B504 Datasheet

Functional description

Overview

The B-Series System-on-a-Module (SoM) is a cellular device with support for BLE (Bluetooth LE). It is based on the Nordic nRF52840 microcontroller.

The B-Series is designed to be integrated into your circuit board design, plugging into a M.2 NGFF connector on your board, allowing the module to be changed or upgraded easily.

Features

  • Quectel EG91-NAX cellular modem
    • LTE Cat 1 module with 3G fallback with Americas bands
    • Support for United States, Canada, and Mexico only
    • 3GPP E-UTRA Release 13
    • LTE Cat 1 bands: 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 25, 26
    • UMTS (3G) bands: 2, 4, 5
    • Embedded Particle EtherSIM
    • GNSS (GPS)
  • Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 SoC
    • ARM Cortex-M4F 32-bit processor @ 64MHz
    • 1MB flash, 256KB RAM
    • Bluetooth 5: 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, 500 Kbps, 125 Kbps
    • Supports DSP instructions, HW accelerated Floating Point Unit (FPU) and encryption functions
    • Up to +8 dBm TX power (down to -20 dBm in 4 dB steps)
    • NFC-A tag
  • On-module additional 4MB SPI flash
  • 24 mixed signal GPIO (8 x Analog, 8 x PWM), UART, I2C, SPI
  • USB 2.0 full speed (12 Mbps)
  • JTAG (SWD) pins
  • Pins for RGB LED used for connection status
  • Pins for reset and mode buttons
  • On-module MFF2 Particle SIM
  • Three on-module U.FL connectors for external antennas
  • Connects to your base board or eval board that has a Particle M.2 connector
  • FCC (United States) certified
  • RoHS compliant (lead-free)

Model comparison

B404X B404 B402 B524 B523 B504
Region NorAm NorAm NorAm EMEAA Europe Americas
EtherSIM    
Supply Secure      
Lowest power (LTE Cat M1)      
Fastest speed (LTE Cat 1)      
Cellular fallback       3G, 2G 3G, 2G 3G
Lifecycle GA NRND Deprecated GA Deprecated In development
  • EtherSIM devices generally have a larger number of carriers and more may be added in the future
  • NorAm: North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
  • Americas: North America, Central, and South America (not all countries supported)
  • LTE Cat M1: Low-power cellular intended for IoT devices
  • LTE Cat 1: Available in more countries and has higher data rates
  • EMEAA: Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (not all countries supported)
  • NRND: Not recommended for new designs
  • See the Carrier list for specific carrier and country compatibility
  • See the Supply secure FAQ for more information
  • See Lifestyle stages for more information

Device OS support

The B504 requires Device OS 5.0 or later. Using the most recent version 5.x or 6.x version is recommended.

The B504 is platform b5som, not bsom used by the B404X. While source code is compatible across both B-Series SoM models, binaries must be compiled separately for each.

Additionally, products can only contain one platform. Thus if you have both B404X and B504, they must be in separate products. You can, however, put the B504 and B524/B523 devices in the same product.

For information on upgrading Device OS, see Version information. For the latest version shipped from the factory, see Manufacturing firmware versions page. See also Long Term Support (LTS) releases.

Migration information

The B504 is similar to the B524, except for the cellular bands supported. The B504 contains a Quectel EG91-NAX cellular modem and the B524 contains a Quectel EG91-E cellular modem. They are the same physical size and software compatible.

Migrating from Information
B404X, B404, B402 Recompile source for b5som platform, see below
B524, B523 Upgrade Device OS version if necessary
Boron B-Series from Boron or Argon migration guide
E-Series B-Series from E-Series migration Guide
Electron B-Series from Electron migration Guide

B404X, B404, B402 migration

  • Recompile source for b5som platform.
  • Upgrade Device OS to 5.x or later if necessary.
  • Verify that power requirements for VCC are met, as the B504 requires more power than the B404X/B404/B402.
  • Use the antenna the B504 was certified with, not previous antennas.

B524, B523 migration

  • Upgrade Device OS to 5.x or later if necessary.
  • Use the antenna the B504 was certified with, not previous antennas.

Interfaces

Block diagram

Block Diagram

Power

VCC

VCC is used to supply power to the Quectel EG91-NAX cellular module. The recommended input voltage range on this pin is between 3.6V to 4.2V DC. This can be connected directly to a 3.7V LiPo battery. Make sure that the supply can handle currents of at least 2 A.

If you are not using a battery, or using a battery of a different voltage, you should use a regulator to supply 3.7V to 4.2V at 2A. You may want to add additional bulk capacitors to handle the short, high current peak usage when the cellular modem is transmitting. If your board contains a bq24195 PMIC, see PMIC notes, below, for additional information.

Note that the B504 requires 2000 mA on VCC, unlike the B404X which only 600 mA.

3V3

3V3 is used to supply power to nRF52840, logic ICs, memory, etc.. The 3V3 input voltage range is between 3V to 3.6V DC, but 3.3V is recommended. Make sure that the supply can handle a minimum of 150 mA, however we recommend a minimum of 500 mA supplied from your base board to allow for compatibility with future modules.

These limits do not include any 3.3V peripherals on your base board, so that may increase the current requirements.

Power supply requirements:

  • 3.3V output
  • Maximum 5% voltage drop
  • 100 mV peak-to-peak ripple maximum
  • 500 mA minimum output current at 3.3V recommended for future compatibility
  • Maintain these values at no-load as well as maximum load

We do not recommend using a single 3.6V supply for both VCC and 3V3 as the cellular modem performance may be lower below 3.7V. Use two separate regulators for best results.

VBus

VBus is connected to the USB detect pin of nRF52840 to enables the USB interface. The recommended input voltage range is between 4.35V to 5.5V DC.


Antenna

There are four radios on the B504 module:

  • BLE radio (part of nRF52840 MCU)
  • NFC tag receiver (part of nRF52840 MCU)
  • Cellular radio (Quectel EG91-NAX)
  • GNSS (GPS) receiver (part of Quectel EG91-NAX)

We have provided three u.FL connectors to plug in the cellular, BLE antenna, and GNSS antennas.

B504 Connectors

Number Label Purpose
1 BT Bluetooth antenna (optional)
2 CELL Quectel cellular modem antenna
3 GNSS GNSS (GPS) antenna (optional)

The NFC antenna connection is provided through the M.2 connector.

If you are not using BLE, NFC, or GNSS, you can omit those antennas.

