Ublox NINA-B1 Series Quick setup guide

UBX-15026175 - R16
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NINA-B1 series
Stand-alone Bluetooth low energy modules
System integration manual
Abstract
This document describes the system integration of NINA-B1 series stand-
alone Bluetooth® low
energy modules. With embedded Bluetooth low energy stack and u-connectXpress
software, these
modules are tailored for OEMs who wish to have the shortest time-to-
market. The OEMs can also
embed their own application on top of the integrated Bluetooth low energy stack using Nordic SDK
or Arm® Mbed™ integrated development environment (IDE).


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Document information
Title NINA-B1 series
Subtitle Stand-alone Bluetooth low energy modules
Document type System integration manual
Document number UBX-15026175
Revision and date R16 31-Mar-2021
Disclosure restriction C1-Public
Document status descriptions
Draft For functional testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Objective specification Target values. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Advance information Data based on early testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Early production information Data from product verification. Revised and supplementary data may be published later.
Production information Document contains the final product specification.
This document applies to the following products:
Product name Document status
NINA-B111 Production information
NINA-B112 Production information
☞For information about the related hardware, software, and status of listed product types, refer
to the NINA-B1 data sheet [2].
u-blox or third parties may hold intellectual property rights in the products, names, logos and designs included in this
document. Copying, reproduction, modification or disclosure to third parties of this document or any part thereof is only
permitted with the express written permission of u
-blox.
The information contained herein is provided “as is” and u
-blox assumes no liability for its use. No warranty, either express or
implied, is given, including but not limited
to, with respect to the accuracy, correctness, reliability and fitness for a particular
purpose of the information. This document may be revised by u
-blox at any time without notice. For the most recent
documents, visit www.u
-blox.com.
Copyright © u
-blox AG.

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Contents
Document information .............................................................................................................................2
Contents .......................................................................................................................................................3
1System description ............................................................................................................................6
1.1 Overview and applications ........................................................................................................................6
1.2 Product features .........................................................................................................................................7
1.2.1 Module architecture...........................................................................................................................8
1.2.2 Hardware options ...............................................................................................................................8
1.2.3 Software options ................................................................................................................................8
1.3 Pin configuration and function.................................................................................................................8
1.4 Supply interfaces ........................................................................................................................................8
1.4.1 Main supply input ...............................................................................................................................8
1.4.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO)........................................................................9
1.4.3 VCC application circuits ....................................................................................................................9
1.5 System function interfaces ....................................................................................................................10
1.5.1 Module reset ......................................................................................................................................10
1.5.2 Internal temperature sensor ..........................................................................................................10
1.6 Debug – Serial Wire Debug (SWD) .........................................................................................................10
1.7 Serial interfaces ........................................................................................................................................10
1.7.1 Universal Asynchronous Serial Interface (UART) ......................................................................10
1.7.2 Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).....................................................................................................11
1.7.3 I2C interface.......................................................................................................................................11
1.8 GPIO pins.....................................................................................................................................................11
1.8.1 Analog interfaces..............................................................................................................................12
1.9 Antenna interfaces...................................................................................................................................13
1.9.1 Antenna pin – NINA-B111 ...............................................................................................................13
1.9.2 Integrated antenna – NINA-B112..................................................................................................14
1.9.3 NFC antenna......................................................................................................................................14
1.10Reserved pins (RSVD) ..............................................................................................................................14
1.11GND pins .....................................................................................................................................................14
2Software ............................................................................................................................................. 15
2.1 u-connectXpress software......................................................................................................................15
2.1.1 Standard edition ...............................................................................................................................15
2.1.2 Mesh edition ......................................................................................................................................15
2.2 Open CPU....................................................................................................................................................16
2.2.1 Nordic SDK .........................................................................................................................................16
2.2.2 Zephyr .................................................................................................................................................19
2.2.3 Arm Mbed OS ....................................................................................................................................20
2.2.4 Wirepas Mesh....................................................................................................................................24
2.2.5 Saving Bluetooth MAC address and other production data....................................................24
2.3 Flashing the NINA-B1 module ................................................................................................................25

