Ublox NINA-W1 Series User manual

www.u-blox.com
NINA-W1 series
Stand-alone Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and multiradio modules
User 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) and NINA-B2
(Bluetooth) 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.


NINA-W1 series - User Manual
Document Information
Title NINA-W1 series
Subtitle Stand-alone Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and multiradio modules
Document type User Manual
This document applies to the following products:
Product name
NINA-W106
NINA-W136
NINA-W156
NINA-B226
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.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
Contents
Document Information ................................................................................................................................ 2
Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
System description ............................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
1.2 CPU................................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Operating modes ......................................................................................................................................... 6
1.3.1 Power modes ....................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4 Supply interfaces ........................................................................................................................................ 6
1.4.1 Module supply design (VCC) ............................................................................................................. 6
1.4.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO) ........................................................................ 6
1.4.3 VCC application circuits .................................................................................................................... 6
1.5 System function interfaces ...................................................................................................................... 7
1.5.1 Boot strapping pins ............................................................................................................................ 7
1.6 Data interfaces ............................................................................................................................................ 7
1.6.1 Universal asynchronous serial interface (UART) ......................................................................... 7
1.6.2 Ethernet (RMII+SMI) .......................................................................................................................... 8
1.7 W1x6 integrated antennas ...................................................................................................................... 10
1.8 Reserved pins (RSVD) .............................................................................................................................. 10
1.9 GND pins ..................................................................................................................................................... 10
Software .................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.1 NINA-W13 and NINA-W15 u-connectXpress software ....................................................................... 11
2.2 SDK for open-CPU modules .....................................................................................................................12
2.3 Flashing stand-alone modules with s-center .......................................................................................12
2.4 Updating u-connectXpress software with s-center .......................................................................... 13
2.5 Developing and flashing NINA-W10 open-CPU software .................................................................. 14
2.5.1 Setup the ESP-IDF v3 toolchain..................................................................................................... 14
2.5.2 Get ESP-IDF v3 .................................................................................................................................. 14
2.5.3 Setup path to ESP-IDF ..................................................................................................................... 16
2.5.4 Building and flashing ESP-IDF v3 .................................................................................................. 16
2.5.5 Using ESP-IDF v4 .............................................................................................................................. 19
2.5.6 Automatic bootloader on NINA-W10 EVK .................................................................................... 19
2.6 Arduino support for NINA-W10 .............................................................................................................. 19
2.6.1 Downloading the Arduino IDE ......................................................................................................... 20
2.6.2 Downloading from the GIT repository ........................................................................................... 20
2.6.3 Downloading the toolchain ..............................................................................................................21
2.6.4 Output power configuration ........................................................................................................... 24
2.6.5 NINA-W10 series ............................................................................................................................... 24
2.6.6 NINA-W13/W15 series ...................................................................................................................... 26
Design-in ................................................................................................................................................. 27
3.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 27
3.2 Supply interfaces ...................................................................................................................................... 27

