Ublox NINA-W10 Series System Integration Manual
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Ublox NINA-W10 Series System Integration Manual

Stand-alone wi-fi and multiradio modules
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NINA-W1 series
Stand-alone Wi-Fi and multiradio modules
System integration manual
Abstract
This document describes the system integration of NINA-W1 series stand-alone modules, which
includes the NINA-W13 (Wi-Fi) and NINA-W10 and NINA-W15 series (multiradio) modules. These
modules feature a number of useful embedded security features, including secure boot that ensures
that only authenticated software can run on the module. NINA-W1 modules are ideal for critical IoT
applications where security is important. The modules connect to a host system using UART,
high-speed RMII, or GPIO interfaces.
UBX-17005730 - R15
C1 - Public
www.u-blox.com

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

  • Page 2: Document Information

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Document information Title NINA-W1 series Subtitle Stand-alone Wi-Fi and multiradio modules Document type System integration manual Document number UBX-17005730 Revision and date 27-Oct-2021 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-W1 series - System integration manual Contents Document information ..........................2 Contents ............................... 3 System description ..........................5 1.1 Overview ................................ 5 1.2 Architecture ..............................6 1.2.1 Block diagrams ............................ 6 1.3 CPU................................. 7 1.4 Operating modes ............................7 1.4.1 Power modes ............................7 1.4.2 Low power modes with LPO......................
  • Page 4 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 2.7.1 NINA-W10 series ..........................29 2.7.2 NINA-W13/W15 series ........................29 2.8 NINA-W10 OTP and production information ..................29 Design-in ............................. 30 3.1 Overview ..............................30 3.2 Supply interfaces ............................30 3.2.1 Module supply (VCC) design ......................30 3.2.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO) ..............

  • Page 5: System Description

    NINA-W1 series - System integration 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.

  • Page 6: Architecture

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 1.2 Architecture 1.2.1 Block diagrams PIFA antenna (NINA-W132) VCC (3.0-3.6 V) Linear voltage regulators VCC_IO Reset Wi-Fi UART baseband (NINA-W131) GPIO RMII Cryptographic hardware accelerations EFUSE SRAM (4Mbit) 40 MHz Quad SPI Flash (16 Mbit)

  • Page 7: Cpu

    ** Only on NINA-W156. Support in u-connectXpress – pending implementation Figure 3: NINA-W15 series block diagram 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: •...

  • Page 8: Low Power Modes With Lpo

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 1.4.2 Low power modes with LPO An external 32.768 kHz LPO (Low Power Oscillator) signal is required for NINA-W10 series modules to enable the lowest possible power consumption, frequency stability, and RTC accuracy in the various ESP32 sleep and hibernate modes.

  • Page 9: Supply Interfaces

    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.

  • Page 10: System Function Interfaces

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 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.

  • Page 11: Ethernet (Rmii+Smi)

    NINA-W13 only supports Reduced Media-independent Interface (RMII) from software version 2.0.0 onwards. NINA-W1 series modules include a full RMII for Ethernet MAC to PHY communication over the Station Management Interface (SMI). RMII and SMI use nine signals in total. The RMII and SMI interfaces require an external 50 MHz clock source either from a compatible PHY chip or from an external oscillator.
  • Page 12 Figure 4: EVK-NINA-W1 RMII clock delay circuit 1.7.2.2 MAC to PHY connection When connecting NINA-W1 series modules to an external PHY circuit, both the RMII and SMI interfaces must be connected. The default PHY address (0x1) must be configured on the PHY side.

  • Page 13: Serial Peripheral Interface (Spi)

    Figure 5: EVK-NINA-W1 Ethernet PHY implementation 1.7.2.3 MAC to MAC connection When connecting NINA-W1 series modules using a direct MAC to MAC connection, the SMI interface can be left unconnected. Depending on the routing of the RMII interface on the host PCB, termination resistors can also be needed.

  • Page 14: Nina-W1X2 And W1X6 Integrated Antennas

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 1.8.1.1 Antenna matching The antenna return loss should be as low as possible across the entire band when the system is operational to provide optimal performance. The enclosure, shields, other components, and surrounding environment impacts the return loss that is seen at the antenna port. Matching components are often required to retune the antenna to 50 Ω...

  • Page 15: Software

    NINA-W1 series - System integration 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: •...

  • Page 16: S-Center Evaluation Software

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 2.2 s-center evaluation software u-blox s-center client software provides a convenient tool with which to configure u-blox standalone modules. It runs on PCs running Windows XP onwards (x86 and x64) with Net Framework 4.5 or later and is available for download from www.u-blox.com.

