USB Development Boards

u-blox offers compact evaluation boards for three product series. There are multiple series evaluation boards available in either Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or multi-radio configurations. These include the ANNA-B4, NORA-W2, NORA- W1, and IRIS-W1 series boards.

u-blox's USB-NORA-W256AWS ExpressLink board includes a small 16 mm x 22 mm evaluation board that conveniently shows the supported interfaces of the NORA-W256AWS module which is mounted directly on the board. The board has a USB and plugs directly into the USB port of a computer. The evaluation board comes with Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT ExpressLink and an internal PCB antenna.

The NORA-W251AWS-00B and NORA-W256AWS-00B standalone multi-radio modules deliver Wi-Fi 4 connectivity as well as Bluetooth LE 5 connectivity (including Bluetooth long range) and incorporate AWS IoT ExpressLink with pre-provisioned AWS connectivity. The NORA-W2 series contains standalone multi-radio modules that integrate a powerful 32-bit, dual-core microcontroller unit (MCU) and a radio for wireless communication. The radio supports Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and Bluetooth LE 5.

The embedded AWS IoT ExpressLink-compliant software includes secured certificates that are pre-flashed in the modules. This allows the module to provide out-of-the-box connectivity with AWS with no effort from the customer. It also supports secure over-the-air (OTA) updates of both the module firmware and the host application. The NORA-W2 series is globally certified, reducing time-to-market for the end product.

USB- NORA-W106

u-blox's USB-NORA-W106-00 development platform is based on the multi-radio NORA-W10 modules supporting Wi-Fi 4 (802.11 b/g/n) 2.4GHz and Bluetooth LE 5.0. The development board is designed with a USB interface to simplify prototyping directly from a PC. The host application communicates with the module using high-level AT commands via a serial link over the USB.

The NORA-W106-00B module is simple to integrate and can be used in solutions with top-grade security thanks to the built-in security capabilities of the module. The small size, embedded security, and internal antenna make NORA-W10 an excellent choice for any critical IoT application. In addition, integral support for neural network inference on the MCU using accelerated vector instructions allows NORA-W10 to be used in voice- and facial-recognition applications.

USB-ANNA-B4

u-blox's ultra-small, ANNA-B4 modules are high-performing Bluetooth LE modules in a very small package. The Nordic Semiconductor nRF52833 chip-based modules come both in a stand-alone version with an open CPU (ANNA-B402) or with u-connectXpress (ANNA-B412). The system in package (SiP) modules measure only 6.5 mm x 6.5 mm, including the antenna.

The USB-ANNA-B402 evaluation board features Bluetooth 5.1, an embedded Arm^® Cortex^®-M4 microcontroller with FPU, and state-of-the-art power performance. With 512 kB Flash and 128 kB RAM, it has the capacity for advanced applications developed with open CPU architecture and the Nordic Semiconductor SDK. Wired interfaces like UART, USB, high-speed SPI, I²C, I²S, and GPIO are available for connections to peripheral components.

The USB-ANNA-B412 evaluation board is delivered with u-connectXpress software that provides support for u-blox Bluetooth LE Serial Port Service, GATT client and server, beacons, Bluetooth long-range, NFC™, and simultaneous peripheral and central roles. u-blox u-connectXpress software allows hosts to easily configure connectivity using AT commands over a UART interface. The module offers top-grade security thanks to secure boot, which ensures that the modules only boot up with authenticated u-connectXpress software.