Ublox EVK-NINA-B4 User manual

UBX-19054587 - R03
C1 - Public www.u-blox.com
EVK-NINA-B4
Evaluation kit for NINA-B4 modules
User guide

Abstract
This document describes how to set up the EVK-NINA-B4 evaluation kit to evaluate NINA-
B4 series
standalone Bluetooth®5.1 low energy modules. It also describes the different options for debugging
and testing the development capabilities included in the evaluation board.

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Document information
Title EVK-NINA-B4
Subtitle Evaluation kit for NINA-B4 modules
Document type User guide
Document number UBX-19054587
Revision and date R03 15-Sep-2020
Disclosure restriction C1 - Public
This document applies to the following products:
Product name
EVK-NINA-B400
EVK-NINA-B410
EVK-NINA-B406
EVK-NINA-B416
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, correctnes
s, 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
1Quick start guide.................................................................................................................................... 5
2Product description .............................................................................................................................. 6
2.1 Overview........................................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Kit includes...................................................................................................................................................7
2.3 Key features .................................................................................................................................................7
2.4 EVK-NINA-B4 block diagram ....................................................................................................................8
2.5 Connectors ...................................................................................................................................................9
3Setting up the evaluation board .................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Evaluation board setup............................................................................................................................10
3.2 Starting up .................................................................................................................................................10
EVK-NINA-B41x ................................................................................................................................10
EVK-NINA-B40x ................................................................................................................................11
3.3 Measuring current consumption...........................................................................................................11
Using an ampere meter ...................................................................................................................11
Using a volt meter.............................................................................................................................11
Using an external power supply or power analyzer....................................................................12
4Board configuration ........................................................................................................................... 13
4.1 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
4.2 Disconnecting NINA signals from board peripherals ........................................................................20
5Interfaces and peripherals............................................................................................................... 22
5.1 Buttons and LEDs.....................................................................................................................................22
5.2 Arduino interface ......................................................................................................................................23
Arduino shield compatibility...........................................................................................................25
5.3 Raspberry Pi compatible interface ........................................................................................................25
Powering considerations.................................................................................................................28
UART ...................................................................................................................................................28
EEPROM support..............................................................................................................................28
5.4 Additional Interfaces................................................................................................................................28
Extra memory – external Flash ......................................................................................................30
Extra USB to UART interface .........................................................................................................30
CPU trace interface ..........................................................................................................................31
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 32

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ASchematics ........................................................................................................................................... 32
BGlossary ................................................................................................................................................. 36
Related documents ................................................................................................................................... 37
Revision history .......................................................................................................................................... 37
Contact.......................................................................................................................................................... 38

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1Quick start guide
EVK-NINA-B4 software and documentation is available at www.u-blox.com/evk-search.
Install s-center evaluation software
s-center is a powerful and easy-to-use tool for evaluating, configuring, and testing u-blox short range
modules. Running on Windows 10 operating systems, the software allows end users to assess and
configure u-blox short range modules using the EVK.
Follow the procedure outlined below to download and install the s-center software and
documentation. The software can be downloaded from the u-blox s-center product page and is
available free of charge.
1. Download the latest s-center software to your computer.
2. Open the s-center setup installer to install the software.
3. Select Launch button in the installer or open the application from the Windows Start button.
Install J-Link drivers
Follow the procedure outlined below to install the J-Link drivers needed for programming the module.
1. Connect the EVK-NINA-B4 board to your PC using the USB cable provided with the product.
2. Verify that the USB drivers are installed successfully. If the drivers do not install automatically,
see section 3.1.
3. Once the drivers are installed, a COM port is enabled in Windows. Use the Windows Device
Manager to view the port number (COM #) for the USB serial port.
4. Start s-center to communicate with the module.
For EVK-NINA-B4x0 (with external antenna), attach the antenna to the antenna cable and connect
the antenna cable to the U.FL connector.
⚠The initial prototypes of EVK-NINA-B406, marked with PT1 (date code 1950 or older) have a
different pin out and some hardware limitations. This is described in the sample delivery notes
that come with the prototypes.

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2Product description
2.1 Overview
The u-blox EVK-NINA-B4 evaluation kit is a versatile development platform that allows quick
prototyping of a variety of extremely low-powered Internet of Things (IoT) applications, using full
Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and IEEE 802.15.4.
EVK-NINA-B4 boards are available in the following four variants that accommodate alternative
antenna and software solutions:
•EVK-NINA-B400, with open CPU NINA-B400 module and U.FL antenna connector for connecting
to external antennas.
•EVK-NINA-B410, with u-connect NINA-B410 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress software,
and U.FL antenna connector for connecting to external antennas.
•EVK-NINA-B406, with open CPU NINA-B406 module that includes an internal PCB trace antenna.
•EVK-NINA-B416, with u-connect NINA-B416 module pre-flashed with u-connectXpress software
and an internal PCB trace antenna.
Figure 1: EVK-NINA-B400/B410 evaluation board
Figure 2: EVK-NINA-B406/B416 evaluation board