  • Page 17: Updating Over Uart

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual ☞ To enable re-programming of the module, UART signals connected to host must not interfere with the flashing procedure. UART pins must be put in tri-state by host or have the possibility to disconnect completely. Another option is to let the host software handle the update procedure using the XMODEM protocol or some form of UART pass-through function.
  • Page 18 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual NINA-W1XX- 6. Check that the correct COM port is shown in “Settings”. Select File and choose the CF-<version>.json file from the unzipped u-connectXpress container. 7. Select Update. The module then reboots using the secure bootloader and flashing of the application starts automatically.
  • Page 19 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual N04lae2U7ztBojLvyBmHJKvuQmyioscrE3kdQviDcqSwST59Dg8WZbcN5C6xwZtA3vE/A0M2h3JulhVv49 UIIjzhTZwYLLrnWGNWgu4cAPkmMHkZa5MZl/QSb/GeT8naXe7oVTS2S2NzXX83N+ovmTVBMpkfQiEoNJw5 u5+agXq3J4kz9g1LylUNtHbucAJR5cs1hsrOC+UZSULY2+4jNqxdN3m6BlvQyycxJCJ2J49cnB85RdY4bf JlPGTwcqtGp2Z014Y/Z7PjeNOMoTFUKZDWN6e+U8a8e6pULCBLqBH5gC/UU/aSLJLsLL64VEKt2NJB5lZ2 fqgzZr82Dqmrpw== Figure 9: Typical ConnectivitySoftware and SoftDevice signature file Command syntax AT+UFWUPD You use the software update command with following syntax to update the u-connectXpress software. AT+UFWUPD=<mode>,<baud_rate>[,<id>,<size>,<signature>,<name>,<flags>] The defined values for each parameter are shown in Table 3.
  • Page 20 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 4. Start your chosen terminal emulator and open the connection to the USB serial port (COMx). 5. Setup the serial port and connection. Set “Speed” to 115200 with all other parameters set to default. Select New setting.

  • Page 21: Developing And Flashing Nina-W10 Open-Cpu Software

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 3. Prepare the module to accept a binary file for download and start the bootloader at the AT+UFWUPD appropriate baud rate. Enter the Update software command together with the NINA-W15X-CF-<version>.json ConnectivitySoftware values defined in the file and the signature NINA-W1XX-SI-x.x.x-xxx.txt...

  • Page 22: Set Up Toolchain And Esp-Idf V4 Source Files

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual For the latest Espressif SDK documentation, see also reference [8]. This URL provides information on how to set up the software environment using the hardware based on the Espressif ESP32, such as NINA-W10. This resource also describes how to use the latest ESP-IDF (Espressif IoT Development Framework) –...

  • Page 23: Build And Flash

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 2.5.3 Build and flash The environment is now ready to build and flash a project. Use the following procedure to build a sample project. This project prints out “Hello World” ten times on the UART and then reboots.

  • Page 24: Esp-Idf Partition Table

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 2.5.4 ESP-IDF Partition table NINA-W1 flash can contain multiple apps, as well as different kinds of data (calibration data, file systems, bootloader, OTA, and so on). To specify the module flash size as well as which data is allocated in a specific section of the flash, the partition table is used.

  • Page 25: Downloading From The Git Repository

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Figure 10: Screenshot during installation of the Arduino IDE Click Install button in the dialog box that pops up during installation as shown Figure 11: Figure 11: Install device software dialog C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\arduino.exe Open the Arduino IDE - "...

  • Page 26: Downloading The Toolchain

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Now clone the repository to the folder esp32 folder. git clone --recursive https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32.git esp32 Figure 12: Cloning the Arduino Esp32 repository 2.6.3 Downloading the toolchain Go to the folder - “ C:\Users\user_name\Documents\Arduino\hardware\espressif\esp32\tools ” to execute the program –...
  • Page 27 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Figure 14: Sample screenshot during download "C:\Program Files Open the Arduino application again from the following location - (x86)\Arduino\arduino.exe" In the Tools -> Board menu, select “ESP32 Dev Module” and then select the following;...
  • Page 28 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 16), to start the upload to NINA-W10.

  • Page 29: Output Power Configuration

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 2.7 Output power configuration 2.7.1 NINA-W10 series To operate within the regulatory output power limits, the integrator must configure the module using the instructions given in this section. The following power configurations for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth BR/EDR, and Bluetooth low energy are only...

  • Page 30: 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 31: Digital I/O Interfaces Reference Voltage (Vcc_Io)

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 3.2.2 Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO) Good connection of the module’s VCC_IO pin with DC supply source is required for correct performance. The guidelines are summarized below: • The VCC_IO connection must be as wide and short as possible.
  • Page 32 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Figure 19: Transmission line trace design To properly design a 50 Ω transmission line, the following remarks should also be considered: • The designer should provide enough clearance from surrounding traces and ground in the same layer;...

