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Abstract Targeted towards hardware and software engineers, this document describes how to integrate ANNA-B112 modules in application products. 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. With embedded Bluetooth® LE stack and u- connectXpress software, this module is tailored for OEMs who wish to have the shortest time-to- market.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Document information Title ANNA-B112 Subtitle Stand-alone Bluetooth® LE module Document type System integration manual Document number UBX-18009821 Revision and date 28-Mar-2025 Disclosure restriction C1-Public Document status descriptions Draft For functional testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Contents Document information ..........................2 Contents ................................3 System description ..........................6 1.1 Overview ................................ 6 1.2 Product features ............................7 1.2.1 Module architecture ........................... 8 1.2.2 Hardware options ..........................8 1.2.3 Software options ..........................8 1.3 Pin configuration and function .........................
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2.3.2 Flashing over the SWD interface ....................38 Design-in ..............................41 3.1 Overview ..............................41 3.2 Antenna interface .............................41 3.2.1 ANNA-B112 internal antenna design ...................41 3.2.2 ANNA-B112 external antenna design ..................42 3.2.3 General antenna design guidelines ....................42 3.3 Supply interfaces ............................46 3.3.1 Module supply design ........................46 3.4 Data communication interfaces ......................47...
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5.6.3 End product user manual requirement ..................60 5.7 NCC Taiwan compliance ..........................60 5.7.1 Taiwan NCC Warning Statement ....................60 5.7.2 ANNA-B112 labeling requirements for end product ..............60 5.8 KCC South Korea compliance .........................61 5.9 Brazil compliance ............................61 5.10 Australia and New Zealand regulatory compliance ................62 5.11 South Africa regulatory compliance .....................62...
To embed their own applications, OEMs can erase the pre-flashed u-connectXpress software or flash their application onto a blank ANNA-B112-70B module using the Nordic nRF5 SDK, nRF Connect SDK (including Zephyr RTOS), Wirepas Mesh, or Arm® Mbed™. ANNA-B112 also includes an integrated antenna that provides a range of up to 160 m and an antenna pin for the design-in of an external antenna.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 1.2 Product features Table 1: ANNA-B112 main features summary UBX-18009821 - R11 System description Page 7 of 80 C1-Public...
1.2.2 Hardware options The ANNA-B112 module is designed for use with either an internal antenna or by connecting to an external antenna. It contains an integrated DC/DC converter for higher efficiency under heavy load situations. External components are limited to only an optional 32.768 kHz low power crystal.
1.4.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage On the ANNA-B112 module, the I/O voltage level is the same as the supply voltage and is internally connected to the supply input VCC. When using ANNA-B112 module with a battery, the I/O voltage level will vary with the battery output voltage, depending on the charge of the battery.
1.5.1 Module reset You can reset the ANNA-B112 module by applying a low level on the RESET_N input pin, which is normally set high with an internal pull-up. This causes an “external” or “hardware” reset of the module. The current parameter settings are not saved in the non-volatile memory of the module and a proper network detach is not performed.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 1.6.1 External crystal ANNA-B112 has two input pins for connecting an external crystal as source for the low power clock. This setup enable ANNA-B112 to run with the lowest overall power consumption. Figure 1 shows the components used on the ANNA-B112 EVK.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 1.6.4 Low power clock settings for u-connectXpress software The low power clock settings for the u-connectXpress software are stored in a special flash area and can be written only once. The only way to clear the settings is to erase the flash memory. See also Flashing over the SWD interface.
The internal oscillator adds approximately 400 nA, while the calibration contributes around 1 µA, depending on the settings. The standby current of ANNA-B112 then increases from 2.2 µA to 3.6 µA, an increase of about 60%.
The IO level of the UART follows the VCC voltage and is therefore in the range of 1.8 V and 3.6 V. Use a level shifter if you are connecting ANNA-B112 to a host with a different voltage on the UART interface.
