RF-Star RF-BM-ND10 User manual

RF-BM-ND10
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Shenzhen RF-star Technology Co., Ltd. Page 1 of 24
RF-BM-ND10 nRF52833
Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, NFC,
Thread and ZigBee Wireless Module
Version 1.0
Shenzhen RF-star Technology Co., Ltd.
May 25th, 2023
All rights reserved. Those responsible for unauthorized reproduction will be prosecuted.

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1 Device Overview
1.1 Description
RF-BM-ND10 is a multiprotocol Radio Frequency module based on Nordic nRF52833 SoC. It integrates a 32 MHz crystal,
512 KB Flash, and 128 KB RAM. Its 64 MHz ARM® Cortex®-M4 with FPU core processor can operate at an extremely
low current at flexible power modes. Its 2.4 GHz RF transceiver is compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy, Bluetooth
Mesh, Direction Finding AoA and AoD, Thread, ZigBee and NFC. Up to 8 dBm TX power makes the module a robust
coverage range. The module has wide range of analog and digital interfaces such as NFC-A, ADC, Full-speed 12 Mbps
USB 2.0, High-speed 32 MHz SPI, UART/SPI/TWI, PWM, I2S and PDM, which makes it be applicable in a number of
applications over USB with low power consumption.
1.2 Key Features
•RF Features
- Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy
- Bluetooth Mesh
- Direction find AoA and AoD
- IEEE 802.15.4-2006
⬧ZigBee
⬧Thread
- NFC
- Proprietary
- Nordic SoftDevice ready with support for concurrent
multiprotocol
•Data rates
- Bluetooth®5.3: 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, 500 kbps, and 125
kbps
- IEEE 802.15. 4-2006: 250 kbps
- Proprietary 2.4 GHz: 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps
•Receiving sensitivity
- -103 dBm for BLE 125 kbps (LE coded PHY)
- -96 dBm for 1 Mbps PHY
•TX Power: -20 dBm ~ +8 dBm, configurable in 4
dB steps
•Powerful 32-bit 64 MHz ARM® Cortex®-M4
processor with FPU
•Memory
- 512 KB flash
- 128 RAM
- Support OTA upgrade
•Wide Operation Range
- Power Supply: 1.7 V ~ 3.6 V
- Operating temperature: -40 °C to +85 °C
- Storage temperature: -40 °C to +125 °C
•Rich Peripherals
- 42 GPIOs
- USB 2.0 full speed (12 Mbps) controller
- High-speed 32 MHz SPI
- Type 2 near field communication (NFC-A) tag
with wake-on field
- Programmable peripheral interconnect (PPI)
- EasyDMA automated data transfer between
memory and peripherals
- 12-bit, 200 ksps ADC - 8 configurable channels
with programmable gain
- 64 level comparator
- 15 level low-power comparator with wake-up
from System OFF mode
- Temperature sensor
- 4x four channel pulse width modulator (PWM)
unit with EasyDMA
- Audio peripherals - I2S, digital microphone
interface (PDM)
- 5x 32-bit timer with counter mode
- Up to 4x SPI master/3x SPI slave with EasyDMA

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- Up to 2x I2C compatible two-wire master/slave
- 2x UART (CTS/RTS) with EasyDMA
- Quadrature decoder (QDEC)
- 3x real-time counter (RTC)
•Dimension: 33 mm x 17.7 mm x 2.1 mm
1.3 Applications
•Mouse and Keyboard
•Health/fitness sensor
•Monitor devices
•Wireless payment enabled devices
•Smart home sensor and controllers
•Industrial IoT sensor and controllers
•Remote controls
•Gaming controller
1.4 Functional Block Diagram
Figure 1. Functional Block Diagram of RF-BM-ND10
1.5 Part Number Conventions
The part numbers are of the form of RF-BM-ND10 where the fields are defined as follows:
Figure 2. Part Number Conventions of RF-BM-ND10
RF
BM
ND
Company Name
RF-STAR
Wireless Type
Bluetooth Module
Chipset
Nordic Series
-
-
10
Module Version
The 10th Version: nRF52833
nRF52833
GPIO
Debug
Reset
LC Filter
Power Supply
1.7 V ~ 3.6 V
32.0 MHz
Antenna
Matching
PCB Antenna
Antenna
Switch
Half-Hole Interface
IPEX Connector

