Ublox EVK-NINA-B3 Series User manual

UBX-17056481 - R07
C1-Public www.u-blox.com
EVK-NINA-B3
Evaluation kit for NINA-B3 modules
User guide
Abstract
This document describes how to set up the EVK-NINA-B3 evaluation kit to evaluate NINA-
B3 series
standalone Bluetooth®
5 low energy modules. It also describes the different options for debugging
and the development capabilities included in the evaluation board.


EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Page 2 of 41
C1-Public
Document information
Title EVK-NINA-B3
Subtitle Evaluation kit for NINA-B3 modules
Document type User guide
Document number UBX-17056481
Revision and date R07 7-Dec-2020
Disclosure restriction C1-Public
This document applies to the following products:
Product name Type number Software support PCN reference
EVK-NINA-B301 EVK-NINA-B301-00 Open CPU -
EVK-NINA-B311 EVK-NINA-B311-01 u-connectXpress -
EVK-NINA-B302 EVK-NINA-B302-00 Open CPU -
EVK-NINA-B312 EVK-NINA-B312-01 u-connectXpress -
EVK-NINA-B306 EVK-NINA-B306-00 Open CPU -
EVK-NINA-B316 EVK-NINA-B316-01 u-connectXpress -
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 “a
s 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 par
ticular
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.

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Page 3 of 41
C1-Public
Contents
Document information .............................................................................................................................2
Contents .......................................................................................................................................................3
1Product description............................................................................................................................5
1.1 Overview........................................................................................................................................................5
1.2 Kit includes...................................................................................................................................................7
1.3 Key features .................................................................................................................................................7
1.4 EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram ....................................................................................................................8
1.5 Connectors ...................................................................................................................................................9
2Setting up the evaluation board.................................................................................................. 10
2.1 Evaluation board setup............................................................................................................................10
2.2 Starting up .................................................................................................................................................10
EVK-NINA-B31x ................................................................................................................................10
EVK-NINA-B30x ................................................................................................................................11
2.3 Measuring current consumption...........................................................................................................11
Using an ampere meter ...................................................................................................................11
Using a volt meter.............................................................................................................................11
Using an external power supply or power analyzer....................................................................12
3Board configuration......................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Powering options.......................................................................................................................................13
Selecting the power configuration jumpers................................................................................13
Default power configuration, 3.3 V ...............................................................................................16
Battery powered, 3 – 1.7 V ..............................................................................................................17
Battery powered with protection diode, 2.7 – 1.7 V...................................................................18
External supply, 3.6 – 1.7 V.............................................................................................................19
Raspberry Pi HAT..............................................................................................................................20
3.2 Disconnecting NINA signals from board peripherals ........................................................................20
4Interfaces and peripherals ............................................................................................................ 23
4.1 Buttons and LEDs.....................................................................................................................................23
4.2 Arduino interface ......................................................................................................................................24
Arduino shield compatibility...........................................................................................................25
4.3 Raspberry Pi compatible interface ........................................................................................................26
Powering considerations.................................................................................................................28
UART ...................................................................................................................................................28
EEPROM support..............................................................................................................................29
4.4 Additional Interfaces................................................................................................................................29
Extra memory – external Flash ......................................................................................................30
Extra USB to UART interface .........................................................................................................31
CPU trace interface ..........................................................................................................................31
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 32
ASchematics ........................................................................................................................................ 32

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Page 4 of 41
C1-Public
BGlossary .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Related documents ................................................................................................................................ 39
Revision history ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Contact....................................................................................................................................................... 41

