Ublox NINA-B50 Series Hardware Integration Manual
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Ublox NINA-B50 Series Hardware Integration Manual

Stand-alone bluetooth 5.3 low energy modules
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NINA-B50 series
Stand-alone Bluetooth 5.3 low energy modules
Hardware integration manual
Abstract
Targeted towards hardware and software engineers, this document describes how to integrate
NINA-B50 series stand-alone Bluetooth® 5.3 Low energy module in an application product. It explains
the hardware design-in, software, component handling, regulatory compliance, and testing of the
modules. It also lists the external antennas approved for use with the module.
UBX-22021116 - R02
C1-Public
www.u-blox.com

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Summary of Contents for Ublox NINA-B50 Series

  • Page 1 Abstract Targeted towards hardware and software engineers, this document describes how to integrate NINA-B50 series stand-alone Bluetooth® 5.3 Low energy module in an application product. It explains the hardware design-in, software, component handling, regulatory compliance, and testing of the modules. It also lists the external antennas approved for use with the module.

  • Page 2: Document Information

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Document information Title NINA-B50 series Subtitle Stand-alone Bluetooth 5.3 low energy modules Document type Hardware integration manual Document number UBX-22021116 Revision and date 2-Nov-2023 Disclosure restriction C1-Public Document status descriptions Draft For functional testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Contents Document information ..........................2 Contents ................................3 Product overview ........................... 6 1.1 Module architecture ........................... 6 1.2 Block diagram .............................. 7 Module integration ..........................8 2.1 Power Supply ..............................9 2.1.1 Power switch ............................9 2.1.2 DCDC, digital I/O and system input supply (VCC_IO) ..............10...
  • Page 4 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 3.2.4 NINA-B506 ............................24 3.3 General layout guidelines ........................26 3.3.1 Considerations for schematic design and PCB floor planning ..........26 3.3.2 Component placement ........................26 3.3.3 Layout and manufacturing ......................27 3.4 Module footprint and paste mask ......................27 3.5 Thermal guidelines ...........................29...
  • Page 5 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 6.4.6 End-product compliance .........................45 6.5 Japan radio equipment compliance ......................46 6.5.1 Compliance statement ........................46 6.5.2 End product labelling requirement ....................46 6.5.3 End product user manual requirement ..................46 6.6 NCC Taiwan compliance ..........................47 6.6.1 Taiwan NCC Warning Statement ....................47 6.6.2 Labeling requirements for end product ..................47...

  • Page 6: Product Overview

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Product overview Built on the NXP K32W1480 chip [4], NINA-B50 series modules feature Bluetooth 5.3 LE connectivity and a robust multicore MCU with and Arm® Cortex®-M33 with Floating Point Unit (FPU) as the application core. NINA-B50 offers cutting-edge power performance and support for 802.15.4 with Thread®, Matter™, and Zigbee™.

  • Page 7: Block Diagram

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 1.2 Block diagram Figure 1: Block diagram of NINA-B50 series UBX-22021116 - R02 Product overview Page 7 of 57 C1-Public...

  • Page 8: Module Integration

    Bluetooth ® 5.3 Low Energy (LE) and 802.15.4 with Thread®, Matter™ and Zigbee™. NINA-B50 series modules support a wide range of IO interfaces, such as GPIO, UART, SPI, I3C, I2C, PWM, and QDEC. Figure 2 shows a typical integration in which NINA-W50 is configured as a host.

  • Page 9: Power Supply

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Figure 3 shows how to control NINA-B50 series modules through a host CPU and interface connections. Figure 3: Example of NINA-B50 integration in a host system with external CPU With NINA-B50 application designs are simplified. Developers have the option to connect an external antenna through the antenna pin on NINA-B501 or leverage the internal antenna on NINA-B506.

  • Page 10: Dcdc, Digital I/O And System Input Supply (Vcc_Io)

    The voltage level of VCC_IO must be same as the VCC. 2.1.3 VCC application circuits The power for NINA-B50 series modules is applied through the VCC pins. These supplies are taken from either of the following sources: • Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) •...

  • Page 11: Power Supply Configuration

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual It is best practice to include bypass capacitors on the supply rails close to the NINA-B50 series module. Depending on the design of the power routing on the host system, capacitance might not be needed.

  • Page 12: System Functions

    “hardware reset” of the module. • RESET_N should be driven by either an open-drain or open-collector output or a contact switch. NINA-B50 series modules can also be reset using other methods. For more information, see also NINA-B50 data sheet [2].