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Table of Contents
1 Device Overview............................................................................................................................................................. 2
1.1 Description............................................................................................................................................................ 2
1.2 Key Features ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Applications.......................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.4 Functional Block Diagram .............................................................................................................................. 3
1.5 Part Number Conventions.............................................................................................................................. 3
Table of Contents................................................................................................................................................................ 4
2 Module Configuration and Functions ...................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Module Parameters........................................................................................................................................... 6
2.2 Module Pin Diagram ......................................................................................................................................... 7
2.3 Pin Functions....................................................................................................................................................... 7
3 Specifications .................................................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Recommended Operating Conditions .....................................................................................................10
3.2 Handling Ratings..............................................................................................................................................10
4 Application, Implementation, and Layout.............................................................................................................11
4.1 Module Photos..................................................................................................................................................11
4.2 Recommended PCB Footprint....................................................................................................................11
4.3 Schematic Diagram.........................................................................................................................................12
4.4 Reference Design............................................................................................................................................13
4.5 Antenna................................................................................................................................................................14
4.5.1 Antenna Design Recommendation ..............................................................................................14
4.5.2 Antenna Output Mode Modification..............................................................................................14
4.5.3 External Antenna Design Recommendation of the Half-Hole ANT Pin..........................15
4.5.4 IPEX Connector Specification........................................................................................................16
4.6 Basic Operation of Hardware Design ......................................................................................................17
4.7 Trouble Shooting..............................................................................................................................................18
4.7.1 Unsatisfactory Transmission Distance........................................................................................18
4.7.2 Vulnerable Module..............................................................................................................................18
4.7.3 High Bit Error Rate .............................................................................................................................18
4.8 Electrostatics Discharge Warnings ...........................................................................................................19
4.9 Soldering and Reflow Condition.................................................................................................................19

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5 Optional Package Specification ..............................................................................................................................21
6 Revision History ............................................................................................................................................................23
7 Contact Us.......................................................................................................................................................................24

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2 Module Configuration and Functions
2.1 Module Parameters
Table 1. Parameters of RF-BM-ND10
Chipset
nRF52833-QIAA
Supply Power Voltage
1.7 V ~ 3.6 V, recommended to 3.3 V
Frequency
2402 MHz ~ 2480 MHz
Transmit Power
-20 dBm ~ +8.0 dBm
Receiving Sensitivity
-103 dBm for BLE 125 kbps (LE coded PHY)
-96 dBm for 1 Mbps PHY
GPIO
42
Support Protocol
Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy, Bluetooth Mesh, AoA and AoD, Thread, ZigBee,
NFC and Proprietary
Crystal
32 MHz
Package
SMT packaging (1.27-mm half-hole pitch stamp stick)
Dimension
33.0 mm × 17.0 mm × 2.1 mm
Type of Antenna
PCB antenna / IPEX connector / Half-hole ANT interface
Operating Temperature
-40 ℃ ～ +85 ℃
Storage Temperature
-40 ℃ ～ +125 ℃

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2.2 Module Pin Diagram
Figure 3. Pin Diagram of RF-BM-ND10
2.3 Pin Functions
Table 2. Pin Functions of RF-BM-ND10
Pin
Name
Chip Pin
Function
Description
1
P0_09
P0.09
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
NFC1
NFC input
NFC antenna connection
2
P0_10
P0.10
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
NFC2
NFC input
NFC antenna connection
3
P0_25
P0.25
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
4
P0_23
P0.23
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
5
P1_05
P1.05
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
6
P1_03
P1.03
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
7
P0_19
P0.19
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
8
P0_03
P0.03
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN1
Analog input
Analog input