1.8.2 Serial peripheral interface (SPI) ANNA-B112 supports up to three serial peripheral interfaces that can operate in both Main and Sub modes with a maximum serial clock frequency of 8 MHz in both these modes. The SPI interfaces use the following 4 signals: •...
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 1.9.1 Analog interfaces 8 out of the 25 digital GPIOs can be multiplexed to analog functions. The following analog functions are available for use: • 1x 8-channel ADC • 1x Analog comparator* • 1x Low-power analog comparator* *Only one of the comparators can be used simultaneously.
1.10.2 Antenna pin (external antenna) ANNA-B112 is equipped with an RF pin. The RF pin has a nominal characteristic impedance of 50 Ω and must be connected to the antenna through a 50 Ω transmission line to allow reception of radio frequency (RF) signals in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
13.56 MHz NFC tag at a bit rate of 106 kbps. As an NFC tag, data can be read from or written to ANNA-B112 modules using an NFC reader. However, ANNA-B112 is not capable of reading other tags or initiating NFC communications.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Software ANNA-B112 can be used either with the preflashed u-connectXpress software or as an Open CPU module that can run your own application developed using Arm Mbed, Nordic SDK or the Wirepas Mesh development environment inside the ANNA-B112 module.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 2.2 Open CPU 2.2.1 Nordic nRF Connect with Zephyr Included in the Nordic nRF Connect SDK, Zephyr [16] is a widely adopted open-source Real Time Operating System (RTOS) that is supported on a multitude of chipsets, including the nRF52832 chip in the ANNA-B1 module.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Building for the ANNA-B1 EVK using nRF Connect SDK To build the blinky sample using the nRF Connect SDK: 1. Open Visual Studio Code from the Toolchain manager. This sets up the environment variables correctly for nRF Connect SDK.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 4. Build and debug the example using the nRF Connect plugin to Visual Studio Code. 5. Configure the ACTIONS UBX-18009821 - R11 Software Page 22 of 80 C1-Public...
For new projects the Zephyr OS and nRF Connect SDK is in general recommended. Getting started with the Nordic nRF5 SDK When working with the Nordic SDK on the ANNA-B112 module, use the following procedure to get started with the Nordic Semiconductor toolchain and examples: 1.
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.h config example. ☞ The file locations given above are valid for Nordic nRF5 SDK version 17.0. Example The following example shows what the custom board support file can look like for EVK-ANNA-B112. #ifndef BOARD_CUSTOM_H #define BOARD_CUSTOM_H #ifdef __cplusplus extern "C"...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Adding the board configuration to your project A flexible way of adding a board to your project is to add a new build configuration to your Segger Studio project and then use this configuration to select the correct board file for your build. By adding several configurations, you can build for several targets from the same Segger Studio project.
Zephyr OS and nRF Connect SDK is in general recommended. Getting started with the Arm Mbed OS A list of prerequisites for getting started with Arm Mbed OS 5 development on EVK-ANNA-B112 is available at https://github.com/ARMmbed/mbed-os-example-ble#getting-started. Mbed CLI is the name of the Arm Mbed command line tool that enables the full Mbed workflow. You can use the tool to control repository versions, maintain dependencies, update from remotely hosted repositories (GitHub, GitLab, and mbed.org), and invoke Arm Mbed's own build system.
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\mbed-os\targets\ The following example shows the JSON target object for EVK-ANNA-B112. For a list of the known properties in the Arm Mbed build system, see “Standard properties” in reference [5]. ☞ The location of the is the same as that in Arm Mbed OS release 5.6...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Pin mapping Create a folder with the same name as the JSON object added (above) previously. The folder should be located at \mbed-os\targets\TARGET_NORDIC\TARGET_NRF5\TARGET_MCU_NRF52832\. For EVK-ANNA-B1, the folder is called TARGET_UBLOX_EVK_ANNA_B112 In this new folder, there should be two files, device.h...
#endif Build software 3. In the Arm Mbed CLI, compile software by using the name of the object created in the file as a parameter to the board flag. For the EVK-ANNA-B112 example, use the build targets.json command: mbed compile –t GCC_ARM –m UBLOX_EVK_ANNA_B112 2.2.5...
[14]. 2.3 Flashing ANNA-B112 It is possible to reflash ANNA-B112 using either the UART or SWD interface whenever a new version of the u-connectXpress software is available. ANNA-B112-70B module variants do not have any software preloaded and must be flashed over SWD.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual s-center ☞ Flashing of u-connectXpress software requires s-center software version 4.2.0 or later. To flash the module using s-center: 1. Select Tools > Software Update as shown in the following screenshot: 2. Select the json file.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Terminal application The bootloader included in the u-connectXpress software supports the XMODEM protocol Flashing the SoftDevice Follow the procedure below to flash the SoftDevice using a terminal application. 1. Connect to the module using Tera Term, and set the serial settings as shown in...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Figure 8: Screenshot that shows file transfer mode 4. When the bootloader displays “ ” (see also Figure 8), it is ready to receive the SoftDevice bin file. Send the file using the XMODEM protocol.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Figure 10: Screenshot shown during file transfer 5. An OK response indicates a successful file transfer. Figure 11: Screenshot shown on successful file transfer 6. Verify the transferred file using the command: c SOFTDEVICE [SoftDevice size] [SoftDevice CRC32]...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 7. An response indicates a successfully flashed SoftDevice. Figure 13: Screenshot shown on successful verification of the transferred file Flashing the application software 1. Use command to set the bootloader in file transfer mode. The...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual When the bootloader displays , as shown in Figure 15, it is ready to receive the application bin file. Figure 16: Screenshot shown during file transfer 2. Send the file using the XMODEM protocol, as shown in...
For SWD (Serial Wire Debug) flashing, an external debugger must be connected to the SWD interface of the ANNA-B112 module. Then, use an external tool such as J-flash or the nRF Connect Programmer from Nordic Semiconductor to flash the module.
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• SoftDevice • Bootloader – if applicable • Application • u-connectXpress software validation file – if applicable 3. Go to the ANNA-B112 product page [28], where the following files are available for .hex u-connectXpress firmware updates: SoftDevice: • s132_nrf52_xxx.hex Bootloader: •...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Reading the Bluetooth device address Flashing the software can erase the Bluetooth device address, which must then be manually rewritten to the module after flashing. Make a note of your Bluetooth device address before continuing with the flashing procedure.
If a metal enclosure is required, ANNA-B112 an antenna pin with external antenna has to be used. It is advisable to place the ANNA-B112 module so that the internal antenna is in the corner of the host PCB. The next best option is to position the antenna along one side of the host PCB ground plane. It is beneficial to have a large ground plane on the host PCB and have a good grounding for the ANNA-B112 module.
RF compliance of the device integrating ANNA-B112 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.
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Table 13: Summary of antenna interface requirements for ANNA-B112 In both the cases, while selecting external or internal antennas, the following recommendations should be observed: •...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual ☞ ε The width of a 50 Ω microstrip depends on “ ” and “H”, which must be calculated for each PCB layer stack-up. Figure 19: Transmission line trace design To properly design a 50 transmission line, the following points should be considered: •...
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual RF connector design If an external antenna is required, the designer should consider using a proper RF connector. It is the responsibility of the designer to verify the compatibility between plugs and receptacles used in the design.
⚠ Take care of interaction between co-located RF systems like LTE sidebands on 2.4 GHz band. Transmitted power may interact or disturb the performance of ANNA-B112 module. 3.3 Supply interfaces 3.3.1 Module supply design Good connection of the module’s VCC pin with DC supply source is required for correct RF...
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 3.4 Data communication interfaces 3.4.1 Asynchronous serial interface (UART) design The layout of the UART bus should be done so that noise injection and cross talk are avoided. It is recommended to use the hardware flow control with RTS/CTS to prevent temporary UART buffer overrun.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual ANNA-B112 modules have been tested with a 3x3 cm PCB trace antenna, so it is recommended to keep an antenna design close to these measurements. You can still use a smaller or larger antenna as long as it is tuned to resonate at 13.56 MHz.
3.8 Thermal guidelines ANNA-B112 has been successfully tested in -40 °C to +85 °C. The ANNA-B112 module is a low power device and generates only a small amount of heat during operation. A good grounding should still be observed for temperature relief during high ambient temperature.
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Table 15: Electro-Magnetic Compatibility ESD immunity requirements ANNA-B112 is manufactured with consideration to specific standards that minimize the occurrence of ESD events. The highly automated process complies with IEC61340-5-1 (STM5.2-1999 Class M1 devices) standard. Designers should implement proper measures to protect from ESD events and safeguard any pin that may be exposed to the end user.
Figure 21: Standard workstation setup for safe handling of ESD-sensitive devices 4.2 Packaging, shipping, storage, and moisture preconditioning For information pertaining to reels, tapes, or trays, moisture sensitivity levels (MSL), storage, shipment, and drying preconditioning, see the ANNA-B112 data sheet [2], and Product packaging guide [1]. UBX-18009821 - R11...
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 ANNA-B112 must be considered for the soldering process. The module is compatible with industrial reflow profile for RoHS solders. Use of "No Clean" soldering paste is strongly recommended.
For application boards with components on both sides, a two-reflow process may be required. In such cases, ANNA-B112 can be mounted in both reflow cycles. To reduce the risk of detachment due to its relatively higher weight compared to other components on the board, it is advisable to place the module on the side of the board that undergoes the final cycle.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 4.3.4 Other remarks • Boards with combined through-hole technology (THT) components and surface-mount technology (SMT) devices may require wave soldering to solder the THT components. Only a single wave Miniature Wave Selective soldering process is allowed for boards populated with the module.
⚠ The EIRP of the ANNA-B112 module must not exceed the limits of the regulatory domain that 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. See...
SAR evaluation and/or testing. Any changes or modifications NOT explicitly APPROVED by u-blox may cause the ANNA-B112 module to cease to comply with the FCC rules, Part 15 thus void the user’s authority to operate the equipment on the US market.
Having a separation distance of minimum 10 mm between the user and/or bystander and the antenna and /or radiating element ensures that the output power (EIRP.) of ANNA-B112 is below the SAR evaluation Exemption limits defined in RSS-102 issue 5 (Canadian market limits).
End-product labelling requirements US market ANNA-B112 is assigned the FCC ID number: XPYANNAB1 The final host device, into which this RF Module is integrated must be labeled with an auxiliary label stating the FCC ID of the RF Module, such as: Contains FCC ID: XPYANNAB1 This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules.
• Item 19 "2.4 GHz band wide band low power data communication system". 5.6.2 End product labelling requirement When a product integrating a ANNA-B112 series module is placed on the Japanese market the product must be affixed with a label with the “Giteki” marking as shown in Figure 23.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 5.6.3 End product user manual requirement As the MIC ID is not included on the ANNA-B112 marking, the end product manufacturer must include a copy of the ANNA-B112 Japan Radio Certificate to the end product technical documentation.
The ANNA-B112 series modules are certified by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC). When a product containing an ANNA-B112 module is placed on the South Korean market, the product must be affixed with a label or marking containing the KCC logo and certification number as shown in the figure below.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 5.10 Australia and New Zealand regulatory compliance The ANNA-B1 module is compliant with the standards made by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The modules are compliant with AS/NZS 4268:2012 standard – Radio equipment and systems – Short range devices –...
本设备包含型号核准代码(分别)为: CMIIT ID: 2021DJ6698的无线电发射模块。 5.12.2 ANNA-B112 shielding shows the shielding and cover areas of ANNA-B112, which includes an antenna Figure 24 area and shield cover area. The RF unit of ANNA-B112 is located under the shield cover. ANNA-B112 如下图中绿色和橘黄色方框部分所, 由两部分组成: 天线区域和屏蔽罩区域。ANNA-B112的射...