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2.3.1 Flashing over UART..........................................................................................................................25
2.3.2 Flashing over the SWD interface...................................................................................................33
3Design-in............................................................................................................................................. 36
3.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................................36
3.2 Module placement precautions .............................................................................................................36
3.3 Antenna interface.....................................................................................................................................36
3.3.1 RF transmission line design (NINA-B111 only) ..........................................................................37
3.3.2 Antenna design (NINA-B111 only) ................................................................................................38
3.3.3 On-board antenna design (NINA-B112 only) ..............................................................................41
3.4 Supply interfaces ......................................................................................................................................42
3.4.1 Module supply design ......................................................................................................................42
3.5 Data communication interfaces ............................................................................................................42
3.5.1 Asynchronous serial interface (UART) design............................................................................42
3.5.2 Serial peripheral interface (SPI).....................................................................................................42
3.5.3 I2C interface .......................................................................................................................................42
3.6 NFC interface.............................................................................................................................................42
3.6.1 Battery protection ............................................................................................................................43
3.7 General High Speed layout guidelines ..................................................................................................43
3.7.1 General considerations for schematic design and PCB floor-planning.................................43
3.7.2 Module placement ............................................................................................................................43
3.7.3 Layout and manufacturing.............................................................................................................44
3.8 Module footprint and paste mask .........................................................................................................44
3.9 Thermal guidelines ...................................................................................................................................44
3.10ESD guidelines...........................................................................................................................................45
4Handling and soldering................................................................................................................... 46
4.1 Packaging, shipping, storage and moisture preconditioning ..........................................................46
4.2 Handling......................................................................................................................................................46
4.3 Soldering .....................................................................................................................................................46
4.3.1 Reflow soldering process ................................................................................................................46
4.3.2 Cleaning ..............................................................................................................................................47
4.3.3 Other remarks ...................................................................................................................................48
5Qualifications and approvals ........................................................................................................ 49
6Product testing................................................................................................................................. 50
6.1 u-blox in-series production test .............................................................................................................50
6.2 OEM manufacturer production test .....................................................................................................50
6.2.1 “Go/No go” tests for integrated devices ......................................................................................51
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 52
AGlossary .............................................................................................................................................. 52
BAntenna reference designs ........................................................................................................... 53
B.1.1 Floor plan ............................................................................................................................................54
CXMODEM code example ................................................................................................................. 56
DUpgrading software 3.0.1 or earlier over UART....................................................................... 58

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D.1 Upgrading the boot loader ......................................................................................................................58
D.1.1 Using s-center ...................................................................................................................................58
D.1.2 Using the nrfutil utility from the command prompt..................................................................59
D.1.3 Using an embedded MCU................................................................................................................59
D.2 Upgrading the application SW ...............................................................................................................60
D.2.1 Using s-center ...................................................................................................................................60
D.2.2 Using an embedded MCU................................................................................................................60
Related documents ................................................................................................................................ 61
Revision history ....................................................................................................................................... 62
Contact....................................................................................................................................................... 63

