Ublox XPLR-IOT-1 User manual
UBX-21035674 - R02
C1-Public www.u-blox.com
XPLR-IOT-1
Explorer application platform
User guide
Abstract
This document describes the hardware and software architecture and user programming of the
XPLR-IOT-1 application platform. Providing a complete platform for developing various proof-of-
concept IoT applications, the XPLR-IOT-1 showcases products from all u-blox product centers -
including NORA-B106 and NINA-W156 short range radio modules, SARA-R510S cellular modules,
MAX-M10S satellite positioning modules, and the Thingstream IoT service delivery platform.
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Document information
Title
XPLR-IOT-1
Subtitle
Explorer application platform
Document type
User guide
Document number
UBX-21035674
Revision and date
R02
20-Jun-2022
Disclosure restriction
C1-Public
Product status
Corresponding content status
In development /
Prototype
Objective specification
Target values. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Engineering sample
Advance information
Data based on early testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Initial production
Early production information
Data from product verification. Revised and supplementary data may be published later.
Mass production /
End of life
Production information
Document contains the final product specification.
This document applies to the following products:
Product name
Ordering code
Product status
XPLR-IOT-1
XPLR-IOT-1
Engineering Sample
u-blox or third parties may hold intellectual property rights in the products, names, logos, and designs included in this
document. Copying, reproduction, or modification of this document or any part thereof is only permitted with the express
written permission of u-blox. Disclosure to third parties is permitted for clearly public documents only.
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
1Product description ..............................................................................................................................5
1.1 Kit includes ................................................................................................................................................... 6
2Hardware architecture.........................................................................................................................7
3Platform description.............................................................................................................................8
3.1 PCBA ..............................................................................................................................................................8
3.1.1 PCBA component side .......................................................................................................................9
3.1.2 PCBA antenna ...................................................................................................................................10
3.2 Power and reset subsystem ...................................................................................................................10
3.2.1 Power and charging status.............................................................................................................11
3.2.2 Power supplies...................................................................................................................................11
3.2.3 Power and current measurement..................................................................................................12
3.2.4 System reset .....................................................................................................................................13
3.3 Serial subsystem.......................................................................................................................................14
3.4 u-blox modules...........................................................................................................................................15
3.4.1 NORA-B106 –short range radio ....................................................................................................15
3.4.2 NINA-W156 –short range...............................................................................................................18
3.4.3 SARA-R510S –cellular ....................................................................................................................20
3.4.4 MAX-M10S –positioning.................................................................................................................22
3.5 I2C sensors .................................................................................................................................................25
3.5.1 Environmental sensor......................................................................................................................25
3.5.2 Accelerometer ...................................................................................................................................25
3.5.3 Magnetometer ..................................................................................................................................25
3.5.4 Gyroscope...........................................................................................................................................25
3.5.5 Ambient light sensor........................................................................................................................26
3.5.6 Battery gauge ....................................................................................................................................26
3.5.7 Qwiic connector.................................................................................................................................26
3.6 NFC ..............................................................................................................................................................26
3.7 Test points .................................................................................................................................................27
3.8 Jumpers......................................................................................................................................................30
4USB connection................................................................................................................................... 31
5Module firmware updates................................................................................................................ 33
5.1 NORA-B1.....................................................................................................................................................33
5.1.1 Bootloader ..........................................................................................................................................33
5.1.2 SWD.....................................................................................................................................................33
5.2 NINA-W15...................................................................................................................................................33
5.3 SARA-R5 .....................................................................................................................................................34
5.4 MAX-M10....................................................................................................................................................34
6Application development................................................................................................................. 35
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6.1 NORA-B1.....................................................................................................................................................35
AAppendix................................................................................................................................................ 36
A.1 Glossary.......................................................................................................................................................36
BRegulatory limitations ...................................................................................................................... 37
Related documentation ........................................................................................................................... 38
Revision history.......................................................................................................................................... 39
Contact.......................................................................................................................................................... 39
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1Product description
The XPLR-IOT-1 IoT application platform allows developers to evaluate and explore the combined
synergy of u-blox short-range radio, positioning, and cellular products in a single device.
Packaged within a silicone protective bumper, XPLR-IOT-1 comprises a Printed Circuit Board
Assembly (PCBA) and rechargeable battery that allows portable operation. The bumper can be easily
removed from the case without tools. See also Kit includes.
Figure 1: XPLR-IOT-1 case with protective silicone bumper
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1.1 Kit includes
XPLR-IOT-1 comprises a single PCBA in an enclosure that includes:
•NORA-B106 Stand-alone dual-core Bluetooth® 5.2 Low Energy and IEEE 802.15.4 module with two
Arm® Cortex® M33 cores. The NORA-B106 module acts as the main MCU for the platform.
