Blues Notecarrier® Datasheet: Notecarrier F v1.5

Functional Description

Notecarriers are available in multiple form factors to support rapid development across a range of use cases. Depending on the variant, a Notecarrier may prioritize direct host integration, compact size, integrated cellular/WiFi and GNSS antennas, or the ability to be soldered directly into a low-volume production design.

Notecarriers are explicitly designed to bridge the gap between early prototyping and a production-ready Notecard-based solution. In a final product, the Notecard is typically socketed directly onto a custom PCB via an edge connector, alongside the customer's MCU, sensors, and supporting circuitry. While this approach provides maximum flexibility and modularity, it can significantly increase the effort required during initial development and validation.

To simplify this process, Notecarriers expose the Notecard's interfaces through convenient breakout connections and integrate essential supporting circuitry, including power regulation, protection, and signal conditioning. This allows developers to focus on firmware, connectivity, and system behavior without first designing a complete custom carrier board.

Features

• Simple. Provides breadboard compatible pins or solderable mask for direct connections.
• Compatible. Level shifters ensure compatibility with 3.3V or 5V equipment.
• Convenient. Powered by a USB connector (requires 2A supply).
• GPS Ready. Models are either active GPS compatible, or feature a built-in antenna to enable GNSS connectivity.

• Notecard Outboard Firmware Update. Capable of updating host firmware without relying on the currently executing host firmware. Requires configuring the Notecard for Outboard Firmware Update before deployment. See Notecard Outboard Firmware Update for setup instructions.

Tested Notecard Outboard Firmware Update MCUs

The following is a list of Feather-compatible MCUs that we've tested and ensured are ready for Notecard Outboard Firmware Update:

• Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express
• Adafruit Feather STM32F405 Express
• Blues Swan (version 3 and greater)
• Blues Cygnet

Compatible Notecards

Due to differences in the physical size of Notecards, certain Notecarriers are only compatible with certain Notecards. However, the Notecarrier F v1.5 is compatible with all available Notecards:

• Notecard Cell+WiFi
• Notecard Cellular
• Notecard Cellular (Legacy)
• Notecard WiFi
• Notecard LoRa

Package Configuration

Notecarrier F (Adafruit Feather Socket) v1.5

Notecarrier F (CARR-F) is designed for drop-in development with any Adafruit Feather or compatible microcontroller. It includes two female pin headers (12-pin and 16-pin) for directly plugging in a Feather compatible board. It also includes Qwiic/Stemma QT I2C ports for attaching external peripherals to your project. This Notecarrier is also capable of supporting the Notecard's Outboard Firmware Update functionality, which allows you to update the firmware running on your host, without any cooperation of the host firmware.

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• Adafruit Feather compatible header socket.
• Notecard edge connector socket and mounting screw receptacle.

• USB-C port to power Notecarrier and provide a USB Serial command interface to Notecard.

• Requires an external LTE antenna or LTE + GPS antenna.
• External Nano-SIM slot for additional carrier connectivity.
• JST PH connector for a LiPo battery.
• JST PH connector for a solar panel.
• JST PH connector for Primary Cell Battery or DC input on V+
• 2x JST SH 3.3V I2C port (Adafruit STEMMA QT and Sparkfun Qwiic compatible).
• I2C Level shifter isolating Notecard power draw from Feather.
• Active/Passive GPS toggle switch
• Ultra low power ATTN/F_EN enable switch

• Automatic routing of the Feather's F_RX, F_TX, F_B0, and F_NRST pins to Notecard during a Notecard Outboard Firmware Update.

• LiPo charging circuit.
• PCB Dimensions: 103mm x 51mm
• Center of Mounting Holes (Notecarrier): 99mm x 47mm (measured from the edge of the PCB to the center of the furthest mounting hole)
• Center of Mounting Holes (Feather): 11mm x 49mm and 29mm x 49mm (measured from the edge of the PCB to the center of both sets of mounting holes)

Differences from Previous Version

Notecarrier F v1.5 differs from Notecarrier F v1.3 in the following ways:

• The Micro-USB port is replaced by a USB-C port.
• Power applied to the Feather's own USB port now also feeds the Notecarrier's VUSB rail, so it powers Notecard and charges an attached LiPo battery exactly as the Notecarrier's USB-C port does.
• The AUX DIP switch is removed. The Feather's F_RX, F_TX, F_B0, and F_NRST pins are connected to the Notecarrier headers, and are switched over to Notecard automatically for the duration of a Notecard Outboard Firmware Update. See DIP Switches.
• The VSOLAR header pin is now wired directly to the SOLAR JST connector, so USB power no longer appears on VSOLAR.
• The Feather's SDA and SCL lines have 10kΩ pull-ups to the Feather I/O voltage rail.
• The copper beneath the antenna end of the Notecard socket is removed on all layers to improve RF performance of Notecards with onboard antennas.