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1System description
1.1 Overview and applications
NINA-B1 series modules are small stand-alone Bluetooth low energy modules featuring Bluetooth 5,
a powerful Arm®Cortex®-M4 with FPU, and state-of-the-art power performance. The embedded low
power crystal in NINA-B1 minimizes power consumption, thus extending the battery life.
The NINA-B1 is delivered with u-connectXpress software that provides support for u-blox Bluetooth
low energy Serial Port Service, GATT client and server, beacons, NFC™, and simultaneous peripheral
and central roles – all configurable from a host by using AT commands.
NINA-B1 offers full flexibility for customers who prefer to add their application to run on the built-in
Cortex-M4 with FPU. With 512 kB flash and 64 kB RAM, it offers the best-in-class capacity for
customer applications running on top of the Bluetooth low energy stack using the Software
Development Kit (SDK) from Nordic Semiconductor or Arm® Mbed™. Additionally, NFC and interfaces
such as SPI, I2C, and I2S are available, and features like Bluetooth Mesh, AirFuel, and Apple HomeKit
are also supported. In combination with Wirepas Connectivity stack, NINA-B1 can form large-scale
industrial mesh networks for several applications, such as lighting, asset tracking, and metering.
NINA-B112 comes with an internal antenna and NINA-B111 has a pin for use with an external antenna.
The internal PIFA antenna is specifically designed for the small NINA-B1 form factor and provides an
extensive range of more than 300 m, independent of ground plane and component placement.
The module is globally certified for use with the internal antenna or a range of external antennas. This
reduces time and effort for customers integrating NINA-B1 in their designs.

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1.2 Product features
Table 1: NINA-B1 series main features summary

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1.2.1 Module architecture
Figure 1: Block diagram of NINA-B1 series
1.2.2 Hardware options
The NINA-B1 series modules use an identical hardware configuration except for the different PCB
sizes and antenna solutions. An on board 32.768 kHz low power crystal is always included and an
integrated DC/DC converter for higher efficiency under heavy load situations.
1.2.3 Software options
NINA-B1 can be used either together with the pre-flashed u-connectXpress software, or as an Open
CPU module with which you can run your own applications developed with either Arm® Mbed™, Nordic
SDK, or embedded Wirepas Mesh development environment in NINA-B1. See also section 2.
u-connectXpress comes with separate mesh software and is available for download from the NINA-B1
product page on the u-blox website.
1.3 Pin configuration and function
See the NINA-B1 series data sheet [2] for information about pin configuration and function.
1.4 Supply interfaces
1.4.1 Main supply input
The NINA-B1 series uses an integrated DC/DC converter to transform the supply voltage presented
at the VCC pin into a stable system core voltage. Due to this, the NINA-B1 modules are compatible for
use in battery powered designs.
DC/DC and LDO regulators
512 kB Flash
BLE baseband
Cryptographic
hardware
accelerators
IO Buffers
Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU
Antenna
NINA-B112
PLL
VCC_IO (1.7
– 3.6 V)
VCC (1.7
- 3.6 V)
32 MHz
Reset
UART
SPI
GPIO
1.3 V
System
power
I2C
PWM
I2S
ADC and
comparator
Analog
Passive NFC tag
NFC
64 kB RAM
PLL
32.768 kHz
Low power crystal
RTC
RF
Antenna pin
NINA-B111
Nordic Semiconductor
nRF52832