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
3.2.1 Module supply (VCC) design ........................................................................................................... 27
3.2.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO) ...................................................................... 27
3.3 Antenna interface ..................................................................................................................................... 28
3.3.1 On-board antenna design ............................................................................................................... 28
3.4 Data communication interfaces ............................................................................................................ 29
3.4.1 Asynchronous serial interface (UART) design ............................................................................ 29
3.4.2 Ethernet (RMII+SMI) ........................................................................................................................30
3.5 General High Speed layout guidelines ..................................................................................................30
3.5.1 General considerations for schematic design and PCB floor-planning .................................30
3.5.2 Module placement ............................................................................................................................30
3.5.3 Layout and manufacturing .............................................................................................................30
3.6 Module footprint and paste mask ......................................................................................................... 31
3.7 Thermal guidelines ................................................................................................................................... 31
3.8 ESD guidelines ........................................................................................................................................... 31
Handling and soldering ..................................................................................................................... 33
4.1 Packaging, shipping, storage and moisture preconditioning .......................................................... 33
4.2 Handling ...................................................................................................................................................... 33
4.3 Soldering ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
4.3.1 Reflow soldering process ................................................................................................................ 33
4.3.2 Cleaning .............................................................................................................................................. 34
4.3.3 Other remarks ................................................................................................................................... 35
Approvals ............................................................................................................................................... 36
5.1 European Union regulatory compliance ............................................................................................... 36
5.1.1 Radio Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU ........................................................................... 36
5.1.2 Compliance with the RoHS directive ............................................................................................ 36
5.2 United States (FCC) ................................................................................................................................. 36
5.2.1 Labeling and user information requirements ............................................................................. 37
5.2.2 RF exposure ....................................................................................................................................... 37
5.2.3 Module statement ............................................................................................................................ 38
5.2.4 End-product compliance ................................................................................................................. 38
5.3 Canada (ISED) ............................................................................................................................................ 39
5.3.1 Labeling and user information requirements ............................................................................. 39
5.3.2 RF exposure ....................................................................................................................................... 39
5.4 Japan radio equipment compliance ...................................................................................................... 40
Product testing .................................................................................................................................... 41
6.1 u-blox In-Series production test ............................................................................................................. 41
6.2 OEM manufacturer production test ..................................................................................................... 41
6.2.1 “Go/No go” tests for integrated devices ...................................................................................... 42
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 43
A Glossary ................................................................................................................................................. 43

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
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-B2 series The NINA-B2 series are small stand-alone dual-mode Bluetooth modules designed for ease-of-use and
integration in professional applications where security is important. The modules are delivered with u-blox
connectivity software, which provides support for both peripheral and central roles, Serial Port Profile,
GATT client and server, beacons, u-blox Bluetooth low energy Serial Port Service – all configurable from a
host using AT commands.
⚠ NINA-W106, NINA-W136, NINA-W156 and NINA-B226 approvals are currently pending.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
1.2 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.
1.3 Operating modes
1.3.1 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).
1.4 Supply interfaces
1.4.1 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.
1.4.2 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.
1.4.3 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.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
⚠ 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, see the NINA-W1 series Data Sheets.
1.5 System function interfaces
1.5.1 Boot strapping pins
For normal operation, several boot configuration pins must be in their default state during the
module boot. Left unconnected in the application design, the default state of these pins is
automatically chosen with internal pull-up or pull-down resistors in the module. See data sheet for
more information.
Care must be taken if an RMII interface is to be included in the application design. Pin 25 and pin 27
connect to the RMII. It is important that both of these pins are in the correct state during the
module boot and before the RMII interface turns on. For connection information, see section 1.6.2.1.
☞ On NINA-W13/W15 modules, pin 25 and pin 27 must be in default state during the boot.
☞ 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.
Pin 32 is used to control the Universal Asynchronous Serial Interface (UART) debug printout. With
this pin left unconnected, NINA-W1 prints some short debug information when it boots before the
module software starts up. For u-connectXpress software, this means before +STARTUP. To disable
the printout, this pin must be pulled low during start-up.
1.6 Data interfaces
1.6.1 Universal asynchronous serial interface (UART)
For data communication and firmware upgrade, 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.
For further information, see chapter 2.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
The u-connectXpress software adds the DSR and DTR pins to the UART interface. Not used as they
were originally intended, these pins are used to 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 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.
Table 1 shows the default settings of UART ports when using u-connectXpress software.
Interface Default configuration
UART interface 115200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, hardware flow control
Table 1: UART port default settings
It is advisable to make UART0 available either for test points or connect it to a header for firmware
upgrade. The IO level of the UART follows VCC_IO.
For information about UART interface characteristics, see the NINA-W1 series Data Sheets.
1.6.2 Ethernet (RMII+SMI)
⚠ On NINA-W13, RMII is supported from software version 2.0.0 onwards.
⚠ On NINA-W15, direct MAC to MAC connection will be supported when the module reaches
Engineering Sample status.
NINA-W1 series modules include a full RMII for Ethernet MAC to PHY communication using the
included Station Management Interface (SMI). The RMII and SMI uses nine signals in total. The
interface requires 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 kΩ pull up resistor must be added to MDIO pin.
1.6.2.1 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 .
This delays the clock so that it starts a short time after the module is released from reset.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
Figure 1: 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.
1.6.2.2 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 . PHY KSZ8081 is recommended and used
on the EVK-NINA-W1.
Figure 2: EVK-NINA-W1 Ethernet PHY implementation
1.6.2.3 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.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
1.7 W1x6 integrated antennas
To simplify integration, 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.
The NINA-W1x6 modules are equipped with a PCB trace antenna that is based on technology
licensed from Proant AB.
1.8 Reserved pins (RSVD)
Do not connect the reserved (RSVD) pin. Reserved pins are allocated for future interfaces and
functionality.
1.9 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.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
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.
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 shows the structure of the embedded u-connectXpress software delivered in NINA-W13 and
NINA-W15 standalone modules.
Figure 3: NINA-W13/W15u-connectXpress software structure