  • Page 33: Antenna Design (Nina-W1X1)

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Figure 20: Example of RF trace and ground design from NINA-W1 Evaluation Kit (EVK) Antenna design (NINA-W1x1) 3.3.2 NINA-W1x1 is suited for designs when an external antenna is needed due to mechanical integration or placement of the module.
  • Page 34 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual As a numerical example, the physical restriction to the PCB design can be considered as shown below: Frequency = 2.4 GHz  Wavelength = 12.5 cm  Quarter wavelength = 3.125 cm Radiation performance depends on the whole product and antenna system design, including product mechanical design and usage.
  • Page 35 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 5: U.FL compatible plug connector...

  • Page 36: On-Board Antenna Design

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual • Proper placement of the antenna and its surroundings is also critical for antenna performance. Avoid placing the antenna close to conductive or RF-absorbing parts such as metal objects, ferrite sheets and so on as they may absorb part of the radiated power or shift the resonant frequency of the antenna or affect the antenna radiation pattern.
  • Page 37 The NINA-W1x6 has four extra GND pads under the antenna that need to be connected for a good antenna performance. Detailed measurements of the footprint including this extra GND pads can be found in the NINA-W1 series data sheets [3] [4]. •...

  • Page 38: 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 39: General Considerations For Schematic Design And Pcb Floor-Planning

    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-W1 series Data Sheets [2] [3] [4]. The proposed land pattern layout reflects the pads layout of the module.

  • Page 40: Thermal Guidelines

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual The suggested paste mask layout for the NINA-W1 series modules is to follow the copper mask layout as described in the NINA-W1 series data sheets [2], [3], [4]. ⚠ These are recommendations only and not specifications. The exact mask geometries, distances and stencil thicknesses must be adapted to the specific production processes of the customer.
  • Page 41 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual NINA-W1 is manufactured with consideration to the specific standards for minimizing the occurrence of ESD events. The highly automated process complies with the IEC61340-5-1 (STM5.2-1999 Class M1 devices) standard. Consequently, the designer should implement proper measures to protect from ESD events on any pin that may be exposed to the end user.

  • Page 42: Handling And Soldering

    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 NINA-W1 series data sheets [2] [3] [4], and Packaging information guide [5]. UBX-17005730 - R15...

  • Page 43: Reflow Soldering Process

    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 44: Cleaning

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 4.3.1 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 45: Approvals

    • Any changes to hardware, hosts or co-location configuration may require new radiated emission and SAR evaluation and/or testing. • The regulatory compliance of NINA-W1 series does not exempt the end product from being evaluated against applicable regulatory demands; for example, FCC Part 15B criteria for unintentional radiators [9].

  • Page 46: Antenna Requirements

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual 5.2.3 Antenna requirements In addition to the general requirement to use only authorized antennas, the u-blox grant also requires a separation distance of at least 20 cm from the antenna to all persons. Also, the antenna must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter (simultaneous transmission) as well.

  • Page 47: Product Testing

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Product testing 6.1 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 48: Oem Manufacturer Production Test

    NINA-W1 series - 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.

  • Page 49: Appendix

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Appendix A Glossary Abbreviation Definition Automotive Electronics Council Automatic Frequency Adaption Access Point Arm (Advanced RISC Machines) Holdings ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange Automatic Test Equipment Battery Backed RAM Bit Error Rate...
  • Page 50 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Abbreviation Definition NSMD Non Solder Mask Defined Original Equipment Manufacturer Printed Circuit Board Radio Frequency RMII Reduced Media-independent Interface Read-only Memory RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator Real-Time Clock Software Development Kit SubMiniature version A...

  • Page 51: Related Documents

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Related documents u-connectXpress AT commands manual, UBX-14044127 NINA-W13 series data sheet, UBX-17006694 NINA-W10 series data sheet, UBX-17065507 NINA-W15 series data sheet, UBX-18006647 Packaging information reference, UBX-14001652 u-connectXpress user guide, UBX-16024251 EVK-NINA-W1/EVK-NINA-B2 user guide, UBX-17011007...

  • Page 52: Revision History

    NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Revision history Revision Date Name Comments 23-Mar-2017 fbro Initial release. 30-Jun-2017 mwej, cmag Updated the product status to Engineering Sample. Added info about band pass filter. Updated best conducted Wi-Fi sensitivity -96 dBm (section 1.3.1). Added additional information about software update (sections 2.3 and 2.4.1).
  • Page 53 NINA-W1 series - System integration manual Revision Date Name Comments 18-Dec-2020 flun Upgraded document status for NINA-W106 to Early Production Information in Applicable products Clarified ethernet startup precautions in section 1.7.2. Clarified the need for 4.7 kΩ pull up to RMII_CRSDV and 10 Ω series resistors for all RMII/SMI pins in section 1.7.2 and 3.4.2.

  • Page 54: 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:...

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