Connectivity Card NRF9161 MPCIe

Connectivity Cards

Datasheet. Release 1.4

Overview

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 a mini-PCIe 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

  • Mini PCI Express 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

  • Communication with the host device via USB interface

  • Compatible with the 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 to 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 and PSM

  • DECT NR+ bands: 1, 2 and 9

RF Transceiver for Global Coverage

  • Up to 23 dBm output power

  • RX sensitivity:

    • -108 dBm sensitivity for Cat-M1 low band

    • -107 dBm sensitivity 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 mPCIe Edge IoT Connectivity Card is CE Class B, Radio Equipment Directive (RED) and EU RoHS Directive compliant. US FCC and UKCA certification is planned.

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

Electromagnetic emissions:

  • Conducted emissions: EN 55022, EN 55014-1 and EN 55011

  • Radiated emissions up to 6 GHz

  • Harmonic current emissions: EN 61000-3-2

  • Voltage fluctuations and flicker: EN 61000-3-3

Immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI):

  • Electrostatic discharge immunity: EN 61000-4-2

  • Radiated electromagnetic field immunity: EN 61000-4-3

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.

Mini-PCIe Pinout Compliance

Small and standardized form factor compliant with common hardware.

Cellular LTE Network

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

Multiprotocol

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

Certified Radio Equipment

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

High-Performance CPU

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

Zephyr Support

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

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