Certified cellular antenna

The B504 is certified with the following cellular antenna:

Antenna SKU Details Links
Wide band LTE cell antenna [x1] PARANTCW1EA B504 and M-SoM Datasheet
Wide band LTE cell antenna [x50] PARANTCW1TY B504 and M-SoM Datasheet

Single quantity M-SoM units and developer kits include a PARANTCW1EA antenna. Tray quantities of the M-SoM do not include antennas.

Dimension Value Unit
Length 116.0 mm
Width 27.0 mm
Thickness 0.2 mm
Cable Length 189.5 mm
Parameter 700/850/900 1700/1800/1900 2100 2400 2600 Unit
Peak gain
PARANTCW1EA 2.8 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 dBi

Certified BLE antenna

The following antenna is optional and can be omitted if you do not wish to use BLE. It can be purchased in the Particle online store.

Antenna SKU Links
Particle Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4GHz, [x1] ANT-FLXV2 Datasheet | Retail Store
Particle Wi-Fi Antenna 2.4GHz, [x50] ANT-FLXV2-50 Datasheet

General antenna parameters:

Parameter Value Unit
Antenna Type Dipole
Radiation Properties Omnidirectional
Polarization Vertical
Impedance 50 ohms
Peak Gain 2.0 dBi
Max VSWR < 2.0

Mechanical:

Parameter Value Unit
Dimensions 45.1 x 7.4 x 1.0 mm
Material PCB
Connector U.FL (IPEX)
Cable Mini-coax 1.13mm
Cable length 120 mm

Environmental:

Parameter Value
Operating temperature -20°C to 75°C
Storage temperature -20°C to 75°C
ROHS Compliant

Certified NFC antenna

Antenna SKU Links
Particle NFC Antenna, [x1] ANT-NFC Datasheet | Retail Store

General antenna parameters:

Parameter Value Unit
Frequency 13.56 MHz
Communication Distance (max) 52 mm

Mechanical:

Parameter Value Unit
Dimensions 35 x 35 mm
Connector and cable U.FL and 1.13mm mini coax
Cable length 100 mm

Environmental:

Parameter Value
Operating temperature -20°C to 85°C
Storage temperature -20°C to 85°C
ROHS Compliant

Certified GNSS antennas

SKU Description
PARANTGN1EA Particle GNSS FPC Antenna, [x1] Datasheet
PARANTGN1TY Particle GNSS FPC Antenna, [x50] Datasheet

Single quantity B-SoM units and developer kits include a PARANTGN1EA antenna. Tray quantities of the B-SoM do not include antennas. If not using the GNSS feature, the antenna can be omitted from your design.

  • GNSS support will be added in a future version of Device OS.
  • Feature such of high-precision, dead-reckoning, and high updates rates will require an external GNSS chip.

General antenna guidance

  • The antenna placement needs to follow some basic rules, as any antenna is sensitive to its environment. Mount the antenna at least 10mm from metal components or surfaces, ideally 20mm for best radiation efficiency, and try to maintain a minimum of three directions free from obstructions to be able to operate effectively.
  • Needs tuning with actual product enclosure and all components.
  • For the BLE antenna, it is recommended to use a 2.4 GHz single-frequency antenna and not a 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz antenna, so as to avoid large gain at the frequency twice of 2.4 GHz which can cause the second harmonic radiation of 2.4 GHz to exceed standards.

Peripherals and GPIO

Peripheral Type Qty Input(I) / Output(O)
Digital 24 (max) I/O
Analog (ADC) 8 (max) I
UART 1 I/O
SPI 2 I/O
I2C 2 I/O
USB 1 I/O
PWM 8 (max) O
NFC 1 O

There are some optional B504 module specific I/O:

  • Quectel USB and VBUS (for modem firmware upgrades)
  • Quectel Ring Indicator (RI) output

Note: All GPIOs are only rated at 3.3VDC max.

JTAG and SWD

The B504 module has 4 pads at the bottom exposing the SWD interface of the nRF52840. This interface can be used to debug your code or reprogram your B504 bootloader, device OS, or the user firmware. We use 4 pogo-pins connecting to these pads during production for firmware flashing.

Pogo Pins

Memory map

nRF52840 flash layout overview

  • Bootloader (48KB, @0xF4000)
    • User Application: 256KB @ 0xB4000
  • System (656KB, @0x30000)
  • SoftDevice (192KB)

External SPI flash layout overview (dfu offset: 0x80000000)

  • OTA (1500KB, @0x00289000)
  • Reserved (420KB, @0x00220000)
  • FAC (128KB, @0x00200000)
  • LittleFS (2M, @0x00000000)

Pins and button definitions

Pinout diagram

Pinout

Common SoM pins

RESERVED and SOM pins may vary across different SoM models. If you are designing for this specific module, or similar modules, you can use the indicated functions even if the pin is marked RESERVED. Most nRF52840-based modules will have the same pin functions on the RESERVED pins

Future modules with a different MCU may have different pin functions. An effort will be made to assign all of the listed functions for ADC, PWM, SPI, etc. from the set of common SoM pin functions in future modules, but the functions on RESERVED and SOM pins will likely vary.

GPIO and port listing

Pin Name Module Pin PWM MCU
A0 / D19 23 ADC1       P0.03
A1 / D18 33 ADC2       P0.04
A2 / D17 35 ADC4         P0.28
A3 / D16 37 ADC5         P0.29
A4 / D15 41 ADC6         P0.30
A5 / D14 43 ADC7         P0.31
A6 45 ADC3       P0.05
A7 47 ADC0       P0.02
CELL USBD- 46            
CELL USBD+ 44            
CELL VBUS 74            
D0 22   Wire (SDA)       P0.26
D1 20   Wire (SCL)       P0.27
D2 42   Wire1 (SDA) SPI1 (SCK) Serial1 RTS   P1.02
D3 40   Wire1 (SCL) SPI1 (MOSI) Serial1 CTS   P1.01
D4 66     SPI1 (MISO)   P1.08
D5 68         P1.10
D6 70         P1.11
D7 72         P1.12
D8 48     SPI (SS)     P1.03
D22 62           P0.24
D23 64           P1.09
MISO / D11 50     SPI (MISO)     P1.14
MOSI / D12 52     SPI (MOSI)     P1.13
NC 14            
NC 75            
NFC1 17           P0.09
NFC2 19           P0.10
RGBB 65           P0.15
RGBG 63           P0.14
RGBR 61           P0.13
RX / D10 38       Serial1 RX   P0.08
SCK / D13 54     SPI (SCK)     P1.15
SIM_CLK 71            
SIM_DATA 73            
SIM_RST 69            
SIM_VCC 67            
TX / D9 36       Serial1 TX   P0.06
USBDATA- 13            
USBDATA+ 11            
VUSB 16            

ADC (analog to digital converter)

The B504 supports 8 ADC inputs.