•Four UARTs that connect the various u-blox technologies
•NINA-W156 host-based multiradio module with Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5
•SARA-R510S cellular LTE-M / NB-IoT module for 400 MHz spectrum with Secure Cloud
•MAX-M10S standard-precision, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module
•Thingstream MQTT for IoT connectivity, security, enterprise-grade MQTT broker, simple
enterprise integration visual programming, and support for u-blox global positioning hardware.
•NFC antenna with tag capability for Near Field Communication (NFC).
A USB connection provides UART connections to each of the modules. USB is also connected directly
to the NORA-B1 and SARA-R5. For quick verification or configuration of the modules, the respective
evaluation applications, s-center [10], m-center [11], and u-center [12], may be used when the
connection to NORA-B1 is not active.
XPLR-IOT-1 also includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer (each is 3-axis), battery,
state-of-charge gauge, and temperature, humidity, and ambient light sensors. A Qwiic-compatible
expansion port allows connection of other I2C devices. See also I2C sensors.
Pre-loaded firmware establishes internet connectivity, activates the sensors, and sends the sensor
data over MQTT messages through Thingstream to a message flow. Output from the flow may be
sent to a user-hosted dashboard example using Node-RED.
See also u-blox modules.
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2Hardware architecture
Figure 2 shows block diagram of XPLR-IOT-1.
Figure 2: XPLR-IOT-1 block diagram
Table 1 describes the functions and color codes for the various technologies shown in Figure 2.
Identifying color
Technology
Function
u-blox “hero red”
u-blox module
MCU, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular, GNSS
Green
I2C
Sensor bus, Qwiic-compatible expansion port
Dark Gray
Asynchronous serial
UART connections between modules
Blue
USB
Personal computer connection
Light Blue
Memory
Quad SPI flash
Gray
Power, buttons, indicators
Power switch, battery, charging circuit, user input and output
Table 1: Technology color coding
The XPLR-IOT-1 hardware design is available in PDF and Altium formats from the XPLR-IOT-1 GitHub
XPLR-IOT-1 hardware repository [1].
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3Platform description
Figure 3 provides a transparent view of the XPLR-IOT-1 with the location and orientation of the PCBA
shown in relation to the product case. The component side of the PCBA faces the rear of the case,
while the antenna side of the PCBA faces the front.
Figure 3: XPLR-IOT-1 case - transparent view
3.1 PCBA
All test points, current measurement jumpers, and debugging LEDs are accessible from the
component side of the PCBA. To expose the PCBA, remove the protective rubber bumper and undo
the four screws on the rear of the case
1
. The PCBA only needs to be removed if the battery requires
unplugging or removal.
⚠XPLR-IOT-1 contains highly sensitive electronic circuitry and Electrostatic Sensitive
Devices (ESD). Handling the XPLR-IOT-1 without proper ESD protection while the
case is open may destroy or damage the unit permanently.
1
Case screws are not installed by default, though provided with the kit.
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3.1.2 PCBA antenna
The antenna side of the faces the front of the case. Figure 5 shows the locations of antennas, sensors,
LEDs, and buttons on the board.
Figure 5: PCBA antenna side part locations
3.2 Power and reset subsystem
XPLR-IOT-1 is powered over USB through a micro-B connector. VBUS is filtered and connected to a
Li-Po battery charger. The charger allows a maximum of 500 mA to be drawn from the upstream USB
host or hub, which is the high-power limit for a USB 2.0 peripheral. Power is first allocated to the
system with the remaining available for battery charging.
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XPLR-IOT-1 contains a DTP 603450 style lithium-polymer (Li-Po) battery with a nominal voltage of
3.7 VDC and capacity of 1000 mAh. An integral battery protection system (BPS) protects against
shorts, overcurrent, overcharging, and overloads. The battery is connected to the charger through a
BQ27421-G1 Battery gauge. From the factory, the battery has an approximate 20% charge to allow
for shipping.
⚠Disconnect and remove battery from the PCBA before performing any soldering operations.
⚠When first using XPLR-IOT-1, connect it to a USB host or a USB power supply to fully charge the
battery after shipment.
3.2.1 Power and charging status
The bi-color LED, D29, shows power and charging status of XPLR-IOT-1. The LED is visible through
the side panel of XPLR-IOT-1 case, as shown in Figure 3. Table 2 describes the CHG/PWR LED states.
