Ublox EVK-NINA-B3 Series User manual

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.
www.u-blox.com
UBX-17056481 - R03

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Document Information
Title EVK-NINA-B3
Subtitle Evaluation Kit for NINA-B3 modules
Document type User Guide
Document number UBX-17056481
Revision and date R03 13-Sep-2018
Disclosure Restriction
This document applies to the following products:
Product name Type number Firmware version PCN reference
EVK-NINA-B301 EVK-NINA-B301-00 -
EVK-NINA-B311 EVK-NINA-B311-00 -
EVK-NINA-B302 EVK-NINA-B302-00 -
EVK-NINA-B312 EVK-NINA-B312-00 -
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
1Product description ..............................................................................................................................4
1.1 Overview........................................................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Kit includes ................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Key features .................................................................................................................................................5
1.4 EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram .................................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Connectors ................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.6 Powering options.........................................................................................................................................7
1.6.1 Selecting the power configuration jumpers .................................................................................. 8
1.6.2 Default power, 3.3 V ........................................................................................................................... 9
1.6.3 Battery powered, 3 V........................................................................................................................10
1.6.4 Battery powered with protection diode, 2.7 V ............................................................................10
1.6.5 External supply..................................................................................................................................11
1.6.6 Raspberry Pi HAT..............................................................................................................................11
1.7 Arduino interface ......................................................................................................................................12
1.7.1 Arduino shield compatibility...........................................................................................................14
1.8 Raspberry Pi compatible interface ........................................................................................................14
1.8.1 Powering considerations.................................................................................................................17
1.8.2 UART ...................................................................................................................................................17
1.8.3 EEPROM support ..............................................................................................................................17
1.9 Buttons and LEDs .....................................................................................................................................18
1.10 Disconnecting NINA signals from board peripherals ........................................................................18
1.11 Software debug options ..........................................................................................................................20
2Setting up the evaluation board..................................................................................................... 21
2.1 Evaluation board setup............................................................................................................................21
2.2 Starting up .................................................................................................................................................21
2.2.1 EVK-NINA-B311 and EVK-NINA-B312 .........................................................................................21
2.2.2 EVK-NINA-B301 and EVK-NINA-B302 .........................................................................................21
2.3 Getting the latest software ....................................................................................................................22
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
ASchematics ........................................................................................................................................... 23
BGlossary ..................................................................................................................................................29
Related documents ................................................................................................................................... 30
Revision history.......................................................................................................................................... 30
Contact........................................................................................................................................................... 31

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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 four 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 NINA-B311 module including u-blox connectivity 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 on to the module).
•EVK-NINA-B312, with a NINA-B312 module including u-blox connectivity software and an internal
antenna (a unique 2.4 GHz metal sheet antenna soldered on to the module).
The evaluation board provides access to all of the 38 GPIO pins and interfaces available on the
NINA-B3 modules through a variety of connectors and interfaces including Arduino™ Uno R3 and
Raspberry Pi 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 provides a free Software Development Kit (SDK) with a broad
selection of drivers, libraries, and example applications that can be used for rapid prototyping.
Figure 1: EVK-NINA-B311 evaluation board

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⚠Take care when handling the EVK-NINA-B302 or EVK-NINA-B312. Applying force to the NINA
module might damage the internal antenna.
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
•Full UART to USB converter with a Virtual COM port, allowing control of the extended UART
features of the u-blox connectivity 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

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1.4 EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram
The block diagram of EVK-NINA-B3 is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: EVK-NINA-B3 block diagram
The block diagram shows the major interfaces and internal connections of the EVK-NINA-B3. The
following sections describes 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.
1.5 Connectors
Figure 3 shows the available connectors of the EVK-NINA-B3 and their layout. Table 1 describes the
connectors and their uses in detail.

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Figure 3: 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.
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.
J21 Cortex Debug+ETM
connector
20-pin, 50 mil pitch connector. This extended connector has the same features as
J12, but also allows for instruction trace operations via the Embedded Trace
Macrocell (ETM) of the Cortex-M4 microcontroller inside the NINA-B3 module. This
requires a special external debugger. Note that the 50 mil pitch pin header is not
soldered onto the evaluation board by default.
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
1.6 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 pin
•Using the pin header J17

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•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 4.
Figure 4: Block diagram of the power net distribution
1.6.1 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 5 shows the location
of the power configuration jumper headers. The 3V3 net is supplied by the board and will always be
powered as long as any of the power sources shown in Figure 4 are connected. The 3V3 net will not
provide power unless a jumper is added to jumper header J7.
Figure 5: Jumper headers J7 and J22 are used to select power configurations