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While using NINA-B1 with a battery, it is important that the battery type can handle the peak power
of the module. In case of battery supply, consider adding extra capacitance on the supply line to avoid
capacity degradation. See the NINA-B1 series data sheet [2] for information about voltage supply
requirement and current consumption.
Table 2: Summary of voltage supply requirements
☞The current requirement shown in Table 2 is given for u-connectXpress software with UART
communication. It does not include any additional I/O current required for the use of any
external push buttons, LEDs, or other interfaces. The peak current consumption of the entire
design must be considered in battery powered solutions.
1.4.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO)
On the NINA-B1 series modules, the I/O voltage level is the same as the supply voltage and VCC_IO is
internally connected to the supply input VCC.
When using NINA-B1 with a battery, the I/O voltage level will vary with the battery output voltage,
depending on the charge of the battery. Level shifters might be needed depending on the I/O voltage
of the host system.
1.4.3 VCC application circuits
The power for NINA-B1 series modules is provided any of the following sources through the VCC pins:
•Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS)
•Low Drop Out (LDO) regulator
•Battery
An SMPS is the ideal choice when the available primary supply source has higher value than the
operating supply voltage of the NINA-B1 series modules. The use of an SMPS provides the best power
efficiency for the overall application and minimizes current drawn from the main supply source.
⚠While selecting SMPS, ensure that the AC voltage ripple at switching frequency is kept as low as
possible. Layout shall be implemented to minimize impact of high frequency ringing.
The use of an LDO linear regulator is convenient for a primary supply with a relatively low voltage
where the typical 85-90% efficiency of the switching regulator leads to minimal current saving. Linear
regulators are not recommended for high voltage step-down as they will dissipate a considerable
amount of energy.
DC-DC efficiency should be evaluated as a tradeoff between active and idle duty cycle of the specific
application. Although some DC-DC converters can achieve high efficiency at extremely light loads, the
typical DC-DC efficiency quickly degrades as the idle current drops below a few mA. The degradation
has negative impact on the battery life.
Due to the low current consumption and wide voltage range of the NINA-B1 series module, a battery
can be used as a main supply. The capacity of the battery should be selected to match the application.
Care should be taken so that the battery can deliver the peak current required by the module. See the
NINA-B1 series data sheet [2]
for electrical specifications.
It is best practice to include decoupling capacitors on the supply rails close to the
NINA-B1 series module. Depending on the design of the power routing on the host system,
capacitance might not be needed.
Rail Voltage requirement Current requirement (peak)
VCC 1.7 V–3.6 V 15 mA

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1.5 System function interfaces
1.5.1 Module reset
You can reset the NINA-B1 modules by applying a low level on the RESET_N input pin, which is
normally set high with an internal pull-up. This causes an “external” or “hardware” reset of the module.
The current parameter settings are not saved in the non-volatile memory of the module and a proper
network detach is not performed.
1.5.2 Internal temperature sensor
The radio chip in the NINA-B1 module contains a temperature sensor used for over temperature and
under temperature shutdown.
⚠The temperature sensor is located inside the radio chip and should not be used if an accurate
temperature reading of the surrounding environment is required.
1.6 Debug – Serial Wire Debug (SWD)
The primary interface for debug is the SWD interface. The SWD interface can also be used for
software upgrade.
The two pins, SWDIO and SWDCLK should be made accessible on header or test points.
1.7 Serial interfaces
⚠Depending on whether NIINA-B1 is used with u-connectXpress software or open CPU based
application, the available interfaces and pin mapping can differ. NINA-B1 pin configurations and
module functions are described in the data sheet [2].
1.7.1 Universal Asynchronous Serial Interface (UART)
NINA-B1 series modules support a Universal Asynchronous Serial Interface (UART) for data
communication.
The following UART signals are available:
•Data lines (RXD as input, TXD as output)
•Hardware flow control lines (CTS as input, RTS as output)
•DSR and DTS are used to set and indicate system modes
The UART can be used as both 4 wire UART with hardware flow control and 2-wire UART with only
TXD and RXD. If using the UART in 2-wire mode, CTS should be connected to GND on the NINA-B1
module.
Depending on the bootloader used, the UART interface can also be used for software upgrade. See
the Software section for more information.
The u-connectXpress software adds the DSR and DTR pins to the UART interface. These pins are not
used as they were originally intended but these control the state of the NINA-B1 module. Depending
on the current configuration, the DSR can be used to:
•Enter command mode
•Disconnect and/or toggle connectable status
•Enable/disable the rest of the UART interface
•Enter/wake up from the sleep mode
See the NINA-B1 series data sheet [2] for characteristic information about the UART interface.