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
2.2 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 2.5.
Figure shows the architecture of NINA-W10 open-CPU software in relation to the MCU, transceiver
and ESP-IDF SDK.
Figure 4: NINA-W10 open CPU software
2.3 Flashing stand-alone modules with s-center
ublox 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.
You use s-center to upgrade the embedded u-connectXpress software in NINA-W13 and NINA-W15
stand-alone modules. The s-center client connects to ublox standalone modules using the XMODEM
protocol using the s-center tool.
For the purpose of upgrading the connectivity software, the following pins are exposed as either
headers or test points:
NINA-W13 and NINA-W15
 Mandatory:
o UART (RXD, TXD, CTS, RTS)
 Additionally recommended:
o RESET_N
o SWITCH_1 and SWITCH_2

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
NINA-W10 header
 Mandatory:
o SWD
o ESP_BOOT (GPIO27)
 Additionally recommended:
o RESET_N
2.4 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 5.
Figure 5: Software Update using s-center
☞ Secure boot functionality is supported in u-connect v4.7 and above.
Updating To manually start the download using a software without using s-center, enter 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

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
When a “C” character is received from NINA-W13/W15, the XMODEM download is ready to begin
from the host.
For more information about the parameters, see the Software update +UFWUPD command in u-blox
Short Range Modules AT Commands Manual.
2.5 Developing and flashing NINA-W10 open-CPU software
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 Expressif SDK utilities and device-level APIs to develop
your application hardware.
For the latest Espressif SDK documentation, see http://esp-idf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/get-
started/index.html.
This URL provides information on how to set up the software environment using the hardware based
on the Espressif ESP32 such as NINA-W10 and also 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
o Windows, Mac, and Linux is supported
 Get ESP-IDF
o Download the GIT repository provided by Espressif
 Setup Path to ESP-IDF
o The toolchain program can access the ESP-IDF using IDF_PATH environment variable
 Build and Flash
o Start 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
2.5.1 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.
2.5.2 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.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
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 6: 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
Figure 7: Verification of all the downloaded files

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
export IDF_PATH="C:/git/esp-idf"
cd examples/get-started/hello_world
make menuconfig
2.5.3 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 8: Setting up the PATH variable
2.5.4 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”.
Now enter “make menuconfig” to open the ESP-IDF configuration window. You can select and
modify a lot of configuration options about the environment using this tool; in this example, only the
com port that is used to flash NINA-W10 is modified.
Use the arrow keys to navigate and select the “Serial flasher config” as shown in Figure

