.
v1.0 12

Test modes
5.2.1 RX test
RX ON command enables the RF receiver with the given parameters. It also measures antenna power
with a time domain power meter and returns the measurement result. RX OFF command disables RF
receiver.
RX ON has a total of four input parameters:
Parameter Range Description
3GPP band number 1 to 66 nRF9160 supported bands
Frequency 100 kHz raster 6000 to 22000 Corresponds to 600 to 2200 MHz
System mode 0 to 1 NB1 = 0, M1 = 1
Signal level at antenna -127 to -25 Signal generator level at antenna [dBm]
Table 2: RX ON input parameters
The response to the test is RX signal power at antenna port measured by DUT given in q8 format. q8
format results can be converted into dBm value by dividing the result by 2^8 (= 256).
Figure 3: Example command
Test setup
Figure 4: RX test setup example
5.2.2 TX test
TX ON command enables RF transmitter with the given parameters. It also measures TX power with an
internal measurement receiver in time domain and returns the measurement result. TX OFF command
disables RF transmitter.
TX ON has a total of seven input parameters:
v1.0 13

Test modes
Parameter Range Description
3GPP band number 1 to 66 nRF9160 supported bands
Frequency 100 kHz raster 6000 to 22000 Corresponds to 600 to 2200 MHz
System mode 0 to 1 NB1 = 0, M1 = 1
Signal level at antenna -50 to +23 TX signal level at antenna port [dBm]
Modulation CW to 16QAM TX signal properties - options available depending
on selected system mode
RB or SC count 1 to 12 TX signal properties - options available depending
on selected system mode
RB or SC start position 0 to 11 TX signal properties - options available depending
on selected system mode
Table 3: TX ON input parameters
The response to the test is TX signal power at antenna port measured internally by DUT. The same TX
signal power can be measured with external measurement equipment connected to DUT antenna port.
Figure 5: Example command
Test setup
Figure 6: TX test setup example
5.2.3 GPS SNR test
GPS SNR ON command executes a GPS SNR test. GPS L1 frequency is 1575.42 MHz and this test expects
the CW in signal generator to be 1575.750 MHz, i.e. 330 kHz offset from the center frequency. The
measurement duration is 1 ms.
The test is disabled automatically after 1 ms and dedicated GPS SNR OFF command is not needed.
GPS SNR ON has a one input parameter:
v1.0 14

Test modes
Parameter Range Description
Signal level at antenna -127 to -25 Signal generator level at antenna [dBm]
Table 4: GPS SNR ON input parameters
The response to the test is GPS SNR value measured by DUT in q4 format. q4 format results can be
converted into dB value by dividing the result by 2^4 (= 16).
Test setup
Figure 7: GPS SNR test setup example
5.3 RF signaling test
If full functionality against LTE network is tested in device manufacturing, it is possible to set up a signaling
mode test either by live network test or by using a telecommunication tester.
The use of test equipment with LTE signaling capability is strongly recommended. If live network is used a
network with good coverage and known signal quality is needed. Typically, it is difficult to guarantee live
network quality over time and caution is needed in the interpretation of results. Live network signaling
mode test is done by setting up a data connection and checking RX signal quality through AT command.
v1.0 15