  • Page 13: Real Time Clock (Rtc)

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 2.2.3 Real Time Clock (RTC) NINA-B50 series modules use a 32.768 kHz low power clock to enable different sleep modes. The Real Time Clock (RTC) can be generated from either of the following sources: •...

  • Page 14: Antenna Integration

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 2.3 Antenna integration Antenna interfaces vary for each module variant in the NINA-B50 series. The modules support either an internal antenna (NINA-B506) or external antennas connected through a dedicated antenna pin (NINA-B501). 2.3.1 Antenna solutions NINA-B50 series modules support three different antenna solutions: •...

  • Page 15: Approved Antenna Designs

    Designers integrating a u-blox reference design into an end-product assumes sole responsibility for any unintentional emission levels produced by the end product. For Bluetooth operation, NINA-B50 series modules have been tested and approved for use with the antennas listed in the Pre-approved antennas list.

  • Page 16: Low Power Inter-Integrated Circuit (Lpi2C)

    2.4.3 Low Power Inter-Integrated Circuit (LPI2C) NINA-B50 series modules have two instances of the LPI2C module, LPI2C0, and LPI2C1. The LPI2C interfaces can operate as both Main and Sub modes on the I2C bus and support standard- mode (100 kbps), fast-mode (400 kbps), fast-mode plus (1 Mbps) and ultra-fast mode (3.2/3.33 Mbps) operation.

  • Page 17: Other Digital Interfaces

    ADC, LPCMP and VREF. 2.7 Debug interfaces 2.7.1 NINA-B50 series modules provide one serial wire debug is a 2-pin electrical interface with a clock (SWDCLK) and a single bi-directional data pin (SWDIO) to provide debug and test functionality. Pin Name...

  • Page 18: Dap

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 2.7.2 NINA-B50 series modules provide a Debug Access Port (DAP) to debug and trace the core system of the module. On NINA-B50 series modules, the SWD interface is used as the external connection interface of DAP.

  • Page 19: Design-In

    Select appropriate power supply source and bypass capacitors and carefully route the power supply nets or planes. Modules normally include several supply pins described in the pin out of the NINA-B50 series data sheet [2]. • High-speed interfaces: LPUART, LPSPI, LPI2C pins.
  • Page 20 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual To ensure proper performance of the application product, carefully follow the guidelines outlined below. Note also that the RF certification of the module is extended through to the application design. • External antennas, including, linear monopole classes: Place the module and antenna in any convenient area on the board.

  • Page 21: Rf Transmission Line Design

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 3.2.2 RF transmission line design RF transmission lines connecting the ANT pad with the related antenna connector or antenna, must be designed with a 50  impedance characteristic. Figure 7 shows the design options for PCB transmission lines, where: •...

  • Page 22: Nina-B501

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual • FR-4 dielectric material, although its high losses at high frequencies can be considered in RF designs provided that: RF trace length must be minimized to reduce dielectric losses. If traces longer than few centimeters are needed, it is recommended to use a coaxial connector and cable to reduce losses.
  • Page 23 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Typically, the RF plug is available as a cable assembly. Different types of cable assemblies are available, and the user should select the cable assembly best suited for the application. The key characteristics of an appropriate plug include: •...

  • Page 24: Nina-B506

    GND. Detailed dimensions of the footprint, including those related to these GND pads, can be found in the NINA-B50 series data sheet [2]. • To avoid degradation of the antenna characteristics, do not place physically tall or large components closer than 10 mm to the module antenna.
  • Page 25 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Figure 9 shows the ground plane on both sides of the module and the antenna “keep-out” area on all layers. NINA-B50 footprint Figure 9: Extended host ground plane outside NINA-B506 Figure 10 shows a scaled image of the board that details the dimensions of the keep-out area.

  • Page 26: General Layout Guidelines

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 3.3 General layout guidelines This section describes the best practice for the schematic design and circuit layout of the application. 3.3.1 Considerations for schematic design and PCB floor planning • Low frequency signals are generally not critical to the layout and designers should focus on the higher speed buses.

  • Page 27: Layout And Manufacturing

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 3.3.3 Layout and manufacturing • Avoid stubs on high-speed signals which might adversely affect signal quality. Test points or component pads should be placed over the PCB trace. • Verify the recommended maximum signal skew for differential pairs and length matching of buses.
  • Page 28 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual The suggested stencil layout for NINA-B501 is to follow the copper pad layout, as shown in Figure Figure 11: Recommended footprint for NINA-B501 (bottom view) UBX-22021116 - R02 Design-in Page 28 of 57 C1-Public...