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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 floating 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_DIODE
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 Ωresistor 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 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: Pinout of jumper headers J7 and J22 used to configure the board power nets
The following sections describe different jumper configurations and power scenarios that is available
on the board, including the default configuration.
⚠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.
1.6.2 Default power, 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 6: Jumper positions for default power configuration

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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
1.6.3 Battery powered, 3 V
When using a battery, Figure 7 shows the default configuration. 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 J7 pins 9 and 10.
Figure 7: Jumper positions for battery powered operation, two jumpers 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 jumpers are optional
1.6.4 Battery powered with protection diode, 2.7 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 that will typically
damage a non-chargeable battery. To prevent this damage, a schottky diode can be added in series
to the battery, which will block any back current surges. A jumper should then be added to J7 pins - 3
and 4 instead of 5 and 6.
The diode will lower the voltage level of the battery by about 0.3 V.
Figure 8: Jumper positions for battery powered operation with a protection diode, two jumpers are optional

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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 jumpers are optional
1.6.5 External supply
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 DC power
analyzer. 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.
☞Take care that unpowered parts of the board are properly isolated. If a voltage is applied to the
signal of an unpowered device, current might leak through various protection circuits of the device.
This might give false readings when measuring current consumption etc.
Figure 9 below shows a few optional jumper connections that can be helpful when supplying the
module with an external supply.
Figure 9: Optional jumper positons while using an external power 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 positons while using an external supply
1.6.6 Raspberry Pi HAT
When connecting a HAT to the Raspberry Pi interface, the following jumper configuration can be used.
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 3V3_PI supply net must only be powered when connecting to a Raspberry Pi expansion board
(HAT). If connecting to a Raspberry Pi board, the jumper must be disconnected.
Figure 10: Jumper configuration when connected to a Raspberry Pi HAT

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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
1.7 Arduino interface
The EVK-NINA-B3 includes a set of pin headers and mounting holes that are compatible with certain
Arduino or Arduino inspired shields. Figure 11 shows the layout of the Arduino interface and Table 8
explains the pinout in more detail. Section 1.7.1 describes what specifications must be met for a
shield to be compatible for use with the EVK-NINA-B3.
Figure 11: Pin headers that are compatible with some Arduino shields

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Conn. Pin
No.
Arduino
pin
Description Schematic
net name
nRF52
pin
Alternate functions and notes
J1 1 N/C Not Connected - - Not connected
2 IOREF I/O reference voltage level.
Selectable by user to 1.7 – 3.6 V
VDD_IO - See section 1.6
3 RESET Reset signal input. Active low logic RESET_N P0.18
4 3.3V 3.3 V DC regulated supply output 3V3 -
5 5V 5 V regulated supply output 5V - Cannot be used as supply input, use
VIN instead. Only supplied by USB
VBUS.
6 GND Ground GND GND
7 GND Ground GND GND
8 VIN External DC supply input, 5 – 12 VDC VIN -
J2 1 A0 Analog input GPIO_25 P0.04 Analog function capable GPIO
2 A1 Analog input GPIO_24 P0.30 Analog function capable GPIO
3 A2 Analog input GPIO_27 P0.05 Analog function capable GPIO
4 A3 Analog input SWITCH_2/
GPIO_18
P0.02 Analog function capable GPIO,
SWITCH_2 on NINA-B31.
This signal is pulled low when the
button SW2 is pressed
5 A4 Analog input UART_DSR/
GPIO_17
P0.28 Analog function capable GPIO,
UART_DSR signal on NINA-B31
6 A5 Analog input UART_DTR/
GPIO_16
P0.03 Analog function capable GPIO,
UART_DTR signal on NINA-B31
J3 1 D0/RX Digital I/O, UART RX UART_RXD/
GPIO_23
P0.29 UART_RXD signal on NINA-B31
2 D1/TX Digital I/O, UART TX UART_TXD/
GPIO_22
P1.13 UART_TXD signal on NINA-B31
3 D2 Digital I/O UART_CTS/
GPIO_21
P1.12 UART_CTS signal on NINA-B31
4 D3 Digital I/O UART_RTS/
GPIO_20
P0.31 UART_RTS signal on NINA-B31
5 D4 Digital I/O GPIO_1 P0.13
6 D5 Digital I/O GPIO_32 P0.11
7 D6 Digital I/O GPIO_28 P0.09 Signal not connected by defualt,
configured for NFC use
8 D7 Digital I/O GPIO_29 P0.10 Signal not connected by defualt,
configured for NFC use
J4 1 D8 Digital I/O GPIO_33 P1.09
2 D9 Digital I/O GPIO_46 P0.12
3 D10 Digital I/O GPIO_2 P0.14
4 D11 Digital I/O GPIO_3 P0.15
5 D12 Digital I/O GPIO_8 P1.00
6 D13 Digital I/O GPIO_45 P0.07
7 GND Ground GND
8 AREF Analog reference voltage level - - Not connected
9 SDA I2C data signal GPIO_4 P0.16
10 SCL I2C clock signal GPIO_5 P0.24
Table 8: Pinout of the Arduino UNO R3 compatible interface

