Ublox NINA-W1 Series Quick setup guide

UBX-17005730 - R11
C1 - Public www.u-blox.com
NINA-W1 series
Stand-alone Wi-Fi and multiradio modules
System integration manual

Abstract
This document describes the system integration of NINA-W1 series stand-
alone modules, which
includes the NINA-W13 (Wi-Fi) and NINA-W10 and NINA-W15 series (multiradio) modules. These
modules feature a number of useful embedded security features, including secure boot that ensures
that only authenticated software can run on the module. NINA-W1 modules are
ideal for critical IoT
applications where security is important. The modules
connect to a host system using UART,
high-speed RMII, or GPIO interfaces.

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Document information
Title NINA-W1 series
Subtitle Stand-alone Wi-Fi and multiradio modules
Document type System integration manual
Document number UBX-17005730
Revision and date R11 30-Sep-2020
Disclosure Restriction C1 - Public
Document status explanation
Draft For functional testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Objective Specification Target values. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Advance Information Data based on early testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Early Production Information Data from product verification. Revised and supplementary data may be published later.
Production Information Document contains the final product specification.
This document applies to the following products:
Product name Document status
NINA-W101 Early Production Information
NINA-W102 Early Production Information
NINA-W106 Objective specification
NINA-W131 Early Production Information
NINA-W132 Early Production Information
NINA-W151 Early Production Information
NINA-W152 Early Production Information
NINA-W156 Draft
☞For information about the hardware, software, and current status of the available product types,
see the NINA-W10, NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 data sheets [3], [2] and [4].
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 wit
h 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
System description ............................................................................................................................6
1.1 Overview........................................................................................................................................................6
1.2 Architecture .................................................................................................................................................7
1.2.1 Block diagrams....................................................................................................................................7
1.3 CPU.................................................................................................................................................................8
1.4 Operating modes.........................................................................................................................................8
1.4.1 Power modes .......................................................................................................................................8
1.5 Supply interfaces ........................................................................................................................................9
1.5.1 Module supply design (VCC).............................................................................................................9
1.5.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO)........................................................................9
1.5.3 VCC application circuits ....................................................................................................................9
1.6 System function interfaces ......................................................................................................................9
1.6.1 Boot strapping pins............................................................................................................................9
1.7 Data interfaces..........................................................................................................................................10
1.7.1 Universal asynchronous serial interface (UART) .......................................................................10
1.7.2 Ethernet (RMII+SMI) ........................................................................................................................11
1.7.3 Serial peripheral interface (SPI).....................................................................................................12
1.8 Antenna interfaces...................................................................................................................................13
1.8.1 Antenna pin – NINA-W1x1 ..............................................................................................................13
1.8.2 NINA-W1x2 and W1x6 integrated antennas..............................................................................14
1.9 Reserved pins (RSVD) ..............................................................................................................................14
1.10GND pins .....................................................................................................................................................14
Software ............................................................................................................................................. 15
2.1 NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 u-connectXpress software ....................................................................15
2.2 s-center evaluation software..................................................................................................................16
2.3 SDK for open-CPU modules ....................................................................................................................16
2.4 Updating NINA-W13 and NINA-W15....................................................................................................16
2.5 Updating u-connectXpress software with s-center ..........................................................................17
2.6 Updating u-connectXpress software from host.................................................................................17
2.7 Developing and flashing NINA-W10 open-CPU software.................................................................18
2.7.1 Setup the ESP-IDF v3 toolchain ....................................................................................................18
2.7.2 Get ESP-IDF v3 ..................................................................................................................................19
2.7.3 Setup path to ESP-IDF.....................................................................................................................20
2.7.4 Building and flashing ESP-IDF v3 ..................................................................................................20
2.7.5 Using ESP-IDF v4..............................................................................................................................23
2.7.6 Automatic bootloader on NINA-W10 EVK...................................................................................23
2.8 Arduino support for NINA-W10..............................................................................................................24
2.8.1 Downloading the Arduino IDE.........................................................................................................24
2.8.2 Downloading from the GIT repository...........................................................................................25