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
23 A0 / D19 A0 Analog in, GPIO, PWM ADC1 P0.03
33 A1 / D18 A1 Analog in, GPIO, PWM ADC2 P0.04
35 A2 / D17 A2 Analog in, GPIO ADC4 P0.28
37 A3 / D16 A3 Analog in, GPIO ADC5 P0.29
41 A4 / D15 A4 Analog in, GPIO ADC6 P0.30
43 A5 / D14 A5 Analog in, GPIO ADC7 P0.31
45 A6 A6 Analog in, PWM, GPIO ADC3 P0.05
47 A7 A7 Analog in, GPIO, Ethernet Reset ADC0 P0.02
  • ADC inputs are single-ended and limited to 0 to 3.3V
  • Resolution is 12 bits

UART serial

The B504 supports one UART serial interfaces.

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
36 TX / D9 Serial TX, GPIO Serial1 TX P0.06
38 RX / D10 Serial RX, GPIO Serial1 RX P0.08
40 D3 SPI1 MOSI, Serial1 CTS, GPIO, Wire1 SCL Serial1 CTS P1.01
42 D2 SPI1 SCK, Serial1 RTS, PWM, GPIO, Wire1 SDA Serial1 RTS P1.02
  • The UART pins are 3.3V and must not be connected directly to a RS-232C port or to a 5V TTL serial port
  • Hardware flow control is optional; if not used then the RTS and CTS pins can be used as regular GPIO
  • You cannot use hardware flow control and Ethernet at the same time.

SPI

The B504 supports two SPI (serial peripheral interconnect) ports.

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
40 D3 SPI1 MOSI, Serial1 CTS, GPIO, Wire1 SCL SPI1 (MOSI) P1.01
42 D2 SPI1 SCK, Serial1 RTS, PWM, GPIO, Wire1 SDA SPI1 (SCK) P1.02
48 D8 GPIO, SPI SS, Ethernet CS SPI (SS) P1.03
50 MISO / D11 SPI MISO, GPIO SPI (MISO) P1.14
52 MOSI / D12 SPI MOSI, GPIO SPI (MOSI) P1.13
54 SCK / D13 SPI SCK, GPIO SPI (SCK) P1.15
66 D4 SPI1 MISO, PWM, GPIO SPI1 (MISO) P1.08
  • The SPI port is 3.3V and must not be connected directly to devices that drive MISO at 5V
  • If not using a SPI port, its pins can be used as GPIO
  • Any pins can be used as the SPI chip select
  • Multiple devices can generally share a single SPI port
  • You cannot use SPI1 and Ethernet at the same time.

I2C

The B504 supports two I2C (two-wire serial interface) ports.

Pin Pin Name Description Interface MCU
20 D1 I2C SCL, GPIO Wire (SCL) P0.27
22 D0 I2C SDA, GPIO Wire (SDA) P0.26
40 D3 SPI1 MOSI, Serial1 CTS, GPIO, Wire1 SCL Wire1 (SCL) P1.01
42 D2 SPI1 SCK, Serial1 RTS, PWM, GPIO, Wire1 SDA Wire1 (SDA) P1.02
  • The I2C port is 3.3V and must not be connected directly a 5V I2C bus
  • Maximum bus speed is 400 kHz
  • External pull-up resistors are recommended for I2C as the internal pull-up is 13K.
  • If not using I2C, pins D0 and D1 can be used as GPIO or analog input.
  • You cannot use Wire1 and Ethernet at the same time.

PWM

The B504 supports PWM (pulse-width modulation) on the following pins:

Pin Pin Name Description Timer MCU
23 A0 / D19 A0 Analog in, GPIO, PWM PWM2 P0.03
33 A1 / D18 A1 Analog in, GPIO, PWM PWM2 P0.04
45 A6 A6 Analog in, PWM, GPIO PWM2 P0.05
47 A7 A7 Analog in, GPIO, Ethernet Reset PWM2 P0.02
66 D4 SPI1 MISO, PWM, GPIO PWM1 P1.08
68 D5 PWM, GPIO PWM1 P1.10
70 D6 PWM, GPIO PWM1 P1.11
72 D7 PWM, GPIO PWM0 P1.12
  • PWM that share the same timer (PMW2 for example) must share the same frequency but can have different duty cycles.
  • Pin D7 (PWM0) share a timer with the RGB LED and you should not change its frequency but it can have a different duty cycle.

USB

The B504 supports a USB interface for programming the device and for USB serial (CDC) communications. The module itself does not contain a USB connector; you typically add a micro USB or USB C connector on your base board. It is optional but recommended.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
11 USBDATA+ USB Data+  
13 USBDATA- USB Data-  
16 VUSB USB VUSB power pin  
44 CELL USBD+ Cellular Modem USB Data+  
46 CELL USBD- Cellular Modem USB Data-  
  • The Cellular Modem USB connector is optional, and can be used for firmware updates of the cellular module.

RGB LED

The B504 supports an external common anode RGB LED.

One common LED that meets the requirements is the Cree CLMVC-FKA-CL1D1L71BB7C3C3 which is inexpensive and easily procured. You need to add three current limiting resistors. With this LED, we typically use 1K ohm current limiting resistors. These are much larger than necessary. They make the LED less blinding but still provide sufficient current to light the LEDs. If you want maximum brightness you should use the calculated values - 33 ohm on red, and 66 ohm on green and blue.

A detailed explanation of different color codes of the RGB system LED can be found here.

The use of the RGB LED is optional, however it is highly recommended as troubleshooting the device without the LED is very difficult.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
61 RGBR RGB LED Red P0.13
63 RGBG RGB LED Green P0.14
65 RGBB RGB LED Blue P0.15

SETUP and RESET button

It is highly recommended that you add MODE (SETUP) and RESET buttons to your base board using momentary switches that connect to GND. These are necessary to change the operating mode of the device, for example to enter listening or DFU mode.

Pin Pin Name Description MCU
32 MODE / D20 MODE button, has internal pull-up P0.11
34 RST Hardware reset, active low. External pull-up required.  

The MODE button does not have a hardware pull-up on it, so you must add an external pull-up (2.2K to 10K) to 3V3, or connect it to 3V3 if not using a button.