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All NINA-B4 standalone modules include an Arm®Cortex®-M4F microcontroller with a 64 MHz system
clock, 512kB internal flash and 128 kB RAM.
EVK-NINA-B4 evaluation boards provide access to the 38 GPIO pins and interfaces that are supported
on NINA-B4 modules. The interfaces are available through a variety of connectors, including Arduino™
Uno R3 [1] and Raspberry Pi [2] header connectors. The boards alos provide 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 nRF52833 SoC, provide a free Software
Development Kit (SDK) that includes a broad selection of drivers, libraries, and example applications
that can be used for rapid prototyping.
2.2 Kit includes
The EVK-NINA-B4 evaluation kit includes the following:
•NINA-B4 evaluation board
•2.4 GHz antenna with U.FL connector (only in EVK-NINA-B400 and EVK-NINA-B410)
•NFC antenna
•USB cable
2.3 Key features
•u-blox NINA-B4 Bluetooth Low Energy module based on the Nordic nRF52833 SoC
oFull Bluetooth 5.1 support
oNFC tag functionality
o802.15.4 PHY
oIntegrated Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller with 512kB internal flash and 128 kB RAM, and
64 MHz system clock
oUSB 2.0
oWide 1.7-3.6 V supply range
•The NINA-B4 module supports different interfaces that can be configured to any of the 38
available GPIO pin(s):
o8 analog capable inputs
o16 PWM capable outputs
o4x SPI
o2x UART with HW flow control
o2x I2C
o1x I2S
o1x PDM input
o1x Quadrature decoder
•EVK-NINA-B41x: support for u-connectXpress software
•EVK-NINA-B40x: support for developing your own software on the Open CPU NINA-B4 module
•Full UART to USB converter with a Virtual COM port, allowing control of the extended UART
features of the u-blox u-connect 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-B4
•Dedicated USB connector for the NINA-B4 USB interface
•Additional flash memory can be added to the board for use by the NINA-B4 module
•RGB LED and push-buttons

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•Arduino UNO R3 and Raspberry Pi compatible pin header interfaces
•Jumper headers and level shifters allow for flexible powering options of the NINA-B4 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
2.4 EVK-NINA-B4 block diagram
Figure 3 shows the major interfaces and internal connections of the EVK-NINA-B4.
Figure 3: EVK-NINA-B4 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 D 10 D 11 D 12 D 13
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
R P i _ 10
R P i _ 11
R P i _ 12
R P i _ 13
R P i _ 14
R P i _ 15
R P i _ 16 R P i _ 17 R P i _ 18
R P i _ 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
SPI
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
D 10 a n d D 11
are optional

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2.5 Connectors
Table 1 describes the available connectors of the EVK-NINA-B4 shown in Figure 4.
Connector 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.
(J2) 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-B400/EVK-NINA-B410.
J12 Cortex Debug connector 10-pin, 50 mil pitch connector that can be used to connect external debuggers to the
NINA-B4 module. The NINA-B4 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-B4 USB interface. Can also
be used to power the entire board.
Table 1: EVK-NINA-B4 connector description
Figure 4: Available connectors and their pinout
J5
21
1 4
GNDVIN
5 - 12 V
NFC1
GND GND
NFC2
U.FL RF coax, (J2 is the module designator)
GND GND
N/C
VDD_IO
GND
SWDIO SWDCLK GPIO_8 N/C RESET_N
BT1
J 17
Power
J8
J 16
USB
Debug
J 12
Antennas
J 11
(J2)
CR2032
+
3V
2
1
10
9
Micro USB
Micro USB
J 17
Debug
Power
Antennas
USB
USB
J8
J5 BT1
J 12
J 16
(J2)
J 11
Board Connectors

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3Setting up the evaluation board
3.1 Evaluation board setup
EVK-NINA-B410 and EVK-NINA-B416 boards are delivered with pre-installed u-blox u-connectXpress
software.
Before connecting the evaluation board, download and install the latest u-blox s-center evaluation
software from the u-blox website.
To use Bluetooth Low Energy on EVK-NINA-B410 and EVK-NINA-B416 boards, connect a 2.4 GHz
antenna to the U.FL antenna connector. The EVK-NINA-B400 and EVK-NINA-B406 board variants
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, as
described in section 4.1. The default configuration shown in section 4.1.2 works for most use
cases.
⚠Be careful to check polarity before connecting an external power supply to the EVK-NINA-B4
evaluation board. Center conductor is positive (+) and the ring is negative (-).
The operating system installs the correct drivers automatically. The drivers need only be installed
once when you connect the unit to a new computer.
⚠If the drivers are not installed automatically, download the J-Link driver included in the Nordic
nRF Command Line Tools.
Two COM ports are automatically assigned to the unit by Windows:
•The COM port labelled “USB Serial Port” is used to communicate with the UART interface of the
NINA-B4 module.
•The COM port labelled “JLink CDC UART Port” can be used as an extra USB to the UART
interface. For more information about other interfaces, see section 5.4.2.
Use the following procedure to view the assigned COM ports on Windows 7:
1. Open the Control Panel and select Hardware and Sound.
2. Open the Device Manager in Devices and Printers. This opens the Device Manager window where
you can view the assigned COM ports.
3. To view the assigned COM ports on Windows 10, right click the Windows Start button and select
Device Manager.
3.2 Starting up
EVK-NINA-B41x
To communicate with the module using AT commands, install and start the s-connect evaluation
software (see section 1) and set the baud rate to 115200, 8N1 with flow control. All available AT
commands are described in the u-connect AT commands manual [5].
To get started with the basic use case set up of the EVK-NINA-B4 with u-blox u-connect software, see
the u-connectXpress user guide [7].