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Figure 25: ANNA-B112 SiP shield its RF unit showing metal coating, metal fence and PCB traces 5.13 Safety compliance For compliance with safety standard EN 62368-1 [10], ANNA-B112 modules must be supplied with a Class-2 Limited Power Source.
China. 5.15.1 Pre-approved antennas ANNA-B112 internal antenna Gain +0.7 dBi Comment Internal antenna on ANNA-B112. See also Antenna interface. Should not be mounted inside a metal enclosure. Approval FCC, IC, RED, UKCA, MIC, NCC, KCC, ANATEL, ACMA, ICASA, and SRRC.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual FXP75.07.0045B Manufacturer Taoglas Gain +2.5 dBi Impedance 50 Ω Size 5.9 x 4.1 x 0.24 mm Type Patch, Flexfilm Connector U.FL Cable length 45 mm Comment Should be attached to a plastic enclosure or part for best performance. For more information, see antenna data sheet.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual FXP72.07.0053A Manufacturer Taoglas Gain +5.0 dBi Impedance 50 Ω Size 31.0 x 31.0 x 0.1 mm Type Patch, Flexfilm Connector U.FL Cable length 53 mm Comment Should be attached to a plastic enclosure or part for best performance. For more information, see the antenna data sheet.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Product testing 6.1 u-blox in-series 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.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual 6.2 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.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Appendix A Glossary Abbreviation Definition Analog to Digital Converter Automatic Test Equipment Command Line Interface Clear To Send Dual-Data Rate Electro-Magnetic Compatibility Electro Magnetic Interference Electro Static Discharge Evaluation Kit aFCC Federal Communications Commission GATT...
• Using an external antenna by a short trace to a U.FL connector B.1 Internal antenna reference design with module at PCB corner When using the ANNA-B112 together with this antenna reference design, the circuit trace layout must be made in strict compliance with the instructions below.
Figure 28: Reference design for internal antenna, corner version, other layer (traces and vias for other signals not included) B.2 Internal antenna reference design with module along PCB edge When using the ANNA-B112 together with this antenna reference design, the circuit trace layout must be made in strict compliance with the instructions below.
Figure 30: Reference design for internal antenna, edge version, other layers (traces and vias for other signals not included) B.3 Reference design for external antennas (U.FL connector) When using ANNA-B112 together with this antenna reference design, the circuit trace layout must be made in strict compliance with the instructions below.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Figure 32: Reference design for external antenna, other layers. (traces and vias for other signals not included) The 50 Ω coplanar microstrip dimensions used in the reference design are stated in Figure 33 Table 21. The GND plane beneath the RF trace must be intact.
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual B.4 Examples of application ground plane miniaturizations The following boards are used as examples to show what’s possible when reducing board size. Since the radiated power fluctuates when using a small ground plane, care must be taken to ensure a sufficient range and radiated power for every application ground plane size.
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ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Figure 36: The C8_1 graphs show the total radiation power patterns. Integrating the graph the TRP is achieved, -5.67 dBm. A spherical shape is ideal. UBX-18009821 - R11 Appendix Page 76 of 80 C1-Public...
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual B.4.2 Example application 2 The tiny device in Figure 37 is an example of building with both range and miniaturization in mind. In this case they go hand in hand. It gives a TRP of – 8.4 dBm corresponding to a range of about 100 m, the size of the module itself.
B. Replaced "u-blox connectivity software" with "u-connectXpress software" in all instances. Replaced all references to the “ANNA-B112 GettingStarted” guide with the new document “Using u-connectXpress user guide”. Updated the document name of the “u-blox Short Range AT commands manual” to the new name “u-connect AT commands manual”...
ANNA-B112 - System integration manual Contact u-blox AG Address: Zürcherstrasse 68 8800 Thalwil Switzerland For further support and contact information, visit us at www.u-blox.com/support. UBX-18009821 - R11 Contact Page 80 of 80 C1-Public...
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