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Product description Page 5 of 41
C1-Public
1Product description
1.1 Overview
The u-blox EVK-NINA-B3 evaluation kit is a versatile development platform that allows quick
prototyping of a variety of extreme low-power Internet of Things (IoT) applications, using full
Bluetooth 5, NFC, and IEEE 802.15.4.
The u-blox EVK-NINA-B3 boards are available in the following variants, depending on the required
antenna and software solution:
•EVK-NINA-B301, with an open CPU NINA-B301 module and an antenna connector for connecting
to external antennas.
•EVK-NINA-B311, with a u-connect NINA-B311 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress
software, and an antenna connector for connecting to external antennas.
•EVK-NINA-B302, with an open CPU NINA-B302 module that includes an internal antenna (a unique
2.4 GHz metal sheet antenna, soldered onto the module).
•EVK-NINA-B312, with a u-connect NINA-B312 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress software
and an internal antenna (a unique 2.4 GHz metal sheet antenna soldered onto the module).
•EVK-NINA-B306, with an open CPU NINA-B306 module that includes an internal PCB trace
antenna.
•EVK-NINA-B316, with a u-connect NINA-B316 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress software
and an internal PCB trace antenna.
Figure 1: EVK-NINA-B301/-B311 evaluation board

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Product description Page 6 of 41
C1-Public
Figure 2: EVK-NINA-B302/-B312 evaluation board
⚠Take care when handling the EVK-NINA-B302 or EVK-NINA-B312. Applying force to the NINA
module might damage the internal antenna.
Figure 3: EVK-NINA-B306/-B316 evaluation board
The evaluation boards provide access to all the 38 GPIO pins and interfaces available on the
NINA-B3 modules through a variety of connectors and interfaces including Arduino™ Uno R3 [1] and
Raspberry Pi [2] header connectors.
The stand-alone NINA-B3 modules include an Arm®Cortex®-M4F microcontroller with 1 MB internal
flash and 256 kB RAM, running at a system clock of 64 MHz. This has been integrated inside the
Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 chip that the modules are based on. The evaulation board provides
simple USB drag-n-drop programming and a SEGGER J-Link debug interface that can be used with
the Open CPU variants of the EVK. Nordic Semiconductors, the manufacturer of the nRF52840 chip
that the NINA-B3 series are based on, provides a free Software Development Kit (SDK) with a broad
selection of drivers, libraries, and example applications that can be used for rapid prototyping.

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Product description Page 7 of 41
C1-Public
1.2 Kit includes
The EVK-NINA-B3 evaluation kit includes the following:
•NINA-B3 evaluation board
•2.4 GHz antenna with U.FL connector (only in EVK-NINA-B301 and EVK-NINA-B311)
•NFC antenna
•USB cable
•Quick start card
1.3 Key features
•u-blox NINA-B3 Bluetooth low energy module based on the Nordic nRF52840 chipset
oFull Bluetooth 5 support
oNFC tag functionality
o802.15.4 PHY
oIntegrated Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller with 1 MB flash, 256 kB RAM, and 64 MHz
system clock
oUSB 2.0
oWide 1.7-3.6 V supply range
•The NINA-B3 module supports different interfaces that can be configured to any of the 38
available GPIO pin(s):
o8 analog capable inputs
o12 PWM capable outputs
o3x SPI
o2x UART with HW flow control
o2x I2C
o1x I2S
o1x PDM input
o1x Quadrature decoder
•EVK-NINA-B31x support for u-connectXpress software
•EVK-NINA-B30x support for developing your own software on the Open CPU NINA-B3 module
•Full UART to USB converter with a Virtual COM port, allowing control of the extended UART
features of u-blox u-connectXpress software
•On-board J-Link debugger/programmer
oMass Storage Device interface to PC for drag-n-drop programming
oDebug port
oAn additional Virtual COM port that, for example, may be connected to add-on boards
or to a debug UART on the NINA-B3
•Dedicated USB connector for the NINA-B3 USB interface
•Additional flash memory can be added to the board for use by the NINA-B3 module
•RGB LED and push buttons
•Arduino UNO R3 and Raspberry Pi compatible pin header interfaces
•Jumper headers and level shifters allow for flexible powering options of the NINA-B3 module, even
with full board support. They isolate the module entirely and control each power net separately in
order to precisely measure low power applications or disconnect only unused parts of the board to
save battery life.
•Multiple board power supply options
o5-12 V power plug
o5 V USB supply
o5-12 V Arduino VIN input
•Battery holder supporting CR2032 coin cell batteries