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2.8.3 Downloading the toolchain .............................................................................................................25
2.9Output power configuration ...................................................................................................................29
2.9.1 NINA-W10 series ..............................................................................................................................29
2.9.2 NINA-W13/W15 series ....................................................................................................................31
Design-in............................................................................................................................................. 32
3.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................................32
3.2 Supply interfaces ......................................................................................................................................32
3.2.1 Module supply (VCC) design...........................................................................................................32
3.2.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO)......................................................................32
3.3 Antenna interface.....................................................................................................................................33
3.3.1 RF transmission line design (NINA-W1x1)..................................................................................33
3.3.2 Antenna design (NINA-W1x1)........................................................................................................35
3.3.3 On-board antenna design ...............................................................................................................38
3.4 Data communication interfaces ............................................................................................................40
3.4.1 Asynchronous serial interface (UART) design............................................................................40
3.4.2 Ethernet (RMII+SMI) ........................................................................................................................40
3.5 General high-speed layout guidelines ..................................................................................................40
3.5.1 General considerations for schematic design and PCB floor-planning.................................41
3.5.2 Module placement ............................................................................................................................41
3.5.3 Layout and manufacturing.............................................................................................................41
3.6 Module footprint and paste mask .........................................................................................................41
3.7 Thermal guidelines ...................................................................................................................................42
3.8 ESD guidelines...........................................................................................................................................42
Handling and soldering................................................................................................................... 44
4.1 Packaging, shipping, storage and moisture preconditioning ..........................................................44
4.2 Handling......................................................................................................................................................44
4.3 Soldering .....................................................................................................................................................44
4.3.1 Reflow soldering process ................................................................................................................44
4.3.2 Cleaning ..............................................................................................................................................45
4.3.3 Other remarks ...................................................................................................................................46
Approvals............................................................................................................................................ 47
5.1 General requirements ..............................................................................................................................47
5.2 FCC/IC End-product regulatory compliance........................................................................................47
5.2.1 NINA-W10 series FCC ID and IC certification number..............................................................47
5.2.2 NINA-W13/W15 series FCC ID and IC certification number....................................................47
5.2.3 Antenna requirements ....................................................................................................................48
Product testing................................................................................................................................. 49
6.1 u-blox In-Series production test.............................................................................................................49
6.2 OEM manufacturer production test .....................................................................................................49
6.2.1 “Go/No go” tests for integrated devices ......................................................................................50
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 51
AGlossary .............................................................................................................................................. 51
Related documents ................................................................................................................................ 53

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Revision history ....................................................................................................................................... 54
Contact....................................................................................................................................................... 55

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System description
1.1 Overview
The NINA-W1 series of wireless and multiradio MCU IoT is suitable for industrial markets where
security is important. NINA-W1 includes the following stand-alone modules:
Model Description
NINA-W13 series
Wireless MCU modules integrate a powerful microcontroller (MCU) and a Wi-Fi
radio for wireless
communication. NINA-W13x modules come with pre-flashed application software and
support
802.11b/g/n in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Host systems set up and control the modules through an
AT
command interface to reduce the time and complexity of including Wi-Fi connectivity
into your application
designs. NINA-W13x modules offer top-grade security with secure boot
functionality that ensures that
applications start only with the original u-blox software, u-connectXpress.
NINA-W10 series Multiradio MCU modules
integrate a powerful microcontroller (MCU) and radio for wireless
communication. With open CPU architecture, NINA-W10 series modules are ideal for
advanced
applications that run on dual core 32-bit MCUs. The radio provides support for Wi-
Fi 802.11b/g/n in the
2.4 GHz ISM band, Bluetooth BR/EDR, and Bluetooth low energy communication. Leveraging
integrated
cryptographic hardware accelerators, NINA-W10 series modules offer top-grade security with secure boot
functionality that ensures that applications start only with the original u-blox software, u-connectXpress.
NINA-W15 series NINA-W15x modules have similar performance as NINA-W10x modules, but come with pre-
flashed
application software. Serving as a multiradio gateway, these modules provide support for Wi-
Fi
802.11b/g/n and dual-mode Bluetooth (Bluetooth BR/EDR low energy v4.2). Host systems
set up and
control the modules through an AT command interface to reduce the time and complexity of including Wi-
Fi connectivity into your application designs. NINA-W15x series modules offer top-grade security
with
secure boot functionality that ensures that applications start only with the original u-blox software
,
u-connectXpress.
NINA-W1 modules have full modular approval for Europe (RED), US (FCC), Canada (IC / ISED RSS),
Japan (MIC), Taiwan (NCC), South Korea (KCC), Australia / New Zealand (ACMA), Brazil (Anatel), and
South Africa (ICASA). The modules are qualified for professional grade operation and support an
extended temperature range of -40 °C to +85 °C.
⚠NINA-W106 and NINA-W156 approvals are currently pending.