6Reference circuitry
To ensure good RF performance when designing PCBs, it is highly recommended to use the PCB layouts
and component values provided by Nordic Semiconductor.
Documentation for the different package reference circuits, including Altium Designer files, PCB layout
files, and PCB production files can be downloaded from www.nordicsemi.com.
Note: In this context reference circuitry illustrates the vehicle (i.e. nRF9160 Development Kit)
applicable for the nRF9160 module granted the FCC certifications listed in Supported FCC rules on
page 5. The given reference circuity is a valid generic example of an nRF9160 based final device but
does not limit the use of nRF9160 in any way.
6.1 Schematics
The following figure illustrates the reference schematics of nRF9160 Development Kit.
P0
.0
5
P0
.0
6
P0
.0
7
P0
.0
8
P0
.0
9
P0
.1
0
P0
.11
P0
.1
2
P0.13/AIN0
P0.16/AIN3 P0.14/AIN1
P0.15/AIN2 P0.17/AIN4 P0.19/AIN6
P0.18/AIN5
P0.20/AIN7
P0.21
P0.22 P0.23 P0.24
P0.25
P
0
.
2
6
P
0
.2
7
SIM_IO
SIM_CLK
SIM_RST SIM_1V8
P
0
.
3
0
P
0
.
2
8
P
0
.2
9
P0
.
3
1
SWDCLK SWDIO
1V8-3
V
3
VDD
_n
RF
VDD
_n
RF
P0
.0
0
P
0
.0
1
P
0
.0
2
P
0
.0
3
P
0
.0
4
nRESET
SCLK
SDATA
C4
4.7
µ
F
C1
4.7
µ
F
C
O
E
X1
COE
X
2
C2
4
.7
µ
F
R1
10k
EN
A
BL
E
MAGPIO
1
MAGPIO
2
DE
C0
C3
47µ
F
P0
.0
5
2
P0
.0
6
3
P0
.0
7
4
VD
D_GPIO
1
2
DEC0
1
3
P0
.0
8
1
5
P0
.0
9
1
6
P0
.1
0
1
8
P0
.1
1
1
9
P0
.1
2
2
0
VDD2
22
P0.13
23
P0.14
24
P0.15
25
P0.16
26
P0.17
28
P0.18
29
P0.19
30
nRESET
32
SWDCLK
33
SWDIO
34
P0.20
35
P0.21
37
P0.22
38
P0.23
39
P0.24
40
P0.25
42
SIM_RST
43
SIM_DET
45
SIM_CLK
46
SIM_IO
48
SIM_1V8
49
MAGPIO2 53
MAGPIO1 54
MAGPIO0 55
VIO 57
SCLK 58
SDATA 59
ANT 61
AUX 64
GPS 67
P
0
.26 83
P0.27 84 P0.28 86 P0.29 8
7
P
0
.30
8
8
P0
.
31 89
COEX2 91
C
OEX1
9
2
COEX0 9
3
P0.00
9
5
P0.01 96 P0.02 9
7
P0.03 9
9
P0.04 1
0
0
ENA
BL
E10
1
VD
D
11
0
2
nRF9160
M1A
nRF9160-SICA
RE
S
5
1
RE
S
7
3
RE
S
7
1
RE
S
7
0
G
N
D
6
9
G
N
D
6
8
RE
S
1
0
G
N
D
6
G
N
D
7
G
N
D
8
G
N
D
1
1
G
N
D
5
G
N
D
9
G
N
D
1
4
G
N
D
1
7
G
N
D
2
1
G
N
D
2
7
G
N
D
3
1
G
N
D
1
G
N
D
3
6
G
N
D
4
1
G
N
D
4
4
G
N
D
9
4
G
N
D
9
0
G
N
D
8
5
G
N
D
8
1
G
N
D
8
2
G
N
D
8
0
G
N
D
7
9
G
N
D
7
8
G
N
D
4
7
G
N
D
7
7
G
N
D
7
6
G
N
D
7
5
G
N
D
5
0
G
N
D
7
4
G
N
D
6
6
G
N
D
6
5
G
N
D
6
3
G
N
D
6
2
G
N
D
6
0
G
N
D
5
6
G
N
D
5
2
G
N
D
7
2
G
N
D
9
8
G
N
D
1
0
3
RE
S
1
0
4
RE
S
1
0
5
RE
S
1
0
6
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-SICA
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DD_G
PIO
LTE_RF
VIO
CO
E
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LNA
AUX_RF
GPS_RF
Optional
MATCH
MATCH
SIM_DET
Figure 8: nRF9160 reference schematics
6.2 Bill of materials
The bill of material (BOM) is TBD.
6.3 PCB layout
The PCB layout shown in Figure 9: nRF9160 reference layout, metal layer 1 (top) on page 17 and
Figure 10: nRF9160 reference layout, metal layer 2 on page 17 are part of the nRF9160 Development
Kit reference layout. The figures show the PCB design details of the area where the cellular antenna is
located.
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Reference circuitry
Figure 9: nRF9160 reference layout, metal layer 1 (top)
Figure 10: nRF9160 reference layout, metal layer 2
6.4 PCB specification
The nRF9160 Development Kit PCB stack-up and layer materials are shown in the following figure:
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Reference circuitry
Figure 11: nRF9160 reference PCB (Elprint’s 4-layer 4001 stack-up)
6.5 Antenna type
The antenna used in nRF9160 Development Kit is Ethertronics P822601 shown in the following figure.
The antenna is a universal broadband FR4 embedded LTE antenna generally suitable for various cellular
applications. Ethertronics’ Universal Broadband Embedded LTE/LPWA antenna utilizes Isolated Magnetic
Dipole™ (IMD) technology. For further details on the antenna, see the antenna supplier datasheet.
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Reference circuitry
Figure 12: nRF9160 Development Kit antenna
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7Regulatory information
This section contains information on certified bands and FCC/ISED regulatory notices for nRF9160.
7.1 Certified bands
The following table shows the FCC and ISED certified LTE-M1 bands for nRF9160.
Band FCC certification ISED certification
Band 2 Yes Yes
Band 4 Yes Yes
Band 5 Yes Yes
Band 12 Yes Yes
Band 13 Yes Yes
Band 14 Yes No
Band 17 Yes Yes
Band 25 Yes No
Band 26 Yes No
Band 66 Yes Yes
Table 5: FCC and ISED certified LTE-M1 bands
The following table shows the FCC and ISED certified LTE-NB1 bands for nRF9160.
Band FCC certification ISED certification
Band 2 Yes No
Band 4 Yes Yes
Band 5 Yes No
Band 12 Yes Yes
Band 13 Yes Yes
Band 17 Yes No
Band 25 Yes No
Band 26 Yes No
Band 66 Yes Yes
Table 6: FCC and ISED certified LTE-NB1 bands
For more information about the certified bands and the status of the ongoing certifications, see nRF9160
Certifications.
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