Connectivity Card NRF9161 M.2

Connectivity Cards

Datasheet Release 1.2

Remote monitoring of critical infrastructure with edge computing

The nRF91 Connectivity Cards from CTHINGS.CO® are extension cards based on the Nordic® Semiconductor nRF9161 SoC. They are multi-protocol chips designed to empower IoT integrators to implement DECT NR+, LTE Cat-M1/NB1/NB2 protocol stacks. The extension card allows for full-fledged utilisation of the on-board Arm® Cortex®-M33 CPU with FPU. In addition, the ARM TrustZone® CryptoCell 310 cryptographic unit brings an extensive range of cryptography options. The product comes with full CE class-B and RED certification and can be used to quickly and reliably add LTE or DECT NR+ protocol stack support to any existing device with an M.2 without worrying about certification or radio performance. A full J-Trace connector is available on a programming jig for convenient firmware development. CTHINGS.CO also provides various pre-flashing options, and tested support for Wirepas 5G Mesh firmware profile.

Specifications

Hardware Features

  • M.2 connector pinout compliant

  • Single-ended U.FL antenna connector

  • Based on Nordic® Semiconductor nRF9161

  • 64 Mbit flash memory

  • Ultra-low power consumption

  • Arm® Cortex®-M33 processor with FPU, 64 MHz

  • Communicating with host device via USB interface

  • Compatible with CTHINGS.CO Programming Jig

Software Features

  • Compatible with Wirepas Mesh 5G NR+ profile firmware, including sink

  • Compatible with nRF Connect SDK

Electrical Specification

  • 3.3 V nominal supply voltage (electrically mini-PCIe compliant)

  • 3.0 V–3.5 V supply voltage range

  • ESD protected

  • Ultra-low power consumption

Modem Features

  • 3GPP LTE Release 14 Cat-M1 compliant

  • 3GPP LTE Release 14 Cat-NB1 and Cat-NB2 compliant

  • Power Saving Modes: DRX, eDRX, PSM

  • DECT NR+ bands: 1, 2, 9

RF Transceiver for Global Coverage

  • Up to 23 dBm output power

  • RX sensitivity:

    • −108 dBm sensitivity (Cat-M1) for low band

    • −107 dBm for mid band

  • Supports LTE bands from 700 MHz to 2.2 GHz through a single 50 Ω antenna pin

LTE Band Support in Hardware

  • Cat-M1: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B66, B85

  • Cat-NB1/NB2: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B17, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B65, B66, B85

Embedded Security

  • Arm® TrustZone® CryptoCell 310 security subsystem

  • Secure boot ready

  • Secure erase

Certifications

The CTHINGS.CO® nRF91 M.2 Edge IoT Connectivity Card is CE Class-B, Radio Equipment Directive (RED), and EU RoHS directive compliant.

US FCC and UK CA certification is planned.

The device has been tested to meet the following electromagnetic compatibility standards:

Electromagnetic emissions:

  • EN 55032:2015+A1:2020

  • Test method according to EN 55016-2-3:2017+A1:2019

Immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI):

  • Electrostatic discharge immunity test (ESD) according to EN 61000-4-2:2009

  • Radiated electromagnetic field immunity test according to EN 61000-4-3:2020

Use Cases

  • IoT gateways

  • Workstations and laptops

  • Cellular backhaul systems for non-cellular Wirepas meshes

  • Gateways for Nordic® Semiconductor nRF91-based IoT systems

Capabilities

Wirepas 5G Mesh

Plug-and-play support for Wirepas 5G / NR+ profile mesh networks.

M.2 Pinout Compliance

Small and standardised form factor compliant with common hardware.

Cellular LTE Network

Cat-M1 and NB-IoT connectivity, including Cat-NB1 and Cat-NB2.

Multiprotocol

LTE-M, NB-IoT, DECT NR+, and Wirepas 5G Mesh support.

Certified Radio Equipment

Full CE Class-B and Radio Equipment Directive (RED) certification.

Performant CPU

32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M33 CPU with floating-point unit.

Zephyr Support

Out-of-the-box support for Zephyr RTOS.

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