USB power
Power switch
Charge state
CHG/PWR LED state
Disconnected
Off
Any charge or battery disconnected
Off
Disconnected
On
VBAT ≥3.2 VDC
Green
Disconnected
On
VBAT ≤3.2 VDC (discharged)
Off
Connected
Off
Charging
Red
Connected
Off
Fully charged or battery disconnected
Off
Connected
On
Charging
Amber
Connected
On
Fully charged or battery disconnected
Green
Table 2: CHG/PWR LED states
☞XPLR-IOT-1 can be powered by USB alone if the battery is unplugged or removed.
⚠To prevent an inrush of USB power current spikes, the battery must be present when using SARA.
3.2.2 Power supplies
When plugged in, USB power is always available to the charger and battery subsystem. SW1, located
on the side panel of the PCBA, is the main power switch for the remainder of the system. The battery
voltage is regulated down to 3.3 VDC and distributed to the remainder of the PCBA.
Module
Idle current (mA, avg.)2
Transmit current (mA, max)
Remarks
Base system with NORA-B1
61.1
n/a
Includes any LED current
NORA-B1
3.3
5.3 (3 dBm TX power)
NINA-W15
33
120 (15 dBm TX power)
SARA-R5
30
395 (23 dBm TX power)
MAX-M10
13
n/a
Table 3: Idle and transmit current at measurement jumpers
Available battery charging current = 500 –(IBASE with NORA-B1 + ININA-W15 + ISARA-R5 + IMAX-M10) mA
2
Idle current for all modules is not optimized at the time of publication.
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3.2.3 Power and current measurement
System current from the VBAT supply rail is measured by cutting jumper NC15 and placing an
ammeter or power analyzer across J10, pins 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 6. The expected current
measurements are shown in Table 3.
Figure 6: PCBA power switch and system current measurement test points
⚠J10, pin 1, is connected to system ground.
☞All current measurement jumpers within PCBA are compatible with the Nordic Semiconductor
Power Profiler Kit II [28].
Figure 7 shows the power switch and current measurement location on the C10 assembly board.
Figure 7: Power switch and current measurement location –bottom view
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3.2.4 System reset
Behind the hole marked RST is the System reset button. When pressed, all modules are reset by
hardware. Applications can also control the NORA-B1 GPIO pins to reset the SARA-R5 and NINA-W15
modules independently with SARA_RST and NINA-RST. See also GPIO assignments.
Table 4 shows the signals and possible reset options for each module and USB IC.
Signal
State
NORA-B1
SARA-R5
NINA-W15
MAX-M10
USB hub IC
USB-UART IC
SYS_RST
High
Reset
Reset
Reset
Reset
Reset
Reset
SARA_RST
High
-
Reset
-
-
-
-
NINA_RST
High
-
-
Reset
-
-
-
Table 4: Reset states
System reset can be isolated from each module by cutting the associated jumper, noted in Table 5.
This can be useful to independently reset each major component when developing applications. See
also the XPLR-IOT-1 schematic in the XPLR-IOT-1 GitHub XPLR-IOT-1 repository [1].
Module or IC
Reset isolation jumper
USB hub IC
NC11
USB-UART bridge IC
NC8
NORA-B1
NC12
NINA-W15
NC1
SARA-R5
NC4
MAX-M10
NC10
Table 5: System reset isolation jumpers
☞Cutting NC8 and NC11 isolates the system reset signal so that any active transition resets the
u-blox modules but not the USB hub and USB-UART virtual COM port. This allows a terminal
program or u-blox utilities to receive module boot messages when the reset button is pressed.
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3.3 Serial subsystem
The Serial subsystem within XPLR-IOT-1 provides a flexible scheme that allows either a PC host or
NORA-B1 to connect to each of the modules through software control.
Figure 8 shows the USB and serial port subsystem connections. Blue lines indicate USB connections.
Black lines indicate logical UARTE connections.
NINA-W156 and SARA-R510S UART signals are connected to independent GPIO pads on NORA.
UARTE assignments to GPIO pads are configured by the application at the time of connection to the
respective module. See Table 7 and the schematic at [1] for GPIO assignments.
Figure 8: Serial subsystem
NORA-B1 outputs GPIO control signals to select whether NORA-B1 or the USB-UART port connects
to either NINA-W15 or MAX-M10 –defaults are to the USB-UART ports. NORA-B1 has a dedicated
connection to SARA-R5.
This configuration allows each of the product center control programs, including s-center [10],
m-center [11], and u-center [12], to bypass NORA-B1and communicate directly to the respective
module.