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1.7.1 Arduino shield compatibility
The EVK-NINA-B3 has an I/O voltage range of 1.7-3.6 V. It can therefore be used only with shields that
also support an I/O voltage within this range.
The EVK-NINA-B3 has a pinout that is compatible with some Arduino or Arduino inspired shields. This
section describes the features of the EVK pins that a shield must comply with:
•IOREF: The I/O voltage level of the NINA-B3 module is 3.3 V by default, but the EVK can be modified
to allow other voltages (1.7-3.6 V).
•RESET: Is connected to the RESET button (SW0).
•3.3 V: A regulated 3.3 V output. Should not be used as a voltage supply input, use the VIN pin
instead.
•5 V: Is only a 5 V supply output if the EVK is being powered by USB. If any other power configuration
is used, this pin will be unconnected (floating). It is safe to connect an external 5 V supply to this
pin even when a USB cable is connected. This pin cannot be used to power the board, use the VIN
pin instead.
•VIN: May be used as a 5 -12 V supply input to power the EVK-NINA-B3.
•Pin 0 (RX): Is connected to the NINA-B3 UART RX pin (NINA pin 23).
•Pin 1 (TX): Is connected to the NINA-B3 UART TX pin (NINA pin 22).
Note on SCL/SDA: On some Arduino boards, the I2C signals, SCL, and SDA are connected to the pins
A4 and A5 and to the SCL and SDA pins in the top right hand corner. Since these pins will be shorted
together it might cause problems when connected to the EVK-NINA-B3, which has not shorted these
pins together.
Note on digital I/O pins: Some of the digital I/O pins can be connected to the on-board debug MCU,
thus allowing serial communication and flashing/debugging over USB. This can cause interference on
the signals that are also used by an Arduino shield. See section 1.10 on how to disconnect these
signals from the debug MCU.
1.8 Raspberry Pi compatible interface
The EVK-NINA-B3 includes a 40-pin GPIO header that can be used to interface with either a Raspberry
Pi computer board or with a Raspberry Pi expansion board (HAT). The EVK-NINA-B3 uses different
hardware and software configurations depending on if it is connected to a Pi or a HAT; the differences
are covered in this section. The default configuration is to connect to a Pi.
Not all the Raspberry Pi versions and HATs are supported, since it requires the 40-pin GPIO header,
which older versions did not have. Table 9 lists the compatible Raspberry Pi versions.
Compatible Raspberry Pi boards
Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+
Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+
Raspberry Pi 2 Model B
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
Raspberry Pi Zero
Raspberry Pi Zero W
Table 9: Compatible Raspberry Pi boards

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Figure 12: Pin header J14 that is compatible with the Raspberry Pi GPIO connectors
Figure 12 shows the layout of the Raspberry Pi interface and Table 10 explains the pinout in detail.
There are three mounting holes that can be used for increased mechanical stability. The two on either
side of connector J14 are common to all Raspberry Pi boards, but the third one is only compatible with
the Pi Zero boards.