  • Page 29: Thermal Guidelines

    Figure 12: Recommended footprint for NINA-B506 (bottom view) 3.5 Thermal guidelines NINA-B50 series modules are designed to operate in a specified temperature range at an ambient temperature inside the enclosure box. The PCB generates heat during high loads that must be dissipated to sustain the lifetime of the components.

  • Page 30: Esd Guidelines

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual • Minimum layer count and copper thickness: 4 ������������, 35 ����. • Minimum board size: 55��70 ����. • To optimize the heat flow from the module, power planes and signal traces should not cross the layers beneath the module.

  • Page 31: Design-In Checklists

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Table 7 describes the ESD immunity requirements as defined by CENELEC EN 61000-4-2, ETSI EN 301 489-1, ETSI EN 301 489-7, ETSI EN 301 489-24. Parameter Min. Typical Max. Unit Remarks ESD immunity. All exposed surfaces of the...

  • Page 32: Open Cpu Software

    4.1.1 Getting started with the MCUXpresso SDK When working with the MCUXpresso SDK on the NINA-B50 series module, follow the steps below to get started with the MCUXpresso SDK toolchain and examples: Download and extract the MCUXpresso SDK from the MCUXpresso SDK Builder.

  • Page 33: Bluetooth Device (Mac) Address And Other Production Data

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Alternatively, the MCUXpresso Config Tools is an integrated suite of configuration tools that help guide users to quickly build a custom SDK and leverage pins, clocks and peripherals to generate initialization C code or register values for custom board support, the tool is available as a standalone for MAC OS, Linux and Windows, as well as a web based version.

  • Page 34: 32 Khz Crystal

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 4.3 32 kHz crystal The NINA-B50 module does not have any 32 kHz crystal. It is possible to connect an external 32 kHz crystal or use the FRO-32K internal clock source. When using an external 32 kHz crystal it is necessary to, in software, configure the capacitance...
  • Page 35 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual To load NBU firmware to the module you need: • NINA-B50 board (EVK-NINA-B50 or other board with NINA-50 mounted and UART available) • MCUXpresso SDK • blhost application 4.4.3.1 Hardware setup To load the binary NBU image, NINA-B50 must be set in bootloader mode: •...

  • Page 36: Secure Boot

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Open windows manager and identify the COM port assigned to EVK-NINA-B50 board. Run blhost in command prompt, change the COM port number and the secure NBU file. blhost.exe -p COMXX -- receive-sb-file .\ k32w1_nbu_ble_1_9_10_0.sb3 Wait for flashing to start and progress reaches until 100%.

  • Page 37: Handling And Soldering

    5.2 Packaging, shipping, storage, and moisture preconditioning For information pertaining to reels, tapes or trays, moisture sensitivity levels (MSL), shipment and storage, as well as drying for preconditioning, refer to the respective NINA-B50 series data sheet and Packaging information reference guide [1].

  • Page 38: Reflow Soldering Process

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 5.3 Reflow soldering process NINA-B50 series modules are surface mounted devices supplied in a Land Grid Array (LGA) package with gold-plated solder lands. The modules are manufactured in a lead-free process with lead-free soldering paste.

  • Page 39: Cleaning

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 5.3.1 Cleaning Cleaning the modules is not recommended. Residues underneath the modules cannot be easily removed with a washing process. • Cleaning with water will lead to capillary effects where water is absorbed in the gap between the baseboard and the module.

  • Page 40: Regulatory Compliance

    6.2.3 CE End-product regulatory compliance 6.2.3.1 Safety standard In order to fulfill the safety standard EN 60950-1 [12], the NINA-B50 series modules must be supplied with a Class-2 Limited Power Source. 6.2.4 CE Equipment classes In accordance with Article 1 of Commission Decision 2000/299/EC...

  • Page 41: Great Britain Regulatory Compliance

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual ⚠ The EIRP of the NINA-B50 series module must not exceed the limits of the regulatory domain in which the module operates. Depending on the host platform implementation and antenna gain, integrators must limit the maximum output power of the module through the host software. For...

  • Page 42: Configuration Control And Software Security Of End-Products

    • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. ⚠ NINA-B50 series modules are intended for OEM integrators only. End-products that include u-blox modules must be professionally installed in such a way that only the authorized antennas included in the Pre-approved antennas list can be used.

  • Page 43: Rf Exposure Statement

    Radio Frequency (RF) fields adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). NINA-B50 series modules are approved for installation into mobile and/or portable host platforms and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter – except in accordance with FCC multi-transmitter guidelines.