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Interface Default configuration
COM port 115200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, hardware flow control
Table 3: u-connectXpress default settings for the COM port
It is advisable to make the UART available through test points or a header for the software upgrade.
The IO level of the UART follows the VCC voltage and can therefore be in the range of 1.8–3.6 V. Use a
level shifter if you are connecting NINA-B1 to a host device that uses any other voltage on the UART
interface.
1.7.2 Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)
NINA-B1 supports up to three serial peripheral interfaces that can operate in master and slave modes
with a maximum serial clock frequency of 8 MHz in both modes. The SPI interface uses four signals:
•SCLK
•MOSI
•MISO
•CS
When using the SPI interface in master mode, you can configure GPIO pins as additional Chip Select
(CS) signals to address multiple slaves.
1.7.3 I2C interface
Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) interfaces are used to transfer or receive data on a 2-wire bus network.
NINA-B1 modules can operate as both master and slave on the I2C bus, using both standard
(100 kbps) and fast (400 kbps) transmission speeds. The interface uses SCL to clock instructions
and SDAto clock data.
External pull-up resistors are required for the I2C interface. The value of the resistors depends on the
speed and capacitance of the bus.
1.8 GPIO pins
NINA-B1 series modules includes up to 19 pins that can be configured as general-purpose input or
output. 7 GPIO pins are capable of handling analog functionality. All pins can handle interrupts.
Function Description Default NINA-B1 pin Configurable GPIOs
General purpose
input
Digital input with configurable edge detection and
interrupt generation.
Any
General purpose
output
Digital output with configurable drive strength, pull-up,
pull-down, open-source, open-drain and/or slew rate.
Any
Pin disabled Pin is disconnected from input buffers and output drivers. All* Any
Timer/ counter High precision time measurement between two pulses/
Pulse counting with interrupt/event generation.
Any
Interrupt/ Event
trigger
Interrupt/event trigger to the software application/ Wake
up event.
Any
ADC input 8/10/12-bit analog to digital converter Any analog
Analog comparator
input
Compare two voltages, capable of generating wake-up
events and interrupts
Any analog
PWM output Output complex pulse width modulation waveforms Any
Connection status
indication
Indicates whether a Bluetooth LE connection is maintained BLUE** Any
* = If left unconfigured ** = If using u-connectXpress software
Table 4: GPIO custom functions configuration

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1.8.1 Analog interfaces
8 out of the 19 digital GPIOs can be multiplexed to analog functions. The following analog functions
are available for use:
•1x 8-channel ADC
•1x Analog comparator*
•1x Low-power analog comparator*
*Only one of the comparators can be used simultaneously.
ADC
The Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) samples up to 200 kHz using different inputs as sample
triggers. Table 5 shows the sample speed correlation with respect to the maximum source
impedance. It supports 8/10/12-bit resolution. Any of the 8 analog inputs can be used as single-ended
inputs and differential pairs to measure the input voltage. The ADC supports the full 0 V–VCC input
range.
Table 5: Acquisition versus source impedance
Comparator
The comparator compares voltages from any analog pin with different references, as shown in Table
6. It supports the full 0 V–VCC input range and can generate different software events for the rest of
the system.
Low power comparator
The low-power comparator operates in the same way as the normal comparator, with reduced
functionality. It can be used during system OFF modes as a wake-up source.
ACQ [us] Maximum source resistance [k
Ω
]
3 10
5 40
10 100
15 200
20 400
40 800