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Conn. Pin
No.
Raspberry
Pi pin
Description Schematic
net name
nRF52
pin
Alternate functions and notes
J14 1 3.3 V 3.3 V supply pin 3V3_PI - Not connected by default, see section 1.6
2 5 V 5 V supply pin 5V - Cannot be used as supply input. Supplied
by USB VBUS and protected from back
powering.
3 GPIO02 Digital I/O GPIO_5 P0.24
4 5 V 5 V supply pin 5V - Cannot be used as supply input. Supplied
by USB VBUS and protected from back
powering.
5 GPIO03 Digital I/O GPIO_4 P0.16
6 GND Ground GND GND
7 GPIO04 Digital I/O GPIO_3 P0.15
8 GPIO14 Digital I/O, UART TX/RX RASP_TXD P0.29 Connected to NINA UART_RXD pin by
default, see section 1.8.2
9 GND Ground GND GND
10 GPIO15 Digital I/O, UART RX/TX RASP_RXD P1.13 Connected to NINA UART_TXD pin by
default, see section 1.8.2
11 GPIO17 Digital I/O GPIO_2 P0.14
12 GPIO18 Digital I/O GPIO_1 P0.13
13 GPIO27 Digital I/O GPIO_52 P0.19 Connected to NINA through a solder bridge,
if the solder bridge is cut this pin will be left
floating
14 GND Ground GND GND
15 GPIO22 Digital I/O GPIO_51 P0.17 Connected to NINA through a solder bridge,
if the bridge is cut this pin will be left
floating
16 GPIO23 Digital I/O GPIO_50 P0.20 Connected to NINA through a solder bridge,
if the bridge is cut this pin will be left
floating
17 3.3 V 3.3 V supply pin 3V3_PI - Not connected by default, see section 1.6
18 GPIO24 Digital I/O GPIO_49 P0.22 Connected to NINA through a solder bridge,
if the bridge is cut this pin will be left
floating
19 GPIO10 Digital I/O GPIO_48 P0.21 Connected to NINA through a solder bridge,
if the bridge is cut this pin will be left
floating
20 GND Ground GND GND
21 GPIO09 Digital I/O GPIO_47 P0.23 Connected to NINA through a solder bridge,
if the bridge is cut this pin will be left
floating
22 GPIO25 Digital I/O GPIO_46 P0.12
23 GPIO11 Digital I/O GPIO_45 P0.07
24 GPIO08 Digital I/O GPIO_44 P0.27
25 GND Ground GND GND
26 GPIO07 Digital I/O GPIO_43 P0.06
27 ID_SD EEPROM config I2C data
signal
GPIO_42 P0.26 Should only be used to read or simulate
HAT EEPROMs, see section 1.8.3
28 ID_SC EEPROM config I2C clock
signal
GPIO_41 P1.14 Should only be used to read or simulate
HAT EEPROMs, see section 1.8.3
29 GPIO05 Digital I/O GPIO_40 P1.15
30 GND Ground GND GND
31 GPIO06 Digital I/O GPIO_39 P1.11

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Conn. Pin
No.
Raspberry
Pi pin
Description Schematic
net name
nRF52
pin
Alternate functions and notes
32 GPIO12 Digital I/O GPIO_38 P1.10
33 GPIO13 Digital I/O GPIO_37 P1.03
34 GND Ground GND GND
35 GPIO19 Digital I/O GPIO_36 P1.02
36 GPIO16 Digital I/O GPIO_35 P1.01
37 GPIO26 Digital I/O GPIO_34 P1.08
38 GPIO20 Digital I/O GPIO_33 P1.09
39 GND Ground GND GND
40 GPIO21 Digital I/O GPIO_32 P0.11
Table 10: Pinout of the Raspberry Pi compatible interface
1.8.1 Powering considerations
There are two voltage nets used in the Raspberry Pi interface - 3V3_PI and 5V. Both the 3V3_PI and
5V nets can be used to power HATs, but should not be used when connecting to a Raspberry Pi. See
section 1.6.6 for more information.
⚠The 3V3_PI power net must not be connected to the 3.3 V supply when connected to a Raspberry
Pi board. It could damage both the boards.
1.8.2 UART
The Raspberry Pi interface provides two pins that can be used for UART communications GPIO14 and
GPIO15. In UART communications, signals are always connected RX <-> TX and vice versa. This means
that on a Raspberry Pi board GPIO14 will be TX and on a HAT it will be RX. To support talking to both
HATs and Pi boards, the zero Ωresistors - R57, R58, R59 and R60 can be used to toggle the NINA TX
and RX pins between GPIO14 and GPIO15. If a NINA-B30 is used, this switch can also be made in the
software. By default, the EVK-NINA-B3 will be configured to simulate a HAT, and GPIO14 is connected
to the NINA UART_RXD pin and GPIO15 is connected to the NINA UART_TXD pin.
1.8.3 EEPROM support
The Raspberry Pi interface supports a unique EEPROM solution to store the HAT specific GPIO
configurations on the HAT board, to be read by the Raspberry Pi before configuring its GPIOs. The two
pins used for this - ID_SD and ID_SC, are connected to the NINA-B3 module. The NINA module can
thus either read the GPIO configuration from a HAT, or simulate an EEPROM and send configurations
to a connected Pi. This requires a NINA-B30 module and a custom built application.
It is not mandatory to use this EEPROM solution; if not used, the two NINA pins GPIO_42 and GPIO_41
can be left unconfigured.
Two pull-up resistors - R44 and R50, can be added to the I2C lines if needed. They are not mounted on
the evaluation board by default.
Visit https://github.com/raspberrypi/hats/blob/master/designguide.md for more information on the
ID EEPROM specification.