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1.2 Architecture
1.2.1 Block diagrams
Figure 1: NINA-W13 series block diagram
* Only on NINA-W101 and NINA-W102.
** 16Mbit NINA-W101 and NINA-W102; 32Mbit NINA-W106.
Figure 2: NINA-W10 series block diagram
Flash (16 Mbit)
Linear voltage regulators
RF
ROM
Wi-Fi
baseband
IO Buffers
2xXtensa 32-bit LX6 MCU
SRAM (4Mbit)
Cryptographic
hardware
accelerations
PIFA antenna
(NINA-W132)
PLL
Quad SPI
VCC_IO
VCC (3.0
-3.6V)
40 MHz
Reset
UART
RMII
EFUSE
GPIO
BPF
(NINA-
W131)
ANT
Linear voltage regulators
RF
ROM
Wi-Fi
baseband
Bluetooth
Baseband
IO Buffers
2xXtensa 32-bit LX6 MCU
SRAM (4Mbit)
Cryptographic
hardware
accelerations
PIFA antenna
(NINA-W102)
PLL
VCC_IO
VCC (3.0- 3.6V)
40 MHz
Reset
ANT
UART
RMII
I2C
SPI
SDIO
Quad SPI
JTAG
GPIO
ADC/DAC
EFUSE
CAN
BPF*
LPO
(NINA-W106)
PCB trace antenna
(NINA-W101
)
Flash (16/32 Mbit)
Quad SPI

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* Only on NINA-W152 and NINA-W152
** Only on NINA-W156. Support in u-connectXpress - pending implementation
Figure 3: NINA-W15 series block diagram
1.3 CPU
NINA-W1 series modules use a dual-core system that includes two Harvard Architecture Xtensa LX6
CPUs with maximum 240 MHz internal clock frequency. The internal memory of NINA-W1 supports:
•448 kB ROM for booting and core functions
•520 kB SRAM for data and instruction
•16 or 32 Mbit FLASH memory for code storage, including hardware encryption to protect
programs and data.
•1 kbit EFUSE (non- erasable memory) for MAC addresses, module configuration, flash-
encryption, and Chip-ID.
Open CPU variants (NINA-W10) also support external FLASH and SRAM memory through a Quad SPI
interface.
1.4 Operating modes
1.4.1 Power modes
NINA-W1 series modules are power efficient devices capable of operating in different power saving
modes and configurations. Different sections of the modules can be powered off when they are not
needed, and complex wake up events can be generated from different external and internal inputs.
For the lowest current consumption modes an external LPO clock is required (interface available for
NINA-W10 series modules and NINA-W156).
Flash (16 Mbit)
Linear voltage regulators
RF
ROM
Wi-Fi
baseband
IO Buffers
2xXtensa 32-bit LX6 MCU
SRAM (4Mbit)
Cryptographic
hardware
accelerations
PIFA antenna
(NINA-W152)
PLL
Quad SPI
VCC_IO
VCC (3.0
-3.6V)
40 MHz
Reset
UART
RMII
EFUSE
GPIO
BPF*
(NINA-W15
1)
ANT
Wi-Fi
baseband
(NINA-W156)
PIFA antenna
SPI
LPO*
*