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Analog pin options
The following table shows the supported connections of the analog functions.
☞An analog pin may not be simultaneously connected to multiple functions.
Table 6: Possible uses of analog pin
1.9 Antenna interfaces
☞The antenna interface is different for each module variant in the NINA-B1 series.
1.9.1 Antenna pin – NINA-B111
NINA-B111 is equipped with an RF pin. The pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of 50 Ωand
must be connected to the antenna through a 50 Ωtransmission line. This allows the reception of radio
frequency (RF) signals in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
For the best electrical performance and overall module functionality, choose an antenna with optimal
radiating characteristics. Use an internal antenna integrated on the application board, or an external
antenna that is connected to the application board through a proper 50 Ωconnector.
When using an external antenna, the PCB-to-RF-cable transition must be implemented using either
a suitable 50 Ωconnector or an RF-signal solder pad (including GND) that is optimized for 50 Ω
characteristic impedance.
Antenna matching
The antenna return loss should be as good as possible across the entire band when the system is
operational to provide optimal performance. The enclosure, shields, components, and surrounding
environment impact the return loss seen at the antenna port. Matching components are often
required to re-tune the antenna to bring the return loss within an acceptable range.
It is difficult to predict the actual matching values for the antenna in the final form factor. Therefore,
it is a good practice to have a placeholder in the circuit with a “pi” network, with two shunt components
and a series component in the middle. This arrangement allows maximum flexibility when adjusting
the tuning to match the antenna feed.
Approved antenna designs
NINA-B1 modules come with a pre-certified design that can be used to save costs and time during the
certification process. To take advantage of this service, the customer is required to implement
antenna layout according to u-blox reference designs. The reference design is described in
Appendix
B.
The designer integrating a u-blox reference design into an end-product is solely responsible for the
unintentional emission levels produced by the end-product.
The module may be integrated with other antennas. In this case, the OEM installer must certify his
design with respective regulatory agencies.
Analog function Connects to
ADC single-ended input Any analog pin or VCC
ADC differential input Any analog pin or VCC pair
Comparator IN+ Any analog pin
Comparator IN- Pin 24 or 25, VCC, 1.2 V, 1.8 V, 2.4 V
Low-power comparator IN+ Any analog pin
Low-power comparator IN- Pin 24 or 25, 1/16 to 15/16 VCC in steps of 1/16 VCC

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1.9.2 Integrated antenna – NINA-B112
NINA-B112 is equipped with an integrated antenna on the module. This simplifies the integration as
no need for an RF trace design on the host PCB. By using the NINA-B112 with integrated antenna, the
certification of the NINA-B1 series modules can be reused – minimizing test lab overheads.
1.9.3 NFC antenna
NINA-B1 series modules include a Near Field Communication interface that can operate as a
13.56 MHz NFC tag at a bit rate of 106 kbps. As an NFC tag, data can be read from or written to
NINA-B1 using an NFC reader; however, NINA-B1 modules are not capable of reading other tags or
initiating NFC communications. Two pins are available for connecting to an external NFC antenna:
NFC1 and NFC2.
1.10 Reserved pins (RSVD)
Do not connect reserved (RSVD) pins. Reserved pins can be allocated for future interfaces and
functionality.
1.11 GND pins
Good connection of the module's GND pins with solid ground layer of the host application board is
required for correct RF performance. It significantly reduces EMC issues and provides a thermal heat
sink for the module.
See also sections 3.8 and 3.9 sections for information about ground design.

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2Software
NINA-B1 series modules can be used with pre-flashed u-connectXpress software or used as an Open
CPU module in combination with your own application. In Open CPU solutions, applications are
developed in the Arm Mbed, Nordic Software Development Kit (SDK), or Wirepas environments
embedded in the module.
NINA-B1 series software comprises:
•SoftDevice S132 Bluetooth® low energy (Bluetooth LE) central and peripheral protocol stack
•Optional bootloader
•Application
Figure 2: NINA-B1 software structure and available software options
2.1 u-connectXpress software
2.1.1 Standard edition
NINA-B1 series modules are delivered with pre-flashed u-connectXpress software.
The u-connectXpress software enables the use of Bluetooth Low Energy functions that are controlled
over the UART interface with AT commands. The supported features include the u-blox Low Energy
Serial Port Service, GATT server and client, central and peripheral roles, and multidrop connections.
For more information about the features capabilities, and use of u-connectXpress software, see the
u-connectXpress software user guide [3] and u-connectXpress AT commands manual [4].
2.1.2 Mesh edition
u-connectXpress is also available as a separate mesh edition that is available for download from the
u-blox website. For more information about Implementing Bluetooth mesh with u-connectXpress,
refer to the application note [21].