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9
P0_02
P0.02
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN0
Analog input
Analog input
10
P0_28
P0.28
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN4
Analog input
Analog input
11
P0_29
P0.29
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN5
Analog input
Analog input
12
P0_30
P0.30
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN6
Analog input
Analog input
13
P0_31
P0.31
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN7
Analog input
Analog input
14
P0_00
P0.00
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
XL1
Analog input
Connection for 32.768 kHz crystal
15
P0_01
P0.01
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
XL2
Analog input
Connection for 32.768 kHz crystal
16
P0_26
P0.26
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
17
P0_27
P0.27
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
18
P0_04
P0.04
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN2
Analog input
Analog input
19
P0_05
P0.05
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
AIN3
Analog input
Analog input
20
P0_06
P0.06
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
21
P0_07
P0.07
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
TRACECLK
Trace clock
Trace buffer clock
22
P0_08
P0.08
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
23
P1_08
P1.08
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
24
P1_09
P1.09
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
TRACEDATA3
Trace data
Trace buffer TRACEDATA[3]
25
P0_11
P0.11
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
TRACEDATA2
Trace data
Trace buffer TRACEDATA[2]
26
P0_12
P0.12
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
TRACEDATA1
Trace data
Trace buffer TRACEDATA[1]
27
VBUS
VBUS
USB Power
5 V input for USB 3.3 V regulator

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28
D-
D-
USB
USB D-
29
D+
D+
USB
USB D+
30
GND
GND
GND
31
VCC
VCC
VCC
Power supply: 1.7 V ~ 3.6 V, recommend to 3.3
V
32
P0_13
P0.13
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
33
P0_14
P0.14
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
34
P0_15
P0.15
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
35
P0_16
P0.16
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
36
P0_17
P0.17
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
37
P0_18
P0.18
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
nRESET
Configurable as pin RESET
38
P0_20
P0.20
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
39
P0_21
P0.21
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
40
P0_22
P0.22
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
41
P0_24
P0.24
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
42
P1_00
P1.00
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
TRACEDATA0
Trace data
Trace buffer TRACEDATA[0]
43
SWDIO
SWDIO
Debug
Serial wire debug I/O for debug and
programming
44
SWDCLK
SWDCLK
Debug
Serial wire debug clock input for debug and
programming
45
P1_01
P1.01
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
46
P1_02
P1.02
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
47
P1_04
P1.04
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
48
P1_06
P1.06
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
49
P1_07
P1.07
Digital I/O
General purpose I/O
50
GND
GND
GND
51
ANT
ANT
ANT
Half-hole ANT pin
52
GND
GND
GND

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3 Specifications
3.1 Recommended Operating Conditions
Functional operation does not guarantee performance beyond the limits of the conditional parameter values in the table
below. Long-term work beyond this limit will affect the reliability of the module more or less.
Table 3. Recommended Operating Conditions of RF-BM-ND10
Items
Condition
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
Operating Supply Voltage
Battery Mode
1.7
3.3
3.6
V
Operating Temperature
/
-40
+25
+85
℃
Environmental Hot Pendulum
/
-20
+20
℃/min
3.2 Handling Ratings
Table 4. Handling Ratings of RF-BM-ND10
Items
Condition
Min.
Typ.
Max.
Unit
Storage Temperature
Tstg
-40
+25
+125
℃
Human Body Model
HBM
±4000
V
Moisture Sensitivity Level
3
Charged Device Model
±750
V

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4 Application, Implementation, and Layout
4.1 Module Photos
Figure 4. Photos of RF-BM-ND10
4.2 Recommended PCB Footprint
Figure 5. Recommended PCB Footprint of RF-BM-ND10 (mm)

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4.3 Schematic Diagram
Figure 6. Schematic Diagram of RF-BM-ND10

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4.4 Reference Design
Figure 7. Reference Design of RF-BM-ND10