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1.5 Supply interfaces
1.5.1 Module supply design (VCC)
NINA-W1 series modules include an integrated Linear Voltage converter that transforms the supply
voltage. The output of the converter, presented at the VCC pin, provides a stable system voltage.
1.5.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO)
NINA-W1 series modules include an additional voltage supply input for setting the I/O voltage level.
A separate VCC_IO pin enables module integration in many applications with different voltage supply
levels (1.8 V or 3.3 V for example) without level converters. NINA-W1 series modules currently support
3.3 V IO levels only.
1.5.3 VCC application circuits
The power for NINA-W1 series modules is applied through the VCC pins. These supplies are taken
from either of the following sources:
•Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS)
•Low Drop Out (LDO) regulator
An SMPS is the ideal design choice when the available primary supply source is of a higher value than
the operating supply voltage of the module. This offers the best power efficiency for the application
design and minimizes the amount of current drawn from the main supply source.
⚠When taking VCC supplies from an SMPS make sure that the AC ripple voltage is kept as low as
possible at the switching frequency. Design layouts should focus on minimizing the impact of any
high-frequency ringing.
Use an LDO linear regulator for primary VCC supplies that have a relatively low voltage. As LDO linear
regulators dissipate a considerable amount of energy, LDOs are not recommended for the step down
of high voltages.
DC/DC efficiency should be regarded as a trade-off between the active and idle duty cycles of an
application. Although some DC/DC devices achieve high efficiency at light loads, these efficiencies
typically degrade as soon as the idle current drops below a few milliamps. This can have a negative
impact on the life of the battery.
If decoupling capacitors are needed on the supply rails, it is best practice to position these as close as
possible to the NINA-W1 series module. The power routing of some host system designs makes
decoupling capacitance unnecessary.
For electrical specifications, refer to the appropriate NINA-W1 series data sheet [2] [3] [4].
1.6 System function interfaces
1.6.1 Boot strapping pins
There are several boot configuration pins available on the module that must be set correctly during
boot, or the module may not boot properly. Table 1 shows the condition of the bootstrap signals that
determine the behavior of the module during the system startup.
☞Boot strap pins are configured to the default state internally on the module and must NOT be
configured externally, unless otherwise stated.

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Pin State during boot Default Behavior Description
27 0 ESP boot mode (factory boot) ESP Factory boot
Mode/RMII clock line.
1 Pull-up* Normal Boot from internal Flash
32 0 Silent Printout on UART0 TXD
during boot
1 Pull-up* UART0 TXD Toggling
36 0 VDD_SDIO=3.3V (Not allowed) Internal flash voltage
1 10 k
Ω
pull-up VDD_SDIO=1.8V
(VDD_SDIO should always be at 1.8 V)
Table 1: NINA-B2 series boot strapping pins
☞On NINA-W13/W15 modules, pin 27 must be in default state during the boot.
☞Care must be taken if an RMII interface is to be included in the application design. As pin 27
connect to the RMII, it is important that the pin is in the correct state during the module boot and
before the RMII interface turns on. For further connection information, see section 1.7.2.1.
☞On NINA-W10 modules, pin 27 is used to enter the ESP bootloader. Consequently, this pin must
be exposed on a pin header (or similar) to flash the module.
☞During boot, pin 32 controls if additional system information should be transmitted on the UART
interface during startup. After the system has booted it is reconfigured to SPI_CS,the SPI chip
select signal.
☞During boot, pin 36 controls the voltage level of the internal flash during startup. After the system
has booted it is reconfigured to SPI_MISO, the SPI slave data output signal. It must NOT be pulled
down by an external MCU or circuitry.
For the timing and algorithm for the detection of the SPI and RMII interfaces, also see the “Data and
command interfaces” section in the NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 data sheets [2], [4].
1.7 Data interfaces
1.7.1 Universal asynchronous serial interface (UART)
For data communication and firmware upgrade purposes, NINA-W1 series modules support an
interface comprised of three UARTs. Each UART supports the following signals:
•Data lines (RXD as input, TXD as output)
•Hardware flow control lines (CTS as input, RTS as output)
•DSR and DTS set and indicate the system modes
You can use the UARTs in 4-wire mode with hardware flow control, or in 2-wire mode with TXD and
RXD only. In 2-wire mode, CTS must be connected to the GND on the NINA-W1 module.
The UART interface is also be used for firmware upgrade. See the Software section for more
information.
The u-connectXpress software adds the DSR and DTR pins to the UART interface. Although these
pins are not used as they were originally intended, these control the state of NINA modules.
Depending on the configuration, DSR can be used to:
•Enter command mode
•Disconnect and/or toggle connectable status
•Enable/disable the rest of the UART interface
•Enter/wake up from sleep or stop mode
The functionality of the DSR and DTR pins are configured by AT commands. For further information
about these commands, see the u-blox short range modules AT commands manual [1].