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
Figure 9: Screenshot that shows selection of “Serial flasher config”
Enter the com port name; in this case, enter “COM10”, and click OK.
Figure 10: Screenshot that shows selection of the sample com port number ("COM10")
Save the sdkconfig by entering a filename to which this configuration should be saved as shown in
Figure .
Figure 11: Screenshot after entering the filename for the sdkconfig
☞ Make sure your configuration is saved first and then enter Exit to exit the console.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
make flash
make flash monitor
make monitor
Now the project is ready to build, but before building and flashing, NINA-W10 should be prepared to
accept the downloaded file. This is done by holding the BOOT button while resetting or powering on
the board.
Then, enter “make flash” to build and flash the NINA-W10 as shown below:
Figure 12: Compiling of the example application
Now, reset the NINA-W10 by clicking the RESET button.
Then, enter “make monitor” to open a serial port monitor program to the NINA-W10.
You could also enter “make flash monitor” to build and flash and then start the serial port monitor
program using only one command.
Figure 131: Hello world example as displayed on the monitor

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
2.5.5 Using ESP-IDF v4
☞ ESP-IDF v4 is mandatory for NINA-W106.
To use ESP-IDF v4, follow the applicable instructions for your development environment on
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/get-started/windows-setup.html
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/get-started/linux-setup.html
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/get-started/macos-setup.html
Get the latest toolchain and installation instructions by using applicable path above.
After the toolchain has been installed, get and install the ESP-IDF by using the below link and
following the given instructions.
The toolchain for the ESP-IDF uses the IDF_PATH environment variable. This variable must be set up
for building the projects by following the given instructions.
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/get-started/index.html#step-2-get-
esp-idf
The source files for Espressif ESP-IDF repository is located on github at
https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf.
Building and flashing the examples is basically done the same way as for ESP-IDF v3, but instead of
make, the idf.py shall be invoked. The same command-line parameters applies. However, some
differences exist:
☞ For NINA-W101/NINA-W102, during idf.py make menuconfig also set the configuration flag
CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_USE_LEGACY_IMPL flag to Y, otherwise the application will fail to start.
☞ NINA-W106, during idf.py make menuconfig also set the CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_VDDSDIO_BOOST_1_9V
and CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_SUPPORT_ISSI_CHIP configuration flags to Y.
☞ On NINA-W106, it may be required to add the --no-stub parameter to esptool.py when flashing
the software and make a manual verification using a second invocation of esptool.py in case
flashing and verification fails.
2.5.6 Automatic bootloader on NINA-W10 EVK
The “esptool.py” flash tool supports automatic entry to the bootloader on the NINA-W10 EVK
without pressing the BOOT button and RESET the module. To use this functionality, you need to
connect the following pins:
 RESET to IO19 (CTS)
 IO0 (IO zero) to IO26 (DSR)
The jumpers CTS (J14-8) and DSR (J14-7) should also be removed so that they do not interfere.
☞ It is not possible to use the Hardware Flow control or the DSR signals on the UART while using
this setup.
More information about the esptool is available at - https://github.com/espressif/esptool
2.6 Arduino support for NINA-W10
It is possible to use Arduino electronics platform on the NINA-W10. The Arduino platform and open
source community provides the possibility to access a lot of third party hardware such as displays
and sensors.

NINA-W1 series - User Manual
mkdir hardware
cd hardware
2.6.1 Downloading the Arduino IDE
Windows, Mac, and Linux environment are supported. The example below uses the Windows
environment. Download the Arduino IDE using the URL - https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software.
Figure 14: Screenshot during installation of the Arduino IDE
Click Install button in the dialog box that pops up during installation as shown in the screenshots
below:
Open the Arduino IDE - "C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\arduino.exe" and then close the program
again. Do this to ensure that the folder is created correctly before downloading the Arduino files as
mentioned in the next step.
The Arduino IDE user folder is typically located in “C:\Users\user_name\Documents\Arduino”
2.6.2 Downloading from the GIT repository
Download from the URL - https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32.git
The files should be placed in “C:\Users\user_name\Documents\Arduino\hardware\espressif\esp32”
Open the “mingw32.exe” located in c:\msys32.
The Arduino user folder is normally stored at “C:\Users\user_name\Documents\Arduino”
Check if the hardware folder exists. If not, create the same by entering the following command: