1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. u-blox Manuals
  4. Wireless Router
  5. NINA-W1 series
  6. System integration manual

u-blox NINA-W1 series System Integration Manual

Stand-alone wi-fi and multiradio modules
Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

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 series (Wi-Fi) and NINA-W10 and NINA-W15 series (multiradio) modules.
The module has a number of important security features embedded, including secure boot, which
ensures that only authenticated software can run on the module. This makes NINA-W1 ideal for
critical IoT applications where security is important. It connects to a host system using UART,
high-speed RMII, or a GPIO interface.
www.u-blox.com
UBX-17005730 - R07

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Related Manuals for u-blox NINA-W1 series

Summary of Contents for u-blox NINA-W1 series

  • Page 1 System Integration Manual Abstract This document describes the system integration of NINA-W1 series stand-alone modules, which includes the NINA-W13 series (Wi-Fi) and NINA-W10 and NINA-W15 series (multiradio) modules. The module has a number of important security features embedded, including secure boot, which ensures that only authenticated software can run on the module.

  • Page 2: Document Information

    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.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    1.9 Reserved pins (RSVD) ..........................12 1.10 GND pins ..............................12 Software ..............................13 2.1 Flashing the NINA module ........................13 2.2 Updating the NINA-W13/W15 u-blox connectivity software ............13 2.3 Developing and flashing the NINA-W10 open CPU software ............14 2.3.1 Setup Toolchain ..........................14 2.3.2 Get ESP-IDF ............................15 2.3.3 Setup path to ESP-IDF ........................16...
  • Page 4 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual 3.1 Overview ..............................27 3.2 Supply interfaces ............................27 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 RF transmission line design (NINA-W101/W131/W151) ............28 3.3.2 Antenna design (NINA-W101/W131/W151) ................30 3.3.3 On-board antenna design (NINA-W102/W132/W152 only) ............33...

  • Page 5: System Description

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual System description Overview The NINA-W1 series is a stand-alone Wireless and multiradio MCU IoT module suitable for industrial markets where security is important. The NINA-W1 series includes the following tree variants as listed in the table below:...

  • Page 6: Architecture

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Architecture 1.2.1 Block diagrams Antenna VCC (3.0-3.6V) (NINA-W132) Linear voltage regulators VCC_IO Reset ANT (NINA-W131) UART Wi-Fi baseband GPIO RMII Cryptographics hardware accelerations EFUSE SRAM (4Mbit) 40 MHz Quad SPI Flash (16Mbit) Figure 1: Block diagram of NINA-W13 series Antenna VCC (3.0- 3.6V)

  • Page 7: Cpu

    Quad SPI Flash (16Mbit) Figure 3: Block diagram of NINA-W10 series The NINA-W1 series has a dual-core system with two Harvard Architecture Xtensa LX6 CPUs with maximum 240 MHz internal clock frequency. The internal memory of NINA-W1 includes the following: •...

  • Page 8: Supply Interfaces

    3.3 V as IO voltage level currently. 1.5.3 VCC application circuits The power for the NINA-W1 series modules is provided through the VCC pins, which can be one of the following: • Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) • Low Drop Out (LDO) regulator The SMPS is the ideal choice when the available primary supply source has higher value than the operating supply voltage of the NINA-W1 series modules.

  • Page 9: Data Interfaces

    The UART interface is also be used for firmware upgrade. See the Software section for more information. The u-blox connectivity software adds the DSR and DTR pins to the UART interface. These pins are not used as originally intended, but to control the state of the NINA module. Depending on the current configuration, the DSR can be used to: •...

  • Page 10: Ethernet (Rmii+Smi)

    For NINA-W15, direct MAC to MAC connection will be supported when the module reaches Engineering Sample status. The NINA-W1 series module includes a full RMII for Ethernet MAC to PHY communication using the included Station Management Interface (SMI). The RMII and SMI use 9 signals in total. The interface requires an external 50 MHz clock source either from a compatible PHY chip or from an external oscillator.

  • Page 11: Antenna Interfaces

    Figure 5: Ethernet PHY implementation on the EVK-NINA-W1 1.7.2.3 MAC to MAC connection If you connect the NINA-W1 series module 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 might also be needed.

  • Page 12: Integrated Antenna - Nina-W102/W132/W152

    NINA-W1 modules come with a pre-certified design that can be used to save costs and time during the certification process. To take advantage of this service, you have to implement the antenna layout according to the u-blox reference designs. The reference design is available on request from u-blox.

  • Page 13: Software

    AT commands over the UART interface. More information on the features and capabilities of the u-blox connectivity software and how to use it can be found in the u-blox Short Range Modules AT Commands Manual [1] and NINA-W1 Getting Started [6].

  • Page 14: Developing And Flashing The Nina-W10 Open Cpu Software

    2.3 Developing and flashing the NINA-W10 open CPU software If you are using the NINA-W10 open CPU variant, it is not possible to use the u-blox connectivity software. Use the software developed and compiled using the Espressif SDK on this variant.

  • Page 15: Get Esp-Idf

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual 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.

  • Page 16: Setup Path To Esp-Idf

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Figure 8: Verification of all the downloaded files 2.3.3 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. export IDF_PATH="C:/git/esp-idf"...
  • Page 17 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual 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.
  • Page 18 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Figure 12: Screenshot after entering the filename for the sdkconfig ☞ Make sure your configuration is saved first and then enter Exit to exit the console. Now the project is ready to build, but before building and flashing, NINA-W10 should be prepared to accept the downloaded file.

  • Page 19: Automatic Bootloader On Nina-W10 Evk

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Figure 14: Hello world example as displayed on the monitor 2.3.5 Automatic bootloader on NINA-W10 EVK The “esptool.py” flashtool 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: •...

  • Page 20: Downloading From The Git Repository

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Figure 15: 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.

  • Page 21: Downloading The Toolchain

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual mkdir espressif cd espressif Now clone the repository to the folder esp32 folder. git clone --recursive https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32.git esp32 Figure 16: Cloning the Arduino Esp32 repository 2.4.3 Downloading the Toolchain Go to the folder - “C:\Users\user_name\Documents\Arduino\hardware\espressif\esp32\tools” to execute the program –...
  • Page 22 • Core Debug Level “Debug” (optional) Figure 19: Screenshot that depicts selection of the ESP32 Dev Module ☞ u-blox NINA-W10 module will soon be added to the list of supported boards; Until then, use the ESP32 Dev Module. UBX-17005730 - R07...
  • Page 23 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Start the WiFiScan example, which is available at the following folder - C:\Users\ user_name \Documents\Arduino\hardware\espressif\esp32\libraries\WiFi\examples\WiFiScan Press the “->” (arrow) button, as shown highlighted in red in the below screenshot (Figure 20), to start the upload to NINA-W10.

  • Page 24: Output Power Configuration

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Figure 22: Sample screenshot of the Wi-Fi scan 2.5 Output power configuration 2.5.1 NINA-W10 series To operate within the regulatory output power limits, the integrator must configure the module as per the instructions in the following subsections.
  • Page 25 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual init_data[68] = 0;//backoff channel 7 init_data[69] = 0;//backoff channel 8 init_data[70] = 0;//backoff channel 9 init_data[71] = 0;//backoff channel 10 init_data[72] = 14;//backoff channel 11 init_data[73] = 26;//backoff channel 12 init_data[74] = 255;//backoff channel 13 init_data[75] = 255;//backoff channel 14...

  • Page 26: Nina-W13/W15 Series

    No output power configuration for Bluetooth low energy is required. With default settings, the module will operate at ~6 dBm, which is within the regulatory limit for NINA-W1. 2.5.2 NINA-W13/W15 series No output power configuration required by the integrator. Using the u-blox connectivity software guarantees operation within regulatory limits. UBX-17005730 - R07...

  • Page 27: Design-In

    Design-in 3.1 Overview For an optimal integration of NINA-W1 series modules in the final application board, it is recommended to follow the design guidelines stated in this chapter. Every application circuit must be properly designed to guarantee the correct functionality of the related interface, however a number of points require high attention during the design of the application device.

  • Page 28: Antenna Interface

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual • The VCC_IO connection must be as wide and short as possible. • The VCC_IO connection must be routed through a PCB area separated from sensitive analog signals and sensitive functional units. It is a good practice to interpose at least one layer of PCB ground between VCC_IO track and other signal routing.
  • Page 29 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Figure 23: Transmission line trace design To properly design a 50 Ω transmission line, the following remarks should be taken into account: • The designer should provide enough clearance from surrounding traces and ground in the same layer;...

  • Page 30: Antenna Design (Nina-W101/W131/W151)

    NINA-W1 module with all the applicable required certification schemes heavily depends on the radiating performance of the antennas. The designer is encouraged to consider one of the u-blox suggested antenna part numbers and follow the layout requirements. • External antennas such as linear monopole: External antennas basically do not imply physical restriction to the design of the PCB where the module is mounted.
  • Page 31 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual increased separation should be considered if possible, to maximize the performance and fulfil the requirements in Table 3. As a numerical example, the physical restriction to the PCB design can be considered as shown below: Frequency = 2.4 GHz ...
  • Page 32 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Manufacturer Series Remarks Hirose U.FL® Ultra Small Surface Mount Coaxial Connector Recommended I-PEX MHF® Micro Coaxial Connector Tyco UMCC® Ultra-Miniature Coax Connector Amphenol RF AMC® Amphenol Micro Coaxial Lighthorse Technologies, Inc. IPX ultra micro-miniature RF connector Table 4: U.FL compatible plug connector...

  • Page 33: On-Board Antenna Design (Nina-W102/W132/W152 Only)

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual similar to one quarter of wavelength of the minimum frequency that has to be radiated; however overall antenna efficiency may benefit from larger ground planes. • Proper placement of the antenna and its surroundings is also critical for antenna performance.

  • Page 34: Data Communication Interfaces

    These general design guidelines are considered as best practices and are valid for any bus present in the NINA-W1 series modules; the designer should prioritize the layout of higher speed busses. Low frequency signals are generally not critical for layout.

  • Page 35: Module Placement

    PCB, the ground ring must then be connected to other layers through vias. 3.6 Module footprint and paste mask The mechanical outline of the NINA-W1 series modules can be found in the NINA-W13 series Data Sheet [2], NINA-W10 series Data Sheet [3] and NINA-W15 series Data Sheet [4]. The proposed land pattern layout reflects the pads layout of the module.

  • Page 36: Thermal Guidelines

    3.7 Thermal guidelines The NINA-W1 series modules have been successfully tested in -40 °C to +85 °C. A good grounding should be observed for temperature relief during high ambient temperature.

  • Page 37: Handling And Soldering

    The bow and twist of the PCB is maximum 0.75% according to IPC-A-610E. The thickness of solder resist between the host PCB top side and the bottom side of the NINA-W1 series module must be considered for the soldering process.

  • Page 38: Cleaning

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual The reflow profile used is dependent on the thermal mass of the entire populated PCB, heat transfer efficiency of the oven, and particular type of solder paste used. The optimal soldering profile used has to be trimmed for each case depending on the specific process and PCB layout.

  • Page 39: Other Remarks

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual • Cleaning with alcohol or other organic solvents can result in soldering flux residues flooding into the two housings, areas that are not accessible for post-wash inspections. The solvent will also damage the sticker and the ink-jet printed text.

  • Page 40: Approvals

    NINA-W10 series FCC ID and IC certification number u-blox FCC ID and IC certification number for NINA-W10 series is restricted to be used by u-blox only. Integrators other than u-blox may not refer to the u-blox FCC ID and IC certification number on their end product.

  • Page 41: Antenna Requirements

    Class II Permissive Change. ⚠ Integrators who want to refer to the u-blox FCC ID / IC certification ID must send an email to the support team email address for your area as listed in the Contact section to discuss the Permissive Change Process.

  • Page 42: Product Testing

    Figure 27: Automatic test equipment for module test 6.2 OEM manufacturer production test As the testing is already done by u-blox, an OEM manufacturer does not need to repeat firmware tests or measurement of the module’s RF performance or tests over analog and digital interfaces in their production test.

  • Page 43: Go/No Go" Tests For Integrated Devices

    A basic RF functional test of the device including the antenna can be performed with standard Bluetooth low energy devices as remote stations. The device containing the NINA-W1 series module and the antennas should be arranged in a fixed position inside an RF shield box to prevent interferences from other possible radio devices to get stable test results.

  • Page 44: Appendix

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Appendix A Glossary Abbreviation Definition Access Point Automatic Test Equipment Band Pass Band Pass Filter Bluetooth Controller Area Network Central Processing Unit Clear To Send Direct Current Double Data Rate Data Set Ready Data Terminal Ready...
  • Page 45 NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Abbreviation Definition Battery Backed RAM Bit Error Rate Central Processing Unit Coordinated Universal Time Data Circuit-terminating Equipment* / Data Communication Equipment* Data Terminal Equipment Direct Current Discontinuous Reception Display Data Channel Down Link (Reception) This table can be automatically constructed using the custom macro.

  • Page 46: Related Documents

    NINA-W15 Series Data Sheet, document number UBX-18006647 u-blox Package Information Guide, document number UBX-14001652 NINA-W13 Getting Started, document number UBX-17041605 ☞ For regular updates to u-blox documentation and to receive product change notifications, register on our homepage (www.u-blox.com). Revision history Revision...

  • Page 47: Contact

    NINA-W1 series - System Integration Manual Contact For complete contact information, visit us at www.u-blox.com. u-blox Offices North, Central and South America Headquarters Asia, Australia, Pacific Europe, Middle East, Africa u-blox America, Inc. u-blox Singapore Pte. Ltd. u-blox AG Phone:...

This manual is also suitable for:

Nina-w13 seriesNina-w15 seriesNina-w10 seriesNina-w101Nina-w132Nina-w102 ... Show all

Table of Contents