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Typical UART interface characteristics are described in data sheet references [2], [3] and [4] .
Interface Default configuration
UART interface 11520 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and hardware flow control
Table 2: UART port default settings
It is recommended that the UART is either connected to a header for firmware upgrade or made
available for test points.
The IO level of the UART follows VCC_IO.
1.7.2 Ethernet (RMII+SMI)
⚠NINA-W13 only supports Reduced Media-independent Interface (RMII) from software version
2.0.0 onwards.
NINA-W1 series modules include a full RMII for Ethernet MAC to PHY communication over the Station
Management Interface (SMI). RMII and SMI use nine signals in total. The RMII and SMI interfaces
require an external 50 MHz clock source either from a compatible PHY chip or from an external
oscillator.
The two-wire SMI is used to configure the PHY chip. It uses a clock line and a data line to setup the
internal registers on PHY chip.
The pin multiplexing of the RMII interface imposes limitations in the functionality of NINA-W13/W15
series module when using the interface. The following functions are turned off when RMII
communication is initiated:
•Red, Green and Blue LEDs are disabled
•UART is run without flow control as CTS and RTS functionality is disabled
•DSR and DTR functionality is disabled
A 1.5 kΩpull up resistor must be added to MDIO pin.
1.7.2.1 Startup precautions
To ensure that the boot mode is not entered inadvertently, the RMII_CLK input (GPIO27) is
multiplexed with the ESP boot pin and must be held high 1.2 ms after the reset signal is released.
EVK-NINA-W1 uses two buffers and a low pass filter to delay the reset signal going to the PHY circuit,
as shown in Figure 4.
This delays the clock so that it starts a short time after the module is released from reset.

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Figure 4: RMII clock delay circuit
u-connectXpress software senses the RMII_CLK input (GPIO27) at startup. If an RMII clock is
discovered, then Ethernet communication is initiated.
During startup of NINA-W1 series modules the RMII clock must be started within 100 us, but not
before an initial delay of 1.2 ms.
1.7.2.2 MAC to PHY connection
When connecting NINA-W1 series modules to an external PHY circuit, both the RMII and SMI
interfaces must be connected. The default PHY address (0x1) must be configured on the PHY side.
Follow the recommendations of your chosen PHY chip supplier for implementation details.
An example of a PHY implementation is shown in Figure 5. PHY KSZ8081 is recommended and used
on the EVK-NINA-W1.
Figure 5: EVK-NINA-W1 Ethernet PHY implementation
1.7.2.3 MAC to MAC connection
When connecting NINA-W1 series modules using a direct MAC to MAC connection, the SMI interface
can be left unconnected. Depending on the routing of the RMII interface on the host PCB, termination
resistors can also be needed.
An external 50 MHz oscillator is needed while running an MAC to MAC connection.
1.7.3 Serial peripheral interface (SPI)
⚠NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 modules support SPI from software version 3.0.0 onwards.