Table 6 describes the UART control signals and states for NINA-W15 and MAX-M10 modules.
Signal
State
NINA-W15
MAX-M10
NORA_MAX_COM_EN
Low (default)
USB-UART Interface 2
-
NORA_MAX_COM_EN
High
NORA-B1 UARTE2
-
NORA_NINA_COM_EN
Low (default)
-
USB-UART interface 3
NORA_NINA_COM_EN
High
-
NORA-B1 UARTE3
Table 6: UART selection for NINA-W15 and MAX-M10
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3.4 u-blox modules
3.4.1 NORA-B106 –short range radio
Central to the XPLR-IOT-1 is NORA-B106 with its Nordic Semiconductor nRF5340 System on Chip
(SoC). Within the nRF5340 are two Arm Cortex M33 processor cores –application and network.
The application core runs the main program and communicates with the other u-blox modules over
UART connections. It also communicates with the QSPI memory, GPIO for the buttons and LEDs, the
sensors on the I2C bus, and as a USB peripheral to the USB hub. An interprocessor communication
(IPC) bus exchanges information between the application and network cores for Bluetooth
communication. See also the NORA-B1 data sheet [6] and system integration manual [7].
The network core provides Bluetooth LE connectivity and utilizes a PCBA Niche antenna licensed from
Abracon, LLC for Bluetooth in the 2.4 GHz ISM band [18].
NORA-B1 is powered when the Power Switch is on.
3.4.1.1 GPIO assignments
NORA-B1 is the central processor of XPLR-IOT-1. Its GPIO signals are used for communication and
control of the other u-blox modules, sensors, and interfaces.
GPIO
Signal
Direction
Description
P0.00
XL1
IO
Low frequency clock
P0.01
XL2
IO
Low frequency clock
P0.02
P0.02/NFC1
IO
NFC tag
P0.03
P0.03/NFC2
IO
NFC tag
P0.04
NORA_EN_MAX
O
MAX-M10 power control
P0.05
NORA_BTN1
I
Application button 1
P0.06
LED_BLUE
O
Application RGB LED –blue color
P0.07
MAX_SAFEBOOT/NINA_SW2
O
MAX-M10 safe boot and NINA-W15 SW2 function
P0.08
NINA_EN
O
NINA-W15 power control
P0.09
nSARA_POWER_ON
O
SARA-R5 startup sequence, pulse high after NORA_EN_SARA is high
P0.10
NORA_EN_SARA
O
SARA-R5 power control
P0.11
SWO
O
Serial wire output - debug message output
P0.12
GAUGE_OUT
I
Low battery indicator signal
P0.13
QSPI0
IO
Quad SPI interface, bit 0
P0.14
QSPI1
IO
Quad SPI interface, bit 1
P0.15
QSPI2
IO
Quad SPI interface, bit 2
P0.16
QSPI3
IO
Quad SPI interface, bit 3
P0.17
QSPI_CLK
O
Quad SPI interface, clock
P0.18
QSPI_CS
O
Quad SPI interface, chip select
P0.19
RTS4
O
System UART4, RTS flow control
P0.20
RTS6
O
System UART6, RTS flow control
P0.21
SARA_RST
O
Reset SARA-R5 module
P0.22
ACCEL_INT
I
Accelerometer interrupt
P0.23
LED_GREEN
O
Application RGB LED –green color
P0.24
CTS0
I
System UART0, CTS flow control
P0.25
TX0
O
System UART0, TX data
P0.26
RX0
I
System UART0, RX data
P0.27
RTS0
O
System UART0, RTS flow control
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GPIO
Signal
Direction
Description
P0.28
NORA_BTN2
I
Application button 2
P0.29
DSR6
I
System UART6, DSR flow control
P0.30
CTS6
I
System UART6, CTS flow control
P0.31
TX6
O
System UART6, TX data
P1.00
ALT_INT
I
Sensor interrupt input, ambient light sensor default
P1.01
SARA_INT/NINA_SW1
IO
SARA-R510 interrupt and NINA-W15 SW1 function
P1.02
SENSE_I2C_SCL
O
Sensor I2C bus clock
P1.03
SENSE_I2C_SDA
IO
Sensor I2C bus data
P1.04
TX4
O
System UART4, TX data
P1.05
MAX_BACKUP_EN
O
MAX-M10 backup power enable
P1.06
CTS4
I
System UART4, CTS flow control
P1.07
LED_RED
O
Application RGB LED –red color
P1.08
RX4
I
System UART4, RX data
P1.09
NINA_RST
O
NINA-W15 reset
P1.10
NORA_NINA_COM_EN
O
System UART2/UART6 selection
P1.11
RX6
I
System UART6, RX data
P1.12
DTR6
O
System UART6, DTR flow control
P1.13
TX5
O
System UART5, TX data
P1.14
RX5
I
System UART5, RX data
P1.15
NORA_MAX_COM_EN
O
System UART3/UART5 selection
Table 7: NORA-B1 GPIO assignments
3.4.1.2 Serial Wire Debug (SWD)
As an open CPU module, NORA-B1 may be reprogrammed with other applications. The SWD port is
provided by two connections: A 2x5, 1.27 mm, center-keyed header that is accessible without opening
the case, and a Tag-Connect TC2030-CTX-NL footprint on both sides of the PCBA.