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Product description Page 8 of 41
C1-Public
1.4 EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram
The block diagram in Figure 4 shows the major interfaces and internal connections of the EVK-NINA-
B3. The following sections describe in detail how the different interfaces are connected and may be
used, as well as how the evaluation board may be configured to suit the needs of the user.
Figure 4: EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram
UART
to USB
USB
conn.
Interface
MCU
(Program &
Debug Unit)
USB
Hub
USB
conn.
Batt.
holder
Power
plug
RF
conn.
Voltage
Level
Shifters
UART
SWD
Flash
Memory
3.3 V VDD_NINA
DC/DC
reg.
Protect.
diodes
NFC antenna
connector
Dedicated NINA
USB 2.0 conn.
VDD_NINA
Bluetooth
8 0 2 . 15 . 4
Arduino Uno R3 interface
D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13
SCL SDA
A0 A1
A2 A3
A4
A5
IOREF 3V3
5V
VIN
GND
RESET
ADC/Comp. GPIO/Dig. Interface GPIO/Dig. Interface
UART
GPIO/Dig. Int.
UART
SW2
Raspberry Pi 40 pin GPIO header
3V3
5V
GND
GPIO/Digital Interface
UART
ID_SC
ID_SD
RPi_3
RPi_4
RPi_5 RPi_6 RPi_7
RPi_2
RPi_8
RPi_9
RPi_10
RPi_11
RPi_12
RPi_13
RPi_14
RPi_15
RPi_16 RPi_17 RPi_18
RPi_19
RPi_20
RPi_21
RPi_22
RPi_23
RPi_24
RPi_25
RPi_26 RPi_27
NINA
Module
User
RGB LED
User
buttons
Reset
button
NINA
SWD conn.
NINA signal
jumper header
SWD
UART
UART
COM port
pin header
Power selector
jumper headers
USB USB
USB
3.3 V
3.3 V
QSPI
20-pin Trace
connector
ETM/ITM
Trace
USB
NFC
RF
VBUS
VBUS
CR2032
3 V
5 - 12 V
NINA COM port
NINA program & debug
Additional COM port
1. 7 - 3 . 6 V
Raspberry Pi pin
NINA Open CPU function
NINA Open CPU function
Arduino pin
NINA Connectivity Software function
NINA Connectivity Software function

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Product description Page 9 of 41
C1-Public
1.5 Connectors
Figure 5 shows the available connectors of the EVK-NINA-B3 and their layout. Table 1 describes the
connectors and their uses in detail.
Figure 5: Available connectors and their pinout
Connector
annotation
Function Description
J5 Power supply 2.1 mm power jack, the center pin is the positive terminal. 5 – 12 V input.
J17 Power supply Pin header that can be used to connect external power supplies. 5 – 12 V input.
BT1 Battery holder CR2032 coin cell battery holder. CR2032 usually has a 3 V potential when fully
charged.
J11 NFC antenna
connector
Pin header that connects to the u-blox NFC antenna included in the kit. The antenna
can be mounted in either direction.
J10 2.4 GHz RF antenna
connector
U.FL coaxial connector that can be used to connect antennas or RF equipment. This
connector is only included in the EVK-NINA-B301/EVK-NINA-B311.
J12 Cortex Debug
connector
10-pin, 50 mil pitch connector that can be used to connect external debuggers to the
NINA-B3 module. The NINA-B3 modules support Serial Wire debug (SWD) and Serial
Wire Viewer, but not JTAG debug.
J8 Power supply, COM
port and debug USB
The main USB connector that is used to program, debug, and communicate with the
NINA module. It can also be used to power the entire board.
J16 Power supply and
NINA USB port
Additional USB connector directly connected to the NINA-B3 USB interface. Can also
be used to power the entire board.
Table 1: EVK-NINA-B3 connector description
J5
21
1 4
GNDVIN
5 - 12 V
NFC1
GND GND
NFC2
U.FL RF coax
GND GND
N/C
VDD_IO
GND
SWDIO SWDCLK GPIO_8 N/C RESET_N
BT1
J17
Power
J8
J16
USB
Debug
J12
Antennas
J11
J10
CR2032
+
3V
2
1
10
9
Micro USB
Micro USB
J17
Debug
Power
Antennas
USB
USB
J8
J5 BT1
J12
J16
J10
J11
Board Connectors