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In addition to UART support, NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 modules also include a Serial Peripheral
Interface (SPI) for data communication. The module acts as an SPI slave.
The following SPI signals are available:
•Chip select as input (SPI_CS)
•Data lines (SPI_MOSI as input, SPI_MISO as output)
•Clock (SPI_SCLK as input)
•Optional hardware flow control lines (SPI_NORX and SPI_DRDY as output)
For details on SPI operation, see the application note Communicating with a u-blox module over SPI
bus [10].
1.8 Antenna interfaces
Antenna interfaces are different for each module variant in the NINA-W1 series.
1.8.1 Antenna pin – NINA-W1x1
NINA-W1x1 modules are equipped with an RF pin. The pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of
50 Ωand must be connected to the antenna through a 50 Ωtransmission line. This allows reception
of radio frequency (RF) signals in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
Choose an antenna with optimal radiating characteristics for the best electrical performance and
overall module functionality. An internal antenna, integrated on the application board or an external
antenna connected to the application board through a proper 50 Ωconnector, can be used.
When using an external antenna, the PCB-to-RF-cable transition must be implemented using either
a suitable 50 Ωconnector, or an RF-signal solder pad (including GND) that is optimized for 50 Ω
characteristic impedance.
1.8.1.1 Antenna matching
The antenna return loss should be as good as possible across the entire band when the system is
operational to provide optimal performance. The enclosure, shields, other components, and
surrounding environment impacts the return loss that is seen at the antenna port. Matching
components are often required to retune the antenna and bring the return loss within an acceptable
range.
It is difficult to predict the actual matching values for the antenna in the final form factor. Therefore,
it is a good practice to have a placeholder in the circuit with a ”pi” network, with two shunt components
and a series component in the middle. This allows maximum flexibility while tuning the matching to
the antenna feed.
1.8.1.2 Approved antenna designs
NINA-W1 modules come with a pre-certified design that can be used to save costs and time during
the certification process. To take full advantage of this service, you must implement the antenna
layout in accordance with u-blox reference designs. Reference designs are available on request from
u-blox.
The designer integrating a u-blox reference design into an end-product is solely responsible for any
unintentional emission levels produced by the end product.
The module may be integrated with other antennas. In which case, the OEM installer must certify the
design with respective regulatory agencies.

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1.8.2 NINA-W1x2 and W1x6 integrated antennas
To simplify integration, NINA-W1x2 and W1x6 modules are equipped with an integrated antenna. An
integrated antenna design means there is no need for an RF trace design on the host PCB. This means
less effort is required in the test lab.
NINA-W1x2 modules use an internal metal sheet PIFA antenna, while the NINA-W1x6 modules are
equipped with a PCB trace antenna that is based on technology licensed from Proant AB.
1.9 Reserved pins (RSVD)
Do not connect the reserved (RSVD) pin. Reserved pins are allocated for future interfaces and
functionality.
1.10 GND pins
Good electrical connection of module GND pins, using solid ground layer of the host application board,
is required for correct RF performance. Firm connections provide a thermal heat sink for the module
and significantly reduce EMC issues.

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Software
2.1 NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 u-connectXpress software
NINA-W13/W15 stand-alone modules are delivered with embedded u-connectXpress software.
Using industry-standard AT commands, this is the software that manages the combination of
Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi connectivity supported in NINA-W13 and NINA-W15
standalone modules, specifically:
•Wi-Fi (NINA-W13 and NINA-W15)
•Bluetooth (NINA-W15)
•Bluetooth Low Energy (NINA-W15)
For information about the features, capabilities and use of u-connectXpress software, see the
u-blox
Short range modules AT commands manual [1] and u-connectXpress user guide [6].
Typical examples of the applications and use cases supported by NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 series
modules include:
•Gateway connection of Bluetooth low energy sensors to the cloud over Wi-Fi or Ethernet
•Bridge communication over serial, Wi-Fi, PPP, or Ethernet interfaces
•Wi-Fi hotspot connection using Local Area Network or Tethering
•Device configuration using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connected smartphones
•Secure cloud connection using TLS and MQTT protocols
Figure 6 shows the structure of the embedded u-connectXpress software delivered in NINA-W13 and
NINA-W15 standalone modules.
Figure 6: NINA-W13/W15u-connectXpress software structure