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2.2 Open CPU
2.2.1 Nordic SDK
With a broad selection of drivers and libraries, the Nordic nRF5 Software Development Kit (SDK)
provides a rich developing environment for different devices and applications. The SDK is delivered in
a plain .zip archive that is easy to install. It comes with support for Segger Embedded Studio, Keil
μVision, GCC make files, and IAR support, which gives you the opportunity to choose the IDE and
compiler.
Getting started on the Nordic nRF5 SDK
To get started with the Nordic Semiconductor toolchain:
1) Download the nRF Connect for Desktop PC application from www.nordicsemi.com and install the
Programmer app to program over the SWD interface.
2) Download and install the latest SEGGER Embedded Studio from www.segger.com.
3) Go to http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Bluetooth-low-energy/nRF5-SDK. Download
and extract the latest nRF5 SDK to the directory you want to use with the nRF5 SDK.
4) Read the available SDK release notes and nRF5 Software Development Kit documentation from
the Nordic Semiconductor Infocenter [13].
2.2.1.1.1 Nordic tools
More information and links to all available tools, as well as the supported compilers, can be found in
the Nordic info center https://www.nordicsemi.com/Software-and-Tools
2.2.1.1.2 Support – Nordic development forum
For support on questions related to the development of software using the Nordic SDK, refer to the
Nordic Semiconductor Software and Tools page https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/
Create a custom board for Nordic nRF5 SDK
The predefined hardware boards, included in the Nordic nRF5 SDK, are Nordic development boards.
To add support for a custom board, you create a custom board support file. The file is normally
saved in the folder …\components\boards\ or together with the sdk_config.h file in the same config
folder shown in the Figure 3 example. The given file locations are compatible with Nordic nRF5 SDK,
version 17.0.

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Figure 3shows an example that describes what the custom board support file might look like for
EVK-NINA-B1.
Figure 3: Example of EVK-NINA-B1 custom board support file
The board file can also be downloaded from the u-blox shortrange open CPU github repository [17].
To make the build system, use your custom board file and define the build variable BOARD_CUSTOM in
the build configuration. If you build on an existing example, undefine the default BOARD_PCA10040.
#ifndef BOARD_CUSTOM_H
#define BOARD_CUSTOM_H
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
#include "nrf_gpio.h"
// In this case PIN 16 is used as button SW1, if the green led
// should be used it is possible to defined that one instead.
#define LEDS_NUMBER 2
#define LED_1 8 // Red
#define LED_2 18 // Blue
#define LEDS_ACTIVE_STATE 0
#define LEDS_LIST { LED_1, LED_2 }
#define BSP_LED_0 LED_1
#define BSP_LED_1 LED_2
#define LEDS_INV_MASK LEDS_MASK
#define BUTTONS_NUMBER 2
#define BUTTON_1 16 // SW1
#define BUTTON_2 30 // SW2
#define BUTTON_PULL NRF_GPIO_PIN_PULLUP
#define BUTTONS_ACTIVE_STATE 0
#define BUTTONS_LIST { BUTTON_1, BUTTON_2 }
#define BSP_BUTTON_0 BUTTON_1
#define BSP_BUTTON_1 BUTTON_2
#define RX_PIN_NUMBER 5
#define TX_PIN_NUMBER 6
#define CTS_PIN_NUMBER 7
#define RTS_PIN_NUMBER 31
#define HWFC true
#define SPIS_MISO_PIN 12 // SPI MISO signal.
#define SPIS_CSN_PIN 11 // SPI CSN signal.
#define SPIS_MOSI_PIN 13 // SPI MOSI signal.
#define SPIS_SCK_PIN 14 // SPI SCK signal.
#define SPIM0_SCK_PIN 14 // SPI clock GPIO pin number.
#define SPIM0_MOSI_PIN 13 // SPI Master Out Slave In GPIO pin number.
#define SPIM0_MISO_PIN 12 // SPI Master In Slave Out GPIO pin number.
#define SPIM0_SS_PIN 11 // SPI Slave Select GPIO pin number.
// Low frequency clock source to be used by the SoftDevice
#define NRF_CLOCK_LFCLKSRC {.source = NRF_CLOCK_LF_SRC_XTAL, \
.rc_ctiv = 0, \
.rc_temp_ctiv = 0, \
.xtal_accuracy = NRF_CLOCK_LF_XTAL_ACCURACY_20_PPM}
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
#endif // BOARD CUSTOM H