The RST pin does have an internal weak pull-up, but you may want to add external pull-up on that as well, especially if you use an off-board reset button connected by long wires.

Pin description

# Pin Common Function nRF52 Description
1 GND GND POWER System ground.
2 VCC VCC5 POWER System power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.3v power.
3 GND GND POWER System ground.
4 VCC VCC POWER System power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.3v power.
5 GND GND POWER System ground.
6 VCC VCC POWER System power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.3v power.
7 GND GND POWER System ground.
8 VCC VCC POWER System power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.3v power.
9 GND GND POWER System ground.
10 3V3 3V3 POWER System power in, supply a fixed 3.0-3.6v power.
11 USB D+ USB D+ IO Data+ pin of the NRF52840 USB port.
12 3V3 3V3 POWER System power in, supply a fixed 3.0-3.6v power.
13 USB D- USB D- IO Data- pin of the NRF52840 USB port.
14 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
15 GND GND POWER System ground.
16 VUSB VUSB POWER System power in, USB detect pin for nRF52840. 5V on this pin enables the USB interface.
17 NFC1 SOM33 NFC input P0.09 NFC antenna connection.
18 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
19 NFC2 SOM43 NFC input P0.10 NFC antenna connection.
20 D1 SCL IO P0.27 I2C SCL, and digital only GPIO.
21 GND GND POWER System ground.
22 D0 SDA IO P0.26 I2C SDA, and digital only GPIO.
23 A0 ADC0 IO P0.03 Analog input ADC02, and digital GPIO.
32 MODE MODE IO P0.25 Connected to the MODE button input, and digital only GPIO.
33 A1 ADC1 IO P0.04 Analog input ADC12, and digital GPIO.
34 RESET RESET I Active-low reset input.
35 A2 ADC2 IO P0.28 Analog input ADC22, and digital GPIO.
36 D9 TX IO P0.06 Primarily used as UART TX, but can also be used as a digital GPIO.
37 A3 ADC3 IO P0.29 Analog input ADC32, and digital GPIO.
38 D10 RX IO P0.08 Primarily used as UART RX, but can also be used as a digital GPIO.
39 AGND AGND POWER System analog ground.
40 D3 RESERVED3 IO P1.10 UART flow control CTS, SCL1 (Wire1), SPI1 MOSI, digital only GPIO.
41 A4 RESERVED3 IO P0.30 Analog input ADC42, and digital GPIO.
42 D2 RESERVED3 IO P1.02 UART flow control RTS, SDA1 (Wire1), SPI1 SCK, digital only GPIO.
43 A5 RESERVED3 IO P0.31 Analog input ADC52, and digital GPIO.
44 Quectel USB D+ SOM0 IO Data+ pin of the cellular modem USB port.
45 A6 RESERVED3 IO P0.05 Analog input ADC62, and digital GPIO.
46 Quectel USB D- SOM1 IO Data- pin of the cellular modem USB port.
47 A7 RESERVED3 IO P0.02 Analog input ADC72, and digital GPIO.
48 D8 CS IO P0.07 SPI interface CS, and digital only GPIO.
49 AGND AGND POWER System analog ground.
50 D11 MISO IO P1.08 SPI interface MISO, and digital only GPIO.
51 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
52 D12 MOSI IO P1.09 SPI interface MOSI, and digital only GPIO.
53 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
54 D13 SCK IO P0.11 SPI interface SCK, and digital only GPIO.
55 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
56 GND GND POWER System analog ground.
57 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
58 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
59 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
60 NC RESERVED3 NC Leave unconnected.
61 RGBR RED IO P0.16 Red pin of the RGB LED.
62 D22 GPIO0 IO P1.01 GPIO0, digital only.
63 RGBG GREEN IO P0.15 Green pin of the RGB LED.
64 D23 GPIO1 IO P1.03 GPIO1, digital only.
65 RGBB BLUE IO P0.14 Blue pin of the RGB LED.
66 D4 PWM0 IO P0.12 SPI1 MISO, Digital only GPIO, and PWM0.
67 SIM_VCC1 SOM53 POWER Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Supply Output from cellular modem.
68 D5 PWM1 IO P0.24 Digital only GPIO, and PWM1.
69 SIM_RST1 SOM63 IO Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Reset Output from cellular modem.
70 D6 PWM2 IO P1.04 Digital only GPIO, and PWM2.
71 SIM_CLK1 SOM73 IO Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Clock Output from cellular modem.
72 D7 PWM3 IO P0.13 Digital only GPIO, and PWM3.
73 SIM_DATA1 SOM83 IO Leave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Data I/O of cellular modem with internal 4.7 k pull-up.
74 Quectel VBUS SOM23 IO USB detect pin for cellular modem. 5V on this pin enables the Quectel USB interface.
75 Quectel RI SOM94 IO Ring indicator

1These pins are connected to the internal MFF2 SIM and should be left open.

2A0-A7 are 12-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D) inputs (0-4095).

3SoM-specific and Reserved pins will vary depending on module. They are able to be used on the B523, but their function may be be different on future modules.

4RI is available on the B504 (Quectel) but not on the B402 (u-blox LTE M1)

5The VCC maximum is 4.3V on the B504 (Quectel) but is 4.2V on the B402 (u-blox LTE M1). For compatibility across modules, limit this to 4.2V.

By default, the Tinker application firmware enables the use of the bq24195 PMIC and MAX17043 fuel gauge. This in turn uses I2C (D0 and D1) and pin A6 (PM_INT). If you are not using the PMIC and fuel gauge and with to use these pins for other purposes, be sure to disable system power configuration. This setting is persistent, so you may want to disable it with your manufacturing firmware only.

System.setPowerConfiguration(SystemPowerConfiguration());

If you are using Ethernet with the B-Series SoM, the following pins are used by Ethernet:

Device OS Pin M.2 Pin Ethernet Pin
MISO 50 SPI MISO
MOSI 52 SPI MOSI
SCK 54 SPI SCK
A7 47 nRESET
D22 62 nINTERRUPT
D8 48 nCHIP SELECT

Cellular modem USB pins

The cellular modem USB pins are optional on custom base boards. These pins are used for low-level diagnostics and reprogramming the cellular modem firmware.

Note, however, the Particle has never done a cellular modem firmware upgrade in the field because doing so generally requires recertification, and is there is a high likelihood that the upgrade will fail, rendering the modem unusable.

Cellular modem could be reprogrammed by removing the SoM from your board and putting it in the M.2 SoM breakout board, which has the cellular modem USB connector.