  • Page 44: End-Product Labeling Requirements

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual ☞ Le périphériquehôte final, danslequelce module RF estintégré "doitêtreétiqueté avec uneétiquetteauxiliaireindiquant le CI du module RF, tel que" Contient le module émetteur IC: TBD. ☞ This device contains license-exempt transmitter(s)/receiver(s) that comply with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s license-exempt RSS(s).

  • Page 45: End-Product Compliance

    • Any notification to the end user about how to install or remove the integrated radio module is NOT allowed. • The approval of the modular transmitter in NINA-B50 series modules does not exempt the end product from being evaluated against any applicable regulatory demands. The evaluation of the end product shall be performed with the NINA-B50 series module installed and operating in a way that reflects the intended use case of the end product.

  • Page 46: Japan Radio Equipment Compliance

    Item 19 "2.4 GHz band wide band low power data communication system". 6.5.2 End product labelling requirement End products based on NINA-B50 series modules and targeted for distribution in Japan must be affixed with a label with the “Giteki” marking, as shown in Figure 19.

  • Page 47: Ncc Taiwan Compliance

    ISM radio wave radiated devices. 6.6.2 Labeling requirements for end product End products based on NINA-B50 series modules and targeted for distribution in Taiwan must carry labels with the textual and graphical elements shown below. Contains Transmitter Module 內含發射器模組...

  • Page 48: Australia And New Zealand Regulatory Compliance

    For more information on New Zealand compliance, refer to the New Zealand Radio Spectrum Management Group web site www.rsm.govt.nz. 6.9 Safety compliance For compliance with safety standard EN 62368-1, NINA-B50 series modules must be supplied with a Class-2 Limited Power Source. UBX-22021116 - R02...

  • Page 49: Pre-Approved Antennas List

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Pre-approved antennas list This chapter provides an overview of the different antennas that can be used together with the modules. ⚠ All approvals are currently pending. ☞ Note that not all antennas are approved for use in all markets/regions.
  • Page 50 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual RF 2.4 GHZ whip antenna, ANT-2.4-CW-RH-RPS Manufacturer Linx Polarization Vertical Gain -1.0 dBi Impedance 50 Ω Size Ø 7.4 x 27.0 mm Type Monopole Connector Reverse Polarity SMA plug (inner thread and pin receptacle).
  • Page 51 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / Bluetooth LE external whip antenna, PN PRO-EX-333 Manufacturer Abracon Polarization Vertical Gain +3.0 dBi Impedance 50 Ω Size Ø 10 x 83 mm Type Monopole Connector Reverse Polarity SMA plug (inner thread and pin receptacle) Comment To be mounted with a U.FL to Reverse Polarity SMA adapter cable.

  • Page 52: Product Testing

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Product testing 8.1 u-blox in-line production test As part of our focus on high quality products, u-blox maintain stringent quality controls throughout the production process. This means that all units in our manufacturing facilities are fully tested and that any identified defects are carefully analyzed to improve future production quality.

  • Page 53: Oem Manufacturer Production Test

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual 8.2 OEM manufacturer production test As all u-blox products undergo thorough in-series production testing prior to delivery, OEM manufacturers do not need to repeat any firmware tests or measurements that might otherwise be necessary to confirm RF performance. Testing over analog and digital interfaces is also unnecessary during an OEM production test.

  • Page 54: Appendix

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Appendix A Glossary Abbreviation Definition Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene Analog to Digital Converter Automatic Test Equipment Bluetooth Low Energy Clear To Send Data/Command Signal Device Firmware Update Dual-Data Rate Electro Magnetic Compatibility Electro Magnetic Interference...
  • Page 55 NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Abbreviation Definition SMPS Switching Mode Power Supply Surface-Mount Technology Serial Peripheral Interface Serial Wire Debug Thread Networking protocol for Internet of Things (IoT) "smart" home automation devices to communicate on a local wireless mesh network...

  • Page 56: Related Documents

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Related documents Packaging information reference, UBX-14001652 NINA-B50 series data sheet, UBX-22021114 NINA-B50 series product summary, UBX-23007102 NXP K32W148 Datasheet https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/data-sheet/K32W1480.pdf NXP K32W1480 Reference Manual https://www.nxp.com/webapp/Download?colCode=K32W1480RM NINA nested design and migration, application note, UBX-17065600 EVK-NINA-B50 user guide,...

  • Page 57: Ubx-22021116 - R02

    NINA-B50 series - Hardware integration manual Revision history Revision Date Name Comments 26-Jun-2023 lkis Initial release 02-Nov-2023 lkis, mape, abfa Updated document status to “Advance information” in Document information. Added Battery section. Added figures to describe Power efficient configuration and Power switch configurations in...

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