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Setting up the evaluation board Page 10 of 41
C1-Public
2Setting up the evaluation board
2.1 Evaluation board setup
The EVK-NINA-B311/-B312/-B316 is delivered with the u-connectXpress software installed on the
module.
Before connecting the module, download and install the latest u-blox s-center evaluation software
from the u-blox website.
To use Bluetooth low energy on the EVK-NINA-B301/-B311, connect a 2.4 GHz antenna to the U.FL
antenna connector (J10). The other EVK versions include antennas on the NINA module.
Plug in either an external power supply in the J5 connector or connect to a USB host with a USB cable
attached to the J8 connector. You can also power the evaluation board with a CR2032 coin cell
battery. The NFC antenna can be connected to the J11 connector.
☞Make sure that the power configuration jumpers are connected according to your use case.
See Section 3.1 for details, the default configuration shown in section 3.1.2 will work for most
use cases.
⚠Be careful to check polarity before connecting an external power supply to the EVK-NINA-B3
evaluation board. Center conductor is positive (+) and the ring is negative (-).
The operating system will install the correct drivers automatically. The drivers will have to be installed
only the first time you connect the unit to a new computer.
⚠If the drivers are not installed automatically, download nRF Connect from www.nordicsemi.com to
get the J-Link CDC UART driver.
Two COM ports will automatically be assigned to the unit by Windows:
•The COM port labeled ‘USB Serial Port’ is used to communicate with the NINA module’s UART
interface.
•The COM port labeled ‘JLink CDC UART Port’ can be used as an extra USB to the UART
interface; see section 4.4.2 for more information.
Do the following to view the assigned COM ports on Windows 7:
•Open the Control Panel and click Hardware and Sound.
•Click Device Manager in Devices and Printers. This will open Device Manager window where you
can view the assigned COM ports.
To view the assigned COM ports on Windows 10, right click on the Windows Start button and select
Device Manager.
2.2 Starting up
EVK-NINA-B31x
2.2.1.1 General usage
The EVK-NINA-B31 is delivered with u-connectXpress SW, and contains a secure boot that will only
allow signed SW from u-blox to boot.
Perform the following steps to enable communication with the module:
1. Start the u-blox s-center evaluation software.
2. Use the default baudrate 115200, 8N1 with flow control.