# Pin Common Function nRF52 Description
44 Quectel USB D+ SOM0 IO Data+ pin of the cellular modem USB port.
46 Quectel USB D- SOM1 IO Data- pin of the cellular modem USB port.
74 Quectel VBUS SOM23 IO USB detect pin for cellular modem. 5V on this pin enables the Quectel USB interface.
75 Quectel RI SOM94 IO Ring indicator

Complete module pin details

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1 GND

Details
Pin Number1
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

2 VCC

Details
Pin Number2
Pin NameVCC
DescriptionSystem power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.2v power.

3 GND

Details
Pin Number3
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

4 VCC

Details
Pin Number4
Pin NameVCC
DescriptionSystem power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.2v power.

5 GND

Details
Pin Number5
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

6 VCC

Details
Pin Number6
Pin NameVCC
DescriptionSystem power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.2v power.

7 GND

Details
Pin Number7
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

8 VCC

Details
Pin Number8
Pin NameVCC
DescriptionSystem power in, connect to the +LiPo or supply a fixed 3.6-4.2v power.

9 GND

Details
Pin Number9
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

10 3V3

Details
Pin Number10
Pin Name3V3
DescriptionSystem power in, supply a fixed 3.0-3.6v power.

11 USBDATA+

Details
Pin Number11
Pin NameUSBDATA+
DescriptionUSB Data+
Input is 5V TolerantYes

12 3V3

Details
Pin Number12
Pin Name3V3
DescriptionSystem power in, supply a fixed 3.0-3.6v power.

13 USBDATA-

Details
Pin Number13
Pin NameUSBDATA-
DescriptionUSB Data-
Input is 5V TolerantYes

14 NC

Details
Pin Number14
Pin NameNC

15 GND

Details
Pin Number15
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

16 VUSB

Details
Pin Number16
Pin NameVUSB
DescriptionUSB VUSB power pin
Input is 5V TolerantYes

17 NFC1

Details
Pin Number17
Pin NameNFC1
DescriptionNFC Antenna 1
MCU PinP0.09

18 NC

Details
Pin Number18
Pin NameNC

19 NFC2

Details
Pin Number19
Pin NameNFC2
DescriptionNFC Antenna 2
MCU PinP0.10

20 D1

Details
Pin Number20
Pin NameD1
DescriptionI2C SCL, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
I2C interfaceSCL. Use Wire object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.27

21 GND

Details
Pin Number21
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

22 D0

Details
Pin Number22
Pin NameD0
DescriptionI2C SDA, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
I2C interfaceSDA. Use Wire object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.26

23 A0

Details
Pin Number23
Pin NameA0
Pin Alternate NameD19
DescriptionA0 Analog in, GPIO, PWM
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneA0, A1, A6, and A7 must have the same frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.03

32 MODE

Details
Pin Number32
Pin NameMODE
Pin Alternate NameD20
DescriptionMODE button, has internal pull-up
MCU PinP0.25

33 A1

Details
Pin Number33
Pin NameA1
Pin Alternate NameD18
DescriptionA1 Analog in, GPIO, PWM
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneA0, A1, A6, and A7 must have the same frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.04

34 RST

Details
Pin Number34
Pin NameRST
DescriptionHardware reset, active low. External pull-up required.

35 A2

Details
Pin Number35
Pin NameA2
Pin Alternate NameD17
DescriptionA2 Analog in, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.28

36 TX

Details
Pin Number36
Pin NameTX
Pin Alternate NameD9
DescriptionSerial TX, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
UART serialTX. Use Serial1 object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.06

37 A3

Details
Pin Number37
Pin NameA3
Pin Alternate NameD16
DescriptionA3 Analog in, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.29

38 RX

Details
Pin Number38
Pin NameRX
Pin Alternate NameD10
DescriptionSerial RX, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
UART serialRX. Use Serial1 object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.08

39 AGND

Details
Pin Number39
Pin NameAGND
DescriptionAnalog Ground.

40 D3

Details
Pin Number40
Pin NameD3
DescriptionSPI1 MOSI, Serial1 CTS, GPIO, Wire1 SCL
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
UART serialCTS. Use Serial1 object.
SPI interfaceMOSI. Use SPI1 object.
I2C interfaceSCL. Use Wire1 object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.10

41 A4

Details
Pin Number41
Pin NameA4
Pin Alternate NameD15
DescriptionA4 Analog in, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.30

42 D2

Details
Pin Number42
Pin NameD2
DescriptionSPI1 SCK, Serial1 RTS, PWM, GPIO, Wire1 SDA
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
UART serialRTS. Use Serial1 object.
SPI interfaceSCK. Use SPI1 object.
I2C interfaceSDA. Use Wire1 object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.02

43 A5

Details
Pin Number43
Pin NameA5
Pin Alternate NameD14
DescriptionA5 Analog in, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.31

44 CELL USBD+

Details
Pin Number44
Pin NameCELL USBD+
DescriptionCellular Modem USB Data+
Input is 5V TolerantYes

45 A6

Details
Pin Number45
Pin NameA6
DescriptionA6 Analog in, PWM, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneA0, A1, A6, and A7 must have the same frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.05

46 CELL USBD-

Details
Pin Number46
Pin NameCELL USBD-
DescriptionCellular Modem USB Data-
Input is 5V TolerantYes

47 A7

Details
Pin Number47
Pin NameA7
DescriptionA7 Analog in, GPIO, Ethernet Reset
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogReadYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneA0, A1, A6, and A7 must have the same frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.02

48 D8

Details
Pin Number48
Pin NameD8
DescriptionGPIO, SPI SS, Ethernet CS
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
SPI interfaceSS. Use SPI object. This is only the default SS/CS pin, you can use any GPIO instead.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.07

49 AGND

Details
Pin Number49
Pin NameAGND
DescriptionAnalog Ground.

50 MISO

Details
Pin Number50
Pin NameMISO
Pin Alternate NameD11
DescriptionSPI MISO, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
SPI interfaceMISO. Use SPI object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.08

51 NC

Details
Pin Number51
Pin NameNC

52 MOSI

Details
Pin Number52
Pin NameMOSI
Pin Alternate NameD12
DescriptionSPI MOSI, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
SPI interfaceMOSI. Use SPI object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.09

53 NC

Details
Pin Number53
Pin NameNC

54 SCK

Details
Pin Number54
Pin NameSCK
Pin Alternate NameD13
DescriptionSPI SCK, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
SPI interfaceSCK. Use SPI object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.11

55 NC

Details
Pin Number55
Pin NameNC

56 GND

Details
Pin Number56
Pin NameGND
DescriptionGround.

