SparkFun MicroMod nRF52840 Processor

Featuring the nRF52840 SoC from Nordic Semiconductor, the SparkFun MicroMod nRF52840 Processor offers a powerful combination of ARM Cortex-M4 CPU and 2.4 GHz Bluetooth transceiver in the MicroMod form-factor with the M.2 MicroMod connector to allow you to plug in a compatible MicroMod Carrier Board with any number of peripherals.

The MicroMod nRF52840 Processor features the same Raytac MDBT50Q-P1M found on our Pro nRF52840 Mini. This module includes an integrated trace antenna, fits the IC to an FCC-approved footprint along with including decoupling and timing mechanisms that would need to be designed into a circuit using the bare nRF52840 IC. The Bluetooth transceiver included on the nRF52840 boasts a BT 5.1 stack and supports Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth mesh, IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee & Thread) and 2.4Ghz RF wireless protocols (including Nordic's proprietary RF protocol) allowing you to pick which option works best for your application.

We've also routed two I²C buses, 2 SPI buses, eleven GPIO, dedicated digital, analogue, PWM & PDM pins along with multiple serial UARTS to cover nearly all of your peripheral needs.

MicroMod is a modular interface ecosystem that connects a microcontroller “processor board” to various “carrier board” peripherals. Utilising the M.2 standard, the MicroMod standard is designed to easily swap out processors on the fly. Pair a specialised carrier board for the project you need with your choice of compatible processor!

nRF52840 General Features:

• ARM Cortex-M4 CPU with floating point unit (FPU)
  • 1MB internal Flash -- For all of your program, SoftDevice, and file-storage needs!
  • 256kB internal RAM -- For your stack and heap storage.
• Integrated 2.4GHz radio with support for:
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) -- With peripheral and/or central BLE device support
  • Bluetooth 5 -- Mesh Bluetooth!
  • ANT -- If you want to turn the device into a heart-rate or exercise monitor.
  • Nordic's proprietary RF protocol -- If you want to communicate, securely, with other Nordic devices.
• Every I/O peripheral you could need
  • USB -- Turn your nRF52840 into a USB mass-storage device, use a CDC (USB serial) interface, and more. This is a big add compared to the nRF52832!
  • UART -- Serial interfaces with support for hardware flow-control if desired.
  • I²C -- Everyone's favourite 2-wire bi-directional bus interface
  • SPI -- If you prefer the 3+-wire serial interface
  • Analogue-to-digital converters (ADC) -- Eight pins on the nRF52840 Mini Breakout support analogue inputs
  • PWM -- Timer support on any pin means PWM support for driving LEDs or servo motors.
  • Real-time clock (RTC) -- Keep close track of seconds and milliseconds, also supports timed deep-sleep features.

Specific Peripherals available on MicroMod nRF52840:

• Three UARTs
  • Primary tied to USB interface. Two hardware UARTs.
• Two I²C Buses
• Two SPI Buses
  • Secondary SPI Bus primarily used for Flash IC
• PDM Audio Processing
• Two Analogue Inputs
• Two Dedicated Digital I/O Pins
• Two Dedicated PWM Pins
• Eleven General Purpose I/O Pins

MicroMod nRF52840 Processor Documentation:

• Schematic
• Eagle Files
• Board Dimensions
• Hookup Guide
• Datasheet - MDBT50Q Module
• Datasheet - nRF52840 IC
• GitHub Hardware Repo

MicroMod Documentation:

• SparkFun MicroMod Interface v1.0 - Pinout
• SparkFun MicroMod Interface v1.0 - Pin Descriptions
• Getting Started with MicroMod
• Designing with MicroMod
• MicroMod Info Page
• MicroMod Forums
• SparkFun Eagle Libraries (contains example footprints for the M.2 connector and SMD standoff)
• M.2 MicroMod Connector Datasheet
• MicroMod Reflowable Standoff Datasheet

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