NINA-B4 series - System integration manual
UBX-19052230 - R06
Design-in
Page 15 of 45
C1-Public
2
Design-in
2.1
NINA family migration design
NINA-B4 modules are based on the Nordic nRF52833 system on chip (SoC). The modules are
compatible with the pin out of NINA-B3 modules. This means that application designs based on
NINA-B3 modules can be easily upgraded for use with NINA-B4.
As the pin out supported in NINA-B1, NINA-B2, and NINA-W1 series modules share a common
footprint, these modules can be positioned interchangeably in application designs.
To accommodate the larger physical dimensions of NINA-B3 and NINA-B4 modules, a reserved “keep-
out” of approximately 1 mm should be included in the design. In all other respects, the mechanical
design of NINA-B4 modules is identical to that of other NINA modules. For more information about
how to make a common design, see the Nested design application note [6].
2.2
Supply interfaces
2.2.1
Main supply input
The NINA-B4 series uses an integrated DC/DC converter to transform the supply voltage presented
at the
VCC
pin into a stable system core voltage. Due to this, the NINA-B4 modules are compatible for
use in battery powered designs.
While using NINA-B4 with a battery, it is important that the battery type can handle the peak power
of the module. In case of battery supply, consider adding extra capacitance on the supply line to avoid
capacity degradation. For information about voltage supply requirement and current consumption,
see the respective datasheet [2][3].
2.2.2
Digital I/O interfaces reference voltage (VCC_IO)
On NINA-B4 series modules, the I/O voltage level is the same as the supply voltage and
VCC_IO
is
internally connected to the supply input
VCC
.
When using NINA-B4 with a battery, the I/O voltage level varies with battery output voltage. The
battery voltage depends on the battery “state of charge”. Level shifters might be needed to stabilize
the voltage – depending on the I/O voltage of the host system and interfacing components.
2.2.3
VCC application circuits
The power for NINA-B4 series modules is provided through the VCC pins. The VCC supply can be taken
from any of the following sources:
•
Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS)
•
Low Drop Out (LDO) regulator
•
Battery
DC/DC efficiency should be evaluated as a tradeoff between active and idle duty cycle of the specific
application. Although some DC/DC converters provide high efficiency with extremely light loads, their
efficiency typically worsens when idle current drops below a few mA – greatly reducing the battery life.
2.2.3.1
Battery
The low current consumption and wide voltage range of NINA-B4 series modules means that a battery
can be used as a main supply. In which case, the capacity of the battery must be selected to match
the application. Ensure that the battery can deliver the peak current required by the module.
