Summary of NRF9160 FEATHER LAUNCHES FOR $99 WITH GPS SUPPORT
The nRF9160 Feather by Jared Wolff (Circuit Dojo LLC) is an Adafruit Feather–form-factor development board built around the Nordic nRF9160-SICA SiP, providing LTE-M (Cat M1), NB-IoT, and assisted GNSS connectivity. It supports Zephyr OS via the nRF Connect SDK, can be powered by USB or LiPo, includes onboard NOR flash, a 4FF SIM slot, external antenna connectors, Feather I/Os, and debugging options via USB serial or SWD programmers.
Parts used in the nRF9160 Feather:
- Nordic Semiconductor nRF9160-SICA SiP (LTE-M/NB-IoT/GPS, Arm Cortex-M33, 1024 KB flash, 256 KB SRAM)
- Onboard 4 MB NOR flash
- 4FF SIM card slot
- u.FL connector for external cellular antenna
- u.FL connector for external GNSS antenna
- Feather I/O headers (Adafruit Feather form factor — digital, analog, I2C, UART, SPI, RST, 3.3V, VBAT, GND)
- Micro USB port with USB-to-serial chip (serial console)
- Tag-Connect TC2030-CTX-NL footprint for SWD (Jlink and CMSIS-DAP support)
- 2-pin JST header and LiPo charger IC (for LiPo battery, 300 mAh or more recommended)
- Reset button
- User button
- Real-time clock (ultra low-power RTC)
The nRF9160 Feather by Jared Wolff (aka Circuit Dojo LLC) is an electronics development board, which is a system-in-package part of nRF91 series that enables NB-IoT and eMTC (LTE-M) IoT connectivity, as well as assisted GPS.
The package is available in an Adafruit Feather form factor. nRF9160 Feather board supports both CAT M1 LTE and NB-IoT for communication with the outside world, and can be powered by a USB power adapter or a LiPo battery and runs Zephyr OS via the nRF Connect SDK.
Specifications for the nRF9160 Feather include:
- SiP – Nordic Semiconductor nRF9160-SICA LTE-M/NB-IoT/GPS SIP with Arm Cortex-M33 MCU, 1024 KB flash, 256 KB SRAM
- Storage – Onboard 4MB NOR flash (note: upgraded from initial 2MB)
- Cellular Connectivity – LTE Cat-M1 (eMTC) and LTE NB1/NB2 (NB-IoT) plus 4FF SIM card slot, and u.FL connector for an external antenna
- GNSS – Built-in assisted GPS support plus u.FL connector for an external antenna
- Expansion – Feather I/Os (12+16 through holes) with digital and analog I/Os, I2C, UART, SPI, RST, 3.3V, VBAT, GND
- Debugging & Programmer
- Serial console via micro USB Port connected to onboard USB to serial chip
- Support for Jlink and CMSIS-DAP based programmers using a Tag Connect TC2030-CTX-NL over Serial Wire Debug (SWD)
- Misc – “Uber” low-power RTC, reset button, user button
- Power Supply
- 5V DC via Micro USB port
- 2-pin JST header + charger IC for LiPo battery (300 mAh or more required)
- Power Consumption – 2µA of current in standby mode
- Dimensions – 50.8 x 22.86 mm (Adafruit Feather form factor)
- OSHW Certifications – US000664
Read more: NRF9160 FEATHER LAUNCHES FOR $99 WITH GPS SUPPORT
- What cellular technologies does the nRF9160 Feather support?
The board supports LTE Cat-M1 (eMTC) and LTE NB1/NB2 (NB-IoT). - Can the nRF9160 Feather provide GPS functionality?
Yes, it includes built-in assisted GPS support and a u.FL connector for an external GNSS antenna. - How can the nRF9160 Feather be powered?
It can be powered via a 5V micro USB port or a LiPo battery connected to a 2-pin JST header with an onboard charger IC. - What debugger interfaces are supported?
It supports Jlink and CMSIS-DAP based programmers via a Tag Connect TC2030-CTX-NL footprint over Serial Wire Debug (SWD), and a serial console via the micro USB port. - What storage does the nRF9160 Feather include?
The board includes an onboard 4 MB NOR flash. - What MCU and memory are inside the SiP?
The nRF9160-SICA SiP contains an Arm Cortex-M33 MCU with 1024 KB flash and 256 KB SRAM. - Does the board follow a standard form factor?
Yes, it is available in the Adafruit Feather form factor (50.8 x 22.86 mm). - What I/O expansion is available on the board?
Feather I/Os provide digital and analog I/Os, I2C, UART, SPI, RST, 3.3V, VBAT, and GND pins. - Is a SIM card slot provided?
Yes, the board includes a 4FF SIM card slot. - What is the standby power consumption?
The board consumes approximately 2 microamperes in standby mode.