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4.5 Antenna
4.5.1 Antenna Design Recommendation
1. The antenna installation structure has a great influence on the module performance. It is necessary to ensure the
antenna is exposed and preferably vertically upward. When the module is installed inside of the case, a high-quality
antenna extension wire can be used to extend the antenna to the outside of the case.
2. The antenna must not be installed inside the metal case, which will cause the transmission distance to be greatly
weakened.
3. The recommendation of antenna layout.
The inverted-F antenna position on PCB is free-space electromagnetic radiation. The location and layout of the
antenna are key factors to increase the data rate and transmission range.
Therefore, the layout of the module antenna location and routing is recommended as follows:
(1) Place the antenna on the edge (corner) of the PCB.
(2) Make sure that there is no signal line or copper foil in each layer below the antenna.
(3) It is best to hollow out the antenna position in the following figure to ensure that the S11 of the module is
minimally affected.
Figure 8. Recommendation of Antenna Layout
Note: The hollow-out position is based on the antenna used.
4.5.2 Antenna Output Mode Modification
1. RF-BM-ND10 has three antenna output modes. An onboard PCB antenna, a stamp half-hole output (ANT pin, see
pin function table for details) and one IPEX connecter.
The default delivery is the onboard PCB antenna. If you want to use the external antenna by the ANT pin or IPEX
connector, pls unsolder the Capacitor in red circle and rotate it 90 degrees clockwise so that to put it into the yellow
circle location. The location of the Capacitor is shown in the figure below.

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Figure 9. Antenna Output Mode Change of RF-BM-ND10
4.5.3 External Antenna Design Recommendation of the Half-Hole ANT Pin
1. A Π-type matching circuit is reserved for the antenna, and 50 Ω impedance control is performed on the RF traces.
The traces are as short as possible, and 135° or arc traces are used as much as possible. No vias are used to
change layers. More GND vias are placed around the RF traces.
Figure 10. Reference Design of the External Antenna
Figure 11. Reference Design of the External Antenna Traces

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2. The RF trace width and copper-clad spacing can be calculated by SI9000 software, and the impedance is controlled
to 50 Ω according to the actual board thickness, number of layers, plate, dielectric thickness, dielectric constant,
copper thickness, line width, line spacing, and solder mask thickness.
Example: FR4 is a double-layer board with a thickness of 1.0 mm. Through calculation, the width of the trace is
0.8254 mm, and the spacing between traces and copper is 0.22 mm.
Figure 12. SI9000 Impedance Calculation Diagram
4.5.4 IPEX Connector Specification
RF-BM-ND10 module can be integrated with the IPEX version 1 antenna seat, the specification of the antenna seat is
as follows:
Figure 13. Specification of Antenna Seat

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The specification of the IPEX wire end is as follows:
Figure 14. Specification of IPEX Wire
4.6 Basic Operation of Hardware Design
1. It is recommended to offer the module a DC stabilized power supply, a tiny power supply ripple coefficient, and
reliable ground. Please pay attention to the correct connection between the positive and negative poles of the power
supply. Otherwise, the reverse connection may cause permanent damage to the module;
2. Please ensure the supply voltage is between the recommended values. The module will be permanently damaged
if the voltage exceeds the maximum value. Please ensure a stable power supply and no frequently fluctuating
voltage.
3. When designing the power supply circuit for the module, it is recommended to reserve more than 30% of the margin,
which is beneficial to the long-term stable operation of the whole machine. The module should be far away from the
power electromagnetic, transformer, high-frequency wiring, and other parts with large electromagnetic interference.
4. The bottom of the module should avoid high-frequency digital routing, high-frequency analog routing, and power
routing. If it has to route the wire on the bottom of the module, for example, it is assumed that the module is soldered
to the Top Layer, the copper must be spread on the connection part of the top layer and the module, and be close
to the digital part of the module and routed in the Bottom Layer (all copper is well-grounded).
5. Assuming that the module is soldered or placed in the Top Layer, it is also wrong to randomly route the Bottom Layer
or other layers, which will affect the spurs and receiving sensitivity of the module to some degree;
6. Assuming that there are devices with large electromagnetic interference around the module, which will greatly affect
the module performance. It is recommended to stay away from the module according to the strength of the