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Adding the board configuration to your project
A flexible way of adding a board to your project is to add a new build configuration to your Segger
Studio project, and then use this to select the correct board file for the build. By adding several
configurations, you can build several targets from the same Segger Studio project.
Use the following procedure to build from both your custom board and EVK-NINA-B1 and run your
code on both a u-blox EVK and your custom board:
1) Add a build configuration in the Segger Studio project.
Figure 4: Add a build configuration to Segger Studio
2) Configure the build configuration to use your board definition. Assuming that you are basing
your project on an example from the Nordic nRF5 SDK, remember to undefine the configuration
for the original board, as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 5: Accessing the settings for the board configuration

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Figure 6 Setting up board configuration to use evk_nina_b1.h board file
The build for your configuration now uses your custom board file.
2.2.2 Zephyr
Zephyr [16] is a widely adopted open-source Real Time Operating System (RTOS) that is supported
on a multitude of chipsets, including the nRF52832 chip in the NINA-B1 module. The Zephyr project
is supported by the Linux Foundation.
Nordic Semiconductor provides the nRF Connect SDK for development using the Zephyr OS, but it is
also possible to use other editors with for example a command-line environment for building.
Getting started with Zephyr on the NINA-B1 module
To get started with Zephyr:
1) Install the Toolchain Manager from the
nRF Connect for Desktop application and from there
install the nRF Connect SDK. For more information, see the nRF Connect SDK page [20]
2) If a command line environment is preferred, refer to the Getting Started section on the Zephyr
website [16] for more information.
Defining a board configuration in Zephyr
The Zephyr OS is like Linux and uses a similar structure of make files and config files as the Linux
kernel. It also uses a device tree file to set up the pin mapping for your board.
Although an example configuration for EVK-NINA-B1 is not yet included in the Zephyr distribution,
the configuration can be downloaded from the u-blox shortrange open CPU github repository [17].
Copy the configuration to the <install directory>/zephyr/boards/arm folder and the build the
project in your preferred environment.

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Building for the EVK-NINA-B1 using nRF Connect SDK
To build the Zephyr blinky sample using the nRF Connect SDK, open the sample as shown in Figure 7.
You can then build and flash from within Segger Studio.
Figure 7: Opening blinky sample for the NINA-B1 EVK
Building for NINA-B1 EVK using the Zephyr command-line environment
To build and flash the “blinky” sample from Zephyr for the NINA-B1 EVK, move to the zephyr folder in
your installation on the shell prompt and enter:
~/zephyrproject/zephyr$ west build -b ubx_evkninab1_nrf52832 samples/basic/blinky
~/zephyrproject/zephyr$ west flash
The example board configuration also contains several documentation files that can be included in
your local documentation. The files are in reStructuredText format.
For information on how to generate HTML or PDF output from these files, refer to the Zephyr Project
documentation [18] .
2.2.2.4.1 Support – Nordic development forum
For support on questions related to the development of software using the nRF Connect SDK, refer
to the Nordic Semiconductor Software and Tools page https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/
2.2.3 Arm Mbed OS
Arm Mbed OS is an open-source embedded operating system designed specifically for the "things" in
the Internet of Things. It includes all the features to develop a connected product, including security,
connectivity, an RTOS, and drivers for sensors and I/O devices. With an RTOS core based on the widely
used open-source CMSIS-RTOS RTX, Arm Mbed OS supports deterministic, multithreaded, real-time
software execution. Arm Mbed OS has native support for building across the Arm Compiler 5, GCC,
and IAR compiler toolchains.