57 NC

Details
Pin Number57
Pin NameNC

58 NC

Details
Pin Number58
Pin NameNC

59 NC

Details
Pin Number59
Pin NameNC

60 NC

Details
Pin Number60
Pin NameNC

61 RGBR

Details
Pin Number61
Pin NameRGBR
DescriptionRGB LED Red
MCU PinP0.16

62 D22

Details
Pin Number62
Pin NameD22
DescriptionGPIO, Ethernet INT
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.01

63 RGBG

Details
Pin Number63
Pin NameRGBG
DescriptionRGB LED Green
MCU PinP0.15

64 D23

Details
Pin Number64
Pin NameD23
DescriptionGPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.03

65 RGBB

Details
Pin Number65
Pin NameRGBB
DescriptionRGB LED Blue
MCU PinP0.14

66 D4

Details
Pin Number66
Pin NameD4
DescriptionSPI1 MISO, PWM, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneD4, D5, and D6 must have the same frequency.
SPI interfaceMISO. Use SPI1 object.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.12

67 SIM_VCC

Details
Pin Number67
Pin NameSIM_VCC
DescriptionLeave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Supply Output from R410M.

68 D5

Details
Pin Number68
Pin NameD5
DescriptionPWM, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneD4, D5, and D6 must have the same frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.24

69 SIM_RST

Details
Pin Number69
Pin NameSIM_RST
DescriptionLeave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Reset Output from R410M.

70 D6

Details
Pin Number70
Pin NameD6
DescriptionPWM, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)Yes
Supports toneD4, D5, and D6 must have the same frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP1.04

71 SIM_CLK

Details
Pin Number71
Pin NameSIM_CLK
DescriptionLeave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Clock Output from R410M.

72 D7

Details
Pin Number72
Pin NameD7
DescriptionPWM, GPIO
Supports digitalReadYes
Supports digitalWriteYes
Supports analogWrite (PWM)PWM is shared with the RGB LED, you can specify a different duty cycle but should not change the frequency.
Supports attachInterruptYes. You can only have 8 active interrupt pins.
Internal pull resistance13K
MCU PinP0.13

73 SIM_DATA

Details
Pin Number73
Pin NameSIM_DATA
DescriptionLeave unconnected, 1.8V/3V SIM Data I/O of R410m with internal 4.7 k pull-up.

74 CELL VBUS

Details
Pin Number74
Pin NameCELL VBUS
DescriptionUSB detect pin for R410M. 5V on this pin enables the Cellular Modem USB interface.
Input is 5V TolerantYes

75 RI

Details
Pin Number75
Pin NameRI
DescriptionRing Indicator for cellular modem

LED status

System RGB LED

Unlike the Boron, the B504 module does not have an on-module RGB system status LED. We have provided its individual control pins for you to connect an LED of your liking. This will allow greater flexibility in the end design of your products.

A detailed explanation of different color codes of the RGB system LED can be found here.

PMIC Notes

When using the B-Series SoM with a bq24195 PMIC, note the following:

By default, the bq24195 sets the input current limit, which affects powering by VIN and VUSB, to 100 mA. This affects the VSYS output of the PMIC, which powers both the cellular modem and 3V3 supply, and is not enough to power the B-Series SoM in normal operation.

If your device has the default firmware (Tinker), it will attempt to connect to the cloud, brown out due to insufficient current, then the device will reset. This may result in what appears to be the status LED blinking white, but is actually rolling reboot caused by brownout.

A factory new B-Series SoM does not enable the PMIC setup. To enable the use of the bq21415, you must enable the system power feature PMIC_DETECTION in your code. This defaults to off because the B-Series SoM can be used without a PMIC, or with a different PMIC, and also requires I2C on D0/D1, and some base boards may use those pins as GPIO.

Because the input current limit does not affect the battery input (Li+), for troubleshooting purposes it can be helpful to attach a battery to help rule out input current limit issues. It's also possible to supply 3.7V via a bench power supply to the battery input, instead of VIN.

The input current limit can result in a situation where you can't bring up a B-Series SoM because it browns out continuously, but also cannot flash code to it to stop if from browning out. There are two general solutions:

  • Attach a battery or supply by Li+ when bringing up a board.
  • Use SWD/JTAG and reset halt the MCU. This will prevent it from connecting to the cloud, so you can flash Device OS and firmware to it by SWD.

The input current limit is actually controlled by three factors:

  • The power source max current setting in the PMIC. The default is 900 mA. It can be set to 100, 150, 500, 900, 1200, 1500, 2000, or 3000 mA.
  • It is also limited by the hardware ILIM resistor. On Particle devices with a built-in PMIC, this is set to 1590 mA, but if you are implementing your own PMIC hardware, you can adjust this higher.
  • When connected by USB, it will use DPDM, current negotiation via the USB DP (D+) and DM (D-) lines.

Note that some 2A tablet chargers and multi-port USB power supplies supply 2A but do not implement DPDM; these will be treated as if VIN was used, and you must set the power source current, otherwise the input current will be limited to 900 mA, which is not enough to power a 2G/3G cellular modem without an attached battery.

Technical specifications

Absolute maximum ratings [1]

Supply voltages

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Max Unit
Supply voltages
Supply Input Voltage VCC -0.3 +6.0 V
Supply Input Voltage 3V3 -0.3 +3.9 V
VBUS USB supply voltage VUSB -0.3 +5.8 V
I/O pin voltage
VI/O, VDD ≤ 3.6 V IO -0.3 VDD + 0.3 V
VI/O, VDD > 3.6 V IO -0.3 +3.9 V
NFC antenna pin current
INFC1/2 NFC1/NFC2 80 mA
Radio
BT RF input level (52840) 10 dBm
Environmental
Storage temperature -40 +85 °C

[1] Stresses beyond those listed under absolute maximum ratings may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated under recommended operating conditions is not implied. Exposure to absolute-maximum-rated conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Max Unit
Supply voltages
Supply Input Voltage VCC +3.6 +3.8 +4.2 V
Supply Input Voltage 3V3 +3.0 +3.3 +3.6 V
VBUS USB supply voltage VUSB +4.35 +5.0 +5.5 V
Environmental
Normal operating temperature1 -20 +25 +65 °C
Extended operating temperature2 -40 +85 °C
Humidity Range Non condensing, relative humidity 95 %

Notes:

1 Normal operating temperature range (fully functional and meet 3GPP specifications).

2 Extended operating temperature range (RF performance may be affected outside normal operating range, though module is fully functional)


Power consumption

Values are from B523 using the EG91-E cellular modem. Actual operating current with cellular using the EG91-NAX modem may vary slightly but should be similar.