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Setting up the evaluation board Page 11 of 41
C1-Public
You can now communicate with the module using AT commands.
For a list of available AT commands, see the u-connect AT commands manual [5]. To get started with
the basic use case set up of the EVK-NINA-B3 with u-blox u-connect software, see the
u-connectXpress user guide [7].
2.2.1.2 u-connect software
Go to the u-blox support webpage to obtain the latest available firmware. Instructions on reflashing
the EVK-NINA-B3 can be found in the Software section of the NINA-B3 system integration manual [4].
EVK-NINA-B30x
2.2.2.1 Nordic Semiconductor SDK
The EVK-NINA-B30x is delivered without any SW preflashed,
If you would like to use the EVK-NINA-B3 together with Nordic Semiconductor SDK, refer to the
Software section of the NINA-B3 System integration manual [4] that describes how to:
•Create your own board file
•Adapt the examples in the Nordic Semiconductor SDK to use this board file
See also the u-blox short range open CPU github repository [8].
2.2.2.2 Software debug options
You can debug the software using the following two options in EVK-NINA-B3:
•Onboard debug solution available on the USB connector
•Using an external debugger connected to J12 connector
An external debugger connected to the J12 connector is useful when powering the evaluation board
with a CR2032 coin cell battery, or through the J5 external power supply connector. It could also be
useful in a scenario where the debug MCU interface has been disconnected from the
NINA-B3 module using the jumpers on the J19 header. The SEGGER J-Link software [6] is required in
order to debug using the onboard J-Link hardware on the EVK-NINA-B3.
2.3 Measuring current consumption
☞Before starting the current consumption measurement, go through Chapter 3 and identify
which power configuration you will need and if you need to isolate any NINA signals. The jumper
connecting J22 pins 1 and 3 must be removed in order to be able to measure current
consumption.
Figure 6 shows some suggestions for measuring the current consumption of the NINA-B3 module,
and how to connect the various instruments.
Using an ampere meter
An ampere meter should be connected in series with whatever the power source is and what is being
measured. It is possible to measure current this way both while supplying the NINA module from the
onboard 3.3 V regulator and from an external supply.
Using a volt meter
In order to use a voltmeter to measure current, the EVK must first be modified. Solder a low
resistance, high tolerance, 0402 sized resistor to the footprint labeled R6. This resistor will replace
the jumper normally positioned between J22 pins - 1 and 3, and any current running through, it will
produce a voltage across its terminals. Measure this voltage using the voltmeter and calculate the
current using Ohm’s law.

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Setting up the evaluation board Page 12 of 41
C1-Public
Using an external power supply or power analyzer
Connect the instrument terminals to the EVK pins, as shown in Figure 6. An ampere meter may be
added in series. Since an external instrument’s voltage can never perfectly match the EVK’s
generated 3.3 V, there will be a very small current leakage whenever a NINA module signal is
connected to an EVK peripheral, typically in the order of 100’s of nano amps. To reduce this leakage,
use a second external power channel to supply the EVK peripherals. This second channel must also
be used to enable PC communication when using NINA supply voltages other than 3.3 V.
Figure 6: Current consumption measuring options
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
1
GND
5
A
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
1
GND
5
A
6
4
R6
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
3
1
V
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
3
1
A
Ampere meter Volt meter
One channel Two channels
GND GND
Onboard
3.3 V supply
DC/DC
External supply
1.7 - 3.6 V
-.-- V

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 13 of 41
C1-Public
3Board configuration
3.1 Powering options
Power can be supplied to the board in any of the following ways:
•Via any of the USB connectors, J8 or J16
•Using the power jack, J5
•Using the Arduino interface VIN or 5V pin, J1.8 or J1.5
•Using the Raspberry Pi interface 5V pins, J14.2 or J14.4
•Using the pin header J17
•Plugging in a battery to the battery holder BT1
These power supply sources are distributed to the rest of the board as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Block diagram of the power net distribution
Selecting the power configuration jumpers
The EVK-NINA-B3 offers flexible powering options for the NINA-B3 module and the board itself. To
configure this, jumpers are added or removed to pin headers, shorting two of the pins together and
connecting or disconnecting different power nets on the evaluation board.
Figure 8 provides an overview of the available EVK power sources and shows the schematic net names
to which they are connected.
⚠Check the jumper positions carefully; if a jumper is connected in a wrong way, it can permanently
damage the components that are ON or connected to the board. Also note that some jumpers
should not be mounted simultaneously.
Diode protection
3.3 V
DC/DC
Regulator
Fuse
5 V
3.3 V
Diode protection
3 V
2.7 V
J7
Power select
jumper header
J22
NINA power select
jumper header
VDD_NINA
3.3 V
3.3 V
VIN
1.7 - 3.6 V
external supply
J1and J14
Arduino and
Raspberry Pi
pin headers
VCC
VCC_IO
VDD_IO
NINA
Module
Board
peripherals
BT1
CR2032
3 V
J5
5 - 12 V
J8
5 V
J 16
5 V
J17 pin 2
VIN pin header
5 - 12 V
J1pin 8
Ardunio VIN pin
5 - 12 V
Diode protection
USB
conn.
Batt.
holder
Power
jack
USB
conn.