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interference. If circumstances permit, appropriate isolation and shielding can be done.
7. Assuming that there are routings of large electromagnetic interference around the module (high-frequency digital,
high-frequency analog, power routings), which will also greatly affect the module performance. It is recommended
to stay away from the module according to the strength of the interference. If circumstances permit, appropriate
isolation and shielding can be done.
8. It is recommended to stay away from devices whose TTL protocol is the same 2.4 GHz physical layer, for example,
USB 3.0.
4.7 Trouble Shooting
4.7.1 Unsatisfactory Transmission Distance
1. When there is a linear communication obstacle, the communication distance will be correspondingly weakened.
Temperature, humidity, and co-channel interference will lead to an increase in the communication packet loss rate.
The performance of ground absorption and reflection of radio waves will be poor when the module is tested close to
the ground.
2. Seawater has a strong ability to absorb radio waves, so the test results by the seaside are poor.
3. The signal attenuation will be very obvious if there is metal near the antenna or if the module is placed inside the
metal shell.
4. The incorrect power register set or the high data rate in the open air may shorten the communication distance. The
higher the data rate, the closer the distance.
5. The low voltage of the power supply is lower than the recommended value at ambient temperature, and the lower
the voltage, the smaller the power is.
6. The unmatchable antennas and modules or the poor quality of the antenna will affect the communication distance.
4.7.2 Vulnerable Module
1. Please ensure the supply voltage is between the recommended values. The module will be permanently damaged
if the voltage exceeds the maximum value. Please ensure a stable power supply and no frequently fluctuating
voltage.
2. Please ensure the anti-static installation and the electrostatic sensitivity of high-frequency devices.
3. Due to some humidity-sensitive components, please ensure suitable humidity during installation and application. If
there is no special demand, it is not recommended to use at too high or too low temperature.
4.7.3 High Bit Error Rate
1. There are co-channel signal interferences nearby. It is recommended to be away from the interference sources or
modify the frequency and channel to avoid interferences.

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2. The unsatisfactory power supply may also cause garbled. It is necessary to ensure the power supply's reliability.
3. If the extension wire or feeder wire is of poor quality or too long, the bit error rate will be high.
4.8 Electrostatics Discharge Warnings
The module will be damaged by the discharge of static. RF-star suggests that all modules should follow the 3 precautions
below:
1. According to the anti-static measures, bare hands are not allowed to touch modules.
2. Modules must be placed in anti-static areas.
3. Take the anti-static circuitry (when inputting HV or VHF) into consideration in product design.
Static may result in the degradation in performance of the module, even causing failure.
4.9 Soldering and Reflow Condition
1. Heating method: Conventional Convection or IR/convection.
2. Solder paste composition: Sn96.5/Ag3.0/Cu0.5
3. Allowable reflow soldering times: 2 times based on the following reflow soldering profile.
4. Temperature profile: Reflow soldering shall be done according to the following temperature profile.
5. Peak temperature: 245 ℃.
Table 5. Temperature Table of Soldering and Reflow
Profile Feature
Sn-Pb Assembly
Pb-Free Assembly
Solder Paste
Sn63 / Pb37
Sn96.5 / Ag3.0 / Cu0.5
Min. Preheating Temperature (Tmin)
100 ℃
150 ℃
Max. Preheating Temperature (Tmax)
150 ℃
200 ℃
Preheating Time (Tmin to Tmax) (t1)
60 s ~ 120 s
60 s ~ 120 s
Average Ascend Rate (Tmax to Tp)
Max. 3 ℃/s
Max. 3 ℃/s
Liquid Temperature (TL)
183 ℃
217 ℃
Time above Liquidus (tL)
60 s ~ 90 s
30 s ~ 90 s
Peak Temperature (Tp)
220 ℃~ 235 ℃
230 ℃~ 250 ℃
Average Descend Rate (Tpto Tmax)
Max. 6 ℃/s
Max. 6 ℃/s
Time from 25 ℃ to Peak Temperature (t2)
Max. 6 minutes
Max. 8 minutes
Time of Soldering Zone (tP)
20±10 s
20±10 s

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Figure 15. Recommended Reflow for Lead-Free Solder