The three SWD connections are in parallel. Only one SWD connection may be used at a time. Figure 4
and Figure 5 show the positions of both interfaces. Figure 9 shows the SWD schematic and
measurement test points.
Figure 9: PCBA SWD schematic showing measurement test points
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The other u-blox modules are pre-loaded with u-blox AT command firmware and can be updated with
u-blox provided firmware updates over the respective UART connections.
3.4.1.3 Current measurements
Current flowing into NORA-B1 from the 3V3 supply rail is measured by cutting jumper NC9 and
placing an ammeter or power analyzer across J4, pins 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 10. Current sunk by
the GPIO pins is not measured through J4.
⚠J4, pin 1, is connected to system ground.
Figure 10: NORA-B1 current measurement
Figure 11: NORA-B1 module showing current measurement location
See Table 3 for expected current measurements.
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3.4.2 NINA-W156 –short range
NINA-W156 provides Wi-Fi connectivity through its UART and u-connectXpress AT command set.
Wi-Fi is one method of providing a network connection that is available for sending MQTT messages
through Thingstream to process environmental data. NINA-W156 also contains a Abracon Niche
antenna for Wi-Fi in the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
3.4.2.1 NINA-W15 power supply and current measurement
Current flowing into NINA-W15 from the 3V3 supply rail is measured by cutting jumper NC5 and place
an ammeter or power analyzer across J2, pins 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 12.
⚠J2, pin 1, is connected to system ground.
Figure 12: NINA-W15 power supply and current measurement
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Figure 13 shows the current measurement location for the NINA-W15 module on the PCBA. See Table
3 for expected current measurements.
Figure 13: NINA-W15 module and current measurement
Table 8 descirbes the power and LED states for the NINA-W15 module.
Signal
LED
State
NINA-W15 status
LED state
NINA_EN
D8
High
Powered
On
Low
Not powered
Off
Table 8: NINA-W15 power states
3.4.2.2 NINA-W15 UART and other signals
Table 9 describes the LEDs that indicate the UART activity.
Signal
LED
State
NINA-W15 status
LED state
NINA_TXD
D5
High
UART idle
Off
Toggling with data
TX data from module
Follows NINA_TXD
NINA_RXD
D6
High
UART idle
Off
Toggling with data
RX data into module
Follows NINA_RXD
NINA_COM_CTRL
D4
Low
USB-UART bridge active
On
High
NORA_B10 active
Off
Table 9: NINA-W15 UART LEDs
LED RGB1 is connected to the red, green, and blue LED signals of NINA-W15, and functions as
described in the system integration manual [9].
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Table 10 describes the SWITCH_1 and SWITCH_2 signals that are connected to pushbutton switches
and control signals from NORA-B1. This allows NINA-W15 system functions, as described in the data
sheet and system integration manual.
NINA-W15 pin
PCBA button
Control signal from NORA-B1
GREEN/SWITCH_1
BTN4
SARA_INT/NINA_SW1
SWITCH_2
BTN5
MAX_SAFEBOOT/NINA_SW2
Table 10: NINA-W15 switch signals
See also the NINA-W15 data sheet [8] and system integration manual [9].
3.4.3 SARA-R510S –cellular
SARA-R510S provides LTE-M and NB-IoT connectivity through its UART and AT command set.
Cellular is a second method of providing a network connection for the MQTT messages. A wide-band
cellular antenna from Taoglas (PCS.66.A) is mounted on the PCBA for cellular connectivity in
supported bands from 600 MHZ to 6 GHz [19]. See also the SARA-R5 data sheet [13] and system
integration manual [14].
Figure 14 shows the LTE antenna and eSIM. An I2C connection between SARA-R5 and MAX-M10
provides direct communication of GNSS data without involving NORA-B1.
Figure 14: LTE antenna and eSIM
Table of contents
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