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 14 of 41
C1-Public
Figure 8: Available EVK power sources and targets
Figure 9 shows the pinout location of power configuration jumper headers J7 and J22.
Figure 9: Jumper headers J7 and J22
DC/DC
Onboard 3.3 V
converter
Battery
Battery with
protection diode
MCU
PC communication
HAT
Raspberry Pi
expansion board
NINA module power
Board I/O power:
Level shifters, LEDs etc.
3V3
VBAT_DIODE
VBAT
VDD_MCU
3V3_PI
VDD_IO
VCC
VCC_IO
Sources Net names Targets
Any power net
-.-- V
External supply
iguration
GNDGND
VDD_MCU
VDD_NINA VDD_NINA VDD_NINA
3V3_PI
3V3 3V3 VBAT VBAT_DIODE 3V3
J7
J22
111
12 2
J7
GNDGND
VDD_IO
VCC_IO
VDD_NINA
VCC
5
6
21
J22
Power Conf

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 15 of 41
C1-Public
Table 2 describes the pinout of jumper headers J7 and J22 used to configure the board power nets.
Connector
annotation
Pin
number
Schematic
net name
Description
J7 1 3V3 Regulated 3.3 V net. This net is supplied by the board and will always be
powered as long as a power source is connected.
2 3V3_PI Connects to the Raspberry Pi header’s (J14) 3V3 pins. If a Raspberry Pi is
connected, this net must be unconnected to prevent back currents. If a HAT
is connected, this net can be shorted to the EVK 3.3 V supply to power the
HAT.
3 VBAT_DIO
DE
To protect the battery from current back surges, connect the battery to the
NINA module via a protection diode using this pin.
4 VDD_NINA Connects to J22 pin 3, from where it can be connected to the module supply
pin or somewhere else.
5 VBAT Battery + terminal
6 VDD_NINA Connects to J22 pin 3, from where it can be connected to the module supply
pin or somewhere else.
7 3V3 Regulated 3.3 V net. This net is supplied by the board and will always be
powered as long as a power source is connected.
8 VDD_NINA Connects to J22 pin 3, from where it can be connected to the module supply
pin or somewhere else.
9 3V3 Regulated 3.3 V net. This net is supplied by the board and will always be
powered as long as a power source is connected.
10 VDD_MCU Supply net for the board functions not directly connected to the NINA
module; Interface MCU, USB hub, UART to USB converter etc.
11 GND Ground net.
12 GND Ground net.
J22 1 VCC NINA module voltage supply that connects to the module VCC pin. Shorted
to the VCC_IO net via 0 Ωresistor R4 by default.
2 VCC_IO Connects to the NINA module VCC_IO pin. Shorted to the VCC net via 0
Ω
resistor R4 by default.
3 VDD_NINA Connects to J7 pins 4, 6 and 8. Short J22 pins 1 and 3 allow the EVK to
power the NINA module.
4 VDD_IO Supply net for level shifters, LEDs and peripherals connected directly to the
NINA module. Short J22 pins 2 and 4 use the NINA module I/O voltage as
supply.
5 GND Ground net.
6 GND Ground net.
Table 2: J7 and J22 pin out

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 16 of 41
C1-Public
Default power configuration, 3.3 V
This is the default power configuration for the evaluation board, and the jumpers are installed out of
the box with this power configuration. All board peripherals are powered up, the NINA module is
directly supplied by the board and everything is running at 3.3 V.
Figure 10: Jumper positions for default power configuration
Connector
annotation
Add jumper
to pins
Description
J7 7, 8 Selects the board regulated 3.3 V net as source for the VDD_NINA net.
9, 10 Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
J22 1, 3 Powers up the NINA module. The NINA VCC and VCC_IO pins are connected to the selected
source for the VDD_NINA net.
2, 4 Powers up the peripherals directly connected to NINA such as LEDs and external memory with
the NINA supply voltage.
Table 3: Jumper positions for default power configuration
J7
BOARD
NINA
3V3
34
2 1
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
7
8
9
10
NINA module powerboard I/O power
J22: 2-4 J22: 1-3
PC communication
MCU
DC/DC
EVB powered
J7: 9-10J7: 7-8