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2.2 s-center evaluation software
u-blox s-center client software provides a convenient tool with which to configure u-blox standalone
modules. It runs on PCs running Windows XP onwards (x86 and x64) with Net Framework 4.5 or later
and is available for download from www.u-blox.com. For further information about how to use this tool,
see the s-center user guide [8].
2.3 SDK for open-CPU modules
As NINA-W10 open-CPU modules are delivered without flashed software, you develop your
application design using the utilities and device-level APIs supported by the module chipset supplier.
The ESP-IDF Software Development Kit is available from the Expressif website. It bundles the Wi-Fi
stack and the broad range of drivers and libraries necessary for building your development
environment. See also section 2.7.
Figure 7 shows the architecture of NINA-W10 open-CPU software in relation to the MCU, transceiver
and ESP-IDF SDK.
Figure 7: NINA-W10 open CPU software
2.4 Updating NINA-W13 and NINA-W15
NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 u-connectXpress software can be flashed and updated directly from the
host or s-center. The flash procedure uses the XMODEM protocol.
The following pins should be made available as either headers or test points to flash the module:
•UART (RXD, TXD, CTS, RTS)
•Bootstrap pins 25 and 27
•RESET_N
•SWITCH_1 and SWITCH_2

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2.5 Updating u-connectXpress software with s-center
The u-connectXpress software, flashed into NINA-W13/W15 modules prior to delivery, is used to
validate the hardware, bootloader, and the binary image. The u-connectXpress software runs only on
validated hardware.
Updates of the u-connectXpress software is available for download from www.u-blox.com. The
software is delivered in a zip container file, for example, NINA-W1xX_SW1.0.0.zip.
To upload the latest u-connectXpress software to the module:
1. Download and unpack the zip container, NINA-W1xX_SW1.0.0.zip, to your Windows workstation.
2. Open the s-center client software.
3. From the client, navigate to the .json file in the unpacked u-connect archive and select Update.
The s-center handles the download using information contained in the *.json file without any
further interaction is needed from the user. See also Figure 8.
Figure 8: Software Update using s-center
☞Secure boot functionality is supported in u-connect v4.7 and above.
☞u-connectXpress cannot be installed on NINA-W10. For information on how to install applications
on NINA-W10, see section 2.7 and 2.8.
2.6 Updating u-connectXpress software from host
To manually start the download using a software without using s-center, e.g. from a host
microcontroller, use the following AT commands to start updating the NINA-W13/W15 u-
connectXpress:
AT+UFWUPD=<mode>,<baud>,<image id>,<image size>,<base64 encoded signature>,<image
name>,<flags>
Sample parameters that can be used while doing the flash update is provided below:
AT+UFWUPD=0,115200,0,651840,jzlRIkg37ir/pVpDKVrPot2ZdsaNvUtSYP2pDAUVJc7iQI9yzIo8V
Fv8C1olP/9I4UJ4WmgC5oRay4AC0V8jRJSFFX/wop6x/sBJGOeDEu7yC/s0+Oj7CLs4TzNbiRqK0zLwKR
iHohgVyzWqhwKFpmcxcDXphjkCTIvpffY8TwDLzkowuuD59R+sQCueJtBHBg9KDB3TOs8bsXLaVtT2x1r
LfMg8/pb+BPQEK9NcNB4hbp693ATivYE3cmxzWykIjEje819SIRGhHFt0wAsqh7WFgSJYNgDi5cLdOYz+
r1+j7+l4RqrMl/A/QYyWS9z0Q15QcJ3GlAJlXYa5v/ISjA==,nina-w1-debug,rwx
When a “C” character is received from NINA-W13/W15, the XMODEM download is ready to begin from
the host.