These values are preliminary and subject to change

Parameter Symbol Min Typ Peak Unit
Operating Current (uC on, peripherals and radio disabled) Iidle 4.47 4.48 4.51 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular on but not connected) Icell_idle 17.5 34.2 744 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connecting to tower) Icell_conn_twr 17.9 72.3 711 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connecting to cloud) Icell_conn_cloud 23.0 93.6 669 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connected but idle) Icell_cloud_idle 22.9 26.8 149 mA
Operating Current (uC on, cellular connected and transmitting) Icell_cloud_tx 113 139 519 mA
STOP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Istop_gpio 323 538 916 uA
STOP mode sleep, analog wake-up Istop_analog 272 537 948 uA
STOP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Istop_intrtc 264 537 947 uA
STOP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, advertising Istop_ble_adv 604 2260 uA
STOP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, connected Istop_ble_conn 619 1700 uA
STOP mode sleep, serial wake-up Istop_usart 327 537 912 uA
STOP mode sleep, cellular wake-up Istop_cell 18.7 23.1 140 mA
ULP mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Iulp_gpio 53.6 446 uA
ULP mode sleep, analog wake-up Iulp_analog 55.8 420 uA
ULP mode sleep, RTC wake-up Iulp_intrtc 54.8 444 uA
ULP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, advertising Iulp_ble_adv 139 2430 uA
ULP mode sleep, BLE wake-up, connected Iulp_ble_conn 162 1090 uA
ULP mode sleep, serial wake-up Iulp_usart 317 537 938 uA
ULP mode sleep, cellular wake-up Iulp_cell 18.4 22.8 149 mA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, GPIO wake-up Ihib_gpio 29.7 430 uA
HIBERNATE mode sleep, analog wake-up Ihib_analog 30.8 441 uA

1The min, and particularly peak, values may consist of very short transients. The typical (typ) values are the best indicator of overall power consumption over time. The peak values indicate the absolute minimum capacity of the power supply necessary, not overall consumption.


Radio specifications

The B-Series SoM has two radio modules.

Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 for BLE

Feature Description
Feature Bluetooth LE 5
Operating Frequencies 2360 to 2500 MHz
Output Power Programmable -20dBm to +8dBm
PLL channel spacing 1 MHz
On the air data rate 125 to 2000 kbps

Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 for NFC tag

Feature Description
Feature NFC Tag-A
Frequency 13.56 MHz

Quectel EG91-NAX

Parameter Value
Protocol stack 3GPP Release 13
RAT LTE Cat 1
LTE FDD Bands Band 12 (700 MHz)
Band 13 (750 MHz)
Band 5 (850 MHz)
Band 26 (850 MHz)  
Band 4 (1700 MHz)  
Band 2 (1900 MHz)
Band 25 (1900 MHz)  
WCDMA Bands Band 5 (850 MHz)
Band 4 (1700)
Band 2 (1900)
Power class Class 3 (24dBm ± 3dB) for WCDMA bands
Class 3 (23dBm ± 2dB) for LTE FDD bands

I/O characteristics

These specifications are based on the nRF52840 datasheet.

Symbol Parameter Min Typ Max Unit
VIH Input high voltage 0.7 xVDD VDD V
VIL Input low voltage VSS 0.3 xVDD V
VOH,SD Output high voltage, standard drive, 0.5 mA, VDD ≥1.7 VDD - 0.4 VDD V
VOH,HDH Output high voltage, high drive, 5 mA, VDD >= 2.7 V VDD - 0.4 VDD V
VOH,HDL Output high voltage, high drive, 3 mA, VDD >= 1.7 V VDD - 0.4 VDD V
VOL,SD Output low voltage, standard drive, 0.5 mA, VDD ≥1.7 VSS VSS + 0.4 V
VOL,HDH Output low voltage, high drive, 5 mA, VDD >= 2.7 V VSS VSS + 0.4 V
VOL,HDL Output low voltage, high drive,3 mA, VDD >= 1.7 V VSS VSS + 0.4 V
IOL,SD Current at VSS+0.4 V, output set low, standard drive, VDD≥1.7 1 2 4 mA
IOL,HDH Current at VSS+0.4 V, output set low, high drive, VDD >= 2.7V 6 10 15 mA
IOL,HDL Current at VSS+0.4 V, output set low, high drive, VDD >= 1.7V 3 mA
IOH,SD Current at VDD-0.4 V, output set high, standard drive, VDD≥1.7 1 2 4 mA
IOH,HDH Current at VDD-0.4 V, output set high, high drive, VDD >= 2.7V 6 9 14 mA
IOH,HDL Current at VDD-0.4 V, output set high, high drive, VDD >= 1.7V 3 mA
tRF,15pF Rise/fall time, standard drivemode, 10-90%, 15 pF load1 9 ns
tRF,25pF Rise/fall time, standard drive mode, 10-90%, 25 pF load1 13 ns
tRF,50pF Rise/fall time, standard drive mode, 10-90%, 50 pF load1 25 ns
tHRF,15pF Rise/Fall time, high drive mode, 10-90%, 15 pF load1 4 ns
tHRF,25pF Rise/Fall time, high drive mode, 10-90%, 25 pF load1 5 ns
tHRF,50pF Rise/Fall time, high drive mode, 10-90%, 50 pF load1 8 ns
RPU Pull-up resistance 11 13 16
RPD Pull-down resistance 11 13 16
CPAD Pad capacitance 3 pF
CPAD_NFC Pad capacitance on NFC pads 4 pF
INFC_LEAK Leakage current between NFC pads when driven to different states 1 10 μA
  • Rise and fall times based on simulations

  • GPIO default to standard drive (2mA) but can be reconfigured to high drive (9mA) in Device OS 2.0.0 and later using the pinSetDriveStrength() function.

Mechanical specifications

Dimensions and weight

Parameters Value Unit
Width 30 mm
Height 42 mm
Thickness 5.5 mm
Weight 6.2 grams

3D models

3D models of the B-Series SoM module are available in the hardware-libraries Github in formats including step, iges, stl, and f3d.

The 3D models are the same for the B504 and B523 as the cellular modem module is the same size.