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 17 of 41
C1-Public
Battery powered, 3 – 1.7 V
Figure 11 shows the default configuration for battery-powered operation, where the jumpers
highlighted with dashed lines are optional.
The battery voltage is connected to VDD_NINA, which in turn, is connected to the NINA-B3 VCC
supply. If needed, a jumper can be added to J22 pins - 2 and 4 to supply LEDs and other peripherals
with power – as long as this does not exceed the maximum current rating of the battery. If the NINA
module has to be configured, the VDD_MCU net can be connected to enable PC communications by
adding a jumper to the J7 pins 9 and 10.
☞Jumpers must be connected to both J7: 9-10 and J22: 2-4 to be able to communicate with the
NINA module from a PC. If possible, the EVB power configuration should be switched to the
default 3.3 V configuration, as connecting an extra board peripheral might deplete the battery.
⚠Do not connect jumpers J7: 5-6 and J7: 7-8 at the same time while a battery is connected! This
might cause damage to the battery.
Figure 11: Jumper positions for battery powered operation (jumpers shown with dashed lines are optional)
Connector
annotation
Add jumper
to pins
Description
J7 5, 6 Selects the battery connected to the battery holder as source for the VDD_NINA net.
9, 10 (Optional) Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
J22 1, 3 Powers up the NINA module. The NINA VCC and VCC_IO pins are connected to the selected
source for the VDD_NINA net.
2, 4 (Optional) Powers up the peripherals directly connected to NINA such as LEDs and external
memory with the NINA supply voltage.
Table 4: Jumper positions for battery powered operation (two optional jumpers)
J7
BOARD
BATT
3V3
34
2 1
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
5
6
9
10
NINA module powerboard I/O power
(optional)
J22: 2-4 J22: 1-3
PC communication
(optional)
MCU
J7: 9-10
Battery powered
J7: 5-6

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 18 of 41
C1-Public
Battery powered with protection diode, 2.7 – 1.7 V
This use case is meant to protect the battery from current back surges. When using the NFC
interface, there is a risk that the applied electromagnetic field can cause back surges on the module
power supply lines that typically damage a non-chargeable battery. To prevent this potential damage,
a schottky diode is added in series with the battery to block any back current surges.
Figure 12 shows the jumper configuration for connecting the diode for battery-powered operation,
where the jumper is added to J7 pins 3 and 4 instead of pins 5 and 6. The jumpers shown in dashed
lines are optional.
☞The diode will lower the voltage level of the battery by about 0.3 V.
Figure 12: Jumper positions for battery powered operation using the protection diode
Connector
annotation
Add jumper
to pins
Description
J7 3, 4 Selects the diode protected battery as a source for the VDD_NINA net.
9, 10 (Optional) Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
J22 1, 3 Powers up the NINA module. The NINA VCC and VCC_IO pins are connected to the selected
source for the VDD_NINA net.
2, 4 (Optional) Powers up the peripherals directly connected to NINA such as LEDs and external
memory with the NINA supply voltage.
Table 5: Jumper positions for battery powered operation with a protection diode (two optional jumpers)
J7
BOARD
BATT DIODE
3V3
34
2 1
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
3
4
9
10
NINA module powerboard I/O power
(optional)
J22: 2-4 J22: 1-3
PC communication
(optional)
MCU
J7: 9-10
J7: 3-4
Battery powered
with protection