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For more information about the parameters, see the software update command +UFWUPD in
u-connectXpress AT commands manual [1], u-blox bootloader protocol specification [11] and
u-connectXpress user guide [6].
2.7 Developing and flashing NINA-W10 open-CPU software
In NINA-W10 modules, the following pins should be made accessible through a header or similar
connector:
•Mandatory:
oSWD
oESP_BOOT (GPIO27)
•Additionally recommended:
oRESET_N
As the u-connectXpress software embedded in NINA-W13/15 series modules is not available for use
with the NINA-W10 open CPU series, you use Espressif SDK utilities and device-level APIs to develop
your application hardware.
For the latest Espressif SDK documentation, see reference [8]. This URL provides information on how
to set up the software environment using the hardware based on the Espressif ESP32, such as
NINA-W10. This resource also describes how to use the latest ESP-IDF (Espressif IoT Development
Framework) – which might have been changed since the publication of this document.
The following must be setup in order to compile, flash, and execute a program on NINA-W10:
•Setup Toolchain
oWindows, Mac, and Linux is supported
•Get ESP-IDF
oDownload the GIT repository provided by Espressif
•Setup Path to ESP-IDF
oThe toolchain program can access the ESP-IDF using IDF_PATH environment variable
•Build and Flash
oStart a Project, Connect, Configure, Build and Flash a program
More information about this is available at - http://esp-idf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html
2.7.1 Setup the ESP-IDF v3 toolchain
☞ESP-IDF v3 toolchain can be used on NINA-W101/NINA-W102, but has not been verified on NINA-
W106. On NINA-W106, use the ESP-IDF v4 toolchain.
To start development with ESP32, it is recommended to use a prebuilt toolchain. Currently, Windows,
Mac, and Linux is supported. The example in this document will use a Toolchain for running Windows,
that is, a bash shell window. The toolchain contains all programs and compiler to build an application.
The toolchain for Windows can be downloaded from
https://dl.espressif.com/dl/esp32_win32_msys2_environment_and_toolchain-20170918.zip
Unzip the file to c:\ msys32. This path is assumed in the following examples, but it can be located in
another folder as well. The file size is around 500 MB.
Start the bash shell using the “mingw32.exe” (“mingw64.exe” is currently not supported).
☞If you encounter any issues, use the “autorebase.bat” and the “msys2_shell.cmd” shortcuts. This
will reset the path variable with a Cygwin installation on some computers, which can have
problems with the path to the compiler or the python tool.

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2.7.2 Get ESP-IDF v3
☞ESP-IDF v3 can be used on NINA-W101/NINA-W102, but has not been verified on NINA-W106. On
NINA-W106, use the ESP-IDF v4.
The source files for Espressif ESP-IDF repository is located on github at
https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf.
To download the files, open the “mingw32.exe”, navigate to the directory where you want to have the
ESP-IDF (like c:\git), and clone it using “git clone” command.
☞Use the “--recursive” parameter
In this example, the esp-idf repository will be created in the c:\git folder.
git clone --recursive https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf.git
To checkout a specific tag such as v3.1, use the following command as shown in the example below:
git clone https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf.git esp-idf-v3.1
cd esp-idf-v3.1/
git checkout v3.1
git submodule update --init --recursive
Figure 9: Example of the git clone of ESP-IDF
Go to the new folder by typing “cd esp-idf” and then type “ls” to show the folder content.
cd esp-idf
ls

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export IDF_PATH="C:/git/esp-idf"
cd examples/get-started/hello_world
Figure 10: Verification of all the downloaded files
2.7.3 Setup path to ESP-IDF
The toolchain for the ESP-IDF uses the IDF_PATH environment variable. This variable must be set up
for building the projects.
Figure 11: Setting up the PATH variable
2.7.4 Building and flashing ESP-IDF v3
The environment is now ready to build and flash a project. In this case, we use “hello world” as a sample
project.
This project will print out “Hello World” ten times on the UART and then reboot.
To build this sample project, go to the “hello world” folder using the following command:
Plug in NINA-W10 to the PC and note down the com port number with which it is connected. In this
example, the com port number is assumed to be “COM10”.