Mechanical drawing

Mechanical Drawing

Dimensions are in millimeters.


Mating connector and land pattern

The mating connector is a an M.2 (NGFF) type 4. Note that there are several different key configurations for the M.2, and type 4 is different than is commonly used on SSDs.

One compatible connector is the TE 2199230-4. It is widely available including at suppliers such as DigiKey.

M.2 Connector

Screw assembly

The M.2 SoM requires a screw to hold the SoM in place because the M.2 connector does not have integrated locks and the SoM will pop up if not attached to the base board. The screw also provides better vibration resistance than locking clips.

  • This is one style of standoff.

Screw Assembly

  • An alternative design uses a JAE SM3ZS067U410-NUT1-R1200 standoff. It's reflow soldered to your base board and has a threaded hole for a M2*3 screw to hold down the SoM. This may be easier to obtain.
  • The screw should be connected to the ground plane on your base board.

Design considerations

We strongly recommend against placing components under the SOM board because there is not enough height.

Keep-Out Area

Product handling

ESD precautions

The B series contains highly sensitive electronic circuitry and is an Electrostatic Sensitive Device (ESD). Handling an B series without proper ESD protection may destroy or damage it permanently. Proper ESD handling and packaging procedures must be applied throughout the processing, handling and operation of any application that incorporates the B series module. ESD precautions should be implemented on the application board where the B series is mounted. Failure to observe these precautions can result in severe damage to the B series!

Connectors

The U.FL antenna connector is not designed to be constantly plugged and unplugged. The antenna pin is static sensitive and you can destroy the radio with improper handling. A tiny dab of glue (epoxy, rubber cement, liquid tape or hot glue) on the connector can be used securely hold the plug in place.

The M.2 edge connector is static sensitive and should be handled carefully. The M.2 connector is not designed for repeated removal and insertion of the module.


Assembly

Conformal coatings

B-Series SoM modules should not use a conformal coating to protect the module from water. Some components on the SoM cannot be coated and would need to be masked off during coating. This will make the coating process difficult to implement and test.

Furthermore, you cannot safely protect the the connection between the M.2 SoM and the M.2 NGFF connector by using a coating. Using an enclosure that protects both your base board and the B-Series SoM as a single waterproof assembly is recommended instead.


Default settings

The B series comes pre-programmed with a bootloader and a user application called Tinker. This application works with an iOS and Android app also named Tinker that allows you to very easily toggle digital pins, take analog and digital readings and drive variable PWM outputs.

The bootloader allows you to easily update the user application via several different methods, USB, OTA, Serial Y-Modem, and also internally via the Factory Reset procedure. All of these methods have multiple tools associated with them as well.


FCC warnings and end product labeling requirements

Federal Communication Commission Interference Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:

  • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
  • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

  1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
  2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement: This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This transmitter module must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. This End equipment should be installed and operated with a minimum distance of 20 centimeters between the radiator and your body.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the event that these conditions can not be met (for example certain laptop configurations or co-location with another transmitter), then the FCC authorization is no longer considered valid and the FCC ID can not be used on the final product. In these circumstances, the OEM integrator will be responsible for re-evaluating the end product (including the transmitter) and obtaining a separate FCC authorization.

End Product Labeling The final end product must be labeled in a visible area with the following:

  • Contains FCC ID: 2AEMI-B504

Manual Information to the End User The OEM integrator has to be aware not to provide information to the end user regarding how to install or remove this RF module in the user’s manual of the end product which integrates this module.


Certification documents

FCC (United States) - B504 B-Series SoM


Country compatibility

Country Technologies Carriers
Canada 3G, Cat1 Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless, Telus, Videotron
Mexico 3G, Cat1 AT&T, Telcel
Puerto Rico 3G, Cat1 Claro
United States 3G, Cat1 Alaska Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile (USA), Union Telephone

Additional countries

The following countries are not officially supported at this time, but may be compatible. Countries in this list can be used for prototyping and development work, but contact Particle prior to fleet deployment in these additional countries.

Country Technologies Carriers
Anguilla 3G, Cat1 Flow
Antigua and Barbuda 3G, Cat1 Flow
Argentina 3G, Cat1 Claro, Movistar, Personal
Bahamas 3G, Cat1 Aliv, BTC Bahamas
Barbados 3G, Cat1 Flow
Belize 3G, Cat1 Smart
Bolivia 3G, Cat1 NuevaTel
Cayman Islands 3G, Cat1 Flow
Chile 3G, Cat1 Claro, Entel, Movistar
Colombia 3G, Cat1 Movistar, Tigo
Costa Rica 3G, Cat1 Movistar
Dominica 3G, Cat1 Flow
Dominican Republic 3G, Cat1 Altice Dominicana, Claro, Viva
Ecuador 3G, Cat1 Claro, Movistar
El Salvador 3G, Cat1 Claro, Telefonica
Guadeloupe 3G, Cat1 Orange
Guatemala 3G, Cat1 Claro, Movistar
Haiti 3G Digicel
Honduras 3G, Cat1 Claro, Tigo
Jamaica 3G, Cat1 Digicel, Flow
Nicaragua 3G Movistar
Panama 3G, Cat1 Digicel, Movistar
Paraguay 3G, Cat1 Claro, Personal, Tigo, Vox
Peru 3G, Cat1 Claro, Entel, Movistar
Saint Kitts and Nevis 3G, Cat1 Flow
Saint Lucia 3G Flow
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3G, Cat1 Flow
Trinidad and Tobago 3G, Cat1 Digicel, TSTT
Turks and Caicos Islands 3G, Cat1 Flow
Uruguay 3G, Cat1 Antel, Claro, Movistar
Venezuela 3G, Cat1 Movistar
Virgin Islands (British) 3G, Cat1 CCT, Flow

Ordering information

SKU Description Region Modem EtherSIM Lifecycle Replacement
B504MEA B-Series LTE CAT-1/3G (NorAm, EtherSIM), [x1] NORAM EG91-NAX GA
B504MTY B-Series LTE CAT-1/3G (NorAm, EtherSIM), [x50] NORAM EG91-NAX GA

Revision history

Revision Date Author Comments
pre 2024-02-28 RK Preliminary version
2024-05-31 RK Update bands
2024-06-06 RK Update bands
001 2024-06-26 RK Initial version
002 2024-08-13 RK Added links to certification documents
003 2024-09-03 RK Added clarification of cellular modem USB pins
004 2024-09-24 RK Removed concurrent GNSS warning