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1.9 Buttons and LEDs
Figure 13: Position of the push-buttons and LEDs on the evaluation board
Annotation Function Description
SW0 Reset button Connected directly to the NINA RESET_N pin.
SW1 User button Push button for application use. Connected directly to the NINA SWITCH_1
(GPIO_7) pin
SW2 User button Push button for application use. Connected directly to the NINA SWITCH_2
(GPIO_18) pin
Table 11: EVK-NINA-B3 buttons
Annotation Function Description Color
DS1 UART CTS LED Connected to the NINA UART_CTS (GPIO_21) pin via jumper header J9
DS2 UART RTS LED Connected to the NINA UART_RTS (GPIO_20) pin via jumper header J9
DS3 Interface MCU LED Blinks on USB enumeration and activity, lit when the Interface MCU is
connected via USB
DS4 Interface MCU LED Error LED
DS5 UART DTR LED Connected to the NINA UART_DTR (GPIO_16) pin via jumper header J9
DS6 UART DSR LED Connected to the NINA UART_DSR (GPIO_17) pin via jumper header J9
DS7 UART TXD LED Connected to the NINA UART_TXD (GPIO_22) pin via jumper header J9
DS8 UART RXD LED Connected to the NINA UART_RXD (GPIO_23) pin via jumper header J9
DS9 RGB LED Connected to the NINA RED (GPIO_1), GREEN (GPIO_7) and BLUE (GPIO_8)
pins via jumper header J19
Table 12: EVK-NINA-B3 LED indicators
1.10 Disconnecting NINA signals from board peripherals
All evaluation board peripherals, such as level shifters, LEDs, and the interface MCU will be 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 1.6), 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 14 shows the
layout of these jumper headers.

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Figure 14: Jumper headers J19 and J9 that are used to isolate specific NINA signals
Connector
annotation
Pin
number
Schematic
net name
Description
J19 1 RESET_N Reset signal, active low
2 RESET_N_I Connects to the Interface MCU’s reset line
3 SWDIO SWD data signal
4 SWDIO_I Interface MCU SWD data signal, used to program/debug the NINA module
5 SWDCLK SWD clock signal
6 SWDCLK_I Interface MCU SWD data signal, used to program/debug the NINA module
7 GPIO_8 NINA-B30: GPIO or TRACE
NINA-B31: BLUE signal
8 BLUE RGB diode blue signal, active low
9 GPIO_7/
SWITCH_1
NINA-B30: GPIO, can be used as either user LED output or push-button input
NINA-B31: SWITCH_1 and GREEN signal
10 GREEN RGB diode green signal, active low
11 GPIO_1 NINA-B30: GPIO, can be used as user LED output
NINA-B31: RED signal
12 RED RGB diode red signal, active low
J9 1 GPIO_16/
UART_DTR
NINA-B30: analog capable GPIO signal
NINA-B31: UART DTR output
2 UART_DTR_I UART to USB DTR signal
3 GPIO_17/
UART_DSR
NINA-B30: analog capable GPIO signal
NINA-B31: UART DSR input
4 UART_DSR_I UART to USB DSR signal
5 GPIO_20/
UART_RTS
NINA-B30: analog capable GPIO signal
NINA-B31: UART RTS output
6 UART_RTS_I UART to USB RTS signal
7 GPIO_21/
UART_CTS
NINA-B30: GPIO signal
NINA-B31: UART CTS input
8 UART_CTS_I UART to USB CTS signal
9 GPIO_22/
UART_TXD
NINA-B30: GPIO signal
NINA-B31: UART TXD output
10 UART_TXD_I UART to USB TXD signal
11 GPIO_23/
UART_RXD
NINA-B30: analog capable GPIO signal
NINA-B31: UART RXD input
12 UART_RXD_I UART to USB RXD signal
Table 13: Pinout of jumper headers - J19 and J9

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1.11 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 the CR2032 coin cell battery, or through the external power supply connector J5. 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 J9 header. The SEGGER J-Link software [4] is required to debug using the
onboard J-Link hardware on the EVK-NINA-B3.