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 19 of 41
C1-Public
External supply, 3.6 – 1.7 V
When measuring current consumption or performing other NINA-B3 module characterization
measurements, it can be useful to power the module with an external source such as a lab power
supply. In such a case, all jumpers can be removed and the required supply nets can be fed externally
by connecting to the pin headers. For example, the NINA-B3 module can be powered by connecting an
external supply directly to the J22 pin 1 and GND. See section 2.3 for more information on how to
connect external power supplies.
☞Make sure that unpowered parts of the board are properly isolated from the NINA module. If a
voltage is applied to the signal of an unpowered device/component, current might leak through
various protection circuits of this device. This might give false readings when measuring
current consumption etc. Isolation can be achieved by removing NINA signal jumpers (see
section 3.2) for example.
Figure 13 below shows a few optional jumper connections that can be helpful when supplying the
module with an external supply.
Figure 13: Optional jumper positons while using an external power supply
Table 6 shows the optional jumper positions for configuring the power up behavior of the board when
using an external supply.
Connector
annotation
Add jumper
to pins
Description
J7 7, 8 (Optional) Selects the board-regulated 3.3 V net as a source for the VDD_NINA net.
9, 10 (Optional) Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
J22 3, 4 (Optional) Powers up the peripherals directly connected to NINA such as LEDs and external
memory with the selected source for the VDD_NINA net.
Table 6: Optional jumper positions for use with an external supply
J7
BOARD
NINA
3V3
34
J22
7
8
9
10
board I/O power
(optional)
J22: multiple
PC communication
(optional)
MCU
DC/DC
EVB powered
(optional)
J7: 9-10J7: 7-8
VCC_IO
VCC
12
56
GND
-.-- V
External supply

EVK-NINA-B3 - User guide
UBX-17056481 - R07 Board configuration Page 20 of 41
C1-Public
Raspberry Pi HAT
Use the jumper configurations shown in Figure 14 to connect a HAT to the Raspberry Pi interface.
Depending on how the NINA module should communicate with a test PC over USB or with the HAT,
the VDD_MCU net could be left unpowered. The jumpers shown in dashed lines are optional.
⚠The 3V3_PI supply net must only be powered when connecting to a Raspberry Pi expansion board
(HAT). The jumper (J7: 1-2) must be disconnected if you are connecting to a Raspberry Pi board.
Figure 14: Configuration for Raspberry Pi HAT connection (optional jumpers shown with dashed lines)
Connector
annotation
Add jumper
to pins
Description
J7 1,2 Connects the 3V3_PI net to the regulated 3.3 V supply.
7, 8 Selects the board regulated 3.3 V net as a source for the VDD_NINA net.
9, 10 (Optional) Powers up the Interface MCU, USB hub, and UART to USB converter with 3.3 V.
J22 1, 3 Powers up the NINA module. The NINA VCC and VCC_IO pins are connected to the selected
source for the VDD_NINA net.
2, 4 (Optional) Powers up the peripherals directly connected to NINA such as LEDs and external
memory with the NINA supply voltage.
Table 7: Jumper configuration when connected to a Raspberry Pi HAT
3.2 Disconnecting NINA signals from board peripherals
All evaluation board peripherals, such as level shifters, LEDs, and the interface MCU are connected to
the NINA-B3 module by default. This might not suit all evaluation scenarios.
All peripherals can be switched off by disconnecting their power supplies (see section 3.1), but if only
specific signals have to be isolated, it will require finer control. All the NINA module signals that are
connected to board peripherals have thus been routed via jumper headers, so that jumpers can be
pulled or added as needed by the evaluation board user, isolating, or connecting specific signals.
Figure 15 shows the physical layout of these jumper headers.
J7
BOARD
RASP PI 3V3
3V3
34
2 1
J22
VCC_IO
VCC
1
2
9
10
NINA module powerboard I/O power
(optional)
J22: 2-4 J22: 1-3
PC communication
(optional)
MCU
J7: 9-10
NINA
7
8
DC/DC
EVB powered
J7: 7-8
HAT
Raspberry Pi
expansion board
J7: 1-2
3V3