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.
SaprkFun have also routed two I2C buses, 2 SPI buses, eleven GPIO, dedicated digital, analog, 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. Utilizing the M.2 standard, the MicroMod standard is designed to easily swap out processors on the fly. Pair a specialized carrier board for the project you need with your choice of compatible processor!
Get started with the MicroMod nRF52840 Processor Guide
Features
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 favorite 2-wire bi-directional bus interface
- SPI -- If you prefer the 3+-wire serial interface
- Analog-to-digital converters (ADC) -- Eight pins on the nRF52840 Mini Breakout support analog 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 Analog Inputs
- Two Dedicated Digital I/O Pins
- Two Dedicated PWM Pins
- Eleven General Purpose I/O Pins
Documents
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