Pins Shared Between Feather and Notecarrier

*These Feather pins are connected to the F_B0, F_NRST, F_RX, and F_TX pins of the Notecarrier F headers, and are switched over to Notecard automatically while a Notecard Outboard Firmware Update is in progress. During that time they are isolated from the headers.

Power Information

All Notecarriers can be powered by connecting directly to the USB port. However, most installations will not have USB power available, so several alternate power options are provided by the various Notecarrier models:

• Attaching a LiPo battery.

  The LiPo battery must be a single-cell 3.7V battery with a 2-pin JST PH connector.

• Attaching a solar cell (must be accompanied by a LiPo).

  The solar charging circuit accepts a 3.5-7V solar panel (the SOLAR connector is marked 3.5V - 7V on the board).

• Attaching USB power to the Feather's own USB port.

  On Notecarrier F v1.5, USB power applied to the Feather's USB port also feeds the Notecarrier's VUSB rail, so it powers Notecard and charges an attached LiPo battery exactly as the Notecarrier's USB-C port does.

• Applying 2.5-5.5VDC to the V+ pin.

  Commonly provided via DC power supply or non-rechargeable battery.

GPS (GNSS) Antenna Requirements

All Notecarrier models are designed to support active GPS, and several Notecarrier models provide built-in antennas ready to be connected to a Cellular Notecard using the included u.FL cables.

Header Descriptions

Notecarrier F Dual 24-Pin Headers

DIP Switches

There are two DIP switches located on the back of the board.

1. GPS ANT - When switched ACTIVE, applies 3.9VDC to the center conductor of the Notecard GPS antenna connector to power the low-noise amplifier (LNA) of an active GPS antenna. This switch must be PASSIVE (default) if Notecard is used with a closed-loop, passive GPS antenna! An active antenna is recommended for best performance.
2. FEATHER_EN - When switched ON (default), connects the EN pin of the 3.6V regulator to N_VIO to keep power all the time. When in the N_ATTN position connects the EN pin of the 3.6V regulator to the ATTN pin on the notecard for low power scenarios.

Specifications

Electrical Characteristics

DC Characteristics

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Ordering Information

• Notecarriers
• Development Kits

Design Files

Open source hardware designs for all Notecarriers are maintained in the note-hardware GitHub repository.

Here are the design files available for the Notecarrier F v1.5:

• Schematic (.pdf) — the full circuit schematic. Use it to understand how the Notecard, Feather host, power, and I/O are wired together.
• Bill of materials (.xlsx) — the fitted components with their reference designators and manufacturer part numbers. Note that this released spreadsheet omits the two outer 24-pin header sockets (J9 and J10, 4UCON 12736), which are fitted on the board and present in the schematic and KiCad project. Use it to source parts or build your own board.
• Assembly drawing (.pdf) — shows component placement and reference designators. Use it to locate parts during assembly or rework.
• Dimensional drawing (.pdf) — board outline, mounting-hole locations, and connector positions for enclosure and mechanical fit.
• Gerber fabrication files (.zip) — the Gerber and drill set, plus the fabrication specification. Send this package to a PCB manufacturer to have bare boards produced.
• Pick-and-place, top side (.pnp) and bottom side (.pnp) — component centroid (X/Y/rotation) data used to program automated SMT assembly.
• 3D model (.step) — a STEP 3D model. Import it into mechanical CAD to check fit and design enclosures.
• 3D view (.pdf) — an interactive 3D view you can rotate and inspect in Adobe Acrobat, no CAD software required.
• Altium project (folder) — the complete, editable Altium Designer design (schematic sheets and PCB layout). Open it in Altium to modify the design or generate your own outputs.
• KiCad project (folder) — the complete, editable KiCad design (schematic sheets, PCB layout, and libraries), converted from the Altium project and validated against the released fabrication outputs. Open it in KiCad to modify the design or generate your own outputs.

Notecarrier Schematics

The following are a set of interactive KiCanvas-powered schematics of the Notecarrier F v1.5.

Notecarrier F Notecard Connection

Notecarrier F Feather Connection

Notecarrier F I/O

Notecarrier F Power Input

Notecarrier F Power Rails

Board Errata

Terms and Conditions

Visit Blues Hardware Terms & Conditions.

Revision History

Contact Information

Blues Inc.
https://blues.com
50 Dunham Ridge Suite 1650
Beverly